Which version of FireFox should I try?

[GA_Boater]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

Does this all mean that Win7 users, using FF, will not get notified of Windows updates without the add-on?

I made a mistake when I downloaded FF, for my XP machine, in telling FF to be my default browser. Now all my IE icons were converted to FF and I can't access IE at all!

No Boom. That add-on is a fake out to make MS think it's talking to IE. You can't load Windows updates through any browser except IE. For Win updates set XP up to check for and down load updates automatically. When updates are found it downloads. After it downloads when I turn the PC off at night it does the update before shutting down.

On the icons problems. Don't worry about it. I'll tell you how to fix that in a sec. What happened with your IE icon? It only got changed to a FF icon because you made FF the default. IE is still there. A default browser is the browser that is opened when you go to the internet or the browser that opens when you click on a link in an email for example. And you can run FF and IE at the same time. Some web sites are optimized for IE and another browser like FF might work funky. Most sites work with anything, like iboats. Some sites do not work with IE at all, rare but it happens.

To get an IE icon so you can run IE:

Click Start, then All Programs, find Internet Explorer and right click. click Pin to Start Menu. Now when you click Start IE will be in the list of programs. Click it and away you go. Another thing you can do is the steps to Pin, except click Create Shortcut. This will put an IE icon on the desktop. Wanna get a little fancy? Mouse over the IE icon shortcut you just created on the desktop, hold the left mouse button and drag it to the right of Start on the toolbar, release the mouse button and you have an icon for IE you can click anytime to start IE.

You aren't a compu-tard. You're comfortable with using IE for exactly what it is - a tool and nothing more. Some times the developers lose sight of the fact that all users aren't 10 year olds that can program a VCR or download an app for an iPhone or are at the skill or experience level that they are. When that happens the tools becomes specialized and harder to use. Windows made it easy for non-nerds to use PCs, but sometimes you do need a little nerdiness to figure out some things. Or ask for help. Perfectly OK!

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

No Boom. That add-on is a fake out to make MS think it's talking to IE. You can't load Windows updates through any browser except IE. For Win updates set XP up to check for and down load updates automatically. When updates are found it downloads. After it downloads when I turn the PC off at night it does the update before shutting down.

On the icons problems. Don't worry about it. I'll tell you how to fix that in a sec. What happened with your IE icon? It only got changed to a FF icon because you made FF the default. IE is still there. A default browser is the browser that is opened when you go to the internet or the browser that opens when you click on a link in an email for example. And you can run FF and IE at the same time. Some web sites are optimized for IE and another browser like FF might work funky. Most sites work with anything, like iboats. Some sites do not work with IE at all, rare but it happens.

To get an IE icon so you can run IE:

Click Start, then All Programs, find Internet Explorer and right click. click Pin to Start Menu. Now when you click Start IE will be in the list of programs. Click it and away you go. Another thing you can do is the steps to Pin, except click Create Shortcut. This will put an IE icon on the desktop. Wanna get a little fancy? Mouse over the IE icon shortcut you just created on the desktop, hold the left mouse button and drag it to the right of Start on the toolbar, release the mouse button and you have an icon for IE you can click anytime to start IE.

You aren't a compu-tard. You're comfortable with using IE for exactly what it is - a tool and nothing more. Some times the developers lose sight of the fact that all users aren't 10 year olds that can program a VCR or download an app for an iPhone or are at the skill or experience level that they are. When that happens the tools becomes specialized and harder to use. Windows made it easy for non-nerds to use PCs, but sometimes you do need a little nerdiness to figure out some things. Or ask for help. Perfectly OK!

GA, I think IE is damaged somehow. When I go to Start/Programs, IE is listed. When I click on it, a blank screen quickly flashes up then goes away. If I right click on properties, it shows the target to be "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe", but yet it will not open it.

This is a problem I had before this all got started. My big blue E quit working. Well before I downloaded FF, I had to get on the internet using Windows update. I then changed that page to open in MSN for a home page. My IE access icon had been an MSN symbol. At the same time, I had a seperate icon in the quick launch tray for Yahoo mail. That one always worked and opened Yahoo mail in IE.

Now however, that Yahoo Icon is one that was converted to open in FF.

I did just go to windows update in the start menu and indeed it still opens that page in IE, just like before FF,

So the moral is twofold.

One, unless I jury rig another link to IE, I am SOL for access to IE
Two, as an overwrite of IE7 by IE8 did not solve the access problem, it is back to reloading the OS, then updating IE to 8.
None of the above even addresses the lockups that I was getting on the internet before I went to FF.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

You still have IE. You just need to create a shortcut on your desktop to click on. Go here and see if it is there:
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

Go to the folder and locate that file. Right click it and create a shortcut. Then drag that shortcut onto your desktop.

You can also just go and install IE8 or IE9 from the MS site and that would probably do the same thing.

Your Yahoo icon is just an html link. Why you have that icon in the first place is kinda crazy to me. Just have favorites in your browser. You don't need icons like that on your desktop.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

How about this. Go to Start, click run and in the box type "chkdsk /r" - no quotes and enter. It's going to say you can't run it because a program is open and do you want to run it on on the next start up. Click yes. Re-start the PC. It might take a while to finish.

chkdsk with the /r option checks the hard drive for errors and repairs them if it can. I've used it to fix problems just like you're having. It's worth a shot, Boom.

 

[smclear]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

Actually the end of life cycle date for Windows XP SP3 is April 2014, so there will still be support for another couple of years.

From the Microsoft website;

Desktop operating systems Latest service pack End of mainstream support End of extended support

Windows XP Service Pack 3 April 14, 2009 April 8, 2014

Windows Vista Service Pack 2 April 10, 2012 April 11, 2017

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 January 12, 2015 January 14, 2020

End of support: questions and answers
Show all
What is the difference between mainstream support and extended support?

Mainstream support—Microsoft will offer mainstream support for a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product's general availability, or for 2 years after the successor product is released, whichever is longer. For example, if you buy a new version of Windows and five years later another version is released, you will still have two years of support left for the previous version.

Extended support—Microsoft will offer extended support for either a minimum of 5 years from the date of a product's general availability, or for 2 years after the second successor product (two versions later) is released, whichever is longer. Please note: Extended support is only available for commercial customers.

It states that "extended" support is only available to "commercial Customers". Not sure what is correct but it kind of sounds as though most people would not qualify for support.

Can someone clarify (put it in real simple language) this? I was under the impression that support (for the regular guy) was dying in a couple of months. I have been wrong more often than not so you won't offend me by pointing out my errors. That is one of the ways I learn stuff. Just do it politely please.

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

Can someone clarify (put it in real simple language) this? I was under the impression that support (for the regular guy) was dying in a couple of months. I have been wrong more often than not so you won't offend me by pointing out my errors. That is one of the ways I learn stuff. Just do it politely please.

April 8 2014 or 5 years after XP SP3 was released for every one. SP3 was the last major upgrade to XP so the 5 year clock starts then. MS and other powers makes the rules and have to live by them or various and sundry "enforcement bureaus" jump on their back. The other problem for MS is many businesses (commercial customers) have not migrated to W7. Mainly because Vista was junk and they are waiting to see how well W7 works for their needs.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

I am a member of the Microsoft Development network, the last update I received from Microsoft that support of XP SP3 will go until April 2014 and that includes the non-commercial users of the program, Microsoft has changed somethings over the last couple of years due to the basic failure of Vista, which has extended some of the end of life policies. Microsoft is not stupid, Windows 7 seems to be working out for the time being for the majority of users that have installed it or purchased a new computer, but after the Vista debacle, they know that a whole bunch of people are still running XP SP3 including a whole bunch of high powered business's,.

 

[hrdwrkingacguy]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

My automatic updates are set through a notification area icon that I set to Update all automatically in the same area as the firewall settings...I set it to do its thing at 3:00am and never have to think about it...The part of IE that says windows update is to go in manually when you want to...Set it to automatic notice but approve the install and you will get an icon on the bottom left saying you have updates to install...

 

[smclear]

Re: Which version of FireFox should I try?

and that includes the non-commercial users of the program, ,.

Thanks for clarifying. It was the whole "commercial" vs "non-commercial" thing that confused me I guess.