What is Silverlight?
Silverlight is a Web application technology that represents a radical upgrade of
your Web experience. Silverlight applications add rich user interface designs to
Web pages, including interactive media and animated effects.
Silverlight can also run outside the browser on Windows and Macintosh computers.
This means that you can use your favorite Web applications even when you are not
connected to the Web.
Installing a Silverlight Application Outside the Browser
Using Silverlight outside the browser is as easy as bookmarking Web pages. Silverlight
applications with out-of-browser support are simple to install, run, and uninstall.
To install, just right-click the Web-based application and select install. The installer
adds a shortcut to your desktop or Start menu. You can then use these shortcuts
to run the application without having to open your browser first.
To uninstall, just right-click the application and select remove. Nothing is left on
your computer, and you don't have to reboot.
Installing and running Silverlight applications outside the browser does not put
your computer at any additional risk. Silverlight applications have restricted access
to your hard drive, and always run with the same security sandbox both inside and
outside the browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is it safe to run Silverlight outside the browser?
All Silverlight applications run within a security sandbox, regardless of whether they run inside or outside the browser. Silverlight applications cannot gain full access to your computer, and will not request access or annoy you with security warnings.
As with any Web site or Web application, you should be careful when entering personal information. If a Silverlight application requests personal information, you should use it or install it only from a Web site that you trust.
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How do I run an application outside the browser?
If a Silverlight applications provides out-of-browser support, you can right-click and select the install option. This adds a shortcut to your desktop or Start menu. You can then use this shortcut to start the application without having to open a browser and navigate to the application's Web site.
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How do I remove or uninstall the application?
Just right-click the application and select Remove this application. No files are left behind, and you don't have to reboot.
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Do I have to be an Administrator to install?
No. Administrator privileges are not required because out-of-browser applications are available only to the user who installs them, and they have only limited access to your hard drive and computer.
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How do I update the application after I've installed it?
Out-of-browser applications can provide built in auto-update support. The application can automatically detect and download a new version on the server, and run the new version the next time that you start the application. You don't have to look for and install a newer version, or uninstall the previous version. After the update, the new features just show up.
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What happens if I'm not connected to the Internet?
You can still run the application without an Internet connection. Out-of-browser applications can provide special offline support, such as storing some data locally when there is no network connection. For example, a music application can store songs locally so that you can play them offline.
