Re: Microsoft update disables Netscape

From: Steve Nielsen (steve_nielsen_at_nospam.nowhere.net)
Date: 05/24/04 

Date: Mon, 24 May 2004 15:33:23 -0700

Phil wrote:

> Steve Nielsen wrote:
>
>>Phil wrote:
>>
>>>Steve Nielsen wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-) wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>Sometimes when things are installed, other programs lose their
>>>>>configuration. IT HAPPENS!
>>>>>
>>>>>It is NOT a conspiracy, no matter what you may think. Work with the
>>>>>people who use Netscape here and then get on with your life.
>>>>
>>>>It's not a conspiracy but it certainly appears to be by design
>>>>nonetheless. IE updates do in fact change browser default settings
>>>>and make it difficult to change them back. As far as I am concerned
>>>>it is the same effect as browser hijacking.
>>>>
>>>>Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>I have never, since Netscape 2 and IE 2 had a windows update break
>>>netscape. I highly doubt its by design. If it was everyone would be
>>>effected and you'd see thousands / millions of people saying an
>>>update killed my netscape, and that is just not the case. Many
>>>people use other browsers besides IE, including myself, and have
>>>zero probs with windows updates and the other browsers. Sometimes
>>>some programs effect other programs in strange ways, it's the way
>>>computing is now-a-days. Also could be that the update didn't
>>>install correctly breaking other things. It happens.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>I have never seen the updates break Netscape either but I don't have
>>Netscape set as my default browser, IE is, so that might be a
>>difference. It is a fact that IE 6sp1 installs and updates set the IE
>>startup page to www.msn.com and make it difficult to set back. It
>>would not surprise me that they do wierd things to NS if it is the
>>default browser.
>>
>>Steve
>
>
> My default browser if FireFox. So maybe ns breaks, but we'd be seeing tons
> of these posts and we are not, so I assume this is an isolated incident.

I can't argue with that logic.

> I
> also don't remember that IE6 SP1 changed the home page back to www.msn.com.
> Could be, not sure, but even if it did it's not difficult to change back at
> all. It is IE internet options. Simple to change back.
>

Every machine I have installed IE6sp1 and/or recent IE security updates
on has had the start page of www.msn.com, however the home page setting
in internet options was usually not changed. For example I usually set
it to about:blank, installing IE6sp1 or an IE update did not always not
change that value but the browser does conect to www.msn.com anyway.
Going in and verifying that the home page is set to about:blank and
hitting the Home button the MSN site STILL comes up. In the cases I
recall sometimes the value would be changed at that point to the MSN
site, then I'd change it back to blank, hit home button and still see
MSN come up. On 2K and XP boxes I would have to restart IE once or twice
after checking the home page value and then it would stick to
about:blank, on Win98 machines it usually required a system restart,
too. Not what I'd call simple to change back.

Steve