Maximum PC IE6 RSS Feed

YouTube Phasing Out Support for IE6

Andy Salisbury — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:49:04 -0500

According to a screenshot taken by an IE6 user who was watching some videos on YouTube, it would appear that support for the browser will be phased out very soon.

The screenshot suggests that an upgrade to a “more modern” browser, including Google Chrome, Internet Explorer 8 and Firefox 3.5. And, they’re not alone – apparently Digg is looking to cut their support for IE6 as well.

There’s been no official word yet from YouTube, so this information is only as good as its sources (truthfully, folks on Twitter). But, it doesn’t seem illogical, so if it turns out to be true, there’ll be little surprise.

Image Credit: TechCrunch

Virtual PC Your Way to Mastery of IE6, IE7, and IE8

Mark Edward Soper — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:34:10 -0600

Let's face it, web developers. Even if you're the most devoted fan of Firefox, Opera, or Safari, the 800-pound gorilla in the room is still Internet Explorer. Like IE or hate it, your pages had better work properly with it. Unfortunately, you can only have one version of IE running on a test PC at a time...or can you?

Add Virtual PC 2007 SP1 to your Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows Server 2003 or 2008 box, and install your choice of Windows XP SP3+IE6, Windows XP SP3+IE7, Windows XP+IE8 Beta 2, or Windows Vista+IE7 in VHD format. Now, it's easy to find out which pages make a particular flavor of IE gag, and you can switch between IE versions running in different VMs with the click of a mouse. For more Virtual PC downloads, including release notes, click here.

These disk images work until April 2009, so you have plenty of time to work out page glitches. Not developing websites? No problem! Try them anyway.

Gmail Tells IE Users to Switch - For Their Own Good?

Mark Edward Soper — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 11:28:14 -0600

TG Daily reports that Google's Gmail is now recommending that IE6 users switch to Chrome or Firefox 3. IE6 users logging into Gmail see a link that says "Get faster Gmail" that takes them to a "Get faster Google Mail with a faster browser" page that provides links to download IE7, Firefox 3, or Google Chrome.

Interestingly enough, if you use IE7, the page recommends upgrading to Firefox 3 or Google Chrome, as well as offering a link to the IE 8 beta.

So, what's up with Gmail and IE6? And, why is IE7 also on the naughty list? Is it really speed, or is it time to play "follow the money?"

What makes Google's anti-IE6 stance even stranger is that back in September, Google upgraded Gmail to give IE6 users (many of whom are corporate users that must use IE6) comparable features to those available to newer browsers. And, contrary to TG Daily's claim that IE6 is no longer a fully supported browser for Gmail, the "Does Google Mail support my browser" help page still lists IE versions 5.5 and above as fully supported.

The most likely answer for Google's pushing browsers other than IE is simple: its own Chrome web browser. Chrome is noted for its speed, and Google, quite understandably, wants to see Chrome's market share increase. To this end, Google recently replaced Firefox in its Google Pack, and hopes to sign up hardware OEMs to bundle Chrome on new PCs after Chrome emerges from beta early this year.

So, how about it, Gmail users? If you've tried different browsers with Gmail, do you see big improvements in performance when you use Chrome or Firefox versus IE6 or IE7? Is Google really trying to improve your Gmail experience, or just looking for an excuse to get more Chrome users? Hit Comment and tell us what you think.

Google Upgrades Gmail for Stubborn IE6 Users

Paul Lilly — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:15:45 -0500

For those who either (A) believe Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6 represents the pinnacle of browser design, heralded as being not only the greatest browser of its time, but of all time, leading to a general malaise towards Firefox 3 and 3.1 Alpha, IE7 and IE8 Beta, and Chrome Beta, or (B) are forced to stick with IE6 because of compatiblity issues, work policy, or any other of a handful of reasons preventing you from upgrading, then Google has good news for you.

Recognizing there are still users who surf like it's 1999 (yes, IE6 was released in 2001 but that wouldn't have set up a song reference, now would it?), the gargantuan search company has been hard at work rewriting Gmail's code base to make it more friendly for IE6 users. This means that if you have the latest IE6 updates from Microsoft installed, you should now be able to enjoy previously unavailable features like colored labels, group chat and rich emoticons, invisible mode, AIM integration, Gmail Labs, an updated contact manager, and remote sign out.

Now if only Crytek would upgrade Crysis' code base so the game would run smoothly on our GeForce 3 TI500 videocard, we'd all be happy campers.

