GoogleEarth API / Web Part - Getting username|password dialog while using fectchKML to get KML from a Document Library

Question

Issue : 1/10 of the users on my domain are getting an "authentication request" pop up from a Google Earth Web Part that I have built. I have tracked it down to the fetchKML() call. It also prompts when dynamically loading placemarker images. It is important to note that the KML and the images are in a document library. If I place both into the 14 hive, it works fine.

Config : SharePoint 2010, Windows 7, Google Earth Plugin 5.2.1, Windows 9

Notes :

1. Our Internet explorer settings are managed by Group Policy, and have not seen any difference between their IE and mine.
2. FireFox and Opera are not allowed on our networks.
3. The authentication prompt is not a typical SharePoint (Windows) authentication dialog box. It is a Google Earth dialog box.
4. I have ensured the document libraries, and the KML and image files are accessible by all users. I have ensured that they are "Checked In" and published. Still nothing.
5. It works loading it from the 14 hive (This will not be feasible since it will be a web part and could theoretically fill up the 14 hive with user KML and placemark icons.)
6. Everything seems to be pointing to IE settings. Our settings are very restricted and I cannot view many of the IE settings.
7. I've also noticed that I cannot make Registry edits on the clients that prompt for username|password (with or without privlidged account). I can however modify the GPEdit.msc. Just not sure what to change.

Thanks in advance for any replies

Answer 1

Could be a cookie storing issue. Hard to tell without being able to run Fiddler on the affected machines.

You may be able to make the http request using the server, adding the cookie container

See if you can get a service account created with the same permissions to replicate the issue and then debug with Fiddler.

Answer 2

So I removed the google-earth plugin on one of the clients that had the issue, then re-installed it. This fixed the issue. I had done this on another box a couple of weeks ago and it did not resolve the issue, but I do not remember what version of GE i re-installed.

I am not sure which version I removed either, but I installed Version 5.2 (I am unable to download the latest version of GE due to firewalls).

Apparently there are a few computers on the network that have an old image. I will check the version of GE-Plugin on another client that is having this issue and update the post with the problemed version.

Hopefully our network admins will push out the working version in a GP, but I am not betting the farm on it.