Internet Explorer Recommended Settings for .NET Passport Sites
This document explains how to configure Internet Explorer for best results with .NET
Passport, and .NET based web sites:
1. Microsoft web sites are designed with Microsoft .NET architecture for Internet
Explorer version 6. To use the features of this architecture, you must use MS
Internet Explorer version 6 with at least Service pack 2. Check your version by
going to the Internet Explorer Help menu. The dialog box should appear similar
to Figure 1 below. Note the version number and Updated Versions numbers. If
your browser does not match or exceed these numbers, you will need to
download this software from http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/
Figure 1: Internet Explorer Help Menu
Once you have installed IE version 6 with all available updates, use these
recommended settings for optimal use of any Microsoft .Net web sites
2. Make sure you have logged out of any web sites and services that use .NET
Passport accounts. In particular, make sure that you are not running MSN
Messenger or Windows Messenger
3. Close all of your Internet Explorer windows
4. Open a new Internet Explorer browser, go to the Tools Menu, select Internet
Options… and make sure the General tab is selected
 Click the button Languages… at the bottom of the dialog box. If English
(United States) [en-us] does not appear in the list of languages, use the
Add button to include it. Use the Move Up button until it is at the top of the
list, similar to Figure 2 below. Click OK to return to the previous dialog box
Figure 2: Internet Option, Languages
5. Under the section Temporary Internet files:
 Click Delete Files... , select the checkbox Delete all off-line content and
click OK to clear your cached pages
Figure 3: Clear Cache


Click Settings... , select Every Visit to the Page
In the same window, click View Files… , carefully look through all the
displayed files for a title that contains the text “passport.com” and
“mbs.microsoft”. If you find any, select and delete them as in Figure 4
below
Figure 4: Delete cookies, check for new pages

Close the file display window, return to the dialog box for Settings… , click
OK to return to the previous dialog box
6. Select the Security Tab:
 Select the Trusted Sites icon. Under the section Security Level for this
zone, the default setting is Low. If this is not what your browser displays
please contact your local IT department to see if there is a specific need for
the existing settings. If the Security Level is too high, you will not see dropdown menus in PartnerSource, and may not be able to download files, such as
product updates. Reset the level to low only if your IT department approves.
 Click the Sites… button, uncheck the box Require Server Verification
(https:) for all sites in this zone, and add the strings *.microsoft.com,
*.passport.net, and *.passport.com. See Figure 5 below
Figure 5: Setting Browser Security

Click Custom Level… and scroll to the bottom of the list of bulleted options,
ensure that the selection for User Authentication is set to Automatic
logon only in Intranet zone, or Prompt for User name and Password

As an optional step, you can avoid dialog boxes asking if you will allow mixed
content appearing, by searching through this dialog box for the option:
Display Mixed Content and selecting Enable. Repeat this for the Internet
Zone if you continue to see these dialog boxes
Figure 6: Zone Security
7. Select the Privacy Tab:
 Under the section Web Sites, click Edit…
 In the field Address of Web site, enter the text microsoft.com and click
Allow. Repeat for the web sites passport.com and passport.net
 Click OK to return to the previous dialog box, click OK again
Figure 7: Allow cookies
8. Close all of your open Internet Explorer windows. This is very important, as the
changes will not take effect until all IE sessions have completely ended
9. Click the Start menu and select the Control Panel
10. In Windows 2000, skip to the next step. In Windows XP on a Windows domain
network, Select the icon for User Accounts, then select the Advanced tab and
click the button Manage Passwords. In Windows Server 2003, select the icon
for Stored User Names and Passwords
 Select any entry that is unknown to you and click Remove. In particular, be
sure to remove the entry Passport.Net\* (Passport)
Figure 8: Saved passport information in XP
If you have Windows XP as a stand alone workstation or have Windows XP
home edition, there is no advanced tab. If this is the case, select the user
icon for your login to see a screen similar to Figure 9 below. Click Manage
my network passwords on the left hand related tasks bar to see the
Stored User Names and Passwords screen. Select any entry that is
unknown to you and click Remove. In particular, be sure to remove the
entry Passport.Net\* (Passport)
11. Open a new browser and connect to https://mbs.microsoft.com/PartnerSource/
or https://mbs.microsoft.com/CustomerSource/