Image Credit: Vinod Velayudhan

IE (and You) Vulnerable to iFrame Vulnerability

Mark Edward Soper — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:38:58 -0500

Researchers may have discovered that 637 million users are running outdated browsers, but when it comes to handling iFrame-based attacks, it doesn't matter how up to date your copy of Internet Explorer is: ZDNet's Zero Day security blog reports that exploit code is now available online to demonstrate how to perform malicious attacks against IE7 as well as IE6 and even IE8 beta 1.

The exploit code can take over an inline frame (an iFrame is an HTML element that enables the embedding of one HTML document inside another one) and subsequently capture keystrokes. Imagine the implications for online banking, e-commerce, and other "secure" uses of the Web. Scary!

Digging Deeper

The full US-CERT advisory is available here, and you can try a harmless proof-of-concept from a link here. For more about how iFrame attacks work, see this April 2008 article from UK's Guardian.

What Say You?

Have you been hit by an iFrame exploit? Do you avoid frames in websites? Tell us about it!

Image courtesy of Zero Day.

IE8 Beta 1? Ready for Downloading Now, but Not Yet Ready for Primetime

Mark Soper — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:32:54 -0600

Neowin.net is reporting that Microsoft is now offering Beta 1 of Internet Explorer 8. It's being rolled out as part of Microsoft's MIX08 annual conference on the future of the Web.

Getting Your Hands on IE8 Beta 1

If you just can't wait to try IE8, proceed directly to the IE8 download page, where you can find versions for:

Fast Ways to More Information with Activities

I'm glad you asked. New feature number one is "activities," which enables you to right-click selected content on a web page and bring up a list of actions to take, such as:

- Add to Digg
- Blog with Windows Live Spaces
- Define with Dictionary.com
- Lookup news with MSNBC
- Map with Live Maps
- Search with Live Search
- Share on Facebook
- Translate with Windows Live

In many cases, you can choose alternative activity providers. For example, you can use eBay or StumbleUpon for Find, Yahoo! Local Maps for Map, and so on.

More Improvements

IE8 replaces IE7's Links bar with the Favorites Bar for even faster access to your favorite websites. WebSlices offer dynamic content within a web page that you can click through for more information and subscribe to. Automatic Crash Recovery minimizes browser crashes and enables individual browser tabs to be closed and restarted. The Phishing Filter, one of IE7's best features, has now been transformed into the Safety Filter, which also blocks sites with known malware as well as phishing sites. Learn more about these features at the New Features page.

Standards-Based Rendering, at Last!

Previous versions of Internet Explorer have been notorious for ignoring W3C standards. However, by default, IE8 will work in a much more standards-compliant way than previous IE versions. Although Microsoft Watch's Joe Wilcox suspects that Microsoft's recent legal woes in Europe are as much to blame for Microsoft's decision as anything, it's a welcome sign for web designers tired of developing for both standards-based and IE browsers.

So, is it a no-brainer decision to give it a try? Not so fast. Read on.

Think Before You Install

Although lots of people are ready to give IE8 a try, it's a beta - beta 1, to be precise. So, what could go wrong? I'm glad you asked. The Release Notes for Beta 1 (aka KB949787) take eight pages to print using IE7's default Shrink to Fit setting. Clearly, the issues with this release aren't trivial. Some highlights (or lowlights, depending upon your point of view) include:

- You can't install it on prerelease versions of Windows Vista SP1 or on checked (debug) versions of Vista, Vista SP1, or Windows Server 2008
- The help file included with IE8 Beta 1 is actually the IE7 version; an actual IE8 version will be included in a later release
- If you can't open a website, use the Emulate IE7 button (remember IE8 uses a standards-based approach by default)
- To get the Activities feature to work, select text and right-click it to open the shortcut menu
- To use Windows Live Hotmail and Spaces Activities, click the Emulate IE7 button and restart the browser
- You must perform some registry edits to enable Assistive Technology programs to work correctly
- You may need to reload the Vista application compatibility update KB943302 after installing IE8 Beta 1
- Some security zone settings have changed
- High contrast (Accessibility) color scheme doesn't work with IE8 Beta 1
- Some popular programs including DriveLetterAccess, RealPlayer 11, Google Toolbar (including v5 beta), Yahoo Toolbar, HP Smart Web Printing, QuickTime, and that MaximumPC webcast favorite, Skype, aren't compatible with IE8 Beta 1

How to Try IE8 Beta 1 - Safely

As is typical for an early beta (and you can't get any earlier than Beta 1), IE8 has a lot of rough edges. Unfortunately, because IE8, like previous versions of IE, works its way through most every nook and cranny of Windows, you can't install it alongside your current version of IE - it replaces your current version. Sure, when you uninstall IE8 Beta 1, you get your previous version back, but with the limitations of IE8 Beta 1, that might not be enough.

