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IE8 Soon to Play Nicer With Other Browsers

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Express means that Microsoft got to choose for you.

Microsoft has made a change to Internet Explorer 8 that'll make it less of a control freak when being installed into a system where another browser is the default one.

Currently, when users install IE8 and select "Use express settings" during the setup process, the software will automatically make IE8 the default browser without asking the user first. Only those who selected "Use custom settings" would get to see a screen asking users whether or not they wanted IE8 to be their default browser.

This will all change next month when Microsoft rolls out a dynamic update to correct this behavior.

"We decided to use dynamic updates in order to deliver this change to the market as quickly as possible, rather than re-release IE8 in over 60 languages.  We expect to roll this out in mid-August," Wrote the IE team in the IEBlog. " This change applies not only to IE8 installations on Vista and XP, but also when these users with a non-IE default browser install Windows 7."

Advanced computer users almost always choose to install with custom settings (at least we do), but were you affected by this apparent install "feature" of IE8?

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
28 Comments Comment from the forums
  • htoonthura
    How hard is it to change your default browser? Why people are making a big deal out of it?
    Reply
  • dman3k
    Just a bunch of whiners...
    Reply
  • IzzyCraft
    Don't all browsers try to trick you into getting on your default list anyways.
    Reply
  • apmyhr
    I was affected! It took me two whole seconds to fix the situation and make Firefox my default browser again. It was horrible! Darn you M$
    Reply
  • ckthecerealkiller
    Wait.... People are actually downloading IE8?
    Reply
  • zerapio
    ckthecerealkillerWait.... People are actually downloading IE8?You REALLY don't want to stick with IE 6 in your computer. Even if you use another browser (like I do) you must update and patch IE to keep it from being a vector for malware to infect your computer.
    Reply
  • jimmysmitty
    htoonthuraHow hard is it to change your default browser? Why people are making a big deal out of it?
    Because if people didn't do you think a lawsuit against MS would ever work? Not really.

    The fact is that people claimed they couldn't use another browser other than IE. These people are gold diggers.

    MS has never forced anything upon ppl per say. People are just too stupid to know how to change the simpleist of things.
    Reply
  • ckthecerealkiller
    zerapioYou REALLY don't want to stick with IE 6 in your computer. Even if you use another browser (like I do) you must update and patch IE to keep it from being a vector for malware to infect your computer.I guess I forgot the /sarcasm
    Reply
  • maigo
    People are installing IE because they DON'T want to use it?
    OR
    They added a check box to the installer, that took 30 seconds?
    Reply
  • skykaptain
    I have always used the custom settings whenever possible. Never had a problem.
    Reply