Internet Explorer 7

[irodgers]

I just downloaded IE7 to try it. The first thing it did when I launched it was show a warning message telling me that "This add on will not work with Internet Explorer 7 and should be updated."
The warning message gives you information about the program causing the problem. The program is described as "MSN Toolbar extension". So of course I click "check for updates" (the choices are "check for updates", "Run add on" and "Disable add on").

When I check for updates I find there are none.

So anyway I decided to have a look at one of my sites anyway to see how IE7 showed it. No Flash!
No flash whatsoever! I realised that the "add on" the message was on about was Flash.

I restarted IE 7 and this time I clicked "Run add on" and looked at my site. There was nothing wrong with Flash.

What is Microsoft up to?

[MarkGatESS]

I've come across the same problem. I haven't "upgraded" to IE7, but my boss has and the newest Windows machines (I believe) are going out with IE7. A flash navigation I made on a page was completely screwed up with the new Internet Explorer. Even when my boss (who's much more web-savy than the average user that uses our website) had tried to click on the "Run add-on", the flash animation still doesn't work, nor do any of the button links. I think it's some kind of new "security" feature of IE.

If I was paranoid, I'd think that Microsoft is purposely preventing designers, who use Adobe products, from being able to make sites function properly with their web browser! More than likely, it's Microslop's usual poor application quality control which is the bane of every Windows user across the globe!

If someone knows of some ActionScript, JavaScript, or some other kind of coding to go into either the SWF file or HTML file to tell IE "hey, run this Flash animation, it's okay" PLEASE let us know!!

(as a side note: I don't even use IE anymore other than for sites that require it's use such as Windows updates - I have Mozilla Firefox as my default browser!)

[jdiben]

Originally Posted by MarkGatESS

(as a side note: I don't even use IE anymore other than for sites that require it's use such as Windows updates - I have Mozilla Firefox as my default browser!)

Off Topic:
Try the ietab FireFox extension. You can use the ie engine within FireFox for sites that need it. You can also have sites such as windows update automatically use ie.

[irodgers]

I have Firefox, I also have Netscape (which allows you to keep previous versions too), Opera and even Lynx (I'm trying to be a proper web developer after all!).

I have to say though that IE is still the number one browser by a long way. Most of the general public don't even realise that there ARE other browsers, let alone use them. I'm thinking that I should put some sort of wording on my site UN-recommending Internet Explorer.
Do you think thats a bit extreme / childish, or do you think its helpful advice for good old General Public?

Until recently, in fact, I was taking the opposite view; I was making my sites work with IE no matter what other browsers did. I didn't care about the other browsers because they had such small market share. But it seems to me that the others are getting more market share now and are sticking to the standards better, which should make sites made to those standards increasingly future-proof.