Why does Windows Explorer (NOT Internet Explorer!!) need to talk to the Internet..??

Just as I was starting a video stream that I intended to watch in the
IE6 browser window using the real player plug-in, my newly installed
Norton Firewall 2003 asks me if I want to allow Windows Explorer.exe
to access the internet. Wether wisely or not <mostly if you do not
allow such stuff.. whatever it was that you wanted to do no longer
works..> I first gave it a one-time permisson. Immediatly came
another such request. So for now I have allowed it.

Please note though that this is all about the windows explorer not
internet explorer. The routinely used stuff all gets its internet
access automatically configured by norton firewall 2003. The IE6 for
sure.

So why and when does windows explorer need to talk with the net. One
uses it to navigate locally or...? If I had imported links to drives
that were on a remote computer accessed via the net - ok then I
could understand the request - but *as far as I am aware myself* this
is not the case. Can this have anything to do with trojan activity
<which I would honestly expect the norton AV system that I also have
installed to have detected - but it has not.

Gratefull for any tips infos...etc.

Ron B.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, RBartle@NOSPAMt-
online.de says...
> So why and when does windows explorer need to talk with the net. One
> uses it to navigate locally or...?

Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer hook many of the same .dll files to
operate. You actually can visit a web site from Windows Explorer by typing a
URL into the address bar! It is one of those slick tricks that the MS wonks
thought was cute, but...

In my experience, if any .html files are in a folder, when Explorer comes to
that folder, it "helpfully" tries to access the URL, if that file is a web
page. That is probably what triggered the firewall.

In my case, I decided that Windows Explorer is a file manager, not a
browser. I have denied Windows Explorer Internet access in my firewall. I
use Kerio Personal Firewall, so I don't know how to tell you to configure a
change to blocking. But if, like me, you don't think Explorer needs access,
see if you can change the setting from "Allow" do "Deny".

--
Norman
~Win dain a lotica, En vai tu ri, Si lo ta
~Fin dein a loluca, En dragu a sei lain
~Vi fa-ru les shutai am, En riga-lint