4 ms·

So the objection is that Internet Explorer has msn.com as its default homepage. This is fair, it's ridiculous and a relic from a long gone age. But so is Inter

So the objection is that Internet Explorer has msn.com as its default homepage. This is fair, it's ridiculous and a relic from a long gone age. But so is Internet Explorer. What kind of super old Windows version were these people running? What caused IE to open out of the blue? Windows has plenty flaws but randomly open browsers is not one I'm familiar with.

nathankunicki 7y ago
The comment on randomly opening windows is fair (I don't see what caused it either), but this was a build VM, not a workstation - there is no reason to upgrade the browser. A more pertinent question is why are MS still shipping IE by default.
- css 7y ago
  A lot of enterprise software from Oracle still requires Java 6 and a J2SE plug-in, which only run in IE for whatever reason.
  - Someone1234 7y ago
    > which only run in IE for whatever reason. Java Applets (and Flash) were built on the NPAPI APIs (as "plug-ins"). Historically NPAPI was supported by every major browser. NPAPI/Plug-ins are insecure/cannot be sandboxed. After Flash died, browsers quickly dropped NPAPI support (namely Opera 2016, Chrome in 2015, Firefox in 2017, Safari in 2018, etc) and Edge never supported it. Internet Explorer is the only browser with a large install-base that still supports native plugins and by extension Java Applet. It is essentially Microsoft's "compatibility" browser, a safe haven for the last remaining ActiveX/NPAPI Plug-ins/Flash/Java Applets/etc. Extensions by contrast are much more secure, as they run completely in a browser's context and can be isolated/sandbox/have permissions, but aren't suitable for running a full speed virtual machine (although Web Assembly could change that) like Java or Flash.
    - cesarb 7y ago
      > Internet Explorer is the only browser with a large install-base that still supports NPAPI and by extension Java Applet. I though plugins on Internet Explorer used ActiveX, not NPAPI. Wikipedia agrees with me (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPAPI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPAPI): "Internet Explorer versions 3 through 5.5 SP2 supported NPAPI [...] Support came via a small ActiveX control (named "plugin.ocx") that acted as a shim [...] Microsoft dropped support in version 5.5 SP2 onwards for security reasons."
      - Someone1234 7y ago
        Changed one word to resolve.
- shawnz 7y ago
  It was a "build VM" running the client edition of Windows. Do you install Ubuntu Desktop on your build VMs and expect Firefox not to be bundled?
  - hrktb 7y ago
    TBF it costs licensing money, like twice as much. Yes, I know, it could be chalked up as cost of doing business, I’m just saying it’s a different question than just choosing between free linux distros for a VM.
    - shawnz 7y ago
      Agreed, I'm not saying that everyone needs to be using Windows Server for every build task, I'm just saying that it's silly to complain about Windows client being engineered for clients by default. If you're knowingly going to take that cost-cutting measure then you ought to accept that the default config will have to be tuned for your use case.
  - nathankunicki 7y ago
    IE was superceded by Edge a long time ago. I'm not arguing for a different choice of browser, I'm arguing for them not to ship deprecated browsers.
SamuelAdams 7y ago
Right? Is it so hard to change the default homepage / new tab page to do nothing? The default settings for IE are for the masses - they want to see a search bar / news site as soon as they open the web browser. If the browser did nothing, a lot of non-technical people would think their internet / device isn't working. Technical users probably don't want to see msn.com, and are OK with opening a blank window. So just change the settings! It's on the first tab!
la_barba 7y ago
I've seen IE launch itself at times after a reboot. When the OS updates & reboots, a lot of apps take this opportunity to update themselves, or maybe its the default behavior on system boot, who knows. After the update they decide to send you to their website - but they fuck up the API call and so IE just shows the default homepage.
- skrebbel 7y ago
  But why IE? Why not Edge? IE hasn't been the default browser for years. And iirc Edge shows some shitty news feed "new tab" screen (without ads). It's still crap, but less crap than msn.com :-)
  - DuskStar 7y ago
    The kind of app that fucks up the API call is probably also the kind that hardcodes IE.
  - AaronFriel 7y ago
    After updating to any of the semi-annual releases in the past few years, Edge is what brings up a page to tell you that your computer updated. I think they're just using it as a glorified and guaranteed installed safe to run HTML viewer. IE does not start up automatically.
  - shawnz 7y ago
    I suspect it actually was Edge and the OP didn't realize
    - skrebbel 7y ago
      And the admin had hand-configured msn.com as the Edge start page?
      - deleted 7y ago
        [deleted]
    - 7y ago
fit2rule 7y ago
>What kind of super old Windows version were these people running? Build-servers.
- belltaco 7y ago
  Why aren't they running Windows Server if it's a server? MSN does not load on IE in Windows Server.
  - fit2rule 7y ago
    Dunno, maybe they have it set up this way to build something, and one of the tools requires IE/Internet access?
xbkingx 7y ago
IE still ships in Win 10, even though Edge is the default. Yes, it sucks, but there are tons of archaic corporate programs and government sites that require it. Some oddly coded old programs will still launch IE if you click links in their About windows (probably hardcoded to launch IE instead of using the system's default url handler).

