Microsoft have issued a Windows update which will result in a Browser Ballot for any users who have Internet Explorer as their default browser. Apparently those with other browsers will not see the message.
There is plenty about it if you search, but it is neatly summed up here
blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=7472
Worth a read so that you know what it's about when it pops up on your screen.
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It pops up on my screen and I can't see how to get rid of it other than by installing one of the browsers offered. However, I already have IE8 and I don't want any of the others, and (at the moment) I'm loath to click on the "Install" button for IE8 in case there's a conflict with the IE8 which I already have. It's not possible to remove update KB976002. I've clicked on the "Tell me more" button for IE8 and it says that no additional steps are needed. What do you suggest/recommend I do to get rid of it?
Last edited by: L'escargot on Fri 26 Feb 10 at 07:01
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It first popped up here late last night. I forget what I did to make it go away but it was just to click close or something I guess. I did worry it was a scam as I'd not heard any publicity. I think I had to click to confirm I was connected to the internet to get a second screen before closing. It didn't come up this morning when I started the PC.
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I previously had IE8 and went back to IE7 but I had this screen pop up this morning and have clicked on IE8 ( there wasn't an option to stay with IE7)
It so far seems to be working well and hasn't found any of the issues on this forum as it did when it kept 'hanging' on HJ.
Pat
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>> as it did when it kept 'hanging' on HJ.
Bit of irony there...
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I myself experienced the 'hanging' effect over 'there' but I think it was mostly due to the ads. Oversaturation in my opinion. Here seems a lot lighter, at the moment at least and I'm not complaining. Personally I favour firefox but that's probably a can of worms we should leave closed in this thread :)
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IE8 was rubbish for me on loadsof site when it first auto installed. I went back to IE7 within days and still have it. May take a chance on IE8 again if it seems OK to most folks.... unless anyone can say why I should choose one of the others.
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We don't use any of the Microsoft browsers in normal use. We do have to perform a groan check against them though. One of those "stick your head in hands and wonder what awful things it will do with your site". Unless you are on a company computer which has been locked to certain applications I can't see why anyone would want to use a Microsoft browser when there is so much choice for the free offerings out there. The only exception are sites where they make use of Active X components to deliver extra functionality (e.g. video cams, virtual consoles and so on).
IE 8 is better than the rest, but we can spend up to 3 x longer on sites just getting the look right for the other IE browsers. IE7 seems to be the buggiest by a long way. It just does some crazy things for no reason at all. One site we had lost some images on an area of the site when you moused over another completely different image. There was no connection in code or anything. Just a bug in the silly browser. (In the bug tracking sites I think they called it something like the peekaboo image hover bug). We never tracked down what it was doing wrong and none of the reported fixes worked. We have another one now - again in IE7 - just today where it is doubling up scrollbars on a floating window - after clicking on another non-related part of the page. It's ok on relatively simple pages, but once there are a load of things going on it just doesn't play ball very well.
So having wasted hours and hours on that particular browser's foibles it isn't our best friend. We would like it to just crawl away into a hole. It's only because so many of you are using it that guys like us have to waste time getting things to work on it.
.. so you could all please us by taking Microsoft's advice and installing another browser.
All the others play ball nicely, so we don't care if it is Opera, Chrome, Safari or Firefox; anything but one from Redmond.
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>>> so you could all please us by taking Microsoft's advice and installing another browser <<<
I use IE8 with no problemo whatsover, I did have probs on HJ at the same time as most other 4players, so I now have Opera - just in case!
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It's gone now. I don't know why, but on the other hand I don't care!
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It's still working fine for me now fenlander, they must have tweaked it.
Pat
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The message is supposed to disappear after first use.
However, to avoid such problems it's much wiser to ensure that WindowsUpdate is configured to inform you that Updates are available but not to Install them.
By doing this you can choose, via Custom, to select exactly which updates you feel are required and to tick the box Not to Inform You of Unselected updates before downloading those that are needed.
