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Please Stop Using Internet Explorer, Microsoft Says (mashable.com)

Microsoft cybersecurity expert Chris Jackson recently published a post on the official Windows IT Pro blog, titled "The perils of using Internet Explorer as your default browser." Jackson urges users that it's time to stop using its old web browser, a product Microsoft officially discontinued in 2015. From a report: In his post, Jackson explains how Microsoft customers still ask him Internet Explorer related questions for their business. The fact of the matter is that while most average internet users have moved on to Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft's Edge, some businesses are still working with older web apps or sites that were designed for Internet Explorer. Instead of updating its tech, many companies have chosen to just keep using the various enterprise compatibility modes of Microsoft's old web browser. But, Jackson says "enough is enough." It's time to event stop calling Internet Explorer a web browser.

174 comments

  1. Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    > It's time to event stop calling Internet Explorer a web browser.
    I would if I could but I dont think I know how

    1. Re: Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cmd-r iexplore is ingrained into me.

    2. Re: Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      hehe, smart enough to know how to execute a command like that... but using ie?

    3. Re:Event stop by jellomizer · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If Microsoft wants everyone off of Internet Explorer. They are going to need to think of a way to easily convert the Past 20 years of IE Only Crap that Microsoft pushed on businesses to deploy.

      Active-X and Silverlight (or as I like to call them Active-Exploit and Silverfish) technologies got pushed as core development platforms for those mainframe programmers who needed to keep their jobs after the mainframe and mini-computers were retired from their work environment, to modernize for y2k, but didn't want to learn how to program in HTML/JavaScript and learn how to think in Web Server type of thinking for back end request and responce processing. . These 2 crap technologies, which were a bad idea when they were made are now an anchor to Microsoft growth.

      Microsoft was intent on winning the browser war are nearly any cost. Well they now need to pay the cost for their winning. Back in the late 1990's Microsoft could had played the high ground, by insisting on open standards, using the fact that the browser was default and integrated into the OS, to really push the direction on where the open standards went to make sure they were always ready for the first release. But they made IE as part of the Embrace, Extend, Extinguish style. As Microsoft never had put too much faith in the Web. (Windows 95 era, Microsoft though big BBS like AOL, Prodigy, CompuServe, and their MSN was the future) However it was getting a lot of press. So they made IE good enough to compete against Netscape, they extended it with IE/Windows Only features. Hoping to keep everyone on Windows so they can extinguish the Web and go to MS Services (like MSN).

      Microsoft Messed up the extend part, not realizing the fast growth of cheap broadband always on Internet. Their Security model and the Wide Open Gaps that Active-X did for system security, just couldn't be managed by educating users on how to be safe. Because the nature of the attacks have changed to broad hit any computer as you can. The processing power and showing Ads, and collecting personal data in their home folder was more valuable, then messing up the boot record, or tinkering with system files.
      This allowed the fallout of the Netscape/IE wars Mozilla team to make Firefox which was a small fast browser that followed the open standards, to become popular enough to encourage open standards web development, and avoiding MS only Technology which people lost trust in. This with Apple Safari (ditching the aging IE 5 for Mac) and Google Chrome to get popularity as they all wanted to be the fasted browser out there. (Poor Opera, just never made their browser Open enough to get traction fast enough, they hung with add revenue filling up a good portion of the screen real estate or having to buy a commercial copy, while the others started to hit is main selling point)

      If MS wants us to stop using IE. We will need a way to cheaply and easily convert our old stuff made by developers who have long retired, and where source code may be lost, to newer technology say HTML 5

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
    4. Re:Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Modded down by a sock puppet butt hurt.

    5. Re:Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have installed Windows 98 in VMWare, with very old Internet Explorer, because the admin interface on my IP Camera (AirLive Od-2050hd) works only with this very old version of Interner Explorer (javascript does not work in newer versions, and also some plugin works only in the old version). So I have to keep Windows 98 installed for this one camera.

    6. Re: Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Great observation. I think it's all the cat shit that I've been eating.

    7. Re: Event stop by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Like WindowsXP before it the only way to get rid of ancient decrepit dinosaurs in IT is to stop supporting it!

      Shit I worked at as an IT lead at a call center company up to 2 years ago. We had 8 or 9 customers and 2 still required IE 6! Not IE 11, not IE 8 but 2001 IE 6?! One of them is for HIPAA and takes credit card data even.

      Another one requires IE 8, another did require IE 8 but and still requires IE but has been updated to work on IE 11 when I left in 2017.

      For IE 6 those shameful customers used Citrix. One requires Java 1.4.2, not 1.4.1 or 1.4.3 but 1.4.2. My guess is their Indian outsourcing partner used a "==" instead of a "=>" and used custom IE 6 specific CSS bug work arounds.

      At the end of the day IT is a cost that adds no value. Why uograde? It works fine etc. This post may jaw drop the millennials at Silicon Valley but it's how the rest of the world is.

      At work there is a 250 person wait for laptop's. Why? Windows 7 compatible CPUs are in short supply. We have people who have to bring PC's from home to get work done as the CFO needs to keep the share price up and can't bother upgrading to 7.

      Rip out support and put legacy crud in Citrix with IE 6 and those who fear change and cost accountants can shut up. A post by Microsoft won't work with these people

    8. Re:Event stop by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I blame Microsoft for creating ActiveX in the first place.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    9. Re: Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There were 40 year old mainframes still running when Microsoft first released Internet Explorer. They damn well knew that software sticks around for a very long time.

    10. Re: Event stop by sjames · · Score: 1

      Well, if it adds no value, turn it off. Really, just sell all the PCs off and pass out pens and paper. It added no value so I'm sure it'll be just fine. Right?

    11. Re:Event stop by sjames · · Score: 2

      Exactly. They designed it to be like crack for corporations in their continuing quest for a monopoly. Surprise, we now have corporations acting like crack addicts.

      The thing is, they didn't JUST offer their products like crack, first hit is free. They actively worked to introduce their product by stealth (like a dealer dosing peoples drinks in the bar) by obscuring the line between open standards and MS proprietary extensions.

      I an many other IT professionals tried to warn them, but we were dismissed as overly paranoid.

    12. Re: Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wait.... it's a web browser?

      And there was me thinking it was just a POS....

    13. Re:Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Did you fall off a bar stool and hit your head? Nothing about tech here, just loony ravings about corporations.

    14. Re:Event stop by sjames · · Score: 1

      If you don't weigh potential lock in and future availability problems as part of your tech recommendations you are a quack.

