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Windows 7 Kill Switch For IE Confirmed — For More Apps, Too
CWmike writes "Microsoft has confirmed that users will be able to remove its IE8 browser, as well as several other integrated applications, from Windows 7. Jack Mayo, a group program manager on the Windows team, listed in a blog post the applications that can be switched off. They include Internet Explorer 8, Fax and Scan, handwriting recognition, Windows DVD Maker, Windows Gadget Platform, Windows Media Player, Windows Media Center, Windows Search, and XPS Viewer and Services. He explained that the files associated with those applications and features are not actually deleted from the hard drive. The public beta of Windows 7 does not include the ability to 'kill' said apps. But a pirated copy of Windows 7 Build 7048 includes the new removal options, and has been leaked on the Internet." (We mentioned the reported ability to turn off IE8 yesterday as well.)
I know. Why only have 2 apps to do the same thing when you can have 5, 6, hell maybe an even dozen?! Go Linux.
Could whoever is writing the Conficker++ 2.0 right now please include an auto-deactivate all important MS apps please? Thanks. I'm really looking forward to what that would do to economies and submarines.
I think you'd see the full force of Microsoft put to squashing the vulnerability all of the sudden.
Let's say though that they didn't.. let's say the bug is not fixable in a reasonable time frame (reasonable being according to the average consumer.... probably less than a week).
I predict the following would occur, in this order:
1) The year of Linux on the Desktop would finally be realized
2) Linux gurus would become Gods among men for a day
3) The following day, "Computer Support" jobs would replace dentists as the occupation with the highest suicide rate as the flood of ex-windows end-users start calling for tech support
Malware developers?