'It's Here' Says Microsoft; Launches IE 7 Final, Finally

TechWeb ^ | October 18, 2006 | Gregg Keizer

[Eagle9]

Microsoft on Wednesday launched the first major update to Internet Explorer in five years, and posted the new browser for Windows XP to a download site.

IE 7, which has was announced in February 2005 by chairman Bill Gates, has been touted by the company as a significant update in the areas of security and usability. The interface has been streamlined and tabs have been added to compete with rivals such as Mozilla's Firefox and Opera's flagship browser. On the security front, IE 7 adds anti-phishing defenses as well as additional features to control ActiveX controls, which historically have been a pain point for Microsoft's browser.

IE 7 for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 can be downloaded from here.

"It's here, it's final, and we're excited," said Margaret Cobb, the group product manager for the browser.

The most controversial aspect of IE 7 has been Microsoft's decision to push the update to all users who have Automatic Updates enabled. Although users can reject IE 7 -- and continue using their current edition of Internet Explorer -- Microsoft will begin rolling out the browser as a "High priority" update next month. In July, when Microsoft offered up a toolkit to indefinitely postpone IE 7's installation, it justified using Automatic Updates, a mechanism for providing patches to Windows, because of the new browser's security implications.

"We've told enterprise customers to be ready [for IE 7] by Nov. 1," said Cobb. "It won't begin Nov. 1, but they should be ready."

The IE 7 update will also not add to the burden of Microsoft's monthly security patch delivery, scheduled for Nov. 14, promised Cobb. "We won't do it on Patch Tuesday."

Microsoft will also throttle back IE 7's delivery to keep the server load under control, she added. "We're starting with English, and then moving to the localized versions as they come available. At first we'll run it very slow, to a low percentage of users." After assessing the impact, Microsoft will increase the amount of traffic from the servers. "I'll have a 10 a.m. call every day to go over the impact on support or services," said Cobb, who can then order downloads to be scaled back or increased.

It will take as long as three months to deliver IE 7 to all users worldwide. "As each localized language comes online, we'll wait a few weeks after posting it for download before delivering it through Automatic Updates."

Microsoft has made one change late in the game. After IE 7 has installed, it will tell the user which search engine is the current default -- grabbed from IE 5 or IE 6 -- and then ask if they want to make a new choice. The process is similar to, but not identical, to the choice that Windows Vista users will face when they upgrade from Windows XP.

"We added this after RC3," said Cobb. "We're letting users know what engine is the default, and asking them if they want to keep it or do they want to switch. We're also going to be supporting IE 7."

Beginning Thursday, Microsoft will open a free, toll-free support line for IE 7. The help desk will be manned Monday through Friday 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT, and on weekends from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PDT.

Internet Explorer's chief rival, Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser, is nearing the final release of version 2.0. Currently on Release Candidate 3 (RC3), Firefox 2.0 should make it out the door before the end of the month.

Users who want to block the download and installation of IE 7 through Automatic Updates, as well as the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites should steer here, where they can retrieve the Internet Explorer 7 Blocker Toolkit.

[Eagle9]

Be sure to disable your Anti-Virus program and all anti-malware programs before you install Internet Explorer 7. The links in this article should answer most questions.

I like the thumbnail view of opened tabs and hope Mozilla includes that in the Firefox 2.0 final release.

[Armigerous]

Firefox rules

[null and void]

Be sure to disable your Anti-Virus program and all anti-malware programs before you install Internet Explorer 7

No point in turning them back on, I'm sure there are enough new security holes that it won't help.

[kinoxi]

Thanks for the post.

[B Knotts]

IE7 is only available for Windows, and not even all versions of it.

Firefox/Mozilla and Opera are available for a number of platforms.

Personally, I use Konqueror most of the time, Firefox less often, and Opera once in a while.

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Um, no.

I'll stick with Firefox.

Thanks anyway.

[Drango]

2 little, 2 late

[Eagle9]

Firefox is my primary browser with Opera being my secondary.

[Retief]

I'm going to give it a try.

[Current Occupant]

I'll stick with Opera, when reading a thread on FR and when it's refreshed it takes you where you were reading, not to the bottom of the page.

