Mac OS 9: Preventing the automatic opening of downloaded applications

There are three things you can do to help prevent unwanted applications that are downloaded from the Internet from being automatically opened in Mac OS 9:

  • Disable automatic processing and decompressing (or "unstuffing") of downloaded files.
  • Disable unassociated "Helper Application" assignments. Your Internet settings may also include a number of Helper Application assignments that do not have installed applications associated with them which should be removed.
  • Prevent Help Viewer from running scripts.

Disable automatic processing and decompression of downloaded files

These instructions are for Microsoft's Internet Explorer. You can apply similar concepts to other Mac OS 9 web browsers.

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
  3. Choose "Receiving Files -> File Helpers" from the scrolling list on the left side of the window. (You will most likely have to scroll through the list to see this choice. You may also have to click the disclosure triangle for the Receiving Files setting.)

    You should now see something like this:


     
  4. Change every setting in the Applications column so that none are "Post-process with Application". First select the line to change, then click Change. This message appears:


     
  5. If the Handling "How to handle" pop-up menu is set to "Post-Process with Application", change the setting to "Save to File".


     
  6. Click OK to confirm.
  7. Repeat these steps for every application.



Disable unassociated Helper Application assignments

Mac OS 9 typically includes some default Helper Application assignments. For increased safety, you can remove these assignments if you have not installed software to use them.

  1. Open the Internet control panel.
  2. Click the disclosure triangle next to "Edit sets". You should now see this:


     
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. In the scrolling list of icons in the left side of the window, click "Helper Apps". You should now see something like this:




  5. Select a "Type" that is to be removed, then click Remove. For best security, remove the following list of types if you do not have software installed that uses them:
    • finger
    • netphone
    • tn3270
    • wais
    • whois
    • x-netphone
  6. Close the control panel and save the changes.



Prevent Help Viewer from running scripts

You can prevent Help Viewer from running scripts by removing the protocol helper for "help".

Important: Disabling this protocol helper can prevent some legitimate applications from using Help Viewer. This change will also prevent the Help Viewer from automating tasks that open applications.

Follow these steps:

  1. Open the Internet control panel.
  2. Click the disclosure triangle next to the "Edit sets" label.
  3. Click the Advanced tab.
  4. In the scrolling list of icons in the left side of the window, click "Helper Apps".


     
  5. Select the "help" type, then click Remove.
  6. Close the control panel and save the changes.

 

Important: Information about products not manufactured by Apple is provided for information purposes only, and does not constitute Apple's recommendation or endorsement. Please contact the vendor for additional information.

Published Date: Feb 20, 2012