Why don't Ignite buttons work?

You've installed Ignite successfully, and you have Ignite open in an Internet Explorer browser to start creating your Ignite Repository.  Or perhaps you are logging into an existing Ignite installation from a new machine.  However, none of the buttons work!  This article explains why, and how to get the buttons to work.

Why?

Ignite uses Javascript to provide features that run on the client.  Some Internet Explorer browsers disable Javascript for security reasons.  If Javascript is disabled, then nothing happens when an Ignite button is pressed.

This security setting is more often configured for server versions of operating systems (e.g. Windows 2003 Server).  This is because Enhanced Security Configuration is enabled by default on Windows Server.

Steps to Get Buttons to Work

Sometimes, simply opening Ignite in a browser on a client machine will do the trick.  You can also use Firefox (version 3.0 or higher) instead of IE. 

Another check is to see if Javascript is simply disabled -- there is usually a checkbox for this in your browser's Tools > Options page.

If the above simple solutions are not feasible, you will need to identify the machine running the Ignite PI Server as a local site. 

Follow these steps to enable scripting for the instance, assuming that the local intranet has not been further locked down by the system administrator:

1. In Internet Explorer, select Tools, then Options (might be called Internet Options)
2. Under the Security tab, choose Local Intranet
3. Press the "Sites..." button (might have to then press Advanced on some IE versions)
4. Ensure that "require server verification" is not set
5. Add "http://yourservername:8123
6. Press Close
7. Refresh the Ignite Wizard page if it was currently being viewed

If the local intranet has been locked down by the system administrator, follow these steps to enable scripting for all web sites:

1. In Internet Explorer, select Tools, then Options (might be called Internet Options)
2. Under the Security tab, choose Local Intranet (could also be Internet depending on your setup)
3. Click "Custom Level..."
4. Under Scripting / Active Scripting, select Enable
5. Select OK
6. Refresh the Ignite page if it was currently being viewed