Browsers forum: Upgrading to IE7!

I wasn't actually planning on using IE7. I know that IE works within the Windows environment. Sorry for the misunderstanding, but I was really asking if IE7 improves overall functions in Windows. If you don't know what I mean by improving Windows, please refer to: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10166_7-6219945-1.html. Thanks.

Most of the changes to Internet Explorer were designed to affect those who use the browser directly...an overhauled interface, tabbing functionality, phishing protection, etc. When Vermosi spoke of IE being used by Word, Windows Explorer, etc. he was referring specifically to the Trident rendering engine. While it did receive an overhaul as well to alleviate some security concerns you wouldn't notice a difference except that a few websites would not be viewable. In your case, only using IE for windows updates, you're not at a great security risk, so the benefits of upgrading to IE7 negligable.

Personally, I would attempt the upgrade. Most of the problems facing users are a issues with normal daily use...you shouldn't face any of them since you rarely plan on using IE. At the same time you would benefit from the security adjustments when you do use IE or other programs that rely on it.

Like I said, it's not a big deal for you, and you could go either way with relative indifference, but I would upgrade.

John

If you are using Internet Explorer there are many changes, including:
* The phishing filter will alert you if you have wandered to a suspected fraudulent website.
* ActiveX controls have been restricted, helping to prevent 'drive-by downloads.'
* Internet Explorer 7 now has the ability to recover from browser hijacking.
* The address bar can no longer be hidden, a common trick to hide the site's true identity.
* Internet Explorer is no longer integrated with Windows Explorer, something that made it far easier to a hacker to access your personal files.

When you step away from Internet Explorer and use programs that rely solely on the rendering engine the security-related changes are not as noticable. However, Microsoft did perform a fairly large overhaul not only to fix problems with displaying websites correctly but also to make it more difficult to exploit. For a current example of such an exploit in IE7 (the overhaul was designed to make such less common, not non-existent), click here.

Merry Christmas!
John

If you have Mozilla Firefox 2, it's not worth upgrading to IE 7. A friend of mine has both Mozilla Firefox 2 and IE 6... Mozilla Firefox 2 works just as fine no matter what version of IE is installed on the computer. I have both Mozilla Firefox 2 and IE 7 on my computer right now and I don't think there's not much of a difference. Unless you have the embedded IE browser extension installed on your version of Mozilla Firefox 2 then it might be worth installing IE 7.

When you allow the auto-update of critical patches from Microsoft you will likely get slipped the IE7 update and then the fun begins. This browser luckily can be un-installed from Add/Remove programs, which is what you should do as soon as you find out you got the unexpected upgrade.

IE7 has a new icon, logo, and a whole new menu bar and design that looks foreigh to anyone who used IE6 or IE5 thru the years. Microsoft made IE7 to catch up to Firefox, which it doesnt quite do, and then made some UI changes that will confound new and old users alike. The best part of IE7, Tabs, can be installed into IE6 with the FoxIE plugin for IE6, then youll have Tabs.

As for IE7 and what it does to your system, it does break Link icons you might have to sites on your desktop, it changes the Icons to generic IE icons, and it also has a tendency to alter the Video display driver characteristics of the Windows XP OS, leaving video artifacts and blank gray areas on your screen when you open menus or close windows. If you use QuickBooks or other programs that are built to use the older IE6 rendering engine and HTML display components in XP you might also find irregular looking displays of the menus and buttons of those programs.

Overall, IE7 is a forward hack by MSFT to try to get caught up to Firefox while also giving XP some of the dopey UI look of Vista, while all it really does is serve MSFT to make it look like they cared about improving the browser to stop Windows users from going to Firefox, and unfortunately they failed at making it good, and many ISVs who make Windows apps that use IE6 are going to spend a lot of time trying to fix programs that worked fine until IE7 came out.

Install IE7 at your own risk, unless you have an afternoon to waste learning how to circumvent the many changes it makes, and ultimately uninstalling it once you see it has little merit.

Can you please tell me the procedure to revert back to IE6? We have window XP SP2 on our PC.

I posted this on the Computeractive Forums on New Years Day after an untold number of threads with problems caused by installing IE7
Happy New Year Everyone.
Internet Explorer 7.
Facts:
Millions of people have downloaded this version and are more than happy with its performance and features.
No problems have been experienced since downloading the upgrade and all their other software and hardware is working perfectly.
~ However....
Several thousand people have downloaded this version and experienced all sorts of hell with their PCs and Laptops since doing so.
In some cases hardware fails to operate correctly.
In other cases software for other programmes refuses to work or works incorrectly with people thinking their computers are in the final death-throes.
Others have discovered that their default settings or Favourites have been altered without them doing anything.
Most of the problems are due to conflicts with non-MS software that uses Explorer as an operating platform which worked in 6 but is not programmed to work in 7yet.
There are dozens of forums, including these, where desperate people are trying to get help with some failure or malfunction that has occurred since either manually downloading IE7 or getting it installed with Microsoft Updates set on Auto Install.
~
Some helpful advice is at hand.
Read this link and see if you are suffering with any defects reported here:
http://forums.vnunet.com/thread.jspa?threadID=94933&tstart=15
~
Marc Liron, in the following link, has some videos to demonstrate how to get round the following problems in IE7
http://www.updatexp.com/ie7-issues.html

Put The Mail Icon On The IE7 Tool Bar
Resolve The Flash Plugin Issue
The HP Director Software Issue
IE7 and Screen Readers (No Video)
FTP With IE7
Remove The Address Bar In Popups
IE7 and Java Applets
The "SmartBridge" PSAPI.DLL Error Message
~
The above solutions are work-arounds and will assist in reverting your computer to full operation.
~
As a recommended action, from members on here, at the moment uninstall IE7 and revert back to IE6. The correct uninstall procedure is here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/support/default.mspx
~
For anyone not wanting IE7 until all the bugs have been ironed out, then you can block the automatic download or the pop-up nag every time you go to M$ Updates by using one of these two blockers:
To prevent the Automatic MS Updater reinstalling IE7, the Blocker is available to download from :
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/10/how-to-block-ie-7-from-auto-installing.html
OR:
http://tinyurl.com/kwkgt
~
I am NOT running a witch-hunt against IE7 ( I have upgraded to it after getting the work-around for the problems with the HP Director ), what I am trying to point out is that the problems are not a threat to your computer, more an inconvenience.
Just revert back to IE6, as above, and should you have never tried another browser, try either Firefox or Opera.
Both are FREE and will work alongside your Internet Explorer 6 or 7.
Get Firefox from here:
http://www.firefox.co.ee/uk/
Or get Opera from here:
http://www.opera.com/download/
Heres hoping that this explains about the problems.
It's New And It's Free But It Will Still Be There Later This Year (and probably less buggy) So Don't Rush It.
Enjoy the next 364 days
dave