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Microsoft Hides Firefox Extension In Toolbar Update
Jan writes "As part of its regular Patch Tuesday, Microsoft released an update for its various toolbars, and this update came with more than just documented fixes. The update also installs an add-on for Internet Explorer and an extension for Mozilla Firefox, both without the user's permission."
No. From TFA:
On one of our Windows systems, we had the Windows Live Toolbar installed for Internet Explorer but not for Firefox. Nevertheless, installing this update added the add-on/extension to both browsers without telling us that it would do so. On our second system, we had the Bing Bar installed for Internet Explorer, but it was disabled. Firefox was not installed. This system already had the update in question, so we decided to install Firefox. Not only was the Bing Bar extension present upon Firefox's first launch, but so was the Search Helper Extension.
The stories and info posted here are artistic works of fiction and falsehood.
Only fools would take it as fact.
The difference being that that add-in was arguably useful. It enabled click-once in firefox, iirc, which is a fairly handy experience for running small apps over the web. If I recall, Java does the same thing. The problem then was that firefox had no way to distinguish between a version with a flaw, and a version without a flaw, so they had no choice but to temporarily blacklist it (and there was that issue with not being able to disable it due to permissions).
Browser toolbars, however, never strike me as a nice addition to a product without asking.
The update doesn't install a browser toolbar, it updates the browser toolbar for users that already have it installed. Users who haven't installed it won't see this update.
For once the Slashdot summary actually got this correct, and from the original article: "Additional testing determined that the update is only being offered to those with one of the Microsoft toolbars installed,"
Except even if the toolbar is disabled it still installs and enables the toolbar in Firefox. It also auto-enables the toolbar upon a new installation of Firefox if Firefox was not previously installed.
Additional testing determined that the update is only being offered to those with one of the Microsoft toolbars installed
Yes, but irrespective of whether it's installed for IE or Firefox. Just because I have the Live Search Toolbar installed for IE doesn't mean I want it turning up in Firefox unannounced.
no evil? how about deliberatly holding back on the browser hooks and infrastructure to allow for comprehensive robust adblock/scriptblock/etc ad-ons, due to such things being completely against their business model that is based on supplying advertisements?
I suppose that's not "evil", bit it is a pretty damn big roadblock to me adopting chrome over FF.
Additional testing determined that the update is only being offered to those with one of the Microsoft toolbars installed
Yes, but irrespective of whether it's installed for IE or Firefox. Just because my OEM put the Live Search Toolbar on IE doesn't mean I want it turning up in Firefox unannounced.
fix'd
The stories and info posted here are artistic works of fiction and falsehood.
Only fools would take it as fact.
Removing the .NET plugin:
del /q "%SystemRoot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\Windows Presentation Foundation\NPWPF.dll" /v {20a82645-c095-46ed-80e3-08825760534b} /f > Nul /q %SystemRoot%\System32\dllcache\*.*
reg DELETE HKLM\SOFTWARE\Mozilla\Firefox\Extensions
del
I also remove the Media player DRM plugin: /q "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\npdrmv2.dll" /q "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\npwmsdrm.dll"
del
del
Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.
Because you installed the 'ubufox' package (probably by default), by chance? The package even says something about "remove this to have a vanilla firefox."
Slashdot Patriotism: We Support our Dupes!
compare adblock in chrome to adblock in FF.
NOT the same thing. at all. chrome makes the ads not displayed (usually, sometimes it even fails at that), but they're still there in all their cpu abusing, bandwidth hogging, spyware laden goodness. hell sometimes you can still accidently click on them.
FF keeps them from loading entirely. I know that websites prefer the latter to the former, but I certainly do not.
This isn't old news. This happened for me with the most recent Windows 7 update set. I was notified of the updates this week. I saw this "search enhancement" update and it appeared to only affect IE so I accepted it. Now I'm stuck with this search add-on in Firefox. I disabled it but it's not possible to uninstall it from the FF add-on GUI. Probably if I delete some folders somewhere it will disappear but googling didn't turn up much when I searched -- mostly referring to older updates that sound similar -- possibly what you're referring to as well.
No EULA may violate the law. We already have laws expressly concerning unauthorized access of computer resources.
Their EULA is null and void in this instance. EA tried this same BS with me when I sued the crap out of them for Spore and the SecuROM DRM. That argument HELD NO WATER.
Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.