[Captain Beyond]

Thanks for the links. Good post.

[ConservativeMind]

Personally, I think they should leave IE 7 optional. If they make anything mandatory, it ought to be Defender, to rid people of spyware.

The IE 7 betas all had problems on my system. They were unreliable and each time I had to uninstall, hoping to get back to my working IE 6.

I use Firefox 90% of the time, anyway.

This will create havoc for a large number of people. It is wrong.

[daler]

I downloaded IE7 last week and lost internet connection on both my computers (wireless networked).

After trying everything I could think of (while in a state of panic)I eventually had to resort to removing it AND doing a system restore to get back online.

I have no idea what it was in IE7 that caused the problem, but I can guarantee you I won't be downloading it again.

[Calvin Locke]

I don't think I'm ever going to buy another non-game product from MS again. I tried to d/l the blocking tool kit,
and I have to go through the validation process again.

I'm sick of it. The update to their .NET framework won't install, and I had to screw around with it last time too.

MS sucks.

Yes, I have two valid copies, each purchased at Staples. Pre-SP1, and an SP2.

[Echo Talon]

OMG, MS still has the fastst servers i have EVER seen! sheesh... my normal DL speed is like 500-600KB/sec that thing was going 3000-2000KB/sec! sheesh!

[Echo Talon]

Yes, I have two valid copies, each purchased at Staples. Pre-SP1, and an SP2.

im sick of hearing this, so many complaints people saying "i have legit copies" all the legit copies i have ever seen have all worked flawlessly, the pirated versions have failed(even the patched ones) they just need to re-patched... if your stealing it just do a search and re-patch it... if you want to know how freepmail me and i'll clue you in

[COEXERJ145]

I've been running IE7 on both my personal computer and my work computer since it was in beta. Never had any serious problems outside of the normal beta bugs but since they had RC1 out a month ago, it worked just fine.

Of course all the Microsoft haters will bash IE7 without ever trying it simply because it is made by Microsoft.

[Echo Talon]

I don't think I'm ever going to buy another non-game product from MS again.

also.. if you want a MS PC game in the future you will need and WANT Win Vista because of DirectX 10

[N3WBI3]

Thank you to mozilla/firefox for forcing MS to dust off their ie coders to get an update in..

[Echo Talon]

Of course all the Microsoft haters will bash IE7 without ever trying it simply because it is made by Microsoft.

everyones favorite company to bash.

[MediaMole]

I hope it is more secure than IE6. It's pretty and works well on Vista -- although the beta release has crashed on several occasions -- but I'm sticking with Firefox.

Even if you install IE7, I wouldn't use it on non-trusted sites for some time. There are going to be armies of hackers pounding on IE7 looking for exploits. Things like ActiveX are never going to be particularly secure. Any time you can download and run code from a website, there is a security risk.

[Echo Talon]

The IE 7 betas all had problems on my system.

umm i think thats why its called beta... i could be wrong but... well uhh there ya have it.

[COEXERJ145]

Only Wal-Mart comes close to be so hated.

[Zeppo]

Still getting used to it... But I hate the location of "Open in New Tab" on the popup menu - I'm constantly opening pages in a tab when I want to open them in new windows instead (I have the same problem with Firefox)...

[Echo Talon]

Wal-Mart is only hated mostly by the liberals, MS seems to be hated by EVERYONE! LOL

[aft_lizard]

Tis the reason why they are called Beta

[Echo Talon]

Still getting used to it... But I hate the location of "Open in New Tab" on the popup menu - I'm constantly opening pages in a tab when I want to open them in new windows instead (I have the same problem with Firefox)...

I also, have some complaints about the IE7 style it takes little bit of "getting used to" after usinf fireFox for so long.

I'm not sure what kind of skins and such IE7 can use or if they can relocate buttons and such you have any idea on this?

[aft_lizard]

Yeah, but most of it is fluff, I personally hate Apple products, far too proprietary for my taste.

[Zeppo]

Haven't figured that stuff out yet... Old dog, new tricks, and all that...

