Tech & Biz

IE8 lock-in locks up computers

by Jason Sanders | August 29, 2008 at 08:13 am

4550 views | 4 Recommendations | 9 comments

If you're like me, or the other 19% of the browser population, you use Firefox for its security, stability and extensibility. However, Microsoft just released an update to its alternative browser, Internet Explorer 8, that "locks-in" users to that version if they have Windows XP Service Pack 3. Basically, if you liked the previous version –why?– too bad.

[This] affects users who downloaded and installed IE8 Beta 1 prior to updating Windows XP to SP3. If those users then upgrade IE8 to Beta 2, which Microsoft unveiled today, they will be stuck with both IE8 and Windows XP SP3.

Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 has garnered positive reviews since its release earlier this week, but if you're on Windows Vista, you've got a whole other set of problems.

Windows Vista users, however, will not see IE8 Beta 2 in Windows Update because update apparently cannot sniff out instances of IE8 Beta 1 and uninstall them automatically. Instead, users must remove Beta 1 manually

Once you've "locked" yourself into IE 8 Beta 2, everything should be fine, right? Wrong. Nine applications will freeze up and/or crash if you have the browser installed on your computer, including these two:

Visual Studio .Net Version 7… will crash on a PC that also contains IE8 Beta 2. "No workaround is currently available," Microsoft said in the release notes.

"If you install Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2, Windows Live Mail will crash when you create or reply to an e-mail message," Microsoft warned.

24 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

Emilio Lizardo

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:28 on August 29th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Good old Microsoft ...

Time to upgrade everything again ...

Jason Sanders

at 09:33 on August 29th, 2008

Thanks Emilio. This doesn't really affect me since I'm on a Mac; but I know plenty of casual users who won't know what the heck to do when their computer starts vomiting error messages because they upgraded their browser.

adammcelhaney

at 12:40 on August 29th, 2008

Dual monitor screen shot of the same page.

adammcelhaney has contributed a photo to this story.

altrugon

at 14:12 on August 29th, 2008

mmm... it looks like it's going to be another crappy browser.

Seriously, IE6, IE7 and now IE8; how many version do they need to do the things in the right way?

phoenixesrose

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 14:24 on August 29th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff. Thank goodness for Firefox.... and perhaps it tells us a little more about why Bill recently retired... :-D

mrwynd

at 12:08 on September 26th, 2008

mrwynd has contributed a photo to this story.

Greg RPM (not verified)

at 07:57 on June 20th, 2009

I just installe IE8 yesterday, HATE IT !!! It locks up once and hour and freezes occassionally, uses too much memory and slows my computer down. Congrats Microsoft, another crap application !