Microsoft announces automatic Internet Explorer upgrades for XP, Vista and Windows 7

By Tom Warren, on 15th Dec 11 2:01 pm with 23 Comments

Microsoft announced on Thursday its plans to bring automatic upgrades to Internet Explorer on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

Microsoft is planning to start the automatic updates in January for customers in Australia and Brazil who have automatic updating enabled via Windows Update. “The Web overall is better – and safer – when more people run the most up-to-date browser,” said Microsoft’s Ryan Gavin in a blog post on Thursday. “Our goal is to make sure that Windows customers have the most up-to-date and safest browsing experience possible, with the best protections against malicious software such as malware.”

Microsoft’s automatic updates for Internet Explorer will ensure web users are better protected whilst surfing online. The software maker will also provide ways to block the automatic updates, particularly useful in enterprise and business environments. The Internet Explorer 8 and 9 Automatic Update Blocker toolkit will prevent upgrades of IE for customers who do not wish to upgrade immediately. “Customers who have declined previous installations of IE8 or IE9 through Windows Update will not be automatically updated,” explained Gavin. “Future versions of IE will provide an option in the product for consumers to opt out of automatic upgrading.”

Recent builds of Windows 8 include automatic updates enabled for Internet Explorer 10. Windows 8 build 8158 demonstrates that the option is enabled in the about Internet Explorer dialog box, named “Install new versions automatically.”

Automatic updates for Internet Explorer 10

  • GP007

    How about we get a IE10 dev preview for Windows 7 a well, or do we have to wait for the official beta?

  • http://hackerthedude.blogspot.com/ HTD

    Internet EX-plorer 6

  • Anonymous

    I want PASTE AND GO, are you reading this MS, P.A.S.T.E A.N.D G.O…..gah!

    • http://www.jonathankay.com Jonathan Kay

      It’s there in IE9, just not in the address bar. Right-click anywhere on a page, and you’ll see “Go to copied address” if it’s a URL or “Search using copied text” if it’s just text in the clipboard. Ctrl-Shift-L works too.

    • http://twitter.com/Mibbo96 Mikael Dúi Bolinder

      Have you tried Windows Developer Preview? The Metro versian of IE10 doesn’t have a right-click menu :) When clicking right, you’ll see your tabs and address bar. But then you also have that old desktop UI ;)

    • http://my.opera.com/wikipedian Thu Win

      Umm just tested it and highlight URL but did not give the opportunity to URL like other browsers (i.e. Firefox, Chrome, Opera, etc).

      I am using this accelerator to add that functionality: http://tcgcomputers.tech.officelive.com/openurlaccelerator.aspx

    • http://my.opera.com/wikipedian Thu Win

      I am using this accelerator to add that functionality: http://tcgcomputers.tech.officelive.com/openurlaccelerator.aspx

  • http://www.facebook.com/vigants Vigants Lesausks

    I think that everything in software world should be automatically updated. Phones, computers (os, apps, settings etc), firmwares…

    • Anonymous

      The big problem with that methodology is that some times software companies like removing features at a later update or some sort of error they overlooked renders the application useless. Not that this happens often.

    • Guest

      Automatic update means they effectively have admin access to your drives. Where do you draw the line? Do you want some 3rd rate software company to have access to your system without knowing when or where? Then you wake up one day and turn on your device and have no idea why it’s borked?

      No thanks. I don’t even trust MS to do this. I have updates set to download but notify before installing.

    • Anonymous

      So you’re ok with the plumber walking into your house after you purchase it and changing your kitchen sink because he thinks it’s better for you?

      Just trying to explain to you what your statement really means.

    • http://profiles.google.com/fromparistonewyork Aurélien Ramondou

      he said “software”

    • http://my.opera.com/wikipedian Thu Win

      Umm… all software is already updated automatically.  From your Sky box to your router, which all pull updates when you are asleep and install them.

    • http://my.opera.com/wikipedian Thu Win

      Yeah but they need to tell the user first so that I don’t corrupt the installation by shutting down the PC or do something that may interupt the installation.

  • Anonymous

    I think this is a good idea or home users, as the majority either find it ‘painful’ to have to witness silly things like updating (omg, I have to actually DO something to my computer so it won’t get infected?? *big dramatic whiny sigh*).

    For businesses that need version control, I appreciate the ability to control this feature.

  • http://twitter.com/RobCannon Rob Cannon

    Now they just need to update IE more often since things are moving fast in HTML standards right now.

    • Anonymous

      Things are moving fast in HTML Standards? Really? I would say things are moving faster than they used to maybe but definitely not “fast”.

      This whole concept of hey let’s update our browser with tiny shit and call it a release is bound to create market exhaustion.

      The end user will eventually stop preceiving value with quantity vs quality and more importantly the people who operate in the ecosystem around these browsers will throw their hands up and say phuck it we’ll just wait until X date in the not so distant future and do a combined update until then tell customers to not use the latest and greatest if they want their applications to run and customers will do that because there is nothing earth shattering in these micro releases.

      With that said, I’d like to see Microsoft introduce sanity to the browser world again. A decent browser with a healthy update stream at a manageable pace. I would say 3 to 4 times a year would be ideal.

    • http://twitter.com/Paul_IRL1 Paul Hill

      I like ff fast release, im a geek and like new stuff :P furthermore I don’t see the browser nor any other software other than games as a ‘product’ more a tool to use.

    • http://my.opera.com/wikipedian Thu Win

      I think FF is moving too fast, breaking compatability with other softwares, especially security products like Norton Internet Security, which have to rush updates just to make their product compatible with the latest version of Firefox.

  • http://my.opera.com/wikipedian Thu Win

    I could have sworn that Interenet Explorer is already updated automatically.  Isn’t it pulled by Microsoft Update to be installed automatically?

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