How to Disable “The Add-on is Ready for Use” Popup Notification Message in Internet Explorer?

If you install a new add-on or a new software in Windows and if the software automatically adds a toolbar or Explorer bar in Internet Explorer web browser, you get a popup notification message in Internet Explorer that “The ‘xx’ add-on from ‘xx’ is ready for use“. You get two buttons “Enable” and “Don’t enable”. If you click on “Enable” button, the add-on is activated immediately. If you click on “Don’t enable” button, the add-on is disabled by Internet Explorer.

If more than one add-ons were installed by the software, Internet Explorer shows “Several add-ons are ready for use” popup notification message. If you click on “Enable” button, Internet Explorer shows a new window showing a list of all newly installed add-ons. Here you can enable or disable desired add-ons.

Addon_Ready_For_Use_Internet_Explorer_Notification.png

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Actually this feature was added to improve Internet Explorer security as many 3rd party software might install malicious add-ons in Internet Explorer without user consent. This security feature doesn’t activate newly installed add-ons until you tell Internet Explorer whether the new add-on should be activated or not.

The add-ons covered by this feature include browser toolbars, Explorer bars and BHO (Browser Helper Objects).

Although this is a useful feature but many times it might annoy a few users. For example if you want to install Java add-on in a network environment or if you want to install your software product which includes an add-on for Internet Explorer or if you install a security software such as an Antivirus program which also adds an add-on for Internet Explorer. In such cases, you know that the add-on is not malicious and you don’t want to see or don’t want to show other people “the add-on is ready for use” notification message. You just want to automatically activate the add-on in Internet Explorer without asking user’s choice.

Don’t worry! In such cases you can disable this popup notification in Internet Explorer permanently. If you want to remove this notification message, this tutorial will help you.

Today in this tutorial, we are going to tell you how to turn off this annoying “The add-on is ready for use” message in Internet Explorer web browser. Once you disable this message, Internet Explorer will automatically activate newly installed add-ons and will never show you any notification message.

You can disable this popup notification message using 2 ways:

  • METHOD 1: Using Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)
  • METHOD 2: Using Registry Editor (regedit)

METHOD 1: Using Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

1. Type gpedit.msc in RUN or start search box and press Enter. It’ll open Group Policy Editor.

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2. Now go to:

Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Internet Explorer

3. In right-side pane, double-click on “Automatically activate/enable newly installed add-ons” option and set it to Enabled.

Automatically_Activate_New_Internet_Explorer_Addons.png

4. That’s it. It’ll permanently disable the popup notification message in Internet Explorer.

METHOD 2: Using Registry Editor (regedit)

Some Windows editions like Starter, Home Basic and Home Premium don’t come with Group Policy Editor.

If you don’t want or can’t use Group Policy Editor, you can use Registry Editor for the same task:

1. Type regedit in RUN or start search box and press Enter. It’ll open Registry Editor.

2. Now go to following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\

3. Create a new key under Policies key and set its name to Ext

4. Now select the new “Ext” key and in right-side pane, create a new DWORD IgnoreFrameApprovalCheck and set its value to 1

Disable_Addons_Ready_For_Use_Notification_Message.png

5. If you are using 64-bit edition of Windows, you’ll also need to follow the same steps 3 and 4 for the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\

6. That’s it. It’ll permanently disable “The add-on is ready for use” popup notification message in Internet Explorer.

NOTE: If you don’t want to modify Windows Registry manually and want a ready-made registry script to do the task automatically, download following ZIP file, extract it and run the extracted REG file. It’ll ask for confirmation, accept it and it’ll automatically disable the add-ons popup notification message:

Download Registry Script to Disable Add-on is Ready for Use Popup Notification Message

Published in: Internet Explorer, Troubleshooting Guides

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. As much as I love you, must state frankly that, of all the annoyances there are, this one seems among the most trivial.

  2. Greetings Vishal,
    Every time I see the articles (mainly tweaking the registry), I see that written which use DWORD instead QWORD. My question: Is using a DWORD can make the process successful and not damage my system. Because my receipts Windows 8 Pro 64-Bit.

  3. ^^ It doesnt matter whether your Windows is 32-bit or 64-bit. You need to create DWORD in both cases.

  4. Thanks for this. I’m rolling out IE11 across our college and disabling this popup for my 1500 users was the last piece I needed.

  5. Vishal, you have no idea how much this will help!

    I’m setting up a deployment for 65,000+ users and REALLY needed this!
    What is interesting, is that the addons are enabled but the binary keys and the Approved Extensions keys and values are not created when I used your tip.
    ** HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions **
    I was trying to figure out how to create those keys programmatically, but no need now!

    Any tips to keep the first launch of IE 11 from wiping the settings laid down by GPO?

    @Fermier, yes trivial but cannot take the chance of having security related addons disabled.
    Plus, you’ve never heard my users whine……

    Thanks, VG!

  6. Tom,
    Do you happen to know a command line that will disable one particular addon (java helper)? Its actually popping up to enable or not enable in Internet explorer after latest update. thanks in advance for any suggestions

  7. Why would I set “Automatically activate” to ENABLED when I never want the add-ons to activate at all?

  8. This tip definitely worked for me. Your site “askvg.com” has been a big help along these lines. Really appreciate it!

  9. I agree with Ross Presser. The question was never answered because I do not wan to install the add-on and want the popup to go away. They are forcing me to see that pop-up.

  10. “Why would I set “Automatically activate” to ENABLED when I never want the add-ons to activate at all?”

    This is _exactly_ the problem. If I’ve already clicked the “Don’t enable” button for this add-on, why continue to prompt me? Exactly where is it stated that constantly nagging a user about a decision they’ve already made is considered a good UX pattern?

    I’d rather have an “Automtically disabled” setting that gets rid of the pop-up. There are some that are occasionally useful, such as WebEx and Visual Studio add-ons; I don’t want to uninstall them, but I also don’t want them enabled all the time either.

  11. For those who are looking to enable just 1 add-on, install the add-on and export the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Approved Extensions key. Take note of the CLSID and the binary data. Import that while installing the add-on on target computers.

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