Microsoft Update

[lewmur]

Is it just my imagination or has MS come up with a new technique to make people use IE? I don't have Automatic Updates enabled on my XP machine, so I manually update every now and then. (About how often I use it.) Today when I clicked on /Start/Control Panel/Windows Update, instead of opening IE8, it opened FF, my default browser, and displayed an error page. Apparently, this is an effort to get me to switch my default browser to IE. No way! :thumbsup: Instead I opened IE8, went to the update site, and then added it to the "Favorites" menu. Since I don't have any other "favorites" in IE, it is easy to find. When is MS going to learn that pulling tricks like this just makes people mad and more determined than ever to find alternatives to their products?

Edited June 7, 2010 by lewmur

[rbdietz]

I wonder if something isn't broke/misconfigured on your machine?Here (Win 7 Home Premium 64x with FF as default browser), /Start/Control Panel/Windows Update opens an instance of Windows Explorer with the right hand pane obviously showing web content using MSHtml library. eg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.downloadsquad.c...s-7-updates.jpg.There is a link to Windows Update a little more than 1/2 way down IE 8's Tools menu. What happens if you click on that link? Here, an instance of Windows Explorer (not IE) opens up (same as linked image above).If something is broke/misconfigured on your machine, I've no idea how to fix it other than if you have system restore turned on you might try restoring to an earlier date and reinstalling the necessary updates.

[lewmur]

I wonder if something isn't broke/misconfigured on your machine?Here (Win 7 Home Premium 64x with FF as default browser), /Start/Control Panel/Windows Update opens an instance of Windows Explorer with the right hand pane obviously showing web content using MSHtml library. eg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.downloadsquad.c...s-7-updates.jpg.There is a link to Windows Update a little more than 1/2 way down IE 8's Tools menu. What happens if you click on that link? Here, an instance of Windows Explorer (not IE) opens up (same as linked image above).If something is broke/misconfigured on your machine, I've no idea how to fix it other than if you have system restore turned on you might try restoring to an earlier date and reinstalling the necessary updates.

Your mileage may differ. I'm using XP and not Win7. And the reason I asked if it were my imagination was that I figured it probably wasn't happening to everyone. As to where a link to MS Update is in IE8, I don't really care. As I said, it was easy enough to create a shortcut in "favorites" to solve the problem. And what I might have "configured wrong," that MS doesn't know that IE8 is available, is beyond me. I merely configured FF as my default.

[rbdietz]

Wasn't attempting to say that your config is wrong - only that having a default browser other than IE is probably not the root cause of the behavior you're seeing.My theory is that somehow or other you or the security software you're running has tweaked something that is blocking Windows Explorer (not IE) from accessing the internet (or at least the Windows Update site) which leads to a fall back position of attempting to open the link in the default browser insteadI don't think it's an MS technique attempting to encourage use of IE as the default browser, just MS's meager error handling.

Edited June 7, 2010 by rbdietz

[lewmur]

Wasn't attempting to say that your config is wrong - only that having a default browser other than IE is probably not the root cause of the behavior you're seeing.My theory is that somehow or other you or the security software you're running has tweaked something that is blocking Windows Explorer (not IE) from accessing the internet (or at least the Windows Update site) which leads to a fall back position of attempting to open the link in the default browser insteadI don't think it's an MS technique attempting to encourage use of IE as the default browser, just MS's meager error handling.

OK. I understand. With all of the billions of dollars MS spends on tech, we are still to suppose assume that the mistakes they make are due to incompetence rather than malicious intent. Yeah, and I've got some great ocean front property in AZ for sale.

[Guitar Man]

when I clicked on /Start/Control Panel/Windows Update, instead of opening IE8, it opened FF, my default browser, and displayed an error page. Apparently, this is an effort to get me to switch my default browser to IE

Not so. AFAIK you need IE to get MS Updates, regardless of version.

[zlim]

AFAIK you need IE to get MS Updates,...

This can no longer be true in European Countries. Because MS lost the lawsuit, in Europe, a browser is no longer included in Windows 7. Users have the choice of which browser they want to download and install. So, in order to maintain the security of Windows 7, users have to be able to obtain updates independent of the browser.I have no idea if this is true in any non-European country, though.

[lewmur]

Not so. AFAIK you need IE to get MS Updates, regardless of version.

I have IE8. The problem is that Ms Updates opens FF, my default browser, instead of IE8. To get updates, I have to open IE8 and browse to the MS Update site manually. This was never true until the previous round of updates. Edited June 8, 2010 by lewmur

[Citadel80]

If you want to use Firefox for Microsoft Updates you should install the IE Tab Plus extension from Mozilla Add-ons.Set IE Tab Plus to automatically open for the Microsoft Updates website:http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdat...t.aspx?ln=en-usI use IE Tab Plus on my Windows XP & Win 7 machines. It works for me. I just finished downloading the June 2010 updates and it works as usual.To use MS Updates you need to use some form of IE - either open IE itself or use an IE Tab extension.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Citadel80

[lewmur]

If you want to use Firefox for Microsoft Updates you should install the IE Tab Plus extension from Mozilla Add-ons.Set IE Tab Plus to automatically open for the Microsoft Updates website:http://update.microsoft.com/microsoftupdat...t.aspx?ln=en-usI use IE Tab Plus on my Windows XP & Win 7 machines. It works for me. I just finished downloading the June 2010 updates and it works as usual.To use MS Updates you need to use some form of IE - either open IE itself or use an IE Tab extension.

