Windows 7 Has Secret 'Off' Switch for Internet Explorer

Windows 7 Has Secret 'Off' Switch for Internet Explorer
Sunday, March 08, 2009

"SEATTLE — A single check box deep in the guts of the next version of Windows is giving Microsoft Corp. watchers a peek at how the software maker plans to keep European antitrust regulators from marring a crucial software launch.

Windows 7, the successor to the much-maligned Vista, isn't expected to reach consumers until next year, but more than a million people are already testing early versions.

A pair of bloggers tinkering with settings stumbled upon one they hadn't seen before: The ability to "turn off" Microsoft's own Internet Explorer browser.

Microsoft lost a long-running battle with EU antitrust regulators in 2007 over the way it bundled media player software into the Windows operating system.

The dust had barely settled when a similar claim was filed, this time over Internet Explorer's place inside Windows.

Opera Software ASA, a Norwegian competitor, claimed the practice gives Microsoft's browser an unfair advantage.

In a preliminary decision in January, the EU agreed. Since then, makers of the open-source browser Firefox and Google Inc., which entered the browser market six months ago, have offered to provide more evidence that Microsoft is stifling competition.

In the media player dispute, the EU heavily fined Microsoft and forced it to sell a version of Windows without the offending program installed.

This time, Microsoft appears to be offering the check-box solution as a way to head off a similar ending.

The company declined to comment Friday on the connection between the check boxes and the EU's preliminary decision.

But in a recent quarterly filing, it said the European Commission may order PC makers to install multiple browsers on new PCs and force Microsoft to disable parts of its own Internet Explorer if people chose a competing browser.

The check boxes, which were described on Microsoft enthusiast blogs http://www.aeroxp.org and http://www.chris123nt.com, also give Windows 7 users a way to disable the media player and hard-drive search programs, among other components, both of which have drawn scrutiny from regulators.

After Windows Vista landed with a thud, Microsoft needs a hit, said Michael Cherry, an analyst for the research group Directions on Microsoft.

Beyond appeasing the EU, he said he didn't see much use for the Internet Explorer check box.

"Windows 7 is becoming more and more important for Microsoft," he said in an interview. "You don't want anything that gives anyone even a doubt as to whether or not they should upgrade." "

:source: Source: Windows 7 Has Secret 'Off' Switch for Internet Explorer

Did I miss where to find the "off" switch :huh:

Appearently. See the two links in the column? :sly:

It only sort of details it anyhow as a partial removal at this stage.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Detale

Did I miss where to find the "off" switch :huh:

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http://www.aeroxp.org/

Opera CEO von Tetzchner: Microsoft's IE8 'turn-off' is not enough

http://www.betanews.com/article/Oper...ugh/1236630337

Starting in build 7048 and it's not anymore hidden than removing any of the other built-in Windows features.

Sounds like Jon S. von Tetzchner is trying to increase mindshare. Firefox is IE's main competitor, with Opera trailing far behind.

yup...firefox is it's main competition, opera's somewhere too, but chromes making waves in the browsersphere these days...it's spread has been quite phenominal given the time for it has been released...

Fan-fucking-tastic.

:happy: More to Win7 & customization.

In its first statement in response to Microsoft's decision announced over the weekend to enable Windows 7 users to deactivate and/or uninstall Internet Explorer 8 after the operating system's setup installs it, a spokesperson for Google, which makes the Chrome browser, told Betanews overnight that not only should Windows users be given the option to choose their browsers during setup, but to do so every time they turn their machines on.

"We have not yet been able to see the planned new features of Internet Explorer but are looking forward to examining them when they are released. The Internet was founded on choice and openness and this requires a level playing field with multiple options for accessing it. From the moment a computer is turned on, people should be able to access a range of browsers easily and quickly," the spokesperson stated.

Google thus officially joins Opera, whose CEO, Jon S. von Tetzchner, in an interview with Betanews Monday, made clear in no uncertain terms that the Norweigian browser maker would not be satisfied until Windows openly offers its users a menu of alternatives during setup.

This morning's Google statement comes as the European technology news service Euractive led with the headline this morning that the European Commission was not impressed by Microsoft's decision. However, a close read of the actual statement from EC spokesperson Jonathan Todd to Euractive actually says the EC had nothing to say on the matter -- at least not until Microsoft follows up with a response to its Statement of Objections sent in January.

"Microsoft has not told us anything so far. If they think it is relevant, they will presumably include the measure in their response to our Statement of Objections," Euractiv quotes Todd as saying. However, Todd has previously told the press that the intention of this latest round of objections is to compel Microsoft to offer customers an unbiased choice of Web browsers. Google's statement makes it clear that it would prefer that choice to be offered continually.