[Dr.Zoidberg]

I have no idea what it was in IE7 that caused the problem, but I can guarantee you I won't be downloading it again.

One of the rules I try to follow where tech is concerned is NEVER get in early. If there's going to be problems, and there will, I prefer for the real beta testing to be well and over with before I start wasting MY time trying to fix it.

I was still using win98se up until last month(still use it for a lot on the other box). I figure by now, XP should be just about as good as it's going to get.

[ConservativeMind]

Even the last one, renamed the final, has such problems.

[Delta 21]

Is there a security fix for IE 7 yet?

[Echo Talon]

Yeah, but most of it is fluff, I personally hate Apple products, far too proprietary for my taste.

well.. i'd but the OS if they would allow me to run it on my PC... but im not going to buy their garbage hardware just to have the OS. forget that, I'd rather have my choice of hardware and just dual boot win-linux

[Gunslingr3]

This will create havoc for a large number of people. It is wrong.

It breaks some online apps. This should be fun.

[Echo Talon]

Even the last one, renamed the final, has such problems.

what "problems" and what kind of machine do you have? PII 450MHZ?

[Eagle9]

Thanks for your help - you answered most of the questions - on that thread that I posted a few weeks ago. It was about Microsoft ending support for versions of WinXP that haven't been updated with SP2.

[ConservativeMind]

Read post 34.

My machine is fine. It's their browser that isn't.

Forcing people to take an unstable program is wrong. This is not a security patch. It is an optional program.

[Echo Talon]

who is being forced to take it?

[zeugma]

Personally, I use Konqueror most of the time, Firefox less often, and Opera once in a while.

Have you tried using the fish:// protocol with Konqueror? It freaking rocks. I'm primarily a FF user, but Konq in midnight commander mode rocks for secure file transfers. 

[Calvin Locke]

I get the patches, er, updates, from MS. WTF should have I
have to go through downloading their verification program,
again, to download something to block something I don't want?

I'm not the only one with problems with their .NET Framework
crap updates, either. And the only reason I have .NET is
because of ATI.

NVIDIA, next time, for me.

[ConservativeMind]

Everyone not technically adept enough to optionally download and correctly install the blocker and all who have Automatic Updates turned on.

It's in the article, ET.

[zeugma]

I'll stick with Opera, when reading a thread on FR and when it's refreshed it takes you where you were reading, not to the bottom of the page.

Actually, it takes you to the same percentage down the page that you were before you refreshed. Of course, if you're at the bottom when you do that, you'll end up at the bottom :-)

I, too, find this behavior slightly annoying. I generally check the msg# I'm reading before I refresh, then enter /## to jump me to it. 

[Central Scrutiniser]

Screw Micro$oft.

Get this, Vista only allows 2 installs, then its time to pony up more cash. Only one copy running at a time, but, you trash your drive more than once? Pay Bill.

[zeugma]

This will create havoc for a large number of people. It is wrong.

It's going to create a nightmare for corporate support desks, because IE7 breaks a lot of stuff. We already know that a bunch of our internal servers won't work correctly with IE7 out of the box, if at all.

[Echo Talon]

I just went to windows update and it did not install nor did it ask to be installed, i downloaded it from the IE7 site(but haven't installed it yet and still have IE6 on THIS machine)

[Calvin Locke]

I guess their market segmentation strategy is going to exclude me by default, then.

I'll just limit myself to Linux games, and reignite my interest in former pursuits.

[Echo Talon]

sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

[zeugma]

everyones favorite company to bash.

Even you would have to admit, that in the case of their browser, the derision is richly deserved. 

[Current Occupant]

If I'm at the bottom, say at post 36 and another 15 posts come in and I refresh, it takes me to post 37, not the bottom.

[ConservativeMind]

Look, your BS meter is way off, ET.

From the article:

Microsoft will begin rolling out the browser as a "High priority" update next month. In July, when Microsoft offered up a toolkit to indefinitely postpone IE 7's installation, it justified using Automatic Updates, a mechanism for providing patches to Windows, because of the new browser's security implications.

Of course it is optional NOW! It won't be next month.

Read the dang article before saying my words are a "bunch of BS".