question about mht files

[Marcus]

Can I ask a quick question?

I'm finding that every time I open a .mht file and I'm online the browser goes to the site from where I'd downloaded that file from without any prompting / clicking from me. It's always done this. But if I'm off line when the file is clicked on the file opens as before quite normally, without a problem. In either case the file(s) have always been perfectly usable, ie readable, copyable, deletable etc.

In the address bar the file pathway is always C:\...to the correct (local) location, even when the browser has gone to the webpage where I'd downloaded the file from. And this happens with any .mht file I open - it doesn't seem to matter where the file actually is.

I've always found this slightly strange; it doesn't happen at all with my .pdf files, even with the ones with hyperlinks in them.

I don't think this is a malware-related issue at all. I'm wondering whether it's related to the browser settings somewhere.

Is this normal? I'm sorry for asking what may be an absolutely stupid question with probably a blindingly obvious answer but it's beginning to bug me a little bit not knowing and not being able to see why this happens so please bear with me.

[exile360]

Hello Marcus

It's quite normal, all it's doing is adding content (ie working active links etc) that are referenced in the MHT file when you are online, but the majority of the file is rendered locally. If using IE you can test it out by connecting to the web and putting IE in Work Offline mode to see the behavior (don't forget to uncheck Work Offline when you're done or MBAM won't be able to update ).

[Marcus]

Thank you, Exile, for clearing that up in my head. Fast and helpful, as always, to respond and that is acknowledged and appreciated.

May I also ask the following:

1. What's the difference between working in offline mode and formally disconnecting from the internet? The best analogy I can come up with is that it's similar to the difference between a "mute" button on a telephone and ending the call.

2. What was the intended use for that mode? I'm wondering how experts and IT people in general use that mode (if indeed they do) in their work and day-to-day use of computers as opposed to working disconnected from the internet. (ie offline, as distinct from offline mode).

[exile360]

You're welcome Marcus

1. Working Offline with Internet Explorer simply means that IE will not connect to the internet, it does not disable your LAN (Network Connection), Wireless Adapter or Modem so other programs will still have full internet connectivity unless they depend on IE's settings to connect to the internet.
   
2. I can't say for certain, but I would imagine it has to do with the browser cache. If you use Work Offline you can still access the data cached from your previous Internet Explorer sessions and you can still open and view offline documents that are compatible with Internet Explorer such as MHT files, GIF images and text documents (there are certainly many other formats, these are just a few examples ).
   

[Marcus]

That does make sense (I think, after a fashion!). I'd wondered why my normal NIC ethernet connection icon (those two overlapping blue comp. screens with the blue orb on the top remained in the notification area whist having offline mode enabled.

Normally when I disconnect from the internet I get a red cross through that icon and the electric blue orb disappears (actually it's the other way round now that I come to think of it).

Didn't even occur to me that other apps, depending on how they access the internet, could do so in offline mode. That phrase must then apply only to IE and IE settings-dependent apps and progs.

Presumably, then, one is still at risk from infection and malware via ports not used by IE as the internet connection is still on. Obviously one is at risk from other angles such as borrowed CDs and flash drives, magazine cover CDs and so on.

Now I realize why I could update some programs in "offline mode" without a problem! Not so weird as it first sounds after all! (Although I did think it was strange at the time.

[exile360]

Yes, if you want to keep your entire system off the net for security, then disable your network connection, IE has nothing to do with that .