Posted on 10/18/2006 9:32:00 PM PDT by Eagle9
Microsoft on Wednesday launched the first major update to Internet Explorer in five years, and posted the new browser for Windows XP to a download site.
IE 7, which has was announced in February 2005 by chairman Bill Gates, has been touted by the company as a significant update in the areas of security and usability. The interface has been streamlined and tabs have been added to compete with rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox and Opera's flagship browser. On the security front, IE 7 adds anti-phishing defenses as well as additional features to control ActiveX controls, which historically have been a pain point for Microsoft's browser.
IE 7 for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 can be downloaded from here.
"It's here, it's final, and we're excited," said Margaret Cobb, the group product manager for the browser.
The most controversial aspect of IE 7 has been Microsoft's decision to push the update to all users who have Automatic Updates enabled. Although users can reject IE 7 -- and continue using their current edition of Internet Explorer -- Microsoft will begin rolling out the browser as a "High priority" update next month. In July, when Microsoft offered up a toolkit to indefinitely postpone IE 7's installation, it justified using Automatic Updates, a mechanism for providing patches to Windows, because of the new browser's security implications.
"We've told enterprise customers to be ready [for IE 7] by Nov. 1," said Cobb. "It won't begin Nov. 1, but they should be ready."
The IE 7 update will also not add to the burden of Microsoft's monthly security patch delivery, scheduled for Nov. 14, promised Cobb. "We won't do it on Patch Tuesday."
Microsoft will also throttle back IE 7's delivery to keep the server load under control, she added. "We're starting with English, and then moving to the localized versions as they come available. At first we'll run it very slow, to a low percentage of users." After assessing the impact, Microsoft will increase the amount of traffic from the servers. "I'll have a 10 a.m. call every day to go over the impact on support or services," said Cobb, who can then order downloads to be scaled back or increased.
It will take as long as three months to deliver IE 7 to all users worldwide. "As each localized language comes online, we'll wait a few weeks after posting it for download before delivering it through Automatic Updates."
Microsoft has made one change late in the game. After IE 7 has installed, it will tell the user which search engine is the current default -- grabbed from IE 5 or IE 6 -- and then ask if they want to make a new choice. The process is similar to, but not identical, to the choice that Windows Vista users will face when they upgrade from Windows XP.
"We added this after RC3," said Cobb. "We're letting users know what engine is the default, and asking them if they want to keep it or do they want to switch. We're also going to be supporting IE 7."
Beginning Thursday, Microsoft will open a free, toll-free support line for IE 7. The help desk will be manned Monday through Friday 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT, and on weekends from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT.
Internet Explorer's chief rival, Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser, is nearing the final release of version 2.0. Currently on Release Candidate 3 (RC3), Firefox 2.0 should make it out the door before the end of the month.
Users who want to block the download and installation of IE 7 through Automatic Updates, as well as the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites should steer here, where they can retrieve the Internet Explorer 7 Blocker Toolkit.
yes but it has already been hacked.
Anyone on this forum can look at your posting history and see that the only way you participate on this website is to troll the tech forums as an anti-open source/pro microsoft troll . Nothing you say has any credibility because it is clear that you have no other interests in life, except to pollute this site with your spewage.
You can say anything you want to freaking troll, because nobody cares. I feel not the slightest bit of inclination to respond to anything you type here except to point out to the rest of the forum what a single-minded and petty troll you are.
Watch out for them CopyLeftists! They are out to get you!
From your own XP help file on Automatic Updates:
How does Automatic Updates work?
When you turn on Automatic Updates, Windows routinely checks the Windows Update Web site for high-priority updates that can help protect your computer from the latest viruses and other security threats. These updates can include security updates, critical updates, and service packs. Depending on the setting you choose, Windows automatically downloads and installs any high-priority updates that your computer needs, or notifies you as these updates become available.
Most people have it set for fully automatic, not the prompted "Download updates for me, but let me choose to install them." or "Notify me but don't automatically download or install them."
