Windows 7 and Internet Explorer

[displayname]

I do not have Windows 7 yet, am looking at the Pro version, x64

Every nLited XP I make has Internet Explorer removed because I like Firefox and because IE is a breeding ground for malware.

The Optimization Guide is telling me that IE can not be removed. Since I do not have Windows 7 yet I have not taken the time to look much deeper.

The question I have is that if I have to create an install CD that includes IE, is there a secure and hopefully simple way to remove IE manually?

[cluberti]

IE cannot be removed entirely, as certain OS components rely on it (desktop gadgets that use wininet, html help in the OS, etc) but you can keep it from loading by simply removing it as an installed windows feature. It'll remove all entry points for IE, and only leave behind the files necessary to run webbrowser control apps, apps that require wininet, html help, etc - but no IE will be able to actually run and execute in any way. Just uncheck the feature from the Program's control panel for "Turn Windows Features on or off" or use DISM to enable or disable the feature.

[MagicAndre1981]

why do you want to remove IE? IE in Vista/7 is great when using UAC, because it runs in protected mode (sandbox).

[cluberti]

True - as far as I know, only IE and Google Chrome actually uses the process model yet to run in low integrity/protected mode. It would be really great if they did, but they don't without using a bit of hackery to launch them as such.

[MagicAndre1981]

yeah, I've tried it with Firefox, but it was not possible to get the Firefox working correctly. I would switch directly to IE if it would have an easy theme and extension support. This is the only reason I stay at Firefox. But MS is still failing to see this for IE9 Direct2D rendering is nice, but the normal average joe doesn't care about it. He wants different themes and new additions and in an very easy way as it was done in Firefox.

[displayname]

cluberti - Thank you, that sounds like just what I was looking for.

MagicAndre1981 - Maybe I'm being overly suspicious, but in my memory Windows in general and IE in specific are a security nightmare. A significant amount of malware is designed to use either IE or to use functions or features that are a part of IE. When other people can sometimes be using my computer I would prefer that IE not be able to run at all. I am aware that this attitude is emotional as well as rational, and if it starts to swing further over to the emotional side I don't have any problem with that at all.

[cluberti]

As always, make the choices that work for you - Firefox is a good browser and if it works for you and you're able to secure it enough for your (and I guess others') use of that PC, that's what you should do.

However (and this is a general statement, not a response to any post in this thread), choosing not to use IE for security reasons might have been wise on IE6 and XP/2000/9x, but at this point most malware uses the user, not the software, to cause havoc, because the browser is quite secure (especially on Vista and 7). It also stands to reason that IE's flaws get pretty big coverage while other browser's flaws (again, for the most part) do not, even though Firefox as of v3 and IE as of v7 (and now v8) have basically the same numbers of critical and non-critical flaws. Choosing not to use IE for functional reasons is a perfectly valid choice, or choosing FF because it adheres to draft standards better (or, in some cases, at all) and IE doesn't is also a good reason, and even making an emotional choice as to "I like browser <x> more than IE" is as logical and reasonable as an emotional choice can be, as it's a personal decision on a piece of software a lot of us use the most (I suppose it's like choosing which car to drive - choose the one you like, other things being equal). The only thing that I get bothered with are people who choose a browser simply because IE is "insecure", to which anyone can easily see that all browsers are insecure, as is any code, eventually, and IE's track record since 2006 is pretty darned good (if only they'd patch as fast as the FF devs, I'd be with nothing to complain about there). At least people choosing FF over IE for this reason are choosing a good alternative browser.

It honestly doesn't matter either way, and I use FF myself at home and IE8 at work, because they both meet a need I have at each location. If more people would just use the tool that works for them without all the huff and puff and flaming the Internet would be a nicer place .

[MagicAndre1981]

MagicAndre1981 - Maybe I'm being overly suspicious, but in my memory Windows in general and IE in specific are a security nightmare.

this was right for Windows XP and IE. Because you are running an account with admin rights. That's why I moved in 2003/4 to FireFox (Phoenix as it was called at this days).

With Vista, the IE runs in a sandbox with LowRights (protected mode) and so you can only write to special Registry folders and file locations (LocalLow). And with IE8 all tabs are isolated in a new process. With FF I often have the issue, that one tab can cause the whole FF to crash And the FF has lots of memory leaks.

If Ms would integrate a cool and easy theme and extension platform I would switch back to IE, so I have to stay with FF because of some of some important extensions I use (AdblockPLus, NoScript, GreaseMonkey, AutoCopy, BBCode and some more).

[displayname]

I've used Firefox exclusively since it was 1.5 beta something, but with only Adblock Plus and NoScript.

I also purchased Windows 7 Pro yesterday, so the weekend should be fun.

I've never been rabidly pro-Firefox, but sometimes I can sound like an anti-IE zealot.

If Microsoft actually has done it right this time I might change my tune.