IE6 displays no alternate content with plugin manually disabled

[GoogleCodeExporter]

What steps will reproduce the problem?
1. Flash is installed but the plugin is manually disabled in IE6 control panel.
2.
3.

What is the expected output? What do you see instead?
Should see alternate content as we do in all other browsers. Tested the
exact same scenario with manually disabling plugin in FF3, Opera9.52,
Safari 3, IE7 and it displays alternate content as expected.

But in IE6 it shows an empty box with a broken image placeholder where the
alternate content should be.

What version of the product are you using? On what operating system?
Server: SWFObject 2.1 / CentOS 4/7
Desktop: WinXP SP3 32bit / IE6 sp3

Please provide any additional information below.
This occurs even using the original index_dynamic.html and test.swf
directly from the repository. 

Original issue reported on code.google.com by rude...@gmail.com on 13 May 2009 at 8:22

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I could not reproduce the issue in IE6 on WinXP SP2 (using Tools > Internet 
Options >
Programs > Manage Add-ons > Disable Shockwave Flash Object); it shows the 
alternative
content correctly for both SWFObject 2.1 and 2.2 beta.

Anyone who can retest it with in IE6 on Win XP with SP3?

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 26 May 2009 at 9:25

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I could not reproduce the error, either. I disabled Flash player by disabling
Shockwave Flash Object as described above, and I also tested by disabling all 
Active
X content.  In both scenarios the alternate content appeared as expected in 
every
test case I ran (over 5 pages each of both dynamic and static publishing).

I tested in IE6 (6.0.2900.5512), Win XP Pro SP3

Original comment by platelu...@gmail.com on 2 Jun 2009 at 5:25

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I should add that the pages I tested were all from the SWFObject 2.2 beta test 
suite.

Original comment by platelu...@gmail.com on 2 Jun 2009 at 5:27

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 2 Jun 2009 at 8:29

• Changed state: Invalid

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I have finally discovered the trigger to recreate this issue. The issue only 
occurs
when you have the domain listed in your "Trusted Sites" under the IE6 security 
tab.

I was very puzzled that I could only recreate the issue on one domain, and then 
I
realized that I have this domain listed in my Trusted Sites list. As soon as I 
remove
it from the list it works. This could be a problem though since we recommend to 
our
customers that they add our site to their Trusted List.

So, to recreate the issue do the following in IE6 (my version is 
6.0.29.00.5512):
1. Add the domain you are testing on to your Trusted Sites under the Security 
Tab
2. Disable the Shockwave Flash Addon under Manage Addons

Now you will not see the alternate content. Instead you will see an empty box 
with
broken image placeholder.

I created this issue using the standard index_dynamic.html file.
You can see my test scenario at the following url:
http://www.jwwfitness.com/members/swftest/index_dynamic.html
(add jwwfitness.com to your list of Trusted Sites to make it occur)

Original comment by rude...@gmail.com on 2 Jun 2009 at 12:15

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Ok, but why do you think it is a SWFObject bug, to me it sounds like an IE6 
issue,
because why should this setting change the regular behavior?

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 2 Jun 2009 at 2:24

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I'm not suggesting it's a bug in swfobject. I'm only saying that because of this
issue we cannot utilize swfobject with IE6, so we have to use the IE conditional
statements with a standard object embed. I didn't report the issue to direct any
blame, only to hopefully get a resolution so this product is fully functional 
in IE6
which is still in fairly broad use. There is clearly something that occurs 
under the
scenario I have stated that causes swfobject not to work as expected. 

Of course IE is very buggy and non compliant as we all know, but unfortunately 
as a
web developer I must accommodate the weaknesses of IE in my design and use of
applications. So unless the application can accommodate IE's shortcomings and 
bugs, I
am unable to utilize it. SWFObject is a superior application for delivering 
flash
content but there are some odd but real scenarios such as this one where we 
have to
apply work arounds to bypass it.

I was just hoping there was some minor code change that could be made in 
swfobject to
respond to this scenario. Thanks.

Original comment by rude...@gmail.com on 2 Jun 2009 at 2:37

[GoogleCodeExporter]

And what if you use SWFObject static publishing instead?

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 2 Jun 2009 at 2:54

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 2 Jun 2009 at 2:55

• Changed state: New

[GoogleCodeExporter]

That's a good question. We had used the static publishing method initially but
changed to dynamic because there was something we needed from it. It's been a 
month
since I was working with all that so I can't remember at the moment exactly 
what it
was we needed the dynamic method for. I will have to go back and figure out 
what it
was we needed that required us to use the dynamic version.

However, this scenario does not occur in the static publishing method. 
Everything
works for us as expected when using the static method. I just know there was 
some
reason we needed to use the dynamic publishing and that's we came upon this 
issue.

Original comment by rude...@gmail.com on 2 Jun 2009 at 3:16

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Did you use dynamic flashvars?

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 2 Jun 2009 at 3:21

[GoogleCodeExporter]

Again, I tried to reproduce the issue with IE6 on XP SP2, however all worked 
fine.
Are you sure there is nothing else in your environment that has become corrupt?

Original comment by bobbyvandersluis on 2 Jun 2009 at 3:28

• Changed state: Invalid

[GoogleCodeExporter]

I'm not aware of anything in our environment that's corrupt, but I certainly 
can't
rule that out as a possibility. I only have 1 machine with IE6 though, so my 
test
environment is limited.

Please note though that we are testing on IE6 SP3 and Windows XP SP3.

If it would be helpful I could send a screenprint showing what we get under this
scenario.

Original comment by rude...@gmail.com on 2 Jun 2009 at 3:43