Besides, no one who does not read this special news will know there may be problems or that they will see a whole new version of IE. IE has never been a high-priority update; instead, only fixes have occurred behind the scenes, leaving everything about the same.
I don't see a massive SP-2 ad campaign going on, preparing people for needed change (but still making SP-2 optional).
BS to you, BS-F.
As a matter of fact I do quite frequently speak out against the copyleftists you so endlessly support, and expose your BS for what it is just as I did here. Unfortunately you just can't help yourself from making petty ignorant comments as you did on this thread, then explode into meltdowns of personal insults when called on them. Thanks for proving my points once again.
LOL
Don't tell that to BigSkyFreeper or Eagle Talon, because they don't think there's any chance for a problem.
If you actually started posting on Freerepublic like a normal user with more than a single-minded interests in one single lame topic, you might actually have relevance.
As it is, all anyone needs to do is look at your posting history, where they can see thousands of posts never deviating from this one johnny-one-note subject. Never showing any interest in any other subject of newsworthy interests.
Surely, give the vast breadth of topics covered and commented upon on this forum, you could post more than once or twice a year on some other topic.
Zark off and get a life troll.
thats Echo... but you choose what updates you download and install... If you do not want them just uncheck them.
Assuming you didn't change the setting. It's turned on "Automatic" by default. Even if you turned it off (disabled), it's still physically "on", because it runs as a Windows Service, and eats up CPU cycles and memory resources better suited for things you truly need to use, even though it's not physically being used.
However, you can change the time or frequency of scheduled updates to best suit your needs.
Since your update was forced, as you said, that to me suggests your Automatic Update feature is enabled, and it's your fault, not your computer's, mine or Microsoft's fault that you leave it turned on.
Lastly, if your System Restore is disabled and you run into problems, don't come crying to me or Microsoft or post some stupid vanity here at FR about it.
You obviously fall under the category of most, since you suggest it was forced upon you. Automatic Updates on my machines are completely turned off, and disabled in Windows Services. These machines of mine get updated when I update them myself. Even when set to Automatic, you can still choose which Windows Updates you want by checking or unchecking them. Since you seem to believe IE7 is forced upon you, that suggests you accepted it by leaving it checked, because regardless of what level the update it is be it "critical" or lower, you still have to pick and choose which updates to install. No updates are forced upon the user.
I suggest you take your complaints up with your copyleftist buddies like FLAMING DEATH that only post on open source topics and like you have a foul mouth and attitude. I'm just here to point you anarchists out, which isn't that hard either, since you're both prone to instant simultaneous combustion whenever I present the actual facts in any discussion.
everyones favorite company to bash.
I suppose so, but guess who could be the most widely hated person in the world: "W" if he worked for MS.
Al
MS is hated just like America is hated around the world, its called jealousy.
I don't have this problem because I've set mine differently. My posts have been about 90+% of the people out there who haven't.
If Microsoft says the updates are automatically downloaded AND INSTALLED, then that is without intervention. How many people do you think are up at the default time of 3 AM to have the opportunity to watch the complete process and possibly cancel it? Basically none are, yet Microsoft states the process completes then. How is that? Because the install process is not prompted with the default settings.
What don't you understand about unattended installs? They start and finish without your involvement. That's also why an earlier poster stated he had to address this issue on his network. Do you think his users are prompted for his installs? No. Unattended upgrades are just that, unattended. This is what we IT guys try to do, so that users don't need to be educated or involved. It's all pretty simple.
bump for later read
I know it's simple and doesn't require a degree to figure it out.
I invite them to come on out and join us for what will be a weekend disabling Windows Update party!! The beer will be on me.
You contribute nothing to this forum but venom and invective against the very software that makes this site possible to run on the rather minimal budget it does.
I disagree with EchoTalon on a lot of things but don't consider him to be a troll on this site because he at least shows interest in other areas of life, unlike you, you pathetic little troll.
(courtesy ping for ET)
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