File C Users

In Internet Explorer, Bing is suggesting URLs of files on other people's local computers. Perhaps local files shouldn't be used to create URL suggestions made to others. Perhaps.

Is there a problem here?

Sorry, you may not install other browsers

I have a new computer. One of the first things I do once I get it set up enough to connect to the Internet, is attempt to install a browser other than Internet Explorer.

I start with Chrome.



That's not good. The installer failed. I try again and get the same error. However, on the second attempt it doesn't show me the Chrome terms of use. I click the "Show me help for this issue." link.




Cool! Google has no information about the error.

However, Internet Explorer reports an error viewing this web page telling me there is no information on the error.



Nice. Null is null. Anyway, I'm getting distracted. So I go try another browser.

This time I try Firefox.



That doesn't work either.

To make a long story short, I discovered that I had to turn Internet Explorer's "Protected Mode" off and restart the browser. Even then, I could download and install Firefox but not Chrome. I then had to download Chrome using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.

Does "Protection Mode" refer to protecting me from all browsers that aren't from Microsoft? ;)

On the Bleeding Edge of Technology

To file an Arizona state tax return online, you can use Internet Explorer 6 or Firefox 1, but not Chrome.

"So, for some strange reason, I find this error really funny. Any idea why? #microsoft" - @CajunTechie

It appears that even Microsoft has trouble identifying browsers.

Is your computer a public file server?

"A successful compromise will result in an attacker being able
to blindly read every single file in the local drive"
- Jorge Luis Alvarez Medina, CORE Security Technologies


"Our investigation so far has shown that if a user is using a version of Internet Explorer that is not running in Protected Mode an attacker may be able to access files with an already known filename and location."

- Microsoft

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More:

Microsoft Warns of Another IE Bug

ChannelWeb

An attacker could then break into a user's machine to access data stored on a remote hard drive, if they knew the exact file name and location.


Nasty new IE bug exposes your files (please panic now!)

Richi Jennings, ComputerWorld Blogs

Microsoft has confirmed a thoroughly revolting vulnerability in all versions of Internet Explorer. It means that bad guys can read your files remotely.


Microsoft responds to Black Hat talk with IE bug advisory

SC Magazine

The software giant admitted to the vulnerability after researchers at Core Security Technologies, provider of penetration testing software, revealed the issue during a presentation this week at the Black Hat conference in Washington, D.C.



Abusing Insecure Features of Internet Explorer

Jorge Luis Alvarez Medina, Core Labs

Design features of Internet Explorer that entail low security risk if considered individually but can lead to interesting attack vectors when combined together.

Stack overflow at line 0

Submitted by Rafat Fatima.



And what does this mean to a user of Yahoo! Mail?

Trust

How about telling me which site is "this site"? How about an option to see what company I "have not chosen to trust"?

How about more options than Yes and No to an ambiguous question?  I'd like to ask some clarifying questions. How about giving me an option to view the certificate information before making a decision to proceed?


A warning without sufficient information to enable me to make an intelligent decision isn't very helpful.

After seeing this a few times, users aren't likely to see a warning worth consideration. Instead they will (mentally) see a prompt that says something like:

Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah. 

Never mind the text.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Tap "Yes" 

to make this obstacle 

go away 

and continue to

accomplish your task.

Mobile GMail: Where art thou?

There seems to be a problem with mobile GMail.  I don't know what 0x8007054f means but it doesn't seem to be a good thing. I can't get to my email.  Windows Mobile won't let me select and copy text from a dialog. I'm going to have to try to remember this number in order to search for the error code.

A Google search for the code reveals a bunch of results about errors installing Windows XP updates.  No help there. I'll have to wait and read email when I can get to a computer.




I am still getting the error 10 hours later.




Some times I get the above instead of the error 0x8007054f dialog.  I can access other web sites, so I don't think it is a problem with my wireless carrier.




Googling for Gmail and clicking a link in the results gives the same error.




I try a different browser. SkyFire can access the full-featured Gmail.




However, continually zooming and panning to read and write email on the tiny phone screen is going to be cumbersome.

I want my mobile Gmail back.

Handler could not be removed

I want to view a blog post, not remove a handler.

Ridiculous?

aravindajith - Most ridiculous error of the decade! 

portfolia - @aravindajith That drives me absolutely crazy.
 
gosquared - Oh dear. This error makes me feel sick
 
krizsa - Wow..



I don't believe warning users that a site may not be compatible with their browser is ridiculous -- if it actually isn't compatible.  However, I don't think that's the case here.

I tried this site with IE7, Firefox 3.5, and Chrome.  I got no warning dialog with IE7. I got two of them with Firefox. And with Chrome, I got one warning dialog.

I then explored the site and found nothing that failed to work with Chrome or Firefox.

A quick look at the page source reveals checks for browser names of WebTV and Navigator that trigger error dialogs.  I thought that, perhaps, this check for WebTV and Navigator is code that's been on the site for a very long time. So I took a look at the WayBack Machine and discovered that the code was likely added around January 2007.  Perhaps a lot of people use WebTV in Aggieland.

A modern web browser

According to blip.fm, the Internet Explorer packaged with Windows Mobile 5.2 (Released in 2007) is not a modern web browser. I think they may be right.

Thanks for the warning that things could get wacky.




I wish I could put any of the recommended browsers on this device.



Okay, things got wacky. The site doesn't work in this browser.

Undefined is null or not an object

@scottpatton: an IE script error on an atm? tha makes me feel "safe". NOT!!!!!!

Nothing increases confidence in banking technology like Internet Explorer script errors on ATM machines. ;)

Price Check

Tweeted by ersonline.