I don't care a hoot what browser I use. I just wondered why MS Udate chose the one that would give an error rather than the one it should have used.

[Frank Golden]

The Autoupdate\update uses Activex controls.ActiveX isn't supported by FF.Been that way forever. Especially in XP.Lew you obviously have FF set as your default browser.Since you are using a html shortcut to access the update page it is normal that it would open in the default browser.There is a way to force a html shortcut to use a specific program to open a page without changing the default browser.Below is the text that I placed in the "create" shortcut wizards location field.C:\Users\frank\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c338/fjg...mview=slideshowAs you can see the first half (before the space) is the location of the program (browser) .exe that you want to open the http link (in this case Chrome).The second part after the space is the actual url that you want to open in the specified browser.In this case I have a url to a Photobucket slideshow of my grand daughters that I want to open in Chrome.Even though FF 3.6 is my default browser the above command forces that specific url to open in Chrome instead.It doesn't affect the "default" status of FF 3.6.The below command would force Windows Update to run in IE regardless of the default browser."C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" http://www.update.microsoft.com/microsoftu...t.aspx?ln=en-usThe shortcut provided in the Start menu for Updates has as a targetC:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\muweb.dll,LaunchMUSiteCreating a shortcut using the above command would have the same effect.I do wonder though about what Liz said about the EU however and Win 7.On closer inspection however it seems that using Windows Update in Win 7 uses no browser but rather accesses the Windows Update site directly through an explorer window.Kind of like a file manager like Konqueror in KDE versions of linux can access url's without a dedicated browser.

Edited June 9, 2010 by Frank Golden

[lewmur]

The Autoupdate\update uses Activex controls.ActiveX isn't supported by FF.Been that way forever. Especially in XP.Lew you obviously have FF set as your default browser.Since you are using a html shortcut to access the update page it is normal that it would open in the default browser.There is a way to force a html shortcut to use a specific program to open a page without changing the default browser.

No, Frank, I an NOT using a "shortcut." I'm using the standard XP Start Menu selection. Yes, this is a form of shortcut but it is one created by the system and NOT by me. So if there is a way for it to "force" what browser is used, then MS should have done so. I should NOT be up to the user to correct MS's mistakes.

[striker]

This can no longer be true in European Countries. Because MS lost the lawsuit, in Europe, a browser is no longer included in Windows 7. Users have the choice of which browser they want to download and install. So, in order to maintain the security of Windows 7, users have to be able to obtain updates independent of the browser.I have no idea if this is true in any non-European country, though.

It's partly 'true' ... I got myself a brand new Lenovo laptop about one and a half or two months ago, it had W7 Professional installed. It came with IE8 by default. Afterwards when doing updates that stupid browser selecting thing was offered as an update, which I refused and made it hidden. I did do the research way before it was offered (browserchoice.eu) and knew already what was in the frying pan, I'm always using another browser than IE, so I had nothing on the wishlist. However, when getting a retail copy of W7 in the EU, maybe you're right Liz:

a browser is no longer included in Windows 7.

I don't have a retail copy yet so I can't speak of it.

[lewmur]

The Autoupdate\update uses Activex controls.ActiveX isn't supported by FF.Been that way forever. Especially in XP.

Actually, Frank, there is a third party extension to add activeX support to FF. But why would anyone want to mess up a good browser by doing that?

[Frank Golden]

No, Frank, I an NOT using a "shortcut." I'm using the standard XP Start Menu selection. Yes, this is a form of shortcut but it is one created by the system and NOT by me. So if there is a way for it to "force" what browser is used, then MS should have done so. I should NOT be up to the user to correct MS's mistakes.

Lew if the command text in the system created shortcut is then same as the belowC:\WINDOWS\system32\rundll32.exe C:\WINDOWS\system32\muweb.dll,LaunchMUSitethen it should launch in IE7\8.If it is the same then you have a problem with your system.I don't think MS is trying to make you switch browsers.The above command opens Update in IE 8 every time on my XP install.And yes, I have FF set as my default.Just for giggles try the above command at the command line or create a desktop shortcut using the command.See if it opens FF. Edited June 9, 2010 by Frank Golden

[Frank Golden]

Actually, Frank, there is a third party extension to add activeX support to FF. But why would anyone want to mess up a good browser by doing that?

Correct! ActiveX is a known malware vector, that's why FF doesn't natively support it.

[Frank Golden]

It's partly 'true' ... I got myself a brand new Lenovo laptop about one and a half or two months ago, it had W7 Professional installed. It came with IE8 by default. Afterwards when doing updates that stupid browser selecting thing was offered as an update, which I refused and made it hidden. I did do the research way before it was offered (browserchoice.eu) and knew already what was in the frying pan, I'm always using another browser than IE, so I had nothing on the wishlist. However, when getting a retail copy of W7 in the EU, maybe you're right Liz: I don't have a retail copy yet so I can't speak of it.

Actually MS scrapped the idea of a browserless EU version at the last minute, electing the "stupid browser selecting thing..." LOL.http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/913...without_browserEven if they had gone that route Windows Update in Win 7 uses Windows Explorer to access the update site and not a browser.

[striker]

Aha, thanks Frank! That must have taken place the week my old laptop broke.