    15. Re:Event stop by TomBauserman · · Score: 1

      I work at a school and on our secretaries computers we have to run IE 8, for some reason compatibility mode isn't good enough, there are government websites do not function properly at all in anything newer than 8. Then we also have to run java 6 and 7

    16. Re:Event stop by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      When ActiveX started being the fad (only a fad on Windows that is), Javascript was still highly obscure (it is entirely unrelated to Java guys). So the mainframe people were not too jaded to learn Javascript as the earlier posted hinted. The real reason possibly is that the mainframe people were so used to the idea of "IBM is never wrong" that they revised their misconception into tbhe "Microsoft is never wrong" misconception. Meanwhile, people over on other platforms were saying "what the hell" from the very first announcement about ActiveX.

    17. Re:Event stop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      mainframe programmers who needed to keep their jobs after the mainframe and mini-computers were retired from their work environment, to modernize for y2k, but didn't want to learn how to program in HTML/JavaScript and learn how to think in Web Server type of thinking for back end request and responce processing

      Fuck outta here...... In 1998 JavaScript was good for mouseover hover menus and little else. Web "applications" were stuck running cgi-bin type perl scripts or god forbid C++.

      Remember M$ invented AJAX. From Wikipedia:

      The functionality of the XMLHTTP ActiveX control in IE 5 was later implemented by Mozilla, Safari, Opera and other browsers as the XMLHttpRequest JavaScript object.

    18. Re: Event stop by chris+summers · · Score: 0

      Damn right. There are tons of Winxp computers out there that work perfectly fine and aren't going to get scrapped because a bunch of stupid-assed gamers like you say they should be. Blame the losers at Mozilla and other places for this problem. Any moron can see that if there's no browers for these machines,people are going to use what's on them Duh.

    19. Re: Event stop by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      They deserve what they get. It's 2019. Hardware acceleration, CPU instructions to separate data vs instructions, and more than 4 gigs of RAM are outside the realm of XP. That's just a few examples. Chrome too is not updated anymore.

      Go use Linux if you want something modern on your ancient stuff but keep in mind people are under no obligation to support you. 90% of everyone else has moved on.

    20. Re: Event stop by chris+summers · · Score: 0

      They deserve what they get. It's 2019. Hardware acceleration, CPU instructions to separate data vs instructions, and more than 4 gigs of RAM are outside the realm of XP. That's just a few examples. Chrome too is not updated anymore. Go use Linux if you want something modern on your ancient stuff but keep in mind people are under no obligation to support you. 90% of everyone else has moved on.

      Yo, *DUMBSHIT* It's not the people using the "ancient stuff" that have issues with people using these old browers. It's the sheepfucking moronic gamers which are made up of losers like like you who are having the problem here. Personally I couldn't care less about the fucking stupid issue.

  2. What does the last sentence in the summary mean? by risc8088 · · Score: 2

    It's time to event stop calling Internet Explorer a web browser.??? Everyone stop! Its time to event!

  3. Been saying that since 1995 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Glad its finally official

    1. Re:Been saying that since 1995 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bullseye!

    2. Re: Been saying that since 1995 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not quite. Another commentor noted that it isn't official, but bad formatting of the text makes it seem so.

      Still, Windows 10 deprecating IE does make it semi-official...

  4. just code sites to load a get a current browser pg by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is very easy to see what browser is being used.

    If its not current, only load up a page that says update your browser, here are some options.

    If the big players did this, google, microsoft, facebook, youtube etc, they would kill the older browsers within a week.

  5. Stop using Java then by Daemonik · · Score: 1

    Majority of work sites I know that still use IE have some Java app allowing users to access some program who's native CLI app doesn't work anymore or cost a fortune to license per desktop. Apps you've never heard of but are mission critical for that business and migrating to something else would be both cost prohibitive and cause too much user disruption.

    1. Re:Stop using Java then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      When you say cost prohibitive, are you talking about just the cost to develop new software and a migration strategy, or are you also including the cost of data breaches in that figure?

      There are HUGE costs for running outdated software for the sake of compatibility. You just don't know what those costs will be until you're met with a Big Red Screen of Bitcoin Ransom.

    2. Re:Stop using Java then by walllaby · · Score: 1

      There was a cost at some point to develop the app. There's a good chance that redeveloping for modern tech would make huge strides in productivity and security.

      Cheap-ass CEOs give me migraines.

  6. Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Daemonik · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Their whole banking system relies on ActiveX controls that require IE. How about Microsoft pay to fix the damage of 20 years of trying to embrace and extend through the web that's left governments and businesses stuck using abandoned plugins and Microsoft exclusive controls?

    1. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Unless the korean government signed an sla with microsoft I don't see why it's their fault for korea not updating their shit.

    2. Re: Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What? Microsoft has been telling people to upgrade for years and nobody would listen and Microsoft provided support in those customers presumed best interests and now someone thinks microsoft should pay to fix all those antiquated and insecure websites? Hmmm? I thought not

    3. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Kjella · · Score: 2

      Their whole banking system relies on ActiveX controls that require IE. How about Microsoft pay to fix the damage of 20 years of trying to embrace and extend through the web that's left governments and businesses stuck using abandoned plugins and Microsoft exclusive controls?

      It's rare that I come to defense of Microsoft but ActiveX has been on death row since Silverlight was released back in 2007, they've had a decade plus to fix their shit. Here in Norway they created BankID in the 2000s, when Java applets was the hot shit and we were probably as dependent on Java as they are on ActiveX. In 2014 we got Java free BankID 2.0 because they owned that problem. They did not expect Oracle (Java) and Microsoft/Mozilla/Google/Apple (browsers) to support it from now to infinity, that's just them being unreasonable.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    4. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      That's a line from a few years ago. South Korea definitely relied on ActiveX but if you search for articles about it you'll find they are all dated either early this decade or late last decade. Anything more recently will net you stories like this:

      https://www.zdnet.com/article/...

      We also covered this shift on Slashdot: https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...

      In terms of ActiveX deployment South Korea are truly number 1, there's no arguing that. But it's no where near as bad as it was in the past. The government has already depreciated the use of Active X for citizen authentication, and many banks have already moved away too.

    5. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It's rare that I come to defense of Microsoft but ActiveX has been on death row since Silverlight was released back in 2007, they've had a decade plus to fix their shit.

      It isn't an overnight, or even over decade, process to remove all legacy apps from a business, and the bigger the business it's harder to remove "obsolete" software. I guarantee you that there are many big corporations out there still reliant on 16 bit or even DOS software (I don't mean "To control this real time piece of hardware", I mean to run something that was written in 1983 and nobody has been able to set the process in motion of getting it rewritten.)