So, how can you take IE8 Beta 1 for a test drive safely? One word: virtualization. If you have a spare Windows XP license (such as a version of Windows XP Home or Professional you're not using anymore), you can download Virtual PC 2007 free from Microsoft, install Windows XP as a virtual machine, and install IE8 Beta 1 into the virtualized operating system. You could also install a trial version of Windows Vista Enterprise (already available as a virtualized download ready to run under Virtual PC 2007) and install IE8 Beta 1 to it. If the virtual machine crashes or hiccups, no problem!

MS07-069 Windows XP Woes Solved (and We Suggested It First!)

Mark Soper — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:12:33 -0600

MS07-069's No Joy - But MS Has the Solution

Microsoft's MS07-069 cumulative security update for Internet Explorer hasn't been the most welcome update this holiday season. As our own Paul Lilly reported, lots of Windows XP SP2 users have no longer been able to connect to the Internet with IE after this update (brought to you by the same Windows Update that gave you Windows Desktop Search 3.01!). We suggested a workaround yesterday, but there's now a definitive solution that requires just a little registry magic.

For Browsing Benefits, Dial KB946627

Microsoft Knowledge Base article 946627 provides the details, which involve creating a new registry key and DWORD value in Windows XP SP2's registry. Here's a hint: save yourself some typing (or mistyping) by copying and pasting the the subkey during the registry editing process. The best news: you're back in business immediately, with no reboot required.

Great Minds Think Alike!

As it turns out, Microsoft's solution in KB article 946627 is the same registry fix detailed as part two of the solution in KB article 942367, which we suggested as a solution yesterday. So, if you already performed the steps we suggested, relax - you've already fixed the problem!

Put This In Our Stockings, Steve and Bill, Please!

Here's a wish for every Windows user this Christmastime: Microsoft, please, please, please test these security updates more thoroughly before they go out. It's absurd to make users need to whip out Regedit to fix problems of this type.

Bedeviled by IE Browser Crashes? Try These Fixes

Mark Soper — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:42:03 -0600

Microsoft's rolled out lots of downloadable presents for users this holiday season, including Vista SP1 RC, but one "gift" has turned into a digital lump of coal for lots of users: Microsoft Security Update MS07-069.

This update rolls up a lot of separate fixes for various versions of Internet Explorer, but after installing the update, our own Paul Lilly reports that many users are getting error messages when they try to open websites or even Windows Update (in Windows XP). Fortunately, there's a fix (at least for Windows XP users), and a workaround, too.

KB942367's Good for What Ails Your XP+IE6 System

The problems with MS07-069 aren't the first time this year that Internet Explorer's stopped working after a security update. It also happened after installing MS07-016, MS07-027, and MS07-033. The fix for those problems, revealed in KB article 942367, also appears to work to solve the latest problem. It's a two-part fix:

Part 1: Follow the link in the article to request a hotfix for your system, or click here. A link to the hotfix will arrive in your email. Be sure to save the email message, as it contains the password needed to unlock the hotfix during installation.
Part 2: Follow the instructions in the article to create a new registry entry using Regedit.

When I followed these procedures, websites that had crashed my browser repeatedly opened properly. It looks as if the problem is solved, at least for now. But what about IE7? I haven't had a problem with IE7 yet, but the following workaround should work with either IE6 or IE7:

IE 6 and 7 Workaround

To work around the problem:

1. Open the Start menu
2. Right-click Internet Explorer and select Internet Properties, or open Internet Options in Control Panel.
3. Click the Use Blank button (1) in the Home Page section of the General tab.
4. Click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet Files section of the General tab. You do not need to delete all online content (2).
5. Click Apply (3), then OK (4).
6. Close all open programs, and restart your system.

After you restart your system, Internet Explorer should start properly, since it's not loading a page. You should be able to access Windows Update in Windows XP (Windows Vista's Windows Update doesn't run through IE) and surf many web pages. However, some pages might still crash the browser. To view those pages, use a different browser such as Firefox or Opera.

Desperately Searching (for a Solution)

Redmond's aware of the problem, and when a solution is available, we'll post it. In the meantime, keep your eyes on Knowledge Base article 942615 for updates.

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With SP1 Release Candidate now available, it's time to take a new look at Windows Vista. Let Mark Soper be your tour guide through the world of Vista. Read Maximum PC Microsoft Windows Vista Exposed. It's now available at Amazon.com and other fine bookstores.