Applies to: 

HPE ALM 12.5, Internet Explorer, IE 11


Issue: 

We are unable to open a new tab when we are signed into the ALM application in an internet explorer browser. 


Solution: 

The client uses BeyondTrust PowerBroker to elevate software that we “trust” to launch as administrator when required.  Roughly 4 years ago we setup a policy to trust software signed by HP so that that signed printer drivers, all-in-one software, etc. would install without the user needing to call into IT or be a local administrator.  As HP-ALM.EXE is signed with a certificate by the same name that HP uses for their printer software, the process was being elevated.  Since this process is a child of Internet Explorer, which does not run with local admin rights, the two processes were unable to talk to each other due to the Windows Integrity Mechanism (more on that in MSDN if you’re interested).  This inability to communicate was causing system instability.

 

The solution was to narrow the rule down in BeyondTrust PowerBroker so that it wouldn’t impact HP-ALM.EXE any longer.  IE & ALM now run in the same integrity level without elevation which has resolved the problems.