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IE8 Update Forces IE As Default Browser

Posted by timothy on from the how-awfullly-polite dept.

We discussed Microsoft making IE8 a critical update a while back; but then the indication was that the update gave users a chance to choose whether or not to install it. Now I Don't Believe in Imaginary Property writes in with word that the update not only does not ask, but it makes IE the default browser. "Microsoft has a new tactic in the browser wars. They're having the 'critical' IE8 update make IE the default browser without asking. Yes, you can change it back, but it doesn't ask you if you want IE8 or if you want it as the default browser, it makes the decisions for you. Opera might have a few more complaints to make to the EU antitrust board after this, but Microsoft will probably be able to drag out the proceedings for years, only to end up paying a small fine. If you have anyone you've set up with a more secure alternative browser, you might want to help check their settings after this."

21 of 311 comments (clear)

  1. Death to IE6! by mnslinky · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's to the end of IE 6 and all the hacks needed for site to render correctly!

    1. Re:Death to IE6! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Nope... Many corporations built their intranet around IE6 and changing browser will break it. Rather than spend buckets of money revamping their intranet, they are just more likely to keep going with IE6...

    2. Re:Death to IE6! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

      It amazes me how when firefox has a new version, everyone downloads it with a warm and fuzzy feeling that it is going to be an improvement. However, whenever IE has a new version, people are so reluctant to download it that MS now has to force the public to upgrade.

      Way to go Microsoft!!! If your users are uncomfortable with upgrading, force them anyway.

    3. Re:Death to IE6! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      80%?
      What's your website, an IE6 fan club?

    4. Re:Death to IE6! by SirLurksAlot · · Score: 5, Interesting

      You are correct, however this is true only in the short term. The whole argument of "We're saving money by not switching." will only hold water for so long. Eventually there will come a point at which their enforcement of IE6 will prevent them from being competitive. While everyone else is moving forward with new technologies that allow them to do more (and more securely) they'll still be stuck with applications that depend on ActiveX and open them up to attack. Also, if enough people are using IE8/Firefox outside of work (or more importantly enough management-types) their frustration with the older browser will eventually leak into the workplace, and there will be a push to upgrade intranet apps to get with the times. Change does happen in the corporate world, it just happens slowly.

      --
      God, schmod. I want my monkey man!
    5. Re:Death to IE6! by Antique+Geekmeister · · Score: 5, Funny

      Here's to making websites run on Lynx. They're invariably far faster, usually far more readable, far more usable for those with visual or manual problems, far lighter in bandwidth, and require far less testing for a variety of standards-violating clients.

    6. Re:Death to IE6! by quickcel · · Score: 5, Funny

      Are you kidding? Death to the best browser around? Help us save IE6 and sign the petition! http://saveie6.com/

    7. Re:Death to IE6! by gewalker · · Score: 5, Funny

      Dude, he said 20K visitors. There is NO way that an IE6 fan club has that many visitors.

    8. Re:Death to IE6! by ivucica · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Real problem is they're forcing their browser to be default system browser, in place of Opera, Firefox, Chrome - whichever is your default. Y'know how aforementioned browsers (and older IE) ask you if you want them to be the default? The /. summary makes point of forcing IE8 as the default.

  2. this wasn't my experience by lambent · · Score: 5, Informative

    i updated IE8 manually on like 20 machines yesterday. it asked every time. it didn't kill my default browser selection.

    it there something i'm overlooking, like does automatic updates apply it and not ask you? am i missing something from TFA?

    1. Re:this wasn't my experience by Briareos · · Score: 5, Informative

      Well, there is one question during IE8 setup whether to use some (listed) default settings or the change those settings - maybe setting it as the default browser is one of those defaults?

      It didn't override Firefox being the default browser in my XP installation, at any rate...

      np: Can - Mother Upduff (Anthology (Disc 2))

      --

      "I'm not anti-anything, I'm anti-everything, it fits better." - Sole

    2. Re:this wasn't my experience by LurkingOnSlashdot · · Score: 5, Informative

      Wasn't my experience either. I upgraded my home machines and my office computer to IE8 and do not recall that it became my default browser.

  3. Re:Whooooooooosh! by Reality+Master+201 · · Score: 5, Funny

    There's nothing wrong with this tactic. Firefox does the same thing to me in Linux.

    Firefox makes IE 8 your default browser in Linux? That's kinda odd.

  4. Does anyone fact check here? by Avagadro's+Number · · Score: 5, Informative

    I installed IE8 through windows update in Vista and it asked me if I wanted to set it as the default browser. I clicked no and Firefox is still my default. If you use the full auto install it will make it the default browser. Of course, if you do the full auto install with any Microsoft product you deserve any pain that results.

  5. If you check the "Custom Settings" it doesn't. by jarodss · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you let the IE install do it's thing automatically then it sets itself as default.

    Anyone not choosing to customize IE's install deserves to have it supplant their settings.

  6. IE8 on Vista, not the default by PunditGuy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just checked to make sure -- Firefox is still my default. No surreptitious shenanigans.

    Is this an XP thing? TFA didn't say which OS he was running.

  7. FUD by Z_A_Commando · · Score: 5, Informative

    I have several machines, all running several versions of Windows (XP & Vista in both 32- and 64-bit varieties) and I have not seen IE8 automagically installed through Windows Update on them. I have Windows Update set to automatically install updates without asking and the result is exactly what happens with IE7 when you get it off of Windows Update: An installer screen pops up asking if you'd like to install IE8 now, would like to wait, or don't want to install it at all, ever. All have updated to Office 2007 SP2, which was released to Windows Update the same day.

    However, I can't speak to what happens when you have IE6 installed on your XP machine and this update comes across the wire. I dropped IE6 over a year ago. Still, I doubt such an upgrade would be forced like this. Also, when I did choose to install IE8 on a machine that has Firefox as the default browser, after the restart, Firefox was still the default. This article is simply FUD. Furthermore, what's wrong with replacing a less standards compliant browser with a more standards compliant browser? Provided you don't change the default browser of course.

  8. works on my computer by RingDev · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not that I saw. I remember seeing an explicit "Make IE8 your default browser?" dialogue show up. I'm not sure about XP, but on Vista 64, it behaived exactly as I expected it to and did not change any settings that I didn't tell it explicitly to do.

    -Rick

    --
    "Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
  9. You fucking suck... Slashdot by GF678 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'm yet another person who installed IE 8 via Windows Update and it did NOT forcibly set itself as the default browser.

    Seriously Slashdot, do you even bother to vet your troll articles anymore? Do you realize how embarrassingly pathetic this one significant site in the tech world has become?

  10. Bullshit by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yes, you can change it back, but it doesn't ask you if you want IE8 or if you want it as the default browser, it makes the decisions for you.

    This is not entirely true. When you install IE8, it asks you whether you'd like to do an Easy install or if you'd rather do a custom install. The Easy install does indeed set IE8 as the system's default browser, without asking. However, if you do the custom install, it does ask, and it honors what you tell the installer to do.

    Even if your default browser setting does get hijacked, the very next time you launch Firefox, it'll let you know it's not set as your default browser, and it's one click to change it back. Not a big deal at all, other than if you're running unattended installs on critical systems which require Firefox to be the default browser for some reason.

    --
    You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
  11. FUD by wcb4 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I allowed the install of IE8 on 2 of my personal machines yesterday. Both of the still have Firefox as the default browser. Vista and XP. Who is complaining that its switching their default browser? What's the setup?

    --
    I reject your reality ... and substitute my own.