Internet Explorer on the price check scanner reports that the server can't be found. I'd expect a better customized error page for an embedded device like this. Perhaps it was assumed that the scanner would always have a good connection to the server.

I bet the cash registers will have no trouble getting the price.  Or is everything free while the server can't be reached.

Internet Explorer requires Internet Explorer?

Alan Simkins reports:

Attempting to add a search provider (Google) to the list, using their standard page gives an ‘error on page’ error. However, there is a facility to add your own providers to the list.


Using this facility evokes the following error message:



Nice to know, but what’s the point??

Scan the barcode to find the price!

“500 internal server error when trying to scan my subcard at warehouse stationary price checker. Lol.” - @nate_dunn

Might this machine return an HTTP 500 error anytime a scanned code is not in the system? Let's bring in some bar codes and test it out. ;)

You're using a browser that's not fully supported

“major #microsoft #fail. why am I not surprised at all?” - @sean808080

Really!? The Microsoft store does not support Internet Explorer?

Welcome to Internet Explorer 8

I have a new computer. As happens during the first few weeks with a new computer, I find myself spending a lot of time installing and updating software.  This includes many automatic updates by Windows and other software packages that keep the system busy downloading and installing all the patches that have been released since whenever the maker of the computer created the disk image. Many of these automatic updates require that I restart the computer.

One of the latest restarts was due to upgrading Internet Explorer from version 7 to version 8. On reboot, the system launches IE8 and leads me through several configuration options. Eventually it takes me to the browser and displays a Welcome to IE8 page.



Most of my display is consumed by a picture that links to a video introducing Internet Explorer 8. Although IE is not my primary browser choice, I am interested in how it differs from IE7.  I click the video image. Media Player launches.

As I watch the loading progress indicator in Media Player grow, I'm thinking it odd that the video didn't play embedded in the web page.

Then an error dialog appears.



It appears that my computer doesn't have the required video codec for Microsoft's IE8 introduction video.

I think "Why isn't this packaged with IE8 or Windows? Is Microsoft not using a standard codec for their videos?"

I then start thinking of my last experience with missing video codecs: an experience that led me down some shady alleys of the Internet that resulted in getting a computer infected with all kinds of Trojan crap that still effects that computer. Even removing the crap with virus and spyware programs didn't fix it.  I even ended up paying $50 for codecs from a legit company and still can't play most WMV videos on that system. I don't dare go down that path again.

I reluctantly follow the instructions and click the Web Help button. This takes me to a Microsoft Windows Media help page about the error.



At the bottom of the help page, there's a link to a web site at which I'm told I may be able to find a codec to download. I click it.



I then get a page stating that Microsoft has retired the web site to which their software sent me to find the codec I need to view their video that introduces Internet Explorer 8.

So, now more intrigued by what it will take to get the video to play than any interest in the video, I do a Google search for the missing codec.

I immediately notice the red and yellow icons put on the page by McAfee Site Advisor indicating that sites are known distributors of malicious code.  As I view the first few pages of results, I see warnings for many of the sites in the results.  Most of the search results appear to be discussion forums with others complaining about missing this same codec.

I then go back to the first page of results and see that the second result is a support.microsoft.com URL.  Hopeful, I click it.

This is looking hopeful.  I scroll further down the page and read "This problem occurs because the WVC1 decoder is not included together with Windows XP."

I think "Not included?  Why not?  If not included with Windows XP, why not with the Internet Explorer 8 upgrade?  And if Microsoft knows it isn't included with XP or IE8, why would they pick it for the video introducing users to IE8?"

I click the download link.  My screen goes blank.  I wait. My screen just glows with the bluish white of the LCD backlight.  My computer has crashed.



Frustrated, I hold down the power button to force a shutdown.  I turn the computer back on, wait for Windows XP to boot, login, and then launch Internet Explorer to try again. I go back to the Microsoft support site and click the download again. This time it doesn't crash the computer.




I run the patch install.

I see that it warns me to back up my system and close all open programs.  Already frustrated that viewing a video has been so painful, I'm not going to spend more time backing up my system.  I proceed with the install.

I'm shown a long license agreement, part of which appears to be in French instead of English.  I select "I Agree" to something I neither have the patience or skill to understand.



Upon clicking next, the setup tells me that it is Backing up my files.  I wonder why it told me to backup at the start if it is backing up impacted files now.



Eventually the install completes. After closing the installer, I try to view the video again.

The Media Player stops responding when I press play.



Clicking the End Now button seems to do nothing.  I click it multiple times before it finally kills the process.

Now, after all this trouble, I'm asked if I want to tell Microsoft about this problem.



I click the Don't Send button while thinking "I'm not sending any error report, but I am blogging this!".

Not being one to give up too easily, I try one more time and am able to play the video.




Finally, the video is playing but I no longer care what features are new to IE8. After this experience, I don't plan on using it any more than absolutely necessary.

Maybe now is a good time to install an alternate media player. :-)

Blogger not Playing Well with Internet Explorer

I upload an image to Blogger from Picasa using the BlogThis! button. Picasa launches Internet Explorer so that I can write/edit a blog post using the image. However, the page doesn't display properly. Tabs are missing, buttons don't work, and the edit box isn't formatted properly. Edits aren't saved when I click the Save button. This used to work with Internet Explorer 7.

Firefox, my preferred browser, seems to work just fine.

Does anyone read this stuff?

Who in their right mind expects anyone to read, understand, and accept 78 mobile device screens full of legalese to install a Windows Mobile application? (Yeah, I counted 78.)

If reading an agreement is made so difficult that most people will be discouraged people from doing it, will it hold up in court?

WARNING: Others might see what you publish on the Internet

I just clicked the PUBLISH POST button. I expect others to be able to see the information.