Browser Choice

Today, an update was applied that on opening IE onstartup gives me the option
to install numerous other browsers. I don't want to as already installed
those I want and I cannot find anyway to stop this page opening again.
Help.....I'd like to remove this update or switch off browser choice screen
but suspect that EU forced this issue on all of us. What can I do ???????

Exactly what update are you talking about? Sounds to me like you've been
hijacked.

KB976002 - Microsoft Browser Choice Screen Update for EEA Usesr of Windows XP

I don't wish this screen to appear but I can find no way to prevent it
appearing.

Looks like this is legit:

<http://support.microsoft.com/kb/976002>

could you post a screenshot of the web page you are being shown?

Just type "browser choice" into google and there you'll find post showing
screen shot

I've restored system to yesterday and performed all installs except KB976002.
This was indicated as High Priority and though now hidden is eeident that t
has been hidden. Why or Why!!. This should be optional. Just because EU
won it's case Microsoft shouldn't go belly up in a fit of pique . The'venow
provided the wherewithall as demanded by EU; it users choice to perform.
I've installed firefox and an alternative to IE - I use both. I don't need
dictating to or being forced to do something. Lets make it optonal.

It was optional for me ('important' update, not ticked by default).

Intellectually, I'm opposed to this kind of interference by the European
Union. The idea that one software supplier should be obliged to promote
its rivals' products violates the principles of property rights and free
competition. That one jurisdiction (the EU) should be able, by its own
whim, to impose arbitrary punitive conditions on a supplier from outside
its jurisdiction seems to me... perfectly justified UNLESS that
jurisdiction has signed up to an international treaty intended to
promote free trade among nations (e.g. the GATT/WTO). WTO rules surely
need to be amended to enable an appeal to a WTO court by any company
found guilty of an antitrust violation that affects international trade.
(Actually, antitrust legislation should not exist except in so far as it
outlaws the artificial creation of monopolies by governments.)

This is the price we pay for living in the anti-free-trade European Union!

I'm not Barrowhill, but a final screen shot and description of the Internet
Explorer “ballot screen” that will roll out across Europe shortly.
<http://microsoftontheissues.com/cs/blogs/mscorp/archive/2010/02/19/the-browser-choice-screen-for-europe-what-to-expect-when-to-expect-it.aspx>

The EU *forced* MS to do this. The High Priority given to this "update"
was dictated by the EU. You need to direct your complaint towards them,
not MS.

No such luck, but Engel's URL gave me something to look at.

I very much doubt that there isn't a way to bypass the selection process. What
happens if you choose "Select Later"? Or just close the window?

You are correct about the EU forcing Microsoft to do this. