Auto Proxy Disable?

July 25, 2006 11:51 AM

Looking for a free app that can enable/disable the proxy settings in Internet Explorer on a timer.

How can I disable the proxy settings in Internet Explorer automatically and repeatedly, probably based on a timer? Somehow our admin is forcing IE's internet options to enable a proxy connection and fill our proxy server's address automatically.

I'm manually bypassing the proxy, so in Firefox I can just disable any proxy connection. In IE I can uncheck the Proxy connection but within 15 minutes it will come back. Perhaps this is a group policy thing?

It's frustrating because IE's proxy settings are the system defaults. So if I'm using an app that connects to the net (uploader, etc), it tries to go through the proxy unless IE's proxy is off. So I need something that automatically turns it off on a timer or something so I don't have to keep doing it manually. Even worse, if I'm uploading something while bypassing the proxy, and the proxy auto re-enables, it kills my upload (assuming the proxy blocks it).

Sorry if this seems cryptic, I can provide more detail if you like. Thanks!

posted by sprocket87 to computers & internet (5 comments total)

if you can somehow automate the changing of IE's proxy settings, (maybe just write a rgs file to import to your registry?) you can just have the task scheduler run that script.

The correct question you should ask is "how do I change these settings permanantly?" but I don't know the answer to that.
posted by aubilenon at 11:55 AM on July 25, 2006

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\ProxyEnable would seem to be the key.

As aubilenon said you may be able to use the wondows task scheduler to fire off a registry import.

This might turn of the automatic updates by do it at your own risk.
posted by hardcode at 12:00 PM on July 25, 2006

Spot the intentional typo. f*ck
posted by hardcode at 12:01 PM on July 25, 2006

Thanks for the tips. It seems like a roundabout way of doing it but that might worky...

You are right aubilenon, a permanent change is a more appropriate solution. hardcode, I'm not brave enough to disable GP updates entirely :)

It seems to me with the myriad of proxy-switcher apps out there that one of them could have an automated disable feature.

I've used Bayden's IE proxy disable tool, which basically creates 2 shortcut icons on your IE toolbar in the shape of lightbulbs. Clicking the yellow "lit" lightbulb turns the proxy ON, and clicking the white "unlit" lightbulb turns the proxy OFF. Perhaps there's a way to automate this...
posted by sprocket87 at 12:08 PM on July 25, 2006

I just have a .reg file that I run when I need to...
posted by inigo2 at 1:10 PM on July 25, 2006