Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
As you all know Microsoft has released final RTM version of Internet Explorer 9.0 (IE9).
Its available for Windows Vista, 7, Server 2008 and Server 2008 R2. You can install it in both32-bit and 64-bit systems.
Its available in approx. 40+ languages. You can download it in the language that matches your version of Windows or choose the English version, which works with all versions of Windows Vista and Windows 7.
English:
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
This document contains step-by-step instructions for setting up multiple copies of Windows XP Mode on a Windows 7 PC in order to run Internet Explorer 6, 7, and 8 simultaneously with IE9 in Windows 7. Windows XP Mode is available on Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions.
These instructions assume a moderate degree of experience working with your PC and are provided “as-is” for developers comfortable performing its steps.
Installing Windows XP Mode
1. Configure your PC’s BIOS for Hardware-Assisted Virtualization (HAV) by following the instructions here. HAV is not required but XP Mode will run much better if hardware-assisted virtualization can be enabled.
2. Navigate to the Download Windows XP Mode page. Choose your Windows 7 edition and language and then download, save, and run Windows XP Mode setup. Depending on the speed of your Internet connection, this can take up to an hour.
3. Return to the Download Windows XP Mode page, if needed choose your Windows 7 edition and language again, then download, save, and run Windows Virtual PC setup. You will need to restart your PC after this installation.
4. After restart, click the Windows 7 Start button, select All Programs > Windows Virtual PC > Windows XP Mode to begin first-time setup of the Windows XP Mode virtual machine. When first-time setup completes, you’ll find yourself in an XP Mode window with IE6 pre-installed.
5. Install an anti-virus program in the XP Mode virtual machine. Microsoft Security Essentials is free and works well with Windows XP Mode.
6. Install all the important and high priority updates except IE7 or IE8 using the Custom option of Window Update (this assumes you want this first virtual machine to stay with IE6). Since Windows Update will keep pushing either IE7 or IE8 on you, you should open each of these and choose “Don’t show this update again.”
7. Install any other software or utilities that you want available in the XP Mode virtual machine.
Once you’ve configured this first virtual machine, you can move onto copying it to create two more: one for IE7 and one for IE8. To do that, close all open applications then close your Windows XP Mode virtual machine. By default, the virtual machine will hibernate but that seems to be okay for the following steps.
Create a Second XP Mode Virtual Machine for IE7
Creating a second XP Mode virtual machine for IE7 is easier than setting up the first though the steps below are longer because they’re more complete. Briefly, all you need to do is copy the virtual hard disk file, create a new virtual machine using that hard disk file, rename the virtual computer, and use Windows Update to install IE7. Here are the steps in more detail:
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
Internet Explorer 9 will not be supported by Windows XP. Period. Microsoft’s web technical evangelist Giorgio Sardo, speaking at the Web 2.0 Expo, has confirmed this. The reason given is that HTML5 and hardware acceleration require a modern OS.
Note: Interestingly, while XP users won’t be able to benefit from IE9, pirates will, as there will be no validation required.
But is this nothing more than a cunning ploy to make users upgrade the OS?
Let’s consider the evidence.
First, XP has a massive, entrenched following. It’s usage share is at 63.4%, while Vista holds a market share of 15.6% and Windows 7 an impressive 11.7%. Many XP users don’t see the need to upgrade because the OS does for them everything they need it to do. So it is in Microsoft’s best interests to come up with reasons for people to upgrade.
The there are the browser stats. Internet Explorer 6 has a greater market share (17.6%) than Firefox 3.6 (15.3%). Internet Explorer 8 enjoys an usage share of 24.6% while Internet Explorer 7 continues to hold its own with 12.5%.
What about other browser vendors, such as Opera, Mozilla and Google. Are these players abandoning XP? No. Here’s what Google Chrome developer Alex Russell had to say: