Internet Explorer Ballot

On March 1st Microsoft will release a new update that will allow you to choose which browser you want to use. Of course you can already do this but most computer users are either quite happy with Internet Explorer or haven’t a clue what an alternative browser is.

Via Windows Update, Windows users will be presented with the Microsoft Browser Ballot from 1 March, which will force users to choose between the five most popular browsers presented in random order.

Once the browser ballot is downloaded and installed, the browser choice system will automatically unpin Internet Explorer from the taskbar, so if that's where you'd like it to be, you'll have to go back and add it again. IE won't be uninstalled but you will have to positively choose it instead of it being the default browser as now. Windows will then pop up a first screen explaining what is going on.

The next screen of the ballot will display in random order a selection of 12 browsers, including Google's Chrome, Mozilla's Firefox and Apple's Safari, as well as the Opera browser and Microsoft's own IE8.

Under each browser icon, there is the option to install it or find out more - or defer the decision to later. Once you have done this, you can carry on working as normal.

My personal opinion is that this is the most stupid ‘fix’ that has come out of Brussels in a long time. It is fine for geeks and wire heads who hate anything with Microsoft written on it but for the ordinary computer user it is a solid nightmare. Most of the folk I looked after before I retired just want a computer that works and couldn’t care less about the internal politics of the EEC or its pissing contest with Microsoft. I personally don’t want some nameless chair warmer from Brussels trying to influence my choices about how I use my computers or which software I have installed. I can see no valid reason for them to interfere in what I do or the choices I make so what can we do about it?

First, don’t download the fix or install it if your computer is set to download updates automatically. If by some accident you do install the fix then uninstall it. That should keep your computer in the same condition it is now.

I am going to write to my MEP and complain about them messing with the computers I have bought with my own hard earned money. I feel they weren’t sent to Brussels to waste time and money persecuting Microsoft.

If by March 2nd you can’t find Internet Explorer and your home page has vanished don’t panic. Just Go to Start > All Programs and open Internet Explorer. Go to Tools on the Menu Bar and click on the Programs Tab. At the top click on the Make Default button and Internet Explorer is back to being your default browser. Then go again to Start > All Programs and find Internet Explorer. This time right click on it and one of the options is Pin to Start Menu. That will put IE at the top of the Start Menu. Last but not least go to Start and drag the New IE Icon down onto the Taskbar where it will make a new icon to replace the one that had vanished.