Browser Helper Objects

This tab displays Browser Helper Objects (BHOs) installed on your system.

What's A BHO?


A BHO is an extension/plugin for Internet Explorer that extends the browser functionality. It is a DLL module that is loaded by Internet Explorer each time it starts up. A BHO is an in-process Component Object Model (COM) component. Such components run in the same memory context as the browser and can perform any action on the available windows and modules. For example, a BHO could detect the browser's typical events, such as GoBack, GoForward, and DocumentComplete; access the browser's menu and toolbar and make changes; create windows to display additional information on the currently viewed page; and install hooks to monitor messages and actions.

Some BHOs are legitimate and won't harm your computer, e.g. Google Toolbar, Adobe Acrobat IE helper, Yahoo! Companion, etc. But there are hundreds of BHOs whose sole purpose is to display ads or track your Internet activity.


Location


The CLSIDs of the BHOs Internet Explorer loads are stored in the registry under the following key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Explorer \Browser Helper Objects


The Disable Action


The disable action moves the BHO CLSID from the key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Explorer \Browser Helper Objects to a temporary location.

You must restart Internet Explorer for the action to take effect.


The Delete Action


The delete action (depending on the selected options):

  • Deletes the BHO CLSID from the following keys: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \Explorer \Browser Helper Objects , HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT \CLSID ;
  • Deletes the BHO file;
  • Unregisters the BHO file (DLL module).

You may need to close all Internet Explorer windows to delete a BHO file.
You must restart Internet Explorer for the action to take effect.


Properties


Name Short description of the BHO.
CLSID Class identifier (globally unique identifier - GUID) associated with the BHO OLE class.
Publisher The developer (a company or a person) of the BHO.
Program ID Programmatic identifier - human-readable identifier of the BHO OLE class.
File A full path to the BHO file.
File Version File version information. The information is retrieved from the file resources. Also includes product version information if it differs from the file version.
File Size File size in bytes.
File CRC32 Cyclic Redundancy Checksum (Check) of the file.
File MD5 Message Digest 5 of the file.
File Creation Date The date the file was created.
Location The location (registry or a folder) of the item.
Safe Indicates whether the item in a safe or in a blocked list. Yes - item is in a safe list. No - item is in a blocked list. N/A - items is not in a safe nor in a blocked list.
Status Indicates whether the item is enabled or disabled.

Tips and Tricks


  • Starting from Internet Explorer 6 XP SP2, you can manage BHOs right from Internet Explorer: from the main menu select Tools -> Internet Options , switch to the Programs tab, click Manage Add-ons...

More Information


Encyclopedia article about Browser Helper Objects
Browser Helper Objects: The Browser the Way You Want It