      Now, before you start blaming GM, Sears, Edison, or whatever company you feel is being ignorant by not rewriting all their software using the latest Rust frameworks, and I agree they do share the blame, Microsoft's intention by introducing ActiveX was to get this kind of lock-in. They knew how businesses worked, how big corporations worked in particular, and how smaller businesses needed to be compatible with the big corporations. This is why they actively encouraged people to write "web" software using a technology that gave them full access to the Windows API.

      They knew that once a bigger corporation made the decision to build a giant application architecture based on ActiveX, the company would be locked into ActiveX, and Windows, for decades. That IT directors would almost certainly be opposed to rewriting it, but even if they supported the idea, IT directors would have massive difficulty persuading their superiors to support projects to replace a working technology with something functionally identical at a cost of tens of millions of dollars, and even if it passes that hurdle, the average megacorp is so wrapped up with bureaucracy and politics such projects would be unlikely to succeed, being killed by replacement IT managers, or dying with the next company wide reorganization.

      Microsoft made this problem and they really have to fix it. Short of creating a cross platform plug-in that implements a 32 bit ix86 VM that includes most of Windows 98 in it, I don't see them doing that.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    6. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by John+Allsup · · Score: 1

      IE legacy is the new y2k, it seems.

      --
      John_Chalisque
    7. Re: Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      I heard they switched to HTML 5 a few years ago? It's 2019 and Asians have more cell phone and mobile apps than anyone!

      Is this still true or was a few years ago?

    8. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by raftpeople · · Score: 1

      When I see comments like "they should have changed their software", I don't think those people realize what it's like inside a large organization. New systems are being added rapidly to accommodate new business initiatives, new regulations, etc. Every piece of software that gets put into production immediately starts getting linked to internal processes, reports, data flow etc.

      To keep an enterprise system "up to date" by swapping out everything for the newest fad every 3 to 5 years would bankrupt the company. That is why nobody does it.

      It's actually a pretty challenging issue to choose vendors and technologies that will last as long as the applications need to last, or that will at least gracefully evolve into the future as opposed to "hey, yesterday we were all in on technology X but today we are shifting 180 degrees and now we are all in on technology Y, this is the future!".

    9. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      To keep an enterprise system "up to date" by swapping out everything for the newest fad every 3 to 5 years would bankrupt the company. That is why nobody does it.

      The problem is the young stupid whipersnappers that want to use whatever is the "current fad" is because they have no concept of longevity (and they believe the lies they are told by third-parties like Microsoft, and have no spine to just say NO to assholes). They are the cause of the problem. The cure is not to keep upgrading from fad to fad, but to maintain and design systems such that notwithstanding the fad of yesterday, today, and tomorrow things will still work.

      The ability to do proper design is what is sorely lacking.

    10. Re: Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by jd · · Score: 1

      1. Microsoft can't afford South Korea to shut down.

      2. Microsoft has been subject to multiple antitrust trials regarding Internet Explorer, in both the U.S. and EU. Refusal to comply or learn and building Edge into the OS shows wilful negligence.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    11. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by StormReaver · · Score: 1

      Or how about the businesses that were so stupid as to ignore the warnings of everyone-that-is-not-Microsoft-or-a-shill pay the price themselves? It's not like they weren't warned extensively, and for decades, about the dangers of Active X and Internet Explorer. They brought it upon themselves, and more than kind of deserve the pain and expense.

      I would like to think that they will have learned a lesson about the value of standards.

    12. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      creating a cross platform plug-in that implements a 32 bit ix86 VM that includes most of Windows 98 in it

      In javascript?

      Hold my beer....

    13. Re:Anybody mentioned South Korea to this guy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They (previous government) have told to remove all ActiveX from government websites but told it might still require to install executable(s) (of course windows .exe). Then now I read that there is one of the government website free from all plugins from 15th Jan. and additional 22 websites would follow. However, AFAIK I think at least bank systems are still using ActiveX.

  7. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by CaptQuark · · Score: 3, Interesting

    That quote is from Matt Binder on Mashable.com in his opinion piece. It is not a quote from anywhere in Chris Jackson's article.

    Jackson does have a section labeled "Enough is Enough" but the rest of that sentence is straight from Matt Binder. The location of that last sentence does make it look like it is part of the quote from Jackson but it is Matt that is saying we should stop calling IE a browser. The summary makes it look like Microsoft's blog contains the controversial sentence, which it doesn't.

    It is a great way to make everyone read Matt's article though.

    --

  8. Netscape would be pleased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If it still existed

  9. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Joce640k · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Remember: They spent a decade making sure nobody could use anything but Internet Explorer, making business software use IE+AcitiveX plugins for everything, and now this.

    --
    No sig today...
  10. NOT HAPPENING by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You implored us and tried to force us to only use Internet Explorer for more than a decade, so much that you got a class action lawsuit. And you want us to stop? Never

  11. Phasing out Internet Explorer by xack · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Now that IE is officially not fit for use on the public web, the question is how do we get people to stop using it? For a start my local Bristol City council still uses IE in their libraries, and there are a lot of less savvy people who think the "blue e" is the internet. Some of them might be fooled by Edge, but those using lower than Windows 10 will need educating on a new browser.

    We need a really popular website to not support IE to make the phaseout happen. Youtube claims not to support IE but they still show an old version so people can still use it. Microsoft's GitHub also claims not to support it but it still works.

    I think once Windows 7 goes out of support is when we should really start pushing for an IE free world, using Chromium Edge as a transition mechanism.

    1. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Moving from IE wont be a problem since Microsoft has forced us away from their OS on everything but servers... Amazing, used to be that we used MS on everything BUT the servers! :-)

    2. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Oh man I hope Windows 7 never goes out of support. At least not until something better comes along. Windows 10 is just a giant spyware app.

    3. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here are the numbers since you decided to post some bullshit you made up.

      Windows by the numbers 2019 so far

    4. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Ogive17 · · Score: 1

      We have web based applications that our entire supplier network uses that only work with IE compatibility view mode. It will not work with Chrome or Edge.

      For us, IE isn't going anywhere anytime soon even though we're on Windows 10.

      --
      "Action without philosophy is a lethal weapon; philosophy without action is worthless."
    5. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Now that IE is officially not fit for use on the public web, the question is how do we get people to stop using it?

      Attrition. Internet Explorer's market share hasn't gone up once in the past 10 years. Even companies are moving away from that, often forced by their vendors to do so.

      We need a really popular website to not support IE to make the phaseout happen.

