[suzyq5558]

ok i just installed foxfire browser and thunderbird email client. and i also made foxfire my default browser and iam now getting all my faves into foxfire. iam doing it the long way since it refuses to import them. now should i be protected? i mean i still have IE on my machine but im not using it. i really like the email program it has a built in junk filter! i like that.

[Musket]

Right. You can have it on your machine, just don't surf the web with it. (I do believe this is the tipping point for IE, imho.)

[ikka]

Do you have foxfire 0.9 installed? It should automatically pick up your IE favorites. If not, search for a file named bookmarks.htm that will have the IE bookmarks list.

As long as you don't use IE for surfing the web, you should be perfectly fine. You will need to use it for Windows Update, but that only connects to Microsoft's website, so that is OK.

You should install an anti-virus package like AVG (free personal one at http://www.grisoft.com) if you don't have one already, just in case.

[NJ_gent]

"iam doing it the long way since it refuses to import them. now should i be protected? i mean i still have IE on my machine but im not using it."

You'll be far less vulnerable to problems. Keep your Windows operating system up to date by opening Internet Explorer, clicking on 'Tools' and then 'Windows Update'. You should either do that once a week, or, if you're using Windows 2000 or Windows XP, set up the automatic updates to automatically install inside the Control Panel applet, 'Automatic Updates'.

"i really like the email program it has a built in junk filter! i like that."

The browser also automatically blocks pop-ups, as well. Isn't life fun outside of Microsoft? Wait 'til you play with the tabs on Firefox - that'll blow your mind. I can't stand having to use IE for anything any more.