Is internet explorer 8 fixed yet?

[Rich Hlaves]

Some months ago during regular updates to my Vista OS, IE 8 came across so I installed it.

Things didn't go well as it acted poorly with outlook express and most attachments to email wouldn't open. I unistalled it and things where fine.

Has MS fixed it? I'm tired of getting it on the udate screen every time I fire up.

Thanks,

RH

[Cal Sharp]

Best advice, if you do get it working, from security expert Steve Gibson at www.grc.com

Press custom level, set to high and apply. This will lock down Internet Explorer for use on the Internet, as well as use of I.E. for “local purposes” like email. Open Internet options, security settings, change from default to custom and turns it up to high. Then you click on “trusted sites” and add exceptions for https://*.microsoft.com and https://*.windowsupdate.com and that will make Internet Explorer safe. Do the same for the “Intranet” options.

Windows updates will be able be installed via IE, and that's all you want to use it for. Use Chrome or FF for the internet.

Help with IE8 problems: http://www.brighthub.com/computing/wind ... 44681.aspx
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/949220

[Chip Fossa]

I use , almost exclusively, now:

Firefox, Google, and Thunderbird[email].

No problems. Hardly nary a-one.

I definitely stay right away from Internet Explorer. Why bother? With all the bad press and security breaches - forget it. You can work around any things that demand IE.
And if you CAN'T, so what? Probably isn't that important, anyway.

I'm running W7 Home Premium. Oh, and BTW, bravo to MS, for a change. Windows7 roars. I didn't like it at first[so what else is new], but, once you get used to it, it hums right along and seems to be right "On Your Side".

[Cal Sharp]

you can work around any things that demand IE.

There are some sites that say "Best Viewed in Internet Explorer" or even Netscape Navigator, but those are usually sites that haven't been updated in years and are built with ancient, invalid code. No modern pro web developer would put such a message on a site anyway. The only thing you need IE for is Windows updates. And if you're still running IE6, upgrade to 8. It's free!

[Wiz Feinberg]

Effective March 1, 2010, Google Apps and Docs will stop working for anybody using Internet Explorer 6.0 or earlier. These browsers are hopelessly insecure and insecurable against modern attack codes.

In fact, nobody should even browse with Internet Explorer 8 unless you can use it in "Protected Mode" and with DEP (Data Execution Prevention) turned on. If you are unable to turn on DEP, or use Protected Mode, do not use Internet Explorer for anything other than manual Windows Updates. If you are set to receive automatic Windows Updates you won't need IE at all.

Many people are also unaware that Outlook Express, now deprecated, uses Internet Explorer's rendering engine to display HTML content in email messages. Follow Cal's advise and set IE to the highest level of restriction in the Internet Zone. Also, if you still use Outlook Express, set it to render in the Restricted Sites Zone.

[Rich Hlaves]

Thanks for your help and advice. I'm going to make the recommended changes.

Best,

RH

[Wiz Feinberg]

In my last reply I advised Internet Explorer 8 users to make sure you turn on Protected Mode browsing. I neglected to mention that this mode only exists in Windows Vista and newer operating systems. Windows XP users will have to check their PC documentation to see if DEP exists on their computer and if so, activate it.

Without DEP or IE Protected Mode, the only way to secure IE on XP computers is to run everything except for Windows Updates in the Restricted Sites Zone, or, at least set your security level slider to the highest setting. And DISABLE ActiveX Controls and 3rd party extensions!

[Jason Hull]

I switched to Google Chrome when my IE8 got all glitchy, and haven't had a problem since.