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>> The message is supposed to disappear after first use.
It appeared 3 days running when I booted up my deskop pc. I wouldn't mind, but two of the suggested browers I already use anyway.
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I still cannot update the work laptop to anything newer than IE6! We still have web applications we all need to use that do not like IE7 or IE8.... we are an IT company :-(
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my ex IT company was also stuck on IE6. we ended up with multiple browsers for multiple things.
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It does not check to see what browsers you have, it was never designed that way, but only tell you what choices you have. If you dont hide the update it will keep whining its there.
I have both my win7 and vista machines to notify updates, not auto install, as stuartli says.
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Slight correction to earlier posting, which should read:
"Not to Inform You Again of Unselected Updates".
The web browser choice offering harks back to Microsoft's tussle with the EU over the installation of IE by Default.
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Is this a UK only thing ?
We run three machines at home, one XP, two Vista, all running IE7.
I read somewhere XP was supposed to be first sometime late Feb. with Vista following early March. All our machines are up-to-date with patches but have not seen this on any of them yet.
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Its a europe only thing.
What I dont know is how they decide who is in europe only, by chosen keyboard code page and local settings I suppose.
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I'm in Germany with a German IP address.
Two of the machines have German OS, the other is Swedish.
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Use SRWare Iron. Job done.
Martin.
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On the subject of browsers, when I navigate around a site, IE8 makes the laptop make a distinct 'click', as if a little relay is operating.
Doing the same navigation using Firefox is silent.
Both browsers work OK, but I've been wondering for a while why Explorer clicks.
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Its a design feature. its suposed to be cool.
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This patch arrived for XP this morning. Upgraded to IE8 from IE7 and...the Skype plug-in does not work now.
Kewel ! Something else for me to update/fix.
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 6 Mar 10 at 10:32
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Read what I said a few posts above. It may do you some good. It works for me. Faultless so far. Firefox can go away. Had enough of their crap.
MD
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 6 Mar 10 at 21:04
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I tried Firefox a few weeks ago. Found it painfully slow when customised and everything seems to be an Add-on.
I liked Opera but then there were a few sites I use which didn't render properly. Microsoft have their faults, as we all know, but at least you know if there is a major problem they will respond.
How likely is that with the others and how quickly will they respond ?
I've started to compare browsers with car radios. The standard manufacturer unit may not be perfect but at least it works with the other integrated parts of the car, sat-nav, steering wheel buttons, phones etc.
How likely is an aftermarket unit going to work or fit without some extra work/cost ?
Last edited by: gmac on Sat 6 Mar 10 at 19:16
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>>Microsoft have their faults, as we all know, but at least you know if there is a major problem they will respond.
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My only dealings with UK & USA I found them completely and uterly useless.
Tried the UK. Useless!
Ist (non Teck) response from the USA I did not understand.
2nd I did understand, in effect we do not deal with limeys. Well I am contacting you cos the UK is not good. Response was, talk to the UK.
I gave up.
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I did get a 'Microsoft answer' from some forum or other a while ago.
There are that many users, it seems to me answers to a lot of queries are available, but not direct from Microsoft.
Hotmail's own customer service team is also useless, as is Vodafone's - in my experience.
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It seems to me that many large corps don't employ staff at the front line who can solve consumer problems. In technology, the answer is usually reload or reboot or reformat. That was even true in my previous company, in the computer industry. If you had a problem with your computer, first step was to reload it rather than try to diagnose what was wrong, then fix it. To be fair, it often worked, but usually at massive inconvenience to the user, who had to recover/restore all links, shortcuts etc etc.
Without doubt, the most reliable support info is often found on the internet, so long as you can sort the wheat from the chaff. In Microsoft's case, there are forums/newsgroups inhabited by Microsoft-authorise but not employed professionals. But usually they have a fairly blinkered view.
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Internet Explorer users: Browser choice - L'escargot
