Posted on 08/30/2013 2:18:29 AM PDT by lafroste
Help! I am being driven bats by a problem and have run out of ideas. I have the latest version of Firefox and the latest version of Adobe reader. I cannot open .pdf files in my browser. I just get a blank screen. I cannot download the .pdf files either. I have checked the default program settings and Adobe is not even listed as an option. I have no trouble opening .pdf files that already on my computer. I have tried the Firefox>tools>applications and it shows Acrobat as the default program (in Firefox - and all other .pdf files) but it won't open. What am I doing wrong??
I’d like to find an actual solution as to what is causing Flash to crash here.
“That is your opinion, but for me, even with a brand new install of W/8, that is not the case, while miles behind FF, with extensions, in functionality. But I sometimes do too many tabs.”
Not an 8 fan. 7 here. Have had very few concerns with IE10 and Win7. Plenty of issues with Flash, FF and the biggest of them all, Java. Oracle is terrible.
Wait... you’re even still using IE7? Again, you’re using a browser with direct hooks into your OS kernel. Every single year at the Black Hat convention, IE is the first to go in a hack-a-thon.
I don’t disagree that browsers, regardless of pedigree, are inherently dangerous, but why use one that plugs right into your system? That’s like giving a meth-addicted neighbor the keys to your house to let your dogs out every night because it’s convenient. At some point, you’re going to find shit missing or worse.
“Wait... you’re even still using IE7?”
I use IE10.
“I don’t disagree that browsers, regardless of pedigree, are inherently dangerous, but why use one that plugs right into your system? That’s like giving a meth-addicted neighbor the keys to your house to let your dogs out every night because it’s convenient. At some point, you’re going to find shit missing or worse.”
Again, the best solution is a division between the browser and the OS, not turning the Browser into an OS (as FF does). The lower the level the browser operates at, the more secure it is.
I don't understand the distinction you're trying to make here. The lower the level? What level? You mean, for instance, with elevated privileges? I don't know many people who run IE as an Administrator. I certainly don't run FF as Administrator. UAC is built into Windows OS for a reason, why bypass it?
Running ANY browser as a kernel-mode application, like IE, means it is natively addressing your system kernel for API and command queuing. On the other hand, FF has it's own native kernel for command queuing, and Windows will stop anything that tries to violate Windows kernel queuing protections natively with UAC. IE, however, can be manipulated to permit a command if it's masquerading as a signed or trusted system control. How's that secure?
“How’s that secure?”
How is it secure to rewrite a whole different OS from scratch? Again - fewer eyes, fewer attacks doesn’t make something more secure.
Alright, trying to fix java and flash installs. Hopefully this fixes the java corruption and the java infection.
Then I get to tackle search protector and then scan and see if my system is clean.
Use what works for you. Who cares what other people use?
I do that, but just because it's 10 times faster to switch from page to page.
Other people actually watch Honey Boo-Boo and listen to Justin Bieber. The "other people do it" defense is pretty thin.
I only have found two viruses on my PCs in over 10 years of extensive browsing, thank God, though i usually use the http://winhelp2002.mvps.org/hosts.htm. I also rather regularly regularly check what is running, and using cpu cycles, and investigate things i do not recognize, and WinPartrol alerts me to new startup items, and shows what is set to do so.
7 is better, but i was able to upgrade from XP 32 bit to W/8 64 bit for 29.00, and then transfer it to a new PC the Lord provided, which you could not legally do before. I use Classic Shell so it is like XP, and do not need to use the “Metro.”
Adobe flash would progressively eat up CPU cycles under my 8 yr. old 2.8ghz dual core PC, esp with 80 tabs open, so i used the NoScript FF extension which helped, but it does not use much with the new PC.
With IE i cannot even get multiple tab rows, or change the width or color of tabs, or save multiple sessions, etc. etc, so for me FF is best and does not crash.
it’s been, about 7 months without a serious infection - ie, something that would affect the operation of a laptop. I’m sold on 7.
“Other people actually watch Honey Boo-Boo and listen to Justin Bieber. The “other people do it” defense is pretty thin.”
There is no apparent difference between security and obscurity.
It's been 13 years on Linux without ANY infection. I can do anything I ever wanted to do with a computer on Linux.
I know that you'll have some snide, condescending retort, but my free OS is still more stable and less trouble than the ones people pay hundreds of dollars for.
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