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[Floydoid]

It seems like our friends at MS are now going to give us permission to choose our own default browser: 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8524019.stm

Millions of European Internet Explorer (IE) users will have the option to choose an alternative browser from 1 March, Microsoft has announced.

It follows a legal agreement between Microsoft and Europe's Competition Commission in December 2009.

Microsoft committed to letting Windows PC users across Europe install the web browser of their choice, rather than having Microsoft IE as a default.

Figures suggest that over half the world's internet users have IE.

Testing for the update is already underway in the UK, Belgium and France.

The software update choice will arrive automatically for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 customers, according to a blog post by Dave Heiner, Microsoft's vice president and deputy general counsel.

The blog also contains screen grabs of the message as it will appear.

"Users who get the choice screen will be free to choose any browser or stick with the browser they have, as they prefer," wrote Mr Heiner.

Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Opera are the alternative browsers that people will be offered.

"Millions of people who have never really thought about which browser to use will now be forced to make a choice," said BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones on his blog.

"That presents Microsoft's rivals with a unique marketing opportunity."

Mozilla Foundation chair Mitchell Baker described the news as "an important milestone towards helping people take control of their online lives."

which is rather good of them.

Am I missing the point, or have we always had browser choice?

[roseway]

>> Am I missing the point, or have we always had browser choice?

Indeed yes, but I suppose that the difference here is that people who install the update will be forced to make a decision. It will probably confuse more people than it helps.

[Floydoid]

I think you got it in one there Eric.

[BritBrat]

Yes you have always had the choice but now Microsoft has an update that you will install to keep reminding you every time you reboot computer or untill you uninstall it

[UncleUB]

Yes you have always had the choice but now Microsoft has an update that you will install to keep reminding you every time you reboot computer or untill you uninstall it

I have had this offered by auto update today,it says once installed it cannot be removed.?

[BritBrat]

I stoped the nag screen buy renaming the file "browserchoice.exe"

C:\WINDOWS\system32\browserchoice.exe_OLD

I guess I will delete it in a few weeks time.

I always use the "_OLD" extension then I can do a search "*_OLD" and find all the files I may want to delete.

[Floydoid]

Yes that's right Uncy, it cannot be uninstalled.  I have things set so I just get informed what updates are available so I can take a look at what they are trying to fob me off with before installing anything I don't want.

Take a read of this discussion thread on the matter:

http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/showthread.php?t=200134

[orainsear]

It's sitting there in the list but I don't want to install it.  Does anyone know of any way to remove it from the list?

[sevenlayermuddle]

It's sitting there in the list but I don't want to install it.  Does anyone know of any way to remove it from the list?

Think carefully before you install this.

I've just done an update.  The info about this one implied (don't recall the exact wording) that I would be asked to choose a browser, and that I could just choose IE, and that would be the end of it - no more nagging.  So I let it install.

Wrong.  The only option is IE8, whereas I have IE7 and I don't feel inclined to install IE8 . 

I guess I'm now stuck with the 'nagging' for a while.  TBH I don't mind installing a.n.other browser alongside IE - it's useful to a fallback for those times that the website you want to visit crashes, or doesn't render properly on your usual browser.  I guess that's what I'll do but, first, I'll want to be sure there'll be no other behavioural side-effects from installing another browser.

[orainsear]

I have no intention of installing the update.  Already I have Fx, Opera and Chrome installed (as well as standard IE8 which is unused)!  I just don't like having something like that sitting in the update list, and am hoping that someone will see sense and make it optional, unless it can be forcefully removed.

[UncleUB]

It's sitting there in the list but I don't want to install it.  Does anyone know of any way to remove it from the list?

Just 'right click' on it and hide,that way it just sits there hidden and you can forget about it, and if you every feel the need too you can just click on 'restore hidden updates'

[UncleUB]

I guess I'm now stuck with the 'nagging' for a while.  TBH I don't mind installing a.n.other browser alongside IE - it's useful to a fallback for those times that the website you want to visit crashes, or doesn't render properly on your usual browser.  I guess that's what I'll do but, first, I'll want to be sure there'll be no other behavioural side-effects from installing another browser.

7LM,

You can install as many browsers as you wish to sit on your desktop,all you do is just click on whichever you want to access the internet.

I have IE7(which I never use),FireFox 3.6 and Opera 10.10(which I am using at present and find first class)

[sevenlayermuddle]

You can install as many browsers as you wish to sit on your desktop,all you do is just click on whichever you want to access the internet.

Thanks Uncle - yes, I know I can install additional browsers.  But I worry that if I do so via this 'browser choice app', then the app may uninstall my existing IE7.  I wouldn't put it past microsoft to do so, as they'd probably like to be rid of customers who use old versions of there apps.

Also, if I click on an http link in a document, or a mail item, a browser is launched.  I guess there is a 'def ault' browser but I don't know where that would be configured.  Again, I wouldn't put it past microsoft to make whetever (new) browser you choose the default.

[UncleUB]

The plot thickens....

Microsoft is to ask millions of users across Europe if they want to use a web browser other than its own.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8537763.stm