Internet Explorer supports all sorts of add-ons and extensions. The most popular are Browser Helper Objects (BHOs), browser extensions, and toolbars. If you run Windows XP Service Pack 2, you can view a list of all installed add-ons by choosing Tools, Manage Add-ons. From this dialog box you can enable, disable, or update anything on the list.
So how do you tell which add-ons are good and which ones are evil? Start at the CastleCops Master BHO and Toolbar List. The list is currently at 1609 entries and does an excellent job of sorting the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Ed Bott 
Another useful tip- thanks!
Everything seemed straightforward on mine except an innocuous sounding browser extension called “research”. (Research what? my destinations? credit card numbers?).
Since CastleCops didn’t list it, and it shows no publisher or filename, I thought it best to disable it.
Perhaps you’ve foiled yet another slice of villainy?
Actually, that’s the Research pane, which is added when you install Office 2003 (and maybe Outlook XP, I forget whether it was in that version). I’m guessing you have at least one Office 2003 program on your computer.
It connects with MSN Encarta and a few other online services and allow you to look stuff up in IE or in Office. Choose View, Explorer Bar, Research to see it in action.
I have XP and SP2 already installed, but the IE browser doesn’t include the “Research” add-on. Can the “Research” add-on be downloaded from some web site? thanks.
The Research add-on comes from Microsoft Office…
Thanks ED
I noticed the addition of this Browser Extension after installing SP2 for Microsoft OneNote 2003 on my Windows XP box. Other then OneNote, the only other office application I have installed is Word XP. I concur that this extension is an Office 2003 component.
The Research add-on appears after you install Microsoft Office 2003 (before you install any additional service packs for office). I don’t know about OfficeXP.
The fact that is comes from microsoft is not good enough for me personally to decide it is ‘safe’ or something that I desire on my machine.
I understand it connects to Encarata etc, but what personal info does it reveal to microsoft about either me or my machine?? There are probably other concerns I could think of.
Two quick stories. Lavasoft Adaware (an adware/spyware removal tool) decided that that Alexa (comes with windows) was not something you would want on your machine.
Second one is more a personal peve and annoyance about microsoft and it’s mentallity.
When you install MSN messenger it has options in the setup for setting your homepage to MSN, installing the MSN toolbar, making MSN your search page etc. Why is it that they must be checked by default though??
It pisses me off more when they tell the user it is “recommended” without further explanation.
Not everyone understands computers like we do, and have fear of them and “messing them up”, so they just click it.
Most people are still really naive about the extent of the sleeziness of the internet.
Error.
Alexa does not “come with Windows.” Alexa is a Web site/service run by Amazon.com. Some older versions of Internet Explorer had a Related Links button that allowed you to connect to the Alexa site. But Alexa was never spyware; it provides a list of related links based on the site you’re visiting now, and in the process it collected your IP address. By any reasonable contemporary standard, it is about as close to harmless as a service can get. In retrospect, the hysteria over Alexa seems almost quaint.
I have been having trouble when I go to sites such as http://www.imdb.com and it gets changed to http://www.www.imdb.com.org. When I disable the “Research” addon, the problem goes away. Has anyone else seen this?
How about add-ons like mshtml.dll (labeled “HTML Document” with type Activex) and “DHTML Edit Control Safe for Scripting”, dhtmled.ocx, and “Microsoft Licensed Class Manager”, licmgr10.dll?
I don’t have mshtml.dll as an ADD-IN ActiveX control, and I can browse things just fine. This is really odd.
Thanks for any clues on this.
Hi,
I’ve been reading this thread with interest. I run WinPatrol, and a few months ago that alerted me to the fact a new BHO had been added to IE, and asked if I wanted to allow this. Since there was no info listed on this ‘Research’ item and no digital signature or indication of where it originated from, I disallowed it – whereupon it began a tedious process of ‘nagging’ – kept trying to install itself.
I found it in the IE ‘Manage add-ons’ and disabled it – but some months later it’s back! (Presumably following a Windows update)and it nags continuously, despite the fact I have disabled it in IE.
This to me is unacceptable – if I don’t want something why should I be forced to put up with constant nagging on the subject? And from a so-called ‘security conscious’ software company like M$, to issue addons without digitally signing them is pretty arrogant, IMHO.
It all just encourages me in thinking the time is now right to move over to a Linux-based OS.
Just my 2 penn’orth…:o)
Ya, the research add-on wouldn’t be such a problem if Microsoft would just SIGN IT! Even the Office 2007 beta installs an unsigned ‘research’ add-on. Pretty ridiculous.
Alexa DOES install with windows “out of the box” and is spyware. the fact that it is harmless means nothing.