http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=4516A6F7-5D44-482B-9DBD-869B4A90159C&displaylang=en
"The Internet Explorer 7 Blocker Toolkit enables IT Administrators to disable
automatic delivery of Internet Explorer 7 as a
high-priority update via Automatic Updates and the Windows Update and
Microsoft Update sites."
Microsoft altruistically writes:
"To help our customers become more secure and up-to-date,
Microsoft will distribute Internet Explorer 7 as a high-priority update
via Automatic Updates for Windows XP and
Windows Server 2003 soon after the final version of the browser is
released (planned for fourth quarter 2006)."
^^^^
Soon is before yesterday ... follow the above link if you want to choose when
to update to IE7.
The Blocker Toolkit, in its simplest application, turns of the automatic update
by setting the
following Windows registry entry:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Setup\7.0]
"DoNotAllowIE70"=dword:00000001
MORE INFORMATION
-------------------------------
on my personal systems, as well as clients' systems for which I am responsible,
I do not allow automatic updates ... instead, I configure systems as
notify/notify.
(i.e., tell me when you have files to download / after the download,
tell me when files are ready to be installed).
The rational behind my lack of trust is that for two years running,
via Microsoft, DELL distributed faulty video driver updates
the caused havoc with, I guessing here, many, many thousands
of DELL users.
Hence, I just do not trust fully automated updates.
Updates are a nasty damned if you do, damned if you don't activity,
a bit like Russian roulette. Example: if one does not apply a
security update, one may be exposed to an attack by bad hackers
who have reversed engineered the security update to create an effective exploit.
I was very surprised to discover IE 7 as a candidate for download.
imo, IE7 is TOO NEW to force out the door ... nevertheless, because I will
have to support it real soon now, I decided to let the IE7 update install ...
should I have been surprised when it FAILED to install (rhetorical)? ...
so I ran Microsoft Update and explicitly requested it be installed
(it was the only suggested update) ... as I watched the install, I had not ONE
but TWO
active installation Windows ... one the standard "Installing Updates" window
(which
appeared to be sleeping) ... the other titled "Install Windows Internet
Explorer"
with a big downward pointing artsy GREEN ARROW reflecting for a bluish
artsy background, with the words "Installing Internet Explorer 7" to the left.
FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Death) ... how would one know whether ONE or TWO
installations are running simultaneously (also rhetorical)?
Turns out ONLY ONE INSTALLATION was running ... when the artsy Window
was gone from view, the standard window read "You have successfully updated
your computer".
I hoped this was the case, so I clicked "Restart Now" ...
... on restarting, IE7 had added a golden wedding ring to the IE icons on my
QuickStart menu,
on my desktop, and on my winXP pro start menu.
I opened IE7 and was presented with a configuration screen ... good that I
worked with
Microsoft PSS way back when ... good that I have been using computers since
1967 ...
BUT !!!!! ....................... does Microsoft realize how intimidating this
would be to
the generic end-user (*)? ... does Microsoft have any idea about the potential
nightmare this will create for technical support staff ueber alles (*)?
* still more rhetorical questions
I THOUGHT I'D HURL ...
IE7 wanted to change my current locale [English Canada] to its preselected (o)
[English U.S.] ?!
did ms really think I did not know my locale, eh? (or, does IE7 only work in
Yankee English?).
MORE FRUSTRATION
-------------------------------
I made my selections, and a screen of choices is presented ... I took the first
choice ...
"Take a quick tour of the new IE7"
result: "PAGE NOT FOUND" ** ... I clicked back ...
result: ms took me all the way back to "Required Settings" on the IE7 welcome
screen!
** "We're sorry, but we were unable to service your request.
You may wish to choose from the links below ... "
BTW ... did I ask ms to turn off my Menu Bar (totally rhetorical) ?
{fortunately, I can still right click and get my Menu Bar back) ...
at that point, I added "Add-ons for IE" to my favourites and planned to visit
it later ...
I had had far too many surprises for a single day ... thank you, Mr. Gates!!
regards ...
gerry
gerry lowry 905.825.9582
ability business computer services
1421 Derby County Crescent
Oakville Ontario Canada L6M 4N8
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://abilitybusinesscomputerservices.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
