Remove “Internet Security Levels Are Set Too High” Message

2012     Posted by Mike      2 comments      Last updated: July 30, 2016

Jul
30

The online features in QuickBooks are designed to run with the Internet Explorer security settings set to Medium. Any setting other than Medium may result in pages not displaying or features failing to work. If QuickBooks detects that the security settings are set to high, it will notify you with one of the following messages:

However, the underlying operating system in Windows Server Essentials includes a feature called “Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration” (or “IE ESC“) which is enabled by default. When IE ESC is enabled, it forces Internet Explorer’s Internet security zone level to be set on High, and it blocks/prevents users from changing the Internet zone’s security level to a different value.

According to Intuit the only way to successfully use QuickBooks is to disable IE ESC. To do this for your server:

1. Start a Remote Desktop Connection to your server as any user with administrator privileges.

2. From the administrator user account’s desktop type Win+F to open Search, click on “Apps“, type “Server Manager” (without the quotes), click on the “Server Manager” result to open the Server Manager.

3. In the Server Manager window that opens, click on: “Local Server”

4. Under the “Properties” heading, scroll over to locate “IE Enhanced Security Configuration“, and click on the “On” link.

5. In the Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration window that opens, select “Off” for both “Administrators” and “Users” and click “OK“.

IE ESC is now disabled for both administrators and users on your server. However, if your users continue to encounter the “Internet Security Levels Are Set Too High” message, then you may also need to do the following:

1. Start a Remote Desktop Connection to your server as the USER (not the Administrator).

2. From the User’s Start screen, click on the user’s sign-in name, and select “Sign out“.

3. Repeat steps #1 & #2 for each user that has been allowed access to WSE QuickBooks.

Your user’s should now be able to run WSE QuickBooks without receiving that pesky “Internet Security Levels Are Set Too High” or “Internet Security Levels Were Not Set Correctly” message.

NOTE: For further information on IE ESC please see: Internet Explorer: Enhanced Security Configuration