nathankunicki 7y ago

The comment on randomly opening windows is fair (I don't see what caused it either), but this was a build VM, not a workstation - there is no reason to upgrade the browser. A more pertinent question is why are MS still shipping IE by default.

css 7y ago
A lot of enterprise software from Oracle still requires Java 6 and a J2SE plug-in, which only run in IE for whatever reason.
- Someone1234 7y ago
  > which only run in IE for whatever reason. Java Applets (and Flash) were built on the NPAPI APIs (as "plug-ins"). Historically NPAPI was supported by every major browser. NPAPI/Plug-ins are insecure/cannot be sandboxed. After Flash died, browsers quickly dropped NPAPI support (namely Opera 2016, Chrome in 2015, Firefox in 2017, Safari in 2018, etc) and Edge never supported it. Internet Explorer is the only browser with a large install-base that still supports native plugins and by extension Java Applet. It is essentially Microsoft's "compatibility" browser, a safe haven for the last remaining ActiveX/NPAPI Plug-ins/Flash/Java Applets/etc. Extensions by contrast are much more secure, as they run completely in a browser's context and can be isolated/sandbox/have permissions, but aren't suitable for running a full speed virtual machine (although Web Assembly could change that) like Java or Flash.
  - cesarb 7y ago
    > Internet Explorer is the only browser with a large install-base that still supports NPAPI and by extension Java Applet. I though plugins on Internet Explorer used ActiveX, not NPAPI. Wikipedia agrees with me (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPAPI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NPAPI): "Internet Explorer versions 3 through 5.5 SP2 supported NPAPI [...] Support came via a small ActiveX control (named "plugin.ocx") that acted as a shim [...] Microsoft dropped support in version 5.5 SP2 onwards for security reasons."
    - Someone1234 7y ago
      Changed one word to resolve.
shawnz 7y ago
It was a "build VM" running the client edition of Windows. Do you install Ubuntu Desktop on your build VMs and expect Firefox not to be bundled?
- hrktb 7y ago
  TBF it costs licensing money, like twice as much. Yes, I know, it could be chalked up as cost of doing business, I’m just saying it’s a different question than just choosing between free linux distros for a VM.
  - shawnz 7y ago
    Agreed, I'm not saying that everyone needs to be using Windows Server for every build task, I'm just saying that it's silly to complain about Windows client being engineered for clients by default. If you're knowingly going to take that cost-cutting measure then you ought to accept that the default config will have to be tuned for your use case.
- nathankunicki 7y ago
  IE was superceded by Edge a long time ago. I'm not arguing for a different choice of browser, I'm arguing for them not to ship deprecated browsers.

SamuelAdams 7y ago

Right? Is it so hard to change the default homepage / new tab page to do nothing? The default settings for IE are for the masses - they want to see a search bar / news site as soon as they open the web browser. If the browser did nothing, a lot of non-technical people would think their internet / device isn't working. Technical users probably don't want to see msn.com, and are OK with opening a blank window. So just change the settings! It's on the first tab!

la_barba 7y ago

I've seen IE launch itself at times after a reboot. When the OS updates & reboots, a lot of apps take this opportunity to update themselves, or maybe its the default behavior on system boot, who knows. After the update they decide to send you to their website - but they fuck up the API call and so IE just shows the default homepage.

skrebbel 7y ago
But why IE? Why not Edge? IE hasn't been the default browser for years. And iirc Edge shows some shitty news feed "new tab" screen (without ads). It's still crap, but less crap than msn.com :-)
- DuskStar 7y ago
  The kind of app that fucks up the API call is probably also the kind that hardcodes IE.
- AaronFriel 7y ago
  After updating to any of the semi-annual releases in the past few years, Edge is what brings up a page to tell you that your computer updated. I think they're just using it as a glorified and guaranteed installed safe to run HTML viewer. IE does not start up automatically.
- shawnz 7y ago
  I suspect it actually was Edge and the OP didn't realize
  - skrebbel 7y ago
    And the admin had hand-configured msn.com as the Edge start page?
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
  - 7y ago

fit2rule 7y ago

>What kind of super old Windows version were these people running? Build-servers.

belltaco 7y ago
Why aren't they running Windows Server if it's a server? MSN does not load on IE in Windows Server.
- fit2rule 7y ago
  Dunno, maybe they have it set up this way to build something, and one of the tools requires IE/Internet access?

xbkingx 7y ago

IE still ships in Win 10, even though Edge is the default. Yes, it sucks, but there are tons of archaic corporate programs and government sites that require it. Some oddly coded old programs will still launch IE if you click links in their About windows (probably hardcoded to launch IE instead of using the system's default url handler).