Internet Explorer 8

[Nick29]

Doesn't say much for Microsoft if they knowingly publish a product which is so susceptible to such "havoc" does it?

Since Windows is only a platform on which you can run whatever program you want, I don't see how you can prevent it being susceptible (although anti-malware and anti-virus programs can help).

Even in the days of MS-DOS, it was very easy to write a batch file which could erase whole hard drives when run.  Just think what you can do when you have about 60-odd processes running (and that's only the ones that Windows Manager reports !)  

Because Windows runs so transparently, I think we all tend to forget (or not notice) all the things going on in the background to make it all possible.

[Nick29]

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?

I've yet to have a version of Windows that didn't make itself completely unusable within 2 years, and require installation from scratch ! 

[GrahamH]

Since Windows is only a platform on which you can run whatever program you want, I don't see how you can prevent it being susceptible (although anti-malware and anti-virus programs can help).

Even in the days of MS-DOS, it was very easy to write a batch file which could erase whole hard drives when run.  Just think what you can do when you have about 60-odd processes running (and that's only the ones that Windows Manager reports !)  

Because Windows runs so transparently, I think we all tend to forget (or not notice) all the things going on in the background to make it all possible.

Taking the second point first. The first program I came across which might have been classed as a computer virus was in 1970 and ran on either an IBM 1620 or an ICL 1900 - can't remember which after all this time, the polytechnic concerned had both machines.

Windows, like any operating system, is a bit more than a platform. It is the software which provides standard interfaces to the nuts and bolts of the hardware - which saves application software publishers having to write similar code over and over again (with all the attendant scope for malfunction which that implies).

The extent to which the OS publisher maintains control of devices such as disk drives, printers etc depends on the specification of the OS. Such control is implemented to a much lesser extent these days than in previous years (partly because of the growth in the number of hardware manufacturing companies) but it is defined by particular standards which are part of the OS specification. In the same way, the extent to which susceptability is guarded against depends on the specification of the software.

In all cases the robustness of the OS depends on the extent to which the code is tested to ensure that it meets the specification.

Similar standards apply to application software writers - if they are doing the job properly then they must test their software against the specification. That has always been easier for the publishers of the OS than for other companies of course, simply because they have defined the interfaces.

Given that Microsoft are publishers of both Windows Vista and IE8 they should be able to answer the simple question I posed to them.

Graham

[GrahamH]

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?

I've yet to have a version of Windows that didn't make itself completely unusable within 2 years, and require installation from scratch ! 

Interesting. I bought the machine I am using at the moment on 8th January 2006. Because of the nature of the tasks I use it for I have a large number of application programs installed. I also have rather more peripheral devicess installed than a typical home user would.

I have kept the OS (Windows XP) up to date and have undertaken regular, structured, housekeeping, but have never had to install from scratch.

Graham

[Redroger]

I bought this machine in April 2005, Acer Aspire 1362 Laptop, though it has slowed down, and I had to have a new Hard disk after I dropped it on the stairs at our old house it has never been completely unusuable, though now it is beginning to get to the stage of my previous machine, purchased 1997, and I disposed of it in 2005 since there were hardly any programs that I could run on it.This left me some ancient FH programs which I run in this in W98 using Virtual PC on XP Pro.

[Redroger]

The number of readings of this post (in excess of 1700) suggests to me that many people are concerned about IE8.

[GrahamH]

The number of readings of this post (in excess of 1700) suggests to me that many people are concerned about IE8.

You could well be right Roger.

I've just been trying some more experiments on the Vista machine.

1. Started with IE7 as the default browser and active content from CDs allowed; IE7 opened when the CD was inserted in the drive.
2. Reset the "active content from CDs" flag; IE7 still opened when the CD was inserted in the drive.
3. Reset default browser to Opera; Opera was opened when the CD was inserted in the drive.
4. Reset default browser back to IE7 with "active content from CDs" allowed; IE7 opened when the CD was inserted in the drive.
5. Installed IE8 and made sure that "active content from CDs" allowed; when the CD was inserted in the drive IE8 started to open but then closed without displaying the intro.htm file.
6. Opened Windows Explorer and double clicked the intro.htm file; IE8 opened correctly.
7. Closed IE8; double clicked autorun.exe in Windows Explorer; IE8 started to open but then closed without displaying the intro.htm file.
8. Tried to open autorun.exe by using the Start/Run route; IE8 started to open but then closed without displaying the intro.htm file.
9. Opened IE8 from the Taskbar and tried to open intro.htm from the CD using the File menu; IE8 would not open the file; tried to open another .htm file from the CD using the File menu; IE8 would not open the file.
10. Reset default browser to Opera; Opera was opened when the CD was inserted in the drive.
11. Reset default browser to IE8 and made sure that "active content from CDs" allowed; when the CD was inserted in the drive IE8 started to open but then closed without displaying the intro.htm file.
12. Uninstalled IE8, thus reverting to IE7 as default browser; IE7 opened when the CD was inserted in the drive.
13. Closed IE7 then opened it again from the Taskbar; tried to open intro.htm from the CD using the File menu; IE7 opened the file after insising on doing so in a separate window for security reasons.

Conclusion: More or less as before. IE8 works differently with autorun.exe (and, apparently, other files on CDs) from the way that other browsers work with the program.

It's disconcerting that IE8 should start and then stop without displaying some sort of error or warning message. Either IE8 or the OS (Vista) is obviously trapping what it considers is an abnormal condition. In those circumstances a message to the user should always be displayed.

Graham

[Necromancer]

anything in the Events Log ?

[GrahamH]

anything in the Events Log ?

Absolutely nothing under Internet Explorer.

Several messages in other logs but nothing which appears to be relevant to the problem.

Graham