MS Plays Nasty Again With IE7 Beta 2

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

According to a recent news on InformationWeek seems like MS has been upto their dirty tricks again. This time the medium is IE7 Beta 2 - and the target is the email client Outlook Express/Outlook.

 

Unless you allow IE7 to be the default browser for your system, it somehow manages to break the web-links that come embedded in any of your emails.

 

In other words, if you have Firefox/Opera or any third party browser set as your default, and you click a web-link in one of your emails inside Outlook, it should launch the page in the browser of your choice, right? Not in this case - IE7 Beta 2 silently suppresses that and doesn't allow your browser to start. If you set IE7 as the default browser this problem goes away. The affected clients are the Outlook 2002-2003 series.

 

Here's the article:

Unless made the default Web browser, Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2 reportedly breaks Web links in messages received through at least two versions of the Outlook email client.

 

The problem has been a topic of discussion on IE newsgroups on Microsoft's support site. The problem affects at least Outlook 2000 and 2003, and similar problems also were reported in Outlook Express.

 

If a computer user chooses Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox or some other browser as the default, IE 7 Beta 2 apparently prevents Outlook from launching a browser from an email link. Making IE 7 the default corrects the problem, which was confirmed independently by TechWeb on Outlook 2000.

 

"Happens to me with Firefox set as my default browser," a person, who went by the initials JS said in the newsgroup. "I changed my default browser to IE 7 and everything worked fine. Changed it back to Firefox, and it stopped working.

 

"Lame, if you ask me."

 

At least one IE 7 user reported fixing the problem after reinstalling Windows, but was frustrated with the experience.

 

"I would avoid this build until they fix the Outlook problem," the person, who went by the name Xeonbuilder, said.

 

Microsoft was not immediately available for comment.

 

IE 7 Beta 2 is expected to be last test version of the browser before the final version is released in the summer. IE 7 is scheduled to ship with Windows Vista in January.

 

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/IoT.asp

 

What can I say.. it's so bloody typical of MS.

[cyborgxxi 0]

I just have to say, this is a mad method for "forcing" users to install Internet Explorer 7 and set it as their default browser. Actually, I'll just use the one that is the easiest and most comfortable to use with! And why won't Microsoft do that? I mean, are they all flashy outside and sucky inside? Tsk tsk... I dont know but Microsoft is doing horrible with MSN networks.I hope their Windows Vista is a good one.

[Sarah81 0]

Well, what do you all expect? Where Web browsers are concerned, Microsoft sits at the very bottom of the pile. They have to do *something* to make people use their sorry product, even if it's by force. *smiles*Really though, if they spent half the time developing and bug-fixing that they waste on dumb tricks like this, they would probably have a product that many people wouldn't mind using.

[roggle 0]

Well, what do you all expect? Where Web browsers are concerned, Microsoft sits at the very bottom of the pile. They have to do *something* to make people use their sorry product, even if it's by force. *smiles*
Really though, if they spent half the time developing and bug-fixing that they waste on dumb tricks like this, they would probably have a product that many people wouldn't mind using.

That product is Windows lol.

I have to say that I still like the Office suite though. But yes that's really low...it's like admitting that they're crappy and have to resort to dirty tricks...I wonder what's going through the mind of Bill gates.

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

That product is Windows lol.
I have to say that I still like the Office suite though. But yes that's really low...it's like admitting that they're crappy and have to resort to dirty tricks...I wonder what's going through the mind of Bill gates.

What an appropriate surname eh ?? Bill Gates.. opened the gates of hell and out poured Windows along with all it's minnions and promptly set up an Office on planet earth With the kind of bugs they've in their products, who needs a nuclear warhead.. let alone they're good enough to bug anyone out of existence. Never mind me - just in a crappy mood

[iceblade1405241492 0]

I just have to say, this is a mad method for "forcing" users to install Internet Explorer 7 and set it as their default browser. Actually, I'll just use the one that is the easiest and most comfortable to use with! And why won't Microsoft do that? I mean, are they all flashy outside and sucky inside? Tsk tsk... I dont know but Microsoft is doing horrible with MSN networks.
I hope their Windows Vista is a good one.

Yeah... I can't even get my passport sorted out. It has been messed up for like a year now...

That was hilarious Earthling.

I knew that Internet Explorer had some nasty tricks up its sleeves with the whole you-can't-delete-this-or-windows-will-be-messed-up-bad, but brekaing links...

I wonder if they'll have power over gmail and whatnot? Or, web mail in general?

Hey Google... Maybe not come out with an operating system but you could come out with a web browser fairly easily?

[HellFire121 0]

Heh yep that's definatly typical of microsoft..I don't have to exprience this problem though, i use opera and it's in built mail client. It's good enough plus no need to open any new windows for clicked links.Outlook isn't great.. Mainly because it's slow on my pc. Oh well.. opera's mail is good enough for me-HellFire

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

a very typical predatory tactic right there. I don't understand how Microsoft isn't arrested or shut down for predatory tactic, while other businesses do!xboxrulz