      NO!!! WE ABSOLUTELY DO NOT! Absolutely none of these problems should ever be solved by forcing some selective non-standard behaviour on the internet. We're only just recovering from the last time this shit happened. Absolutely no non-standard action should be taken. IE will die a natural death as it is no longer being developed while standards continue to evolve.

      The problem will solve itself, give it time.

    6. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is something better. You can even choose between macOS, Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD.

    7. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least not until something better comes along.

      https://www.ubuntu.com/

    8. Re: Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ubuntu has been embraced by Microsoft. Windows 10 is now operating on a close approximation of the Ubuntu business model, and release schedule, and versioning.

      It is an interesting experiment. With a series of mini-experiments every 6 months. Great for a toy or hobby, not so much for business or other productivity. It will be interesting to learn whether it is more cost-effective for Microsoft to maintain their own Windows for Linux subsystem in-house, or switch their entire business model to outsource it...

      Atleast Ubuntu's LTS is easier to get than Microsoft's.

    9. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Immerman · · Score: 1

      >one of these problems should ever be solved by forcing some selective non-standard behaviour on the internet.

      Who said they should? They could instead rely on *standard* behavior, and remove all the extra code required to cater to IE's incompatible-by-design idiosyncrasies. There's probably a mountain of it.

      --
      --- Most topics have many sides worth arguing, allow me to take one opposite you.
    10. Re: Phasing out Internet Explorer by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Shit we would still be on XP if MS didn't pull the plug in 2014. Good God people and businesses are resistant to change.

      FYI many websites (addressed to grand parent) do not work well with IE. Today corporate desktops have Chrome in addition to IE

    11. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "support" is marketting speak that translates to "make money from".

      A does not support B it does not mean that B does not work. It means that A does not make money from the use of B.

    12. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "bullshit you made up." I'm sorry, are you talking to me? Where am I quoting statistics. I work at a secure facility and we can not legally use Windows 10. I _DO_ realize most people use Windows just to watch porn and launch games; sadly that is not us so we do not fit in the statistics. It use to be that Windows was a cheap tool to do work first and a toy second. Now its a toy first and a tool second.

    13. Re: Phasing out Internet Explorer by jd · · Score: 1

      Internet Exploder never followed standards. You need horrible hacks to simulate correct behaviour. That's why other browser vendors hated it. It was an attempt to embrace, extend and extinguish the entire web.

      --
      It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
    14. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We have found an interesting solution whereby Edge can redirect and open certain URLs in IE via a group policy setting.

      E.g. set browser default to Edge;
      redirect *.megacorp.com to IE

      This gets users off IE yet still won't break those million $ business-critical IE-only web applications the PHBs refuse to replace.

    15. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yea. I vote we start with the most popular search engine ever! Bing!

    16. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by Waccoon · · Score: 1

      Thank goodness some people still have sense.

      Whether it's IE, or Flash, or Java, or floppy disks, no technology should be forced to die. Obsolete tech dies naturally on its own.

      This is why I was pissed when Chrome dumped Applet support, and I'll be even more pissed when all the browsers ban Flash. It should be my decision when to stop using old tech... not anyone else's.

    17. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by pauljlucas · · Score: 1

      Why should a browser software vendor be forced to continue to support applets or Flash forever in new versions of browser software? Why don't they have the same right to decide what to support? You're free not to upgrade.

      --
      If you reply, do so only to what I explicitly wrote. If I didn't write it, don't assume or infer it.
    18. Re: Phasing out Internet Explorer by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Shit we would still be on XP if MS didn't pull the plug in 2014.

      So what you're saying is that software was made obsolete and people moved away from it.

    19. Re: Phasing out Internet Explorer by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Exactly my point. Let it die from it's own breakage but for the love of god stop making websites that depend at all on any specific browser, including for the purposes of breaking one specific one.

    20. Re: Phasing out Internet Explorer by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Yes. If you developed websites that had to run in IE and especially ancient IE you would be whistling a different tune.

      Supporting old technology increases security risks to customers and creates technical debt and costs more. It also prevents innovation that would benefit everyone including IT workers.

      Example is CSS in HTML 4 can't be used thanks to IE 6 for 12 years! HTML 5 could have prevented much of the data breaches from retailers and more up to date databases. That can't happen because too many grandmas and cheap ass businesses refused to leave old IE.

      Modern apps are much better and more secure bit thanks to Windows 7 won't be coming to Windows.

      XP was terrible and I was shocked and dumbfounded here on slashdot of all places that people thought using a shitty insecure 13 year old OS was the best Windows ever. It wasn't great in 2001 either than not based on DOS or WinME

    21. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by walllaby · · Score: 1

      We need a really popular website to not support IE to make the phaseout happen. Youtube claims not to support IE but they still show an old version so people can still use it. Microsoft's GitHub also claims not to support it but it still works.

      This is completely against the standards of an open web. Websites should be accessible to all, regardless of whether they're using IE6, Opera for Mobile, or Chrome.

      That said, as a web designer, I feel little compunction to make my sites look and behave exactly the same in modern browsers as in old ones. We are unfortunately tied to Flexbox since IE doesn't support CSS grid, but I'd happily stop coding layouts for IE if I could convince my clients it's not worth it. They can have the same content, but they're going to have to deal with a messed-up layout for browsing with ancient tech. Not my problem.

    22. Re:Phasing out Internet Explorer by rickb928 · · Score: 1

      I have the opposite problem - my work tools have been migrated from IE dependencies and to Chrome. And now, recently, Edge is being refused as misidentified as Chrome (this one app can't tell that a non-IE browser isn't Chrome...).

      Now I have this obstacle.I prefer to do personal browsing, as permitted by corporate policy,in Chrome, signed on to my Google account and all. This presents huge problems, with mixed credentials and all sorts of settings.

      Not sure how to handle this, since I'm being forced to Chrome, Edge/Chromium isn't real quite yet, and Firefox is without portfolio in our corporate space. I'm not looking for a Windows 10 version of Safari, thanks for the thoughts.

      --
      deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
  12. Web server apps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Your partners built so many activex crap, we cant. We are stuck with non standards until we can migrate away.

    MS, you are your worst enemy.

  13. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And now i have two macbooks and an iphone. Thank god for competition. Now just think of how badly MS could treat there customers if they never had a possible monopoly suit breathing down their neck. Pictured it yet? Google will be worse, because theres no honest threat of monopoly action against them.

  14. Please stop using Microsoft, Internet says. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OK, folks. $SUBJECT says it all.

  15. D is for "Duh" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've been saying the same thing since the 90s. Nobody listens.

    Corporate networks still rely on IE ... you would be SHOCKED to know how much internal infrastructure only works on that piece of crap.

    1. Re: D is for "Duh" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      When companies were begging MS to use standards, MS had the mentality of customer lock-in. They still do.

  16. Time to make the switch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I'd realised they didn't want me to use it I would have switched to IE years ago.

  17. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Remember: They spent a decade making sure nobody could use anything but Internet Explorer, making business software use IE+AcitiveX plugins for everything, and now this.

    This^

    Microsoft cannot be taken seriously. They tried to own everything in the past in a non-competitive way. They should spend more time apologizing and less time lecturing others about a problem they themselves caused.

  18. OWA by bhenson · · Score: 1

    So make OWA SMIME where it doesn't require it to work Microshits

    1. Re: OWA by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      Um owa has worked outside of IE for many years now. Your employer must have exchange 2003?!

      If that is the case you're IT department is fucked as support left years ago

    2. Re: OWA by bhenson · · Score: 1

      not smime encryption its activex based

  19. It was a web browser? Whodathunkit? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See above.
    check yer autoexec.bat and config.sys
    ath0

  20. This is why by AHuxley · · Score: 1

    you only use MS to play computer games on.

    --
    Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    1. Re:This is why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can't even really do that on Windows 10 on PCs w/ 4GB RAM.

    2. Re:This is why by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've got only 4GB of RAM and an Intel HD Graphics 4600 or some shit, and I've been playing a crapload of Left 4 Dead 2 lately. It's not exactly a *new* game but damn does it still look amazing. The framerate never stutters, the levels load up nice and quick, the action is constantly immersive, good times.

      The catch? I'm on Debian 9, not Windows 10.

  21. 23 years too late by jfdavis668 · · Score: 1

    Should have put this out long ago, cut it off before it ruined everything.

    1. Re:23 years too late by stooo · · Score: 1

      Exactly.
      MS is always at least 10 years behind in tech, but not this time ! This time they are really over 20 years behind.

      Really, they should have recommended to use Firefox (Or Netscape) one or two decades ago.

      --
      aaaaaaa
  22. oh, so you don't WANT us to use it now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I haven't used it for 15 years or so, but since you don't want me to, now I'm only going to use IE, forever!

    Foreeeverrrr!!!

  23. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Even?

    'It's time to even stop calling Internet Explorer a web browser'?

  24. ya know ... by Osgeld · · Score: 1

    IE is installed alongside Edge with the latest and greatest version of windows

    if you don't want people using it, dont fuckin install unsupported obsolete software on your OS, especially when you make us update the install media every fuckin week

    1. Re:ya know ... by SuricouRaven · · Score: 4, Informative

      Can they take it out? They spend years baking IE in at the level of a vital, inseparable system component for legal purposes - it might be difficult to remove without the risk of breaking other things, both their own software and third party.

    2. Re:ya know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know they certainly could not as of Win7; they had bundled so much functionality into IE that actually ripping it out broke everything from the help system to changing your desktop background.

    3. Re:ya know ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Can they take it out? They spend years baking IE in at the level of a vital, inseparable system component for legal purposes - it might be difficult to remove without the risk of breaking other things, both their own software and third party.

      Kind of hard to say they were wrong to have HTML/JS/web stuff baked in to their development environment back then when you have crap like Electron today - an entire browser wrapped as an application. Steam even used embedded IE for a very long time, because that part used to break under wine.

    4. Re:ya know ... by stooo · · Score: 1

      >> the latest and greatest version of windows
      That's a contradiction here. you really claim the latest version of windows is the greatest ? That's impossible.

      --
      aaaaaaa
  25. Proprietary and unmaintained code sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The problem we have in the software world is the code sucks. If the code was free and well written there shouldn't be any reason companies couldn't continue to utilize old releases of IE. Why fix something that isn't broke? And IE shouldn't be broken. The problem is it is because it was never well written and the source code was never released and can't be properly maintained. Microsoft likes to talk the talk about open source but it still doesn't walk the walk or the code for everything would be released.

  26. 15 years too late. The damage is done. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    People should have stopped using it, as soon as Mozilla/Phoenix/Firefox came out.
    It was a nightmare to develop for, because it was so shitty.
    ("Object not found in line 1" ... Which damn file?? Also, the line was wrong too. But who cared, since it did not conform to expected standards anyway.)

    Spineless developers just adapted their site to that crap, instead of displaying a big fat warning "YOUR BROWSER IS UTTERLY BROKEN, CANNOT DISPLAY THIS SITE, HAS SECURITY HOLES UP THE WAZOO, AND THERE'S CRIMINALS HOSTING BOTNETS, SPAM SERVERS, DRUG SHOPS AND CHILD PORN ON YOUR COMPUTER BECAUSE OF IT! REPLACE IT NOW OR GO TO PRISON FOR DISTRIBUTING CHILD PORN!" in Microsoft's error page design.
    Giving users no reason to switch. And thereby conveniently creating the self-fulfilling prophecy of "But everyone uses IE.". YEAH, BECAUSE YOU POPPED MOLLUSC MAKE SURE THEY DO!

    I'm sorry. I'm angry.
    This shit gave me literal real nightmares for years. As it was my job to get web applications to run on that turd anyway or get fired. I consider backing IE a crime that deserves prison for the mental damages it caused to developers alone.

    Oh, and Chrome and Firefox try the same shit now.
    They only cast their spaghetti code into a "standard", instead of the right way around, so that they can claim it's standard-conformant. So no wonder it's a "living standard" that fluctuates faster than a slime mold on a time lapse, oxymoronically missing the entire point of a standard. (Stability!)

    1. Re: 15 years too late. The damage is done. by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

      You think IE 6 was bad you should try supporting Netscape 4.7.2

  27. It's a good start! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please stop using Microsoft products at all, common sense says. Use FOSS and do not fuel the kickback economy.

  28. Re:just code sites to load a get a current browser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google has done that already e.g. they block non-Chrome users from using Google Earth.

  29. There is a saying for this: by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

    Live by the sword, die by the sword. However, I do not think they envisioned Microsoft Seppuku. ;)

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  30. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nothing new. Microsoft also spent a long time getting everyone to use Office Professional, and now it's actively trying to migrate people to Office 365. Microsoft's biggest competitor has since the 90s always been itself.

  31. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "\ just think of how badly MS could treat there customers"

    Not only that, imagine how badly they could treat HERE customers! Yikes!

  32. Re:just code sites to load a get a current browser by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Except that older operating systems cannot install newer versions of the browser. As an example, Mac OS X 10.9.5 can't upgrade Chrome past version 67.

  33. They not only install it, it's a default! by garryknight · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I wanted to view the contents of an xml file yesterday so I clicked on it in File Explorer and guess what it opened in: yup, Internet Explorer. It was the first time I'd seen IE since the Vista days. I was connected to the Internet so, needless to say, I closed it down quickly and used Notepad++.

    But, really, Microsoft! [i]You[/i] install it, [i]you[/i] make it a default, then you tell us not to use it?! I feel an event stop coming on...

    --
    Garry Knight
    1. Re: They not only install it, it's a default! by garryknight · · Score: 1

      Oops! Wrong editor. Sorry, folks!

      --
      Garry Knight
    2. Re:They not only install it, it's a default! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly you should be looking at XML in vi.

  34. I want to stop, but... by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Informative

    ... there are still sites that I want to visit where Firefox does not render the site properly, so I have to use Internet Explorer to view the site.

    1. Re:I want to stop, but... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Something about Pale Moon with noscript and craigslist doesn't interact well, even with all scripts enabled I can't deobfuscate email addresses. So I C&P the url into the run dialog, prefixed by iexplore, and it pops right up. There's always the risk that a malformed image will own my browser, but I'm not actually browsing any site, just loading specific pages with stuff that I want to make an offer on.

      If I'm not supposed to use it, why is it there?

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    2. Re:I want to stop, but... by antdude · · Score: 1

      And some web sites want Google Chrome. Argh.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  35. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by jellomizer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There is a cost to Winning. Winning doesn't make you better, or put you on a stronger position in the future. It just means you have met the initial objectives first.

    I remember a story on NPR about a Chinese Violinist he was always winning the Violin Contest they have. He went to America to study under one the best Violinist.
    While training he was asked "Do you want to keep on winning competitions or do you really want to be good at this?"

    Winning a competition or competitive war, strategy isn't being the best. But being good enough to not fall behind, then find ways to make your competitor loose. Wither it being showing all the features your browser cannot do. knowing your competing Violinist may play a rift a little slower then you, so you play faster just to show them off, or find a way to injure your competition and hope the refs (or legal) do not find out (such as hitting a batter known for home runs, and forcing them to walk).

    Microsoft won the browser war. But because of that Win, all their underhanded tricks to win, for the short term, is now a generation later biting them back, and is preventing them from future growth.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  36. Re:just code sites to load a get a current browser by jellomizer · · Score: 1

    Well most IE users, only use IE at work because of old Active-X and Sliverfish crap.
    Home users, would be for people using older versions of windows and never upgraded.

    If the site still works in IE, it isn't really up to the site owner to stop them. Why should they add an extra line of code that could be conflecting with something else only to annoy a customer.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  37. Took them long enough by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Some of us have been saying this for 20 years. In a very real sense, Microsoft nearly broke the web in the 90s with their proprietary nonsense and lack of ethics. So, from those of us that saw this writing on the wall many years ago: that is what Google, Facebook, and other 2.0 companies are doing *today*, but with their privacy violations and recreation of users as a product or resource, they are even *worse*. You have been warned.

  38. And then there were two by DogDude · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's a real fucking shame that MS decided to get out of the browser business. I have no idea why they'd give up writing their own browser, and hand it all to the Chrome engine. It's not like MS didn't have the resources. No, as far as I know, there are only TWO web browser engines out there: Chrome and Firefox. That's is not good for the web. And since I don't do Google, that leaves me with *one* browser I can use. That's not good.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:And then there were two by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You forgot WebKit.

    2. Re:And then there were two by StormReaver · · Score: 1

      It's a real fucking shame that MS decided to get out of the browser business.

      You must be REALLY young. Microsoft getting out of the browser business is a wet dream come true for the entire universe, as they suck at it really, REALLY bad.

    3. Re:And then there were two by DogDude · · Score: 1

      Their browsers have been fine for the past few decades. You must be thinking of the 90's.

      Regardless, it's better to have THREE options for browsers than TWO.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    4. Re:And then there were two by walllaby · · Score: 1

      Web designer here. I really don't mind Edge as a Trident-powered browser. It's been relatively compliant compared to Firefox and Chrome, if a little slower to adopt newer CSS/JS.

      Please, please Mozilla: stay in this race.

    5. Re:And then there were two by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, IE sucked for at least 20 years.

      CSS hacks being necessary to get pages to render the same between IE and anything else more standard is proof of this.

  39. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Americans aren't even very good at using (or spelling) adverbs very well.

  40. Keep supporting it. Avoid dichotomous thinking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why not do both?

    Microsoft, move on to your new Chrome clone browser.

    But at the same time, keep issuing security updates for the pile if wet noodles you foisted on the world as Internet Exploder?

    Take some responsibility for your past actions.

    This reminds me of companies like gas stations who leave behind environmental disasters like leaking gas tanks and leave it to municipalities to clean up after them.

  41. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Microsoft won the browser war. But because of that Win, all their underhanded tricks to win, for the short term, is now a generation later biting them back, and is preventing them from future growth.

    So your saying, that when decisions are made based on lies and deception there is a negative outcome? Now if only 62,985,106 more people understood that.

    Oh well. May IE die swiftly, even though I know it won't. It's still installed at work because of that previous effort of theirs.

  42. They need ot sort edge and sharepoint out first! by sce7mjm · · Score: 2

    About 25% of the time:
    I log in to my Win10Pro laptop.
    I go to my network location in explorer to open my sharepoint files.

    I get \\blahdeblah@SSL\DavWWWRoot\Docs is not accessible blah blah.

    I tut and press OK.

    I open internet explorer and log in to sharepoint then close sharepoint

    Go back to explorer stab F5 and it lists the files.

    It's something to do with renewing the credentials.
    This only works on IExplorer NOT edge.

    So essentially you cannot use Windows Explorer to open files on sharepoint unless you occasionally log in using Internet Explorer.

    It's been like that for years.

    I think won win7 pro you have to use iexplorer every single time, to access sharepoint under explorer.

    Why would I want to use sharepoint using the explorer (AKA filenamaneger?). So I can move folders and do bulk copies (yes it is pretty slow) easily without struggling through the mess of javascript context menu's.

  43. Liars? by theendlessnow · · Score: 1

    Not disagreeing with Microsoft's completely new stance.

    However, it does imply that basically everything they have said prior is an absolute lie.

    Just saying.

  44. oh wait by slashmydots · · Score: 1

    Oh wait, that's right, it's supported until January 15th 2020 so deal with it and keep patching it.

  45. Windows(*) ME by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "real men run IE as root!"
    (*) used as a verb?

