IE7 forcing itself on me?

WinXP home; IE6; OE6.

Hello, would anyone know how to get around the following message I got in
trying to open a link please?:
"You are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).
NOTE: This template is compatible with IE6, however your experience will be
enhanced with a newer browser.
The last version of Internet Explorer 6 was called Service Pack 1 for
Internet Explorer 6 and was released in December of 2004. By continuing to
run Internet Explorer 6 you are open to any and all security vulnerabilities
discovered since that date. In October of 2006, Microsoft released version 7
of Internet Explorer that, in addition to providing greater safety in
navigation, which allows the Internet Explorer browser to identify as'
modern browsers'. Microsoft has launched Internet Explorer 7 as a
high-priority update, and is now available to download for free without any
certification requirements. As of Feb 12th, 2008 Microsoft is forcing
updates to Internet Explorer 6 in order to move people towards the much
improved and secure version 7. Please ensure you don't hamper this process.
It's for your own good! Download Internet Explorer 7 NOW!"

And this is the link I tried to open:
http://israel21c.org/index.php?optio...alth&Itemid=63

BTW, my IE6 has SP2 and I'm happy with it and do not wish to upgrade to IE7
even for free. Thanks ever so much! Adela

The message is bogus, because Microsoft is not "forcing updates to
Internet Explorer 6..." This is an example of what's known as
scare-ware: bogus warnings designed to trick you into installing bogus
software that actually contains malware.

Take a good luck at the URL you tried to open (which you should /not/
have posted here.) Does that sound like a likely place to find Internet
Explorer?

That said, Internet Explorer 6 is seriously outdated and does, in fact,
expose you to significant security threats. If you don't like IE 8 -
the latest version - then install the latest version of someone else's
browser (Opera, Firefox, etc) Do not stay with IE 6.

You may have a bigger problem on your hands: Frequently, just clicking
on a bogus link, which is what you did, is enough to install malware on
your computer, and that's something you /should be/ worried about.

Among their other improvements, the newest browsers include
anti-phishing protection which can warn you against visiting insecure
websites.
---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Adela wrote:
> WinXP home; IE6; OE6.
>
> Hello, would anyone know how to get around the following message I got in
> trying to open a link please?:
> "You are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).
> NOTE: This template is compatible with IE6, however your experience will be
> enhanced with a newer browser.
> The last version of Internet Explorer 6 was called Service Pack 1 for
> Internet Explorer 6 and was released in December of 2004. By continuing to
> run Internet Explorer 6 you are open to any and all security vulnerabilities
> discovered since that date. In October of 2006, Microsoft released version 7
> of Internet Explorer that, in addition to providing greater safety in
> navigation, which allows the Internet Explorer browser to identify as'
> modern browsers'. Microsoft has launched Internet Explorer 7 as a
> high-priority update, and is now available to download for free without any
> certification requirements. As of Feb 12th, 2008 Microsoft is forcing
> updates to Internet Explorer 6 in order to move people towards the much
> improved and secure version 7. Please ensure you don't hamper this process.
> It's for your own good! Download Internet Explorer 7 NOW!"
>
> And this is the link I tried to open:
> http://israel21c.org/index.php?optio...alth&Itemid=63
>
> BTW, my IE6 has SP2 and I'm happy with it and do not wish to upgrade to IE7
> even for free. Thanks ever so much! Adela
>
>

Thank you Leonard, and I ordinarily would have deleted it, but in this case
it didn't let me open the file I was trying to see so I wanted to know why.
And, yes, I should've realized it was bogus since it blocked me from opening
my file and also, yes, it's now 8 and not 7. Also thanks for the advice on
upgrading, it's just that I read a lot of people are unhappy with IE8, but I
guess I'll have to surrender. )

