IEAK 8 - unable to add accelerators during customization + some customizations not applying

[HFM D Patterson]

Last week I used IEAK 8 for the first time to create a custom flat-file IE8 for Windows XP SP3 (x86). I have a few issues were IEAK 8 does not seem to be working properly. I appreciate any insight as to how to resolve these issues.
First, while running the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard 8 on my PC, the Accelerators step will not add the accelerators I want.

• 
  [ ]Prior to running the Customization Wizard, I had configured the accelerators on my PC - on the same account under which I was running the Customization Wizard - to include: Define with Wikipedia, Google Preview, Map with Live Search, Map with MapQuest, and Translate with Live Search.
  [ ]When I clicked Import at the Accelerators step of the Customization Wizard, the only Accelerator that got added was Google Preview.
  [ ]When I browsed the folder where the accelerator XML files were (C:\Documents and Settings\hfmadmin\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Services), I saw 3 XML files (Define_wikipedia.com.xml, Find_inetconnector.com.xml, Map_mapquest.com.xml). Where are the definitions for the 2 Live Search Accelerators?
  [ ]When I specifically tried to add the Wikipedia and Mapquest accelerators by selecting the XML file in browse and adding it, it went back to the Customization Wizard Accelerators screen with nothing added, but did not give any kind of error message!

Second, it seems that at least some of the customizations I set are not taking effect when I install the custom package on top of IE7 on a Windows XP SP3 (x86) PC. I know that at least some are, though, because I see my custom Title Bar.

• 
  [ ]On both PC's I did the install on, they rebooted on their own at the end of the IE8 installation. In the Customization Wizard, on the Browser User Interface choices I had selected "hands-free installation" and "prompt for restart."
  [ ]On the first PC on which I installed my newly created custom IE8, a PC that is NOT a domain member so only has local policies, the Favorites bar has a shortcut for Free Hotmail. In the Customization Wizard, on the "Favorites, Favorites Bar, and Feeds" screen, I had removed the Favorites Bar entry altogether! On the second PC, which is a domain member, the Favorites bar still appeared, although it had no shortcuts on it.
  [ ]On both PC's, even though in the Customization Wizard Search Providers screen I had included Live Search, Bing, and Google (with Google as the default), and Google had been the previous default search provider in IE7 on both PC's, when I launched IE8 for the first time I briefly saw Google show as the search provider in the Search box, but then it quickly changed to Live Search. When I look at Search Provider settings show Bing, Google, and TWO instances of Live Search with the second instance set as default.

David

Continue reading...