Anyone got "Browserchoice" on their PC yet?
Thread Starter
Oh Shazbat!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 239
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From: Leeds, UK
Anyone got "Browserchoice" on their PC yet?
It's probably just me being old & grumpy but I'm not happy that Microsoft chose to push "browserchoice" onto our Vista PC the other day. Looking at the news around it, it looks like we'll all be getting it next week.
I accept that MS are responding to the European government over users being given a free choice of browser, but what annoyed me was that it displays on screen at boot time until you actually download a browser
If you click to close the "welcome screen", it still takes you to the selection menu
Why couldn't we have a button that said "Actually, I already have a browser installed that I'm happy with, let me use that", or even better "I see you already have Firefox 3.6, so I won't bother you with an offer to download it".
Me thinks that someone might just be collecting stats off this, how long before I get an email from Microsoft telling me that new improved IE8 has the following features that are better than Safari/Firefox/etc (ie whichever one I chose)
OK rant over....
I accept that MS are responding to the European government over users being given a free choice of browser, but what annoyed me was that it displays on screen at boot time until you actually download a browser
If you click to close the "welcome screen", it still takes you to the selection menuWhy couldn't we have a button that said "Actually, I already have a browser installed that I'm happy with, let me use that", or even better "I see you already have Firefox 3.6, so I won't bother you with an offer to download it".
Me thinks that someone might just be collecting stats off this, how long before I get an email from Microsoft telling me that new improved IE8 has the following features that are better than Safari/Firefox/etc (ie whichever one I chose)
OK rant over....
More bang for your buck
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: land of the clanger
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: UK Midlands
Thread Starter
Oh Shazbat!
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
From: Leeds, UK
All,
First & foremost Thank You for your help here.
BOAC - Makes sense, I shall blame mrs batninth as I, like StaceyF, go through the updates to check what's important & what isn't before letting update manager let rip. In this case, Browser Choice just appeared when mrs batninth was using this PC so applying the principle of TTI ("Total Technical Irrationality") it must be her fault
Mornington Crescent - that page is really useful. I suspect that our various XP laptops will also get blighted by this so now I know how to disable it. I checked the laptop that originally started with it, and there is no sign of BrowserChoice in startup so I guess that running it also removes the startup entry. Either way, I have the answer now for the rest of the PC estate here at batninth towers
frostbite - I suggest care with that strategy. Mrs batninth's laptop had major problems with auto update so I turned it off but then got bitten about 6 months later when it needed something necessary
First & foremost Thank You for your help here.
BOAC - Makes sense, I shall blame mrs batninth as I, like StaceyF, go through the updates to check what's important & what isn't before letting update manager let rip. In this case, Browser Choice just appeared when mrs batninth was using this PC so applying the principle of TTI ("Total Technical Irrationality") it must be her fault
Mornington Crescent - that page is really useful. I suspect that our various XP laptops will also get blighted by this so now I know how to disable it. I checked the laptop that originally started with it, and there is no sign of BrowserChoice in startup so I guess that running it also removes the startup entry. Either way, I have the answer now for the rest of the PC estate here at batninth towers
frostbite - I suggest care with that strategy. Mrs batninth's laptop had major problems with auto update so I turned it off but then got bitten about 6 months later when it needed something necessary
Last edited by batninth; 28th February 2010 at 10:35. Reason: Corrected typos
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
From: UK
All seems like a storm in a teacup to me. Not using Windows update is not a good idea, IT suicide really...
Don't bother blocking this, uninstalling it or anything else. Simply select the browser of you choice then cancel everything. Nothing is changed and you won't be bothered by it again. Simples!
Don't bother blocking this, uninstalling it or anything else. Simply select the browser of you choice then cancel everything. Nothing is changed and you won't be bothered by it again. Simples!