  46. HELP US REMOVE IE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    My tablets have Win 8.1 with IE 11. It takes up too much space, but there is no way for a user to safely remove it. The tablet came with many built-in MS Apps that we never use, but there is no way to remove them.

    If Microsoft was serious about this, they would provide a way to remove IE from the computer and free some memory. But that is not going to happen.

    I'm so glad that MS is moving to a subscription model for Office. Image what a PITA it would be to have it built-in and integrated like IE.

  47. How about... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...let us uninstall this piece of shit - FINALLY!

  48. Don't Trust the Gates Foundation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is exactly why people still don't trust the Gates Foundation.
    Maybe they should use some of their cash to clean up the mess that made them rich.

    The analogy of an environmental disaster like leaking gas tanks is good, but the next time you hear Gates promote his "nuclear future", think of the Hanford Reservation in Washington state. All the cash in the Gates Foundation cannot fix that disaster.

    1. Re:Don't Trust the Gates Foundation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Excellent point, and analogy. Thanks.

      My mama taught me to clean up my messes. It's just common sense.

      Why are companies so amoral? How about a little social responsibility?

      Or government, get your act together and legislate such cleanups.

      Placing some minor, reasonable restrictions on businesses didn't used to get disparagingly labeled as "socialism." It's just democracy.

  49. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by nukenerd · · Score: 1

    They are good at splitting infinitives, in fact they are proud of it.

  50. Re:just code sites to load a get a current browser by nukenerd · · Score: 1

    It is very easy to see what browser is being used. If its not current, only load up a page that says update your browser

    I find this sort of nagging intensely annoying, even if it still allows me to load the page. I decide for myself when to update my browser (and I don't intend to chase every Mozilla update) and how to manage my own security.

  51. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    That caught up to them as we need not to be reminded. While IE 4 to 6 were superior to Netscape (vehemently denied here on /. But is true if you ask any web developer) they got complacent and IE had bugs from being rushed. They just had less than Netscape.

    Google Chrome started rendering with 0 bugs and Firefox started slowly removing them from Netscape and the rest is history

  52. Embedding by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Trident engine which powers Internet Explorer has been the only NATIVE web browser engine for the Windows platform for a long time. In recent years it has been possible to integrate with Edge rendering engine, but that is only in C#. If Microsoft wants everybody off this old technology why don't they do something to make a native web browser engine available to all developers and then back port it to all older versions of Windows.

  53. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    Unfortunately I don't see an alternative to Office. Libra is not it like Mozilla before it. A Firefox or chrome needs to come in.

    I suppose Google docs for light stuff is ok but it's also rental.

  54. Why are they even bothering to ask nicely? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why don't they just force Internet Explorer to uninstall itself in a Windows Update? They could even design it to automatically export bookmarks and settings and import them into Edge.

    They forced Windows 10 upgrades on every Windows 7 user, after all, it's not like Microsoft is above choosing what you should be running without your consent or feedback. If ditching Internet Explorer is really so damn important for the reasons stated, they should be forcing this on every user as a security update, not making it a user choice.

    If you think this is a bad idea, you obviously don't know your place as a Windows user in the modern age. If you want the responsibility of educating yourself and making your own choices with your computer, then run Linux. If that's too much trouble and you want to have your choices made for you instead, then run Windows.

  55. Re: They need ot sort edge and sharepoint out firs by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    It means your credentials are not saved by default in credential manager. Ask your SharePoint developer to include this? Also it's possible he was instructed to do this for security authentication if your employer is too cheap to use MFA on Azure, Ms federation, or some third party system if security is important.

  56. Time to cater to the monkeys by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    More like a monkey that has been trained. The cost of retraining thousand of monkeys is too damn high to switch browsers. Better if Microsoft quit switching names and user interfaces.

  57. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by fibonacci8 · · Score: 1

    I literally can't event you insensitive clod.

    --
    Inheritance is the sincerest form of nepotism.
  58. Also Silverlight by JBMcB · · Score: 1

    Hey Microsoft. Remember when you made this excellent plugin called Silverlight that let you do .NET development on a web browser? It was actually really cool, and light-years better than Flash or even HTML development at the time. Then HTML5 + canvas caught up quick and you deprecated Silverlight? Well some people are still trying to migrate off of Silverlight. When you are doing giant UI-heavy enterprise apps, this takes time. Therefore, we are still going to be using Internet Explorer because using Silverlight these days means using Internet Explorer.

    And I'm not being facetious about Silverlight being awesome. It's support for MVVM was *outstanding* - you could do crazy forms with complex validation rules, dynamic help, the whole lot, just by using linked parameters and zero code-behind on the UI side.

    --
    My Other Computer Is A Data General Nova III.
  59. Fix Windows so it won't default to it then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Fix Windows so it won't default to it then. Duh.

  60. Yeah, Microsoft. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A company I work for uses SharePoint. It doesn't support Edge.

  61. Re: just code sites to load a get a current browse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Upgrade your os then?
    It's been unsupported since September 2017

  62. Re:They need ot sort edge and sharepoint out first by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is because your shitpoint share is configured to do NTLM authentication, but NTLM authentication is prohibited on the network, by domain group policy. So you need to use something that can do the NTLM authentication that your LanMAN client cannot. Once you have performed the NTLM authentication and cached those credentials against the Service Point, your access using the LanMAN client (which will use NTLM credentials even though it will not negotiate them) works just fine.

    This is just a misconfiguration by a bunch of assholes configuring shitpoint that do not know what they are doing.

  63. Stop using Microsoft products by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 1

    Solves all the problems in one fell swoop.

  64. Re:just code sites to load a get a current browser by sjames · · Score: 1

    That sounds exactly like those people who don't personally like alcohol so they figure nobody else should have it either.

    It's fine to not actively support IE6 users but there's no need to be an asshole about it.

  65. Its EMBEDDED in my OS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How can I stop an executable I cannot remove?

    THANKS BILL!

  66. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When you're finished bending over, bend over!

    Captcha: staved

  67. Java Runtime by GrBear · · Score: 1

    As far as I know, IE is the only browser left that still supports the java runtime environment.. every other browser I've tried stopped supporting NPAPI plugins.

  68. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary mea by infolation · · Score: 1

    To boldy go... where no browser has gone before.

  69. They can't. by jd · · Score: 1

    Not without time travel and wire cutters. Microsoft built I.E. into their operating systems. Need a specific Microsoft OS? You use the web browser that is supplied, no matter what else you run.

    Microsoft were told NOT to do this in 1995. They chose to compromise all subsequent computers instead. There is NOTHING anyone can do about it, save break up Microsoft.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  70. Re: What does the last sentence in the summary me by jd · · Score: 1

    To boldly split infinitives where no infinitives have been split before.

