Internet Explorer 8

[RJ_Paton]

I believe that IE8 was specially developed for Vista. Is this likely to mean that when Windows 7 is generally available there are likely to be problems running IE8 with it?

No, W7 runs from a very similar core to Vista and there should be no problems.

[Redroger]

That's a relief as I intend to go for it and hopefully make a clean start.

[Nick29]

I did mention reason as well as solution. All I have had from Microsoft is advice to ring a premium rate number. They have not said anything about knowing about the problem.

I'm interested though. Does Autorun work with all programs (including IE8) or just some (such as Acrobat Reader)?

Autorun works on all programs on my PC.  There is no change from IE6 and IE7.  As for keeping up to date with software bugs, "Google is your friend" 

I have to take issue there. So called "beta testing" is not testing. Proper testing requires that the input data, action of the software on the data and expected result are all known.

Hardware and software permutations are irrelevant because the individual software instructions are acting on a definable number of variables and it matters not how those variables are generated.....

Rubbish !  Your auto-run problem could well be a driver problem with your CD drive.  If things were as clear-cut as you insist they are, then problems seen by one person would be seen by all, and from people's reported experiences, this is clearly not the case.   I remember when writable CD's first came on to the market, and I couldn't make up my mind which CD writer program was the best, so I loaded three different programs, and I couldn't work out why the programs suddenly didn't work any more, and then the penny dropped that it was the program drivers conflicting with each other.  Similarly, Spybot Search & Destroy causes slow opening of tabs in IE8 because it fills IE8's blocked site list with hundreds if not thousands of entries.

One of the problems with Windows is that your system in time gets bogged down with dozens of programs which are memory-resident, but you hardly ever use them.  It's even worse with Vista, apparently, because more stuff gets pre-loaded for faster program loading.  These pre-loaded features and memory-resident programs can cause havoc when they interact with each other.

[Nick29]

I believe that IE8 was specially developed for Vista. Is this likely to mean that when Windows 7 is generally available there are likely to be problems running IE8 with it?

No, W7 runs from a very similar core to Vista and there should be no problems.

Unless the version of Windows 7 RC didn't come from a reputable source.......

"A Trojan buried within counterfeit copies of Windows 7 RC was used to build a botnet of compromised PCs" (The Register)

[Redroger]

Since computers are slowed down by a build up of little used material is it then a good idea as some advocate to have a complete format and reinstallation done periodically, say annually?

[GrahamH]

Autorun works on all programs on my PC.  There is no change from IE6 and IE7.  As for keeping up to date with software bugs, "Google is your friend" 

Thank you for that. The bug could well be to do with settings of flags then. Still strange, if it is though, that Microsoft could not tell me how to correct it.

Rubbish !  Your auto-run problem could well be a driver problem with your CD drive.  If things were as clear-cut as you insist they are, then problems seen by one person would be seen by all, and from people's reported experiences, this is clearly not the case.   I remember when writable CD's first came on to the market, and I couldn't make up my mind which CD writer program was the best, so I loaded three different programs, and I couldn't work out why the programs suddenly didn't work any more, and then the penny dropped that it was the program drivers conflicting with each other.  Similarly, Spybot Search & Destroy causes slow opening of tabs in IE8 because it fills IE8's blocked site list with hundreds if not thousands of entries.

I hardly think a driver problem would manifest itself by conflicting with a web browser. In this case the web browser has nothing to do with the CD drive other than it is reading a file from the CD. Your experience with the different pieces of CD writer software will have been due to the fact that you had several software programs trying to control the same hardware. Similar things occurred with early Twain drivers linked to scanners.

I wouldn't comment on Spybot because I don't use it - good job from what you say.

One of the problems with Windows is that your system in time gets bogged down with dozens of programs which are memory-resident, but you hardly ever use them.  It's even worse with Vista, apparently, because more stuff gets pre-loaded for faster program loading.  These pre-loaded features and memory-resident programs can cause havoc when they interact with each other.

I wouldn't argue with that because I've been well aware of Microsoft OS deficiencies since the days of MS-DOS. Doesn't say much for Microsoft if they knowingly publish a product which is so susceptible to such "havoc" does it?
The last time I actually remember such problems was back in the 1970s with DOS for the IBM 360, which didn't protect the machine's main memory properly. IBM overcame that by partitioning. If it worked then why not now?
However, in this case, the Vista machine is one that is used for backup in the main so does not have a large number of programs loaded to cause such problems.

The problem in detail is this. We are running genealogy CDs containing scanned images of out-of-copyright books. The images are stored on the CDs as .gif files and displayed in the user's default web browser using basic HTML code so that they work in any browser on any OS from Windows 3.1 onwards.
The CDs contain the autorun.exe program and a file called autorun.inf which contains the following simple code:
[autorun]
open=autorun.exe intro.htm
Under a Windows OS where Autoplay is enabled this normally means that the user's default browser is opened when the CD is inserted into the drive and displays the intro.htm file.

The problem we have on the Vista machine in question is:
1) Default browser is IE7; Opera browser is also installed on the machine; IE7 is opened when the CD is inserted in the drive.
2) Windows update installs IE8; IE8 does not open when CD is inserted into the drive; IE8 does open when the intro.htm file is double clicked in Windows Explorer (proving that the .htm file type is associated with IE8)
3) Default browser is reset to Opera; Opera is opened when the CD is inserted in the drive.
4) Default browser is reset back to IE8; IE8 does not open when the CD is inserted in the drive.
5) IE8 is uninstalled which reverts to IE7 as default browser; IE7 is opened when the CD is inserted in the drive.

Conclusion: IE8 works differently with autorun.exe from the way that other browsers work with the program.
That may be a deliberate act on the part of Microsoft - but if it is they should be able to explain why and how to overcome the problem.
If it is not a deliberate act then it is a bug and Microsoft should either provide a solution or admit that they do not have a solution.

The fact that autorun.exe opens IE8 correctly on your machine points to the problem being caused by:
1) flags being set to the wrong values (in which case Microsoft should be able to say what flag settings are required)
2) something random which has not been picked up in testing (which points to an inadequate testing regime being used).

Either way we come back to the fact that Microsoft have not responded appropriately.

Graham

[RJ_Paton]

In IE8 the default setting is that Autorun of "Active Content"from CD is disabled

[wyndham]

Redroger - I was going to say - you can bet your life!  However I think it's a case of wait and see as Nick has already pointed out that most users' systems are particular to them and may result in different actions or lack of.

[GrahamH]

In IE8 the default setting is that Autorun of "Active Content"from CD is disabled

First thing I looked for, well before contacting Microsoft. Unfortunately, enabling active content did not work.

The really annoying thing isn't that something has changed. I can live with the fact that software publishers have the right to change how their software works. When that happens, though, the publisher should be able to provide documentation detailing the change. It is where (in the case of a deliberate change) they don't do that or (in the case of a bug) they don't admit to the problem that I find it really annoying.

I am still awaiting further contact from Microsoft but I bet I end up wasting time delving into the OS to find a solution myself. Thought those days had ended when I gave up programming 

Graham