The BugBlog

Patch for IE 6 through 8

Microsoft's Security Bulletin MS11-050 fixes Critical bugs in Internet Explorer 6 through 8. This fix patches up some holes that may allow attackers to remotely run hostile code on your computer. Note that the recently-released IE 9 is not affected by this bulletin.

Today is Patch Tuesday

Today is Patch Tuesday - and Microsoft's advance warning of what fixes are in the pipeline is extensive this month. Get ready for critical updates for Windows, .NET Framework, Silverlight, and Internet Explorer, and Important patches for MS Office.

IE 9 Print Preview Problems

Microsoft points out that Internet Explorer 9 speeds up some webpage rendering by moving  some of the processing to the graphics processor. If you have an outdated video driver, it could affect the print preview functions, or even the printing of a webpage. See some of the workaround suggestions from Microsoft here.

Localized Windows May Trip up Internet Explorer 9

Microsoft says if you have a multilingual or localized version of Windows, and the beta version of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) installed, then when you try to install the release version of IE9 you may get tripped up with this error message:
Error code: 0x800f0902
Microsoft has the details on a workaround here. 

Having Problems on World IPv6 Day?

June 8 was a day where many websites, including Google, Facebook and Yahoo, are testing IPv6 connectivity. If you are having problems connecting with a Microsoft product, see their troubleshooting guide here.

IE 8 and the SmartScreen Filter

If you are using MIcrosoft Internet Explorer 8 on a Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7 computer, there is a chance that your personal data can be exposed. Microsoft has an automated fix that scans your computer, sees if this is a problem, and fixes it. See the details.

IE 8 May Lose Your Webmail

After upgrading to Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, you may lose access to your Webmail. According to Microsoft, IE 8 may be trying to use some old information to reach your mail. Deleting your old browsing history may fix this this. Microsoft shows you how.

IE 8 Doesn't Need the Developer Toolbar

If you had the Microsoft Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar installed on an earlier version of IE, and then you upgraded to IE 8, you will see a warning message that the toolbar is incompatible. The good news is that you don't need it, for the same functionality is built in to IE 8. You can find these tools by pressing F12, or by clicking Tools, Developer Tools on the menu.

IE 8 and Web Site Compatibility

Microsoft says that Internet Explorer 8 does a much better job of implementing web standards. (Most independent reviews would agree with it.) However, there may still be problems at some web sites that had depended upon some sort of kludgey workaround to make up for IE 6 or 7's poor practices. Or in Microsoft's words, "with some sites that still rely on the behavior of earlier versions of Internet Explorer." If you run into problems, turn on Compatibility View on the Tools menu.

IE 8 May Disable Add-Ins

Once you install Microsoft Internet Explorer 8, every time you start the browser you may see a warning message saying all your add-ins have been disabled. Microsoft says to fix this, in IE you should click Tools > Options. Go to the Advanced tab, and click Reset. Microsoft then says to follow the on-screen instructions.