    --
    It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
  71. Why can't MS make a browser extension? by King_TJ · · Score: 1

    It seems to me like the only reason people are still hanging onto using IE is all of these compatibility issues with Active-X controls, etc.

    If Microsoft really thinks it's time to put IE to bed, they should develop a browser plug-in or extension that works with modern browsers, and extends the functionality that used to be IE specific.

    It could even come with warnings that using it for general purpose browsing may be a security risk/unsafe, but it's simply a "shim" to enable on a case by case basis, on sites that used to require IE.

  72. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by TomBauserman · · Score: 1

    WHAT??? A misleading article on the internet?

  73. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    Remember, Microsoft is still pushing Internet Explorer. It was included in Windows 10, they advise using it instead of Edge sometimes. In no way has Microsoft pulled the plug on Internet Explorer yet. It's just that it's a dysfunctional company that no longer has internal communications.

  74. Please tell that to SAP by mfearby · · Score: 1

    Companies that stubbornly keep Internet Explorer as their default web browser because of SAP need to be publicly shamed.

  75. Seamonkey or Palemoon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can use Seamonkey or Palemoon for this purpose.

  76. Internet Explorer was never GOOD by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    But it is still better than "Edge."

    I have multiple browsers on my work laptop and IE is the last choice I use.
    Tried "Edge" and it didn't even work well on MS-centric sites.

    MS should revert to IE 10 and do security updates for it, dropping their newer efforts.

  77. But You Made The Replacement Horrible by WindowsStar · · Score: 1

    Yeah Microsoft and you want us to move to Edge. The broken, most unfriendly and unusable browser on the planet. Fix Edge and users probably would leave Internet Explorer. Allow us to completely turn off, cortana, Bing and tracking. Allow us to open our home page {whatever it is} in new tabs or anytime we want. Fix the downloads, NOT everyone saves to "Downloads" on the local system!!!! I sort my files and save them on a server. Allow us to turn OFF download notifications. I know I am downloading something I don't need to know when it finished. Sometimes I am downloading 10 things at a time or they are large like a new IX distro. I don't need messages from all the downloads. So fix Edge and then we will talk!

  78. Wish I could by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have a brand new DVR. Its nice web interface only supports IE. We do business with a company that has a website that runs on Silverlight; I have to use IE. I would love to get away for IE but I can't.

    Okay, I lied; the DVR's web interface isn't all that nice but it's the best I could find.

  79. Long live Opera! Chrome must die! by Kartu · · Score: 1

    Any browser that doesn't support Most Recently Used switching is trash.
    Oh, and, dear Microsoft, good job following Google's trend and bombing Microsoft Edge (older versions supported MRU and so di IE), perhaps you should change your task switching to "idiotic google chrome style" too?

  80. Re:just code sites to load a get a current browser by chris+summers · · Score: 0
    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 09, 2019 @11:41AM (#58093680)

    It is very easy to see what browser is being used. If its not current, only load up a page that says update your browser, here are some options. If the big players did this, google, microsoft, facebook, youtube etc, they would kill the older browsers within a week. Flag as Inappropriate

    Yo! Gaming Moron! Problem is that the browsers you are talking about *WON'T RUN* on those older machines! And people say Gaming doesn't lead to BRAIN ROT.....

  81. Re: just code sites to load a get a current browse by chris+summers · · Score: 0

    Why bother? New OS nowdays are basically GUI-based Bloated Crap. Windows 10 and Gnome3 for some reason especially comes to mind here.

  82. The perils of using Internet Explorer by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was of course, Microsoft that exposed its myriad customers to those perils.

  83. S/MIME ActiveX control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    unfortunately, the one reason that I have to keep IE available is that it is the only browser that supports S/MIME. So unless I am using IE, I cannot sign emails or send encrypted emails when using webmail.

  84. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Still happening today. Skype for Business is really hard to get working in anything except IE or Edge - not even the Skype app.

  85. Thanks MS by sad_ · · Score: 1

    believe me, everybody wants to stop using that pos, but thanks to microsoft putting it full with closed integrations only working on IE we are stuck with it.
    stop telling us not to use it anymore, and start screaming at developers, developers, developers to get with the times (oh, that also includes some of your own developers).

    --
    On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero.
  86. Tell that to the vendors stuck on ActiveX! by sabbede · · Score: 1
    I'd love to have IE completely gone. Problem is that we have sites and devices that depend on ActiveX plugins. Presumably because they are lazy a-holes.

    Wells Fargo check reader - touchy plugin, requires reduced security

    Fingerprint scanner for adding users to security system - touchy plugin, reduced security

    "eRelocation" service - wicked touchy, 32-bit only, security reducing plugin.

    Maybe if MS just kills IE entirely these jerks will have to get with the damn times already.

  87. You want me off IE? by mordred99 · · Score: 1

    Make modern browsers work with sites that are not perfect. I am required to use IE not because of some antiquated piece of Java, but because the security settings on modern browsers don't let you connect to sites with self signed certificates. So I cannot connect to my home router, my work routers, my hosting provider, etc. because they use certificates that for some reason or another are not "recognized". IE lets me say "hey this is okay and add an exception". Edge, Chrome, Firefox don't, they deny you access.

    And before I get flamed for "well use a better certificate", that is not the point. I don't need a production ready, industrial certificate to run HTTPS on my home router. My server doesn't need something production ready certificate and have a cost just so I hit a URL for some shitty website front end on an app to go over HTTPS. Fix that, and I am with you.

  88. They asked for this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    WhAtS WrOnG, ReDmOnD? I ThOuGhT YoU WaNtEd Us To UsE It?

    hahahaha. you reap what you sow. this is why you don't push garbage, because in the end, it hurts you.

    Feel the pain of a million web developers, you stupid corporate pricks.

  89. Re:What does the last sentence in the summary mean by thejynxed · · Score: 1

    So, a typical Matt Binder article then (no matter where he currently is, this has been his MO).

    --
    @Mindless Drivel: 100% of Twitter posts ever Tweeted.
  90. Edge in Windows Server by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm sold Microsoft. How can I get Microsoft Edge for Windows Server? Oh that's right, I can't and you explicitly recommend IE11 in your documentation!

    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/deploy/about-microsoft-edge

     

    The Long-Term Servicing Branch (LTSB) versions of Windows, including Windows Server 2016, don’t include Microsoft Edge or many other Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps. Systems running the LTSB operating systems do not support these apps because their services get frequently updated with new functionality. For customers who require the LTSB for specialized devices, we recommend using Internet Explorer 11.