Microsoft targets IE6, IE7 users with browser upgrade next week
Will offer IE8 via Windows Update first, plans WSUS push in July
Computerworld - Microsoft Corp. will begin pushing Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) to users running the older IE6 and IE7 browsers next week, the company has announced.
Although people running earlier versions of IE8 have been seeing upgrade offers since Microsoft released the final code last month, only now is the company getting around to posting the new browser on Windows Update.
"Starting on or about the third week of April, users still running IE6 or IE7 on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 will get a notification through Automatic Update about IE8," said Eric Hebenstreit, a lead program manager on the IE8 team, in an entry to a company blog.
Microsoft plans to ramp up the offer over time, so not all IE8 and IE7 users will see the pitch immediately.
Unlike other updates, which can download and install automatically per the user's settings, IE8 may download to the PC -- but it requires the user's consent to install.
As Microsoft did when it issued IE7 in 2006, the company will let users reject or delay the installation. Before IE8 begins to install, users will see a splash screen that gives them three choices: "Ask me later," "Install" and "Don't Install." Users who pick the first option will be offered IE8 the next time that the PC conducts an update scan.
In January, Microsoft not only spelled out the IE8 upgrade offer, but also released a tool kit for IT administrators who want to block the new browser from reaching machines on their networks. The tool kit, which is still available from Microsoft's site, can stymie IE8 indefinitely.
The tool kit will have no affect on machines that pull Microsoft's updates via Windows Service Update Services (WSUS) or Systems Management Server (SMS), however. If Update Rollups are configured for automatic installation on WSUS, for example, IE8 will automatically install throughout the organization. Hebenstreit said that the browser will be fed to WSUS and SMS in July.
Users who don't want to wait for Windows Update to offer IE8 can manually download the browser.
According to Web metrics vendor Net Applications Inc., IE8's market share last week was 3.7%, up from 3.3% the week before and 2.7% two weeks ago.
Read more about Windows in Computerworld's Windows Topic Center.



- Excel 2010 Cheat Sheet
- Register for this Computerworld Insider Cheat Sheet and gain access to hundreds of premium content articles, guides, product reviews and more.
- VMware View Optimization Guide for Windows 7
- This document provides guidelines for configuring a standard Windows 7 image to be used within a VMware View™ environment, providing administrators with the...
- Microsoft Volume Licensing Comparison - Small/Med. Business
- This quick-reference document lets small and medium organizations (i.e. those with five or more devices) to easily compare the available Microsoft Volume Licensing...
- Microsoft Volume Licensing Comparison - Enterprise
- With this quick-reference document, you can easily compare the available Microsoft Volume Licensing programs for enterprise organizations with 250+ devices, and tailor a...
- Microsoft Open Value Program Guide
- In this overview, see how Microsoft Open Value provides a flexible, affordable way for small to midsize organizations (i.e. those with five or...
- HP Software Licensing & Management Solutions for Microsoft
- See how HP Software Licensing & Management Solutions (SLMS) can help you identify the best Microsoft licensing program for your needs, get the... All Windows White Papers
- Optimizing Networks for the Cloud
- Join guest speaker, Rohit Mehra, IDC Director of Enterprise Communications Infrastructure, to explore current trends, discuss best practices for optimizing Data Center and...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 2: Designing and Deploying SQL Server on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn about the design considerations for virtualizing SQL workloads, performance and scalability information and high-availability options, as well as...
- Apps QuickStart Series Part 1: Designing and Deploying Exchange 2010 on VMware vSphere
- Download this webcast to learn the virtual hardware design considerations for Exchange 2010, deployment using the building block approach, options for high-availability and...
- Customer Spotlight: How IPC The Hospitalist Company Implemented Oracle on VMware
- Have you been looking to hear about customer's experiences with the new VMware vCenter Site Recovery Manager product? View this webcast to learn...
- Virtualize Business-Critical Applications with Confidence
- Virtualizing business-critical applications has become a key focus for organizations as they move along their virtualization journey. With the launch of VMware vSphere®... All Windows Webcasts