How to Turn Off IE Enhanced Security Configuration

But be careful when you go browsing

By default, Windows Server 2003 and 2008 ship with Internet Explorer in Enhanced Security configuration, which is basically a locked down version that adds a bit of extra security to your servers.

However, if you know what you are doing, you might want to disable IE enhanced security configuration to get rid of the annoying messages. In this post, I will walk you through the steps to disable enhanced security for both Windows 2003 and Windows 2008.

Windows Server 2003 Method

In Windows Server 2003, you can turn off enhanced security for IE by going toStart,Control Panel, and thenAdd or Remove Programs.

Next, click onAdd/Remove Windows Componentson the left hand side:

Scroll down toInternet Explorer Enhanced Security Configurationand uncheck the box to turn it off.

Windows Server 2008 Method

In Windows 2008, the process is a little different. First, go to Start, then Administrative Tools and chooseServer Manager.

Under theSecurity Summarysection, click onConfigure IE ESC.

A dialog will pop up where you can disable IE ESC for either Administrators or Users. ClickOffto turn off IE ESC for whichever group you prefer.

That’s it! Pretty easy to turn it off, just make sure no one is browsing inappropriate sites that can take down your server! Enjoy!

Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications.Read Aseem’s Full Bio

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How to Turn Off IE Enhanced Security Configuration#

Windows Server 2003 Method#

Windows Server 2008 Method#