Thanks again. Adela


"Leonard Grey" <> wrote in message
news:...
> The message is bogus, because Microsoft is not "forcing updates to
> Internet Explorer 6..." This is an example of what's known as scare-ware:
> bogus warnings designed to trick you into installing bogus software that
> actually contains malware.
>
> Take a good luck at the URL you tried to open (which you should /not/ have
> posted here.) Does that sound like a likely place to find Internet
> Explorer?
>
> That said, Internet Explorer 6 is seriously outdated and does, in fact,
> expose you to significant security threats. If you don't like IE 8 - the
> latest version - then install the latest version of someone else's browser
> (Opera, Firefox, etc) Do not stay with IE 6.
>
> You may have a bigger problem on your hands: Frequently, just clicking on
> a bogus link, which is what you did, is enough to install malware on your
> computer, and that's something you /should be/ worried about.
>
> Among their other improvements, the newest browsers include anti-phishing
> protection which can warn you against visiting insecure websites.
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est
>
> Adela wrote:
>> WinXP home; IE6; OE6.
>>
>> Hello, would anyone know how to get around the following message I got in
>> trying to open a link please?:
>> "You are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).
>> NOTE: This template is compatible with IE6, however your experience will
>> be enhanced with a newer browser.
>> The last version of Internet Explorer 6 was called Service Pack 1 for
>> Internet Explorer 6 and was released in December of 2004. By continuing
>> to run Internet Explorer 6 you are open to any and all security
>> vulnerabilities discovered since that date. In October of 2006, Microsoft
>> released version 7 of Internet Explorer that, in addition to providing
>> greater safety in navigation, which allows the Internet Explorer browser
>> to identify as' modern browsers'. Microsoft has launched Internet
>> Explorer 7 as a high-priority update, and is now available to download
>> for free without any certification requirements. As of Feb 12th, 2008
>> Microsoft is forcing updates to Internet Explorer 6 in order to move
>> people towards the much improved and secure version 7. Please ensure you
>> don't hamper this process. It's for your own good! Download Internet
>> Explorer 7 NOW!"
>>
>> And this is the link I tried to open:
>> http://israel21c.org/index.php?optio...alth&Itemid=63
>>
>> BTW, my IE6 has SP2 and I'm happy with it and do not wish to upgrade to
>> IE7 even for free. Thanks ever so much! Adela

> "Adela" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> WinXP home; IE6; OE6.
>
> Hello, would anyone know how to get around the following message I got in
> trying to open a link please?:
>
> "You are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).
>
> NOTE: This template is compatible with IE6, however your experience will
> be enhanced with a newer browser.
>
> The last version of Internet Explorer 6 was called Service Pack 1 for
> Internet Explorer 6 and was released in December of 2004. By continuing
> to run Internet Explorer 6 you are open to any and all security
> vulnerabilities discovered since that date. In October of 2006, Microsoft
> released version 7 of Internet Explorer that, in addition to providing
> greater safety in navigation, which allows the Internet Explorer browser
> to identify as' modern browsers'. Microsoft has launched Internet
> Explorer 7 as a high-priority update, and is now available to download
> for free without any certification requirements. As of Feb 12th, 2008
> Microsoft is forcing updates to Internet Explorer 6 in order to move
> people towards the much improved and secure version 7. Please ensure you
> don't hamper this process. It's for your own good!
>
> Download Internet Explorer 7 NOW!"
>
> And this is the link I tried to open:
> http://israel21c.org/index.php?optio...alth&Itemid=63
>
> BTW, my IE6 has SP2 and I'm happy with it and do not wish to upgrade to
> IE7 even for free. Thanks ever so much! Adela
- - -

Hi Adela,

Actually, the SP2 you have is Service Pack 2 for Windows XP Home Edition.
There were some IE6 fixes included in that service pack, so your IE6
version number includes some extra numbers that reflect that. Both your
IE6 and your OE6 should include some additional numbers indicating XP's
Service Pack 3, which includes numerous additional security updates.

You can continue to use IE6 at least until 13 July 2010, with XP SP2, but
after that, you will no longer be able to get security updates, unless you
upgrade your operating system to Service Pack 3. With SP3, you can continue
to get high priority security updates for the Windows XP operating system,
IE, OE, and WMP (Windows Media Player) until year 2014.

Note to All: Microsoft recently extended the deadline for upgrading to SP3
from April 2010 to 13 July 2010. (Final deadline for XP is still 2014.)

Windows Operating System Product Support Lifecycle - Microsoft Internet
Explorer, Microsoft Outlook Express, and Microsoft Windows Media Player
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifewinfaq
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifesupsps
http://support.microsoft.com/lifecycle/?C2=1173
Windows XP extended support ends: 4/8/2014
Windows XP Service Pack 2 retired: 7/13/2010
Windows XP Service Pack 3 retired: 4/8/2014

With IE6, I tried your link to that news service web page article, and got
the same message at the top of the page, with the pomegranate article
displayed under that message. There were script errors on the page though.
Did you only get the IE6 message without the rest of the page? The warning
message included a "Close" button in the upper right that, when clicked,
closed the warning message and left only the web page, (and stored
information in a Cookie from that web page, so the message did not
re-display when I revisted the page.) After deleting the Cookie, the IE6
message came back when I revisited again. (A useful cookie?

Do you use either Automatic Updates, or go to the Windows Update site to
get the latest security updates? The October 2009 cumulative security
update was for all currently supported versions of IE. (IE5.01, IE6, IE7,
and IE8) I had already installed that update before I visited the above
web site, so maybe after you get updated, you can get past that message.

Windows Update website - (I use "Custom", and install a few at a time.)
http://update.microsoft.com/windowsu...6/default.aspx

The IE6 SP1 mentioned in that web page message refers to a special version
of Internet Explorer for Windows 2000, not the ordinary Windows XP IE6.
The person who wrote that IE warning message was badly misinformed. The
October 2009 security patches for Internet Explorer included patches for
the same four security holes in IE7 as in IE6, so IE7 was no more secure
before that patch than IE6. (However, IE8 only needed 3 of those
4 patches.) That security update also included numerous non-security
fixes for program bugs, including two fixes for IE6, two for IE7, and
ELEVEN fixes for bug-ridden IE8.

In fairness to the people who operate that web site, they may not realize
that people using IE6 are even getting that message. The site uses
previously written scripts and templates. The javascript and message were
written by a person called Djamil Legato from RocketTheme, LLC. (That
little tidbit of information is found in the rokie6warn.js file in
Temporary Internet Files folder, which you should NOT run or open except
in NotePad.) The special style sheet for IE6 is filename template_ie6.css,
and the comment at the beginning of that file, (with bleep added,) says:
"/** IE6 is a hunk of [bleep]!!! due to limitations in the CSS capabilities
of IE, these hacks are required **/"
http://israel21c.org/templates/secti...mplate_ie6.php

It is sad that a pomegranate article begins with a sour grapes attitude.

Understand and Maintain Security with Internet Explorer 6
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/...y/default.mspx
"When you are visiting a site on the Web or storing information on your
computer, you want to know that your privacy is protected. Internet
Explorer 6 comes with improved security features that help you protect
your computer and your information. However, _you_ must maintain your
computer by regularly installing the latest security updates..."

If you need help getting your XP operating system updated to SP3, please
feel free to post a "Need SP3 install help" message in a separate thread:
news://msnews.microsoft.com/microsof...dowsxp.general

BTW: the idea on that web page that pomegranate seeds and/or juice might
be a "cure all" for everything from cancer to AIDS, is a bit far fetched.

(Triple-click here, to be of good cheer.
--Richard

P.S. See also my reply to Leonard's message.

> "Leonard Grey" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> The message is bogus, because Microsoft is not "forcing updates to
> Internet Explorer 6..." This is an example of what's known as scare-ware:
> bogus warnings designed to trick you into installing bogus software that
> actually contains malware.
>
> Take a good luck at the URL you tried to open (which you should /not/
> have posted here.) Does that sound like a likely place to find Internet
> Explorer?


Hi Leonard, [see also my other message in this thread.]

The URL was to the faulty web page itself. The words "Download Internet
Explorer NOW!" were a clickable link to the genuine IE7 download site:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...0-081805B2F90B

Of course you are right to caution people about bogus warnings. The warning
itself was both misinformed and misleading, but possibly well intentioned.

> That said, Internet Explorer 6 is seriously outdated and does, in fact,
> expose you to significant security threats. If you don't like IE 8 - the
> latest version - then install the latest version of someone else's
> browser (Opera, Firefox, etc) Do not stay with IE 6.

Firefox? (Of course, to each his own. Granted that both IE7 and IE8 have
at least a potential to be more secure, since they include more
anti-user-stupidity features to guard users against phishing and other
threats, but people that use caution while surfing can safely use IE6 if
kept updated.

By the way, the October 2009 Cumulative Security update for Internet
Explorer also included an update for people using FIREFOX also!

Microsoft Security Bulletin MS09-054 - Critical
Cumulative Security Update for Internet Explorer (974455)
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sec.../ms09-054.mspx

"Firefox users who are running the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
plug-in and do not have it disabled should also apply this security update.
This security update is rated Critical for all supported releases of
Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer 5.01, Internet Explorer 6, Internet
Explorer 6 Service Pack 1, Internet Explorer 7, and Internet Explorer 8."

> You may have a bigger problem on your hands: Frequently, just clicking on
> a bogus link, which is what you did, is enough to install malware on your
> computer, and that's something you /should be/ worried about.
>
> Among their other improvements, the newest browsers include anti-phishing
> protection which can warn you against visiting insecure websites.
> ---
> Leonard Grey
> Errare humanum est

I totally agree that we all need to use greater caution. Although the
particular problem website in this case turned out to be fairly harmless,
how many people would know the difference? While researching this thread,
I found several Microsoft security web pages that everyone should read:

Scareware - Rogue Security Software - Microsoft Security
http://www.microsoft.com/security/antivirus/rogue.aspx

Computer Viruses and Error Messages - Are You Infected - Microsoft
http://www.microsoft.com/security/an...ndicators.aspx

E-mail Hoaxes and Fraudulent Links - Microsoft Security
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/fra.../symptoms.aspx

Fraudulent Emails and Credit Card Scam Tips - Microsoft Security
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/fra...ng/Msname.aspx

Social Networking Safety - Microsoft Protect
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/par...socialnet.aspx

HTH. (Hope This Helps.
--Richard

- - -
> Adela wrote:
>> WinXP home; IE6; OE6.
>>
>> Hello, would anyone know how to get around the following message I got
>> in trying to open a link please?:
>> "You are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).
>> NOTE: This template is compatible with IE6, however your experience will
>> be enhanced with a newer browser.
>> The last version of Internet Explorer 6 was called Service Pack 1 for
>> Internet Explorer 6 and was released in December of 2004. By continuing
>> to run Internet Explorer 6 you are open to any and all security
>> vulnerabilities discovered since that date. In October of 2006,
>> Microsoft released version 7 of Internet Explorer that, in addition to
>> providing greater safety in navigation, which allows the Internet
>> Explorer browser to identify as' modern browsers'. Microsoft has
>> launched Internet Explorer 7 as a high-priority update, and is now
>> available to download for free without any certification requirements.
>> As of Feb 12th, 2008 Microsoft is forcing updates to Internet
>> Explorer 6 in order to move people towards the much improved and secure
>> version 7. Please ensure you don't hamper this process. It's for your own
>> good!
>> Download Internet Explorer 7 NOW!"
>>
>> And this is the link I tried to open:
>> http://israel21c.org/index.php?optio...alth&Itemid=63
>>
>> BTW, my IE6 has SP2 and I'm happy with it and do not wish to upgrade
>> to IE7 even for free. Thanks ever so much! Adela
- - -

Adela wrote:
> WinXP home; IE6; OE6.
>
> Hello, would anyone know how to get around the following message I got in
> trying to open a link please?:
> "You are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).
> NOTE: This template is compatible with IE6, however your experience will be
> enhanced with a newer browser.
> The last version of Internet Explorer 6 was called Service Pack 1 for
> Internet Explorer 6 and was released in December of 2004. By continuing to
> run Internet Explorer 6 you are open to any and all security vulnerabilities
> discovered since that date. In October of 2006, Microsoft released version 7
> of Internet Explorer that, in addition to providing greater safety in
> navigation, which allows the Internet Explorer browser to identify as'
> modern browsers'. Microsoft has launched Internet Explorer 7 as a
> high-priority update, and is now available to download for free without any
> certification requirements. As of Feb 12th, 2008 Microsoft is forcing
> updates to Internet Explorer 6 in order to move people towards the much
> improved and secure version 7. Please ensure you don't hamper this process.
> It's for your own good! Download Internet Explorer 7 NOW!"
>
> And this is the link I tried to open:
> http://israel21c.org/index.php?optio...alth&Itemid=63
>
> BTW, my IE6 has SP2 and I'm happy with it and do not wish to upgrade to IE7
> even for free. Thanks ever so much! Adela
>
>

There are a lot of web developers that wish you and every other IE6 user
would convert to any other browser. IE6 may have been hot stuff in
2001, but in late 2009 it is a crappy browser. Web developers spend a
lot of time trying to coax IE6 into displaying web pages they way there
were intended to be displayed.

See: http://www.ie6nomore.com/

Roger