Question: What's Up with the Click to Activate Message?
I am still using Macromedia Captivate. On my introduction screen, I have a Start button for my Captivate Demo. However, the first click (on the Start) seems to "activate" the entire screen, which makes it "jump" and then the second click activates the Start button. Any ideas on how I can alleviate this?
Answer
A few years ago, Microsoft released updates to Internet Explorer that changed how the browser handles active content viewed in Adobe Flash Player, Authorware Player, Shockwave Player, and Adobe Reader and other ActiveX controls. Users were suddenly required to acknowledge a SWF by clicking to activate it.
Beginning with Adobe Captivate 2, the issue was addressed when Captivate developers published their projects with the creation of a JavaScript file called standard.js. All a developer needed to do was post the JavaScript with the other published files. (Standard.js is a JavaScript that acknowledges the Microsoft control. Without the script, users have to click an extra time on the control--which is exactly what you are describing.)
Of course, there is no elegant way to resolve the issue if you are using an older version of Captivate. As an alternative, you could create a first slide that contains the words "Click anywhere on this screen to begin the lesson (if the lesson does not start after your first click, please click a second time)." Then add a large click box to the slide. That's what we did when the problem first cropped up (before Captivate 2 appeared).
Question: Where is My Browse Sequence?
I'm using Adobe RoboHelp 7 and creating Microsoft HTML Help. I'm trying to add a browse sequence. When I view the CHM file on my computer, the browse sequence is there. But when I view the CHM file on my home desktop computer (rather than my tablet PC where I created the project), the browse sequence is missing. Since the CHM file does not seem to be using a browser for viewing purposes, I don't think it's a browser setting and I use FireFox rather than IE anyway. Can you figure this one out?
Answer
HHACTIVEX.DLL must be installed and registered on any machines looking to use the browse sequence.
Here is a link with more information.
Got a question you'd like answered? Email me.
Microsoft recently changed this behavior back so the content should once again work with no "click to activate". No workarounds required.
http://blogs.msdn.com/ie/archive/2007/11/08/ie-automatic-component-activation-changes-to-ie-activex-update.aspx
Cheers... Rick :)
Posted by: Rick Stone | April 25, 2008 at 11:30 PM