disabling IE

[ne0-reloaded]

is there a way to completely disable the use of IE in xp? i thought going to add/remove windows components would do it, but it just removed the use of if from the desktop. will a group policy do the trick?

thanks

[ComputerBox34]

You can't completly remove IE from XP. It's built in and it's also part of Windows Explorer. The best you can do is make Firefox (which I'm sure you're using) your default browser.

I don't know why everyone likes firefox so much, to me, it seems the same to me as IE. Only difference I see is tabbed browsing. *sigh* :rolleyes:

[M11]

on SP1+:

control panel>add/remove programs>set program access and defaults

Scroll down and check "disable access to this program" next to IE under internet browser.

[MorfiusX]

There's really no way to completely block it. If you disable it from Program and Access Defaults, then if a user were to open my computer, then type in a URL, they would get IE. If you block it via Group Policy, you might have problems with folder browsing and other things because it all uses the same .exe.

If you can convince your organization to go to FireFox accross the board, you can solve many of the IE headaches. But, if your company is anything like mine, you're fighting a losing battle...

[Ice Czar]

for what account?
not the admin, but you can restrict NTFS permissions to it for other accounts

[wallijonn]

You'll need IE to do updates (unless you want to do them manually).

[mosin]

It depends on what you mean by disable. If you want to make it so that no one can get on the machine and use IE for general surfing around, there is a way...

Control Panel/Internet Options/Content/Ratings(set ratings to the max)then, go to General/Create Password (Create a long alphanumeric one, and immediately forget it.)

IE will still be there, and it will go to Windows Updates, but hardly anyplace else. It won't even go to google.com, and no one will be able to do a damned thing about it. :D

For $35, you can buy XPlite which is a tweak program that bypasses Windows Protection to uninstall things like IE. The trouble is that IE is directly related to certain shell features, ones that you probably like. Quick Launch is one example, and XPlite tends to screw with more than what we consider to be just IE. I like it, but your mileage may vary.

If your concern is that maybe someone will accidentally run unwanted scripts on the machine, get noscript.exe (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/win.script.hosting.html), and hide it in a folder someplace.

Also, if you have a firewall like Kerio or Zone Alarm, you can deny IE access to the Internet. Just say no.

If we could get a few hundred million instances of IE disabled, cyberspace would be a safer place. :D

[MorfiusX]

I'm not being a anti-M$ person or anything, but this is one of the things that M$ was fined for by the EU. They've been told to remove IE from the core of Windows. You see how far that's gone...

We were having a problem with Outlook Express where I work. We don't use Outlook, but we couldn't remove the association where Outlook is open when you click a link in a web page. I forcefully removed it and deleted the reg keys on test box. Let's just say Windows wasn't to happy about that. It's really aggravating, especially when you want to replace something like IE with something like FireFox. The only way to do it without crapping out something else is to move to a new OS...

[mosin]

I agree, and it has caused some disagreement between others and me on this forum. All these Microsoft add-ins are a pain in the ass, so far as I'm concerned....and they are security risks, too.

[Ice Czar]

http://www.litepc.com/xplite.html

[ne0-reloaded]

It depends on what you mean by disable. If you want to make it so that no one can get on the machine and use IE for general surfing around, there is a way...

Control Panel/Internet Options/Content/Ratings(set ratings to the max)then, go to General/Create Password (Create a long alphanumeric one, and immediately forget it.)

IE will still be there, and it will go to Windows Updates, but hardly anyplace else. It won't even go to google.com, and no one will be able to do a damned thing about it. :D

For $35, you can buy XPlite which is a tweak program that bypasses Windows Protection to uninstall things like IE. The trouble is that IE is directly related to certain shell features, ones that you probably like. Quick Launch is one example, and XPlite tends to screw with more than what we consider to be just IE. I like it, but your mileage may vary.

If your concern is that maybe someone will accidentally run unwanted scripts on the machine, get noscript.exe (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/win.script.hosting.html), and hide it in a folder someplace.

Also, if you have a firewall like Kerio or Zone Alarm, you can deny IE access to the Internet. Just say no.

If we could get a few hundred million instances of IE disabled, cyberspace would be a safer place. :D

ur suggestion really worked, the only site that can be accessed is windows update. im not using IE at work, im switching it for home use. really i had no problems with IE until i read about the GD+I exploit. that alone made me install firefox and take a bunch of other measures; it almost made me want to go completely linux, but dont feel like having a headache right now. i was reading Redmond Magazine (used to be called Microsoft Certified Professional magazine) and theyre even saying that microsoft should dump IE; seemed odd reading that from a book that basically praises everything MS. The browser is ttoo integrated into the OS, hopefully this will be fixed in Longhorn, but I completely doubt it.

I know this has nothing to do with IE, but i just read that Longhorn wont support WinFS, I guess we're gonna get a tweaked up xp in a few years.....

[mosin]

Just remember to keep a backup Firefox .exe around just in case something goes amiss one day.

I don't understand why Microsoft doesn't dump IE because it causes the company endless aggravation and bad press, and it doesn't bring in the first red cent...unless it is so integrated that they can't figure out how remove it. Removing it should be a Critical Update. Windows Update should give the user a choice, Opera or Firefox, then install that browser and completely remove IE and everything that goes with it.

At the very least, the Windows Update page should have a "Promote Firefox" button. :D

It's OK to dream, right? :)

[Ice Czar]

I don't understand why Microsoft doesn't dump IE

Microsoft's internet browser gets caught in its own web (http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,1318333,00.html)

Here's an interesting question: why is Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) so bad? Not only is it outdated and tired compared with the competition, it is also exceedingly vulnerable to attack.

sinister intermission (http://laurasmidiheaven.com/cgi-bin/midi-display2a.cgi?id=00001308&t=Halloween%3a%20Night%20on%20%20Bald%20Mountain%20%28Mussor gsky%29)


The other explanation is more interesting. It is that Microsoft is trapped. It dare not upgrade its browser and make it more sophisticated in case doing so undermines its Windows and Office monopolies.

[mosin]

Thanks for the link. It is an interesting read, and we do know which way the wind is blowing, don't we? :)

[Phoenix86]

intermission ....la de da
:confused:

You give us an intermission in THAT post? Really, perhaps you should consider those for some of your epic posts with 50 links. ;)

[Ice Czar]

well, to make up for the lack of all those potential intermissions
and in keeping with the Halloween Season, Ive altered the first
and here is another

intermission (http://www.midifilearchive.com/Classical/4MNTKING.MID)


and a secret message :p



Credits
First Intermission
Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

Second Intermission
In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Greig


.....

[ComputerBox34]

well, to make up for the lack of all those potential intermissions
and in keeping with the Halloween Season, Ive altered the first
and here is another

intermission (http://www.midifilearchive.com/Classical/4MNTKING.MID)


and a secret message :p



Credits
First Intermission
Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky

Second Intermission
In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Greig


.....

I see the secret message! Goodie!

[Ice Czar]

you win a virtual cookie :D

Phoenix86 is buying :p

[Phoenix86]

WTF? midi?!?

No cookie for you!

[ComputerBox34]

you win a virtual cookie :D

Phoenix86 is buying :p


Cookies are baaaaaaad, they have spyware. :D

What about my soup with my cookie Phoenix? ;)