Browser Choice Screen: Update Starts in March
Between the middle of March and the end of May 2010, Microsoft will be providing a browser choice update to users of XP onwards. The update will allow alternative browser installation.
According to a Microsoft press release, Windows users from XP and upwards with Internet Explorer installed as default browser will receive a software update via a browser choice screen. This will enable them to easily define and install an alternative web browser as standard. According to the press release the move will begin with a short test period and should be completed by middle May. The update is said to deactivate but not uninstall Internet Explorer. In Windows 7, IE will automatically be removed from the taskbar but can be recalled as a quick-start button via the program menu.
In his blog posting, Microsoft's Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Dave Heiner, explains the browser choice screen in detail. Tests by Windows manufacturers will take place in France, Belgium and the United Kingdom before being rolled out in Germany and other European countries the middle of March. Software for the screen will reach computers in the form of an automatic update. For Windows users whose settings ask them to first confirm the download, the update is optional. The browser installation software starts with the first log in to IE after the update, then according to users wishes: after the preview screenshots (see gallery) a relevant link will appear on the Windows desktop.
The update is a result of a
resolution between Microsoft and the European Union, arrived at in December 2009. The simplified installation of alternative browsers is valid only in Europe. A dozen browsers are available including Firefox, Opera and Google Chrome. The software presents the browsers in random order, which according to Dave Heiner, is part of the EU agreement.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Go-Based Botnet Attacking IoT Devices
Using an SSH credential brute-force attack, the Go-based PumaBot is exploiting IoT devices everywhere.
-
Plasma 6.5 Promises Better Memory Optimization
With the stable Plasma 6.4 on the horizon, KDE has a few new tricks up its sleeve for Plasma 6.5.
-
KaOS 2025.05 Officially Qt5 Free
If you're a fan of independent Linux distributions, the team behind KaOS is proud to announce the latest iteration that includes kernel 6.14 and KDE's Plasma 6.3.5.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 Now Available
The latest Linux kernel is now available with several new features/improvements and the usual bug fixes.
-
Microsoft Makes Surprising WSL Announcement
In a move that might surprise some users, Microsoft has made Windows Subsystem for Linux open source.
-
Red Hat Releases RHEL 10 Early
Red Hat quietly rolled out the official release of RHEL 10.0 a bit early.
-
openSUSE Joins End of 10
openSUSE has decided to not only join the End of 10 movement but it also will no longer support the Deepin Desktop Environment.
-
New Version of Flatpak Released
Flatpak 1.16.1 is now available as the latest, stable version with various improvements.
-
IBM Announces Powerhouse Linux Server
IBM has unleashed a seriously powerful Linux server with the LinuxONE Emperor 5.
-
Plasma Ends LTS Releases
The KDE Plasma development team is doing away with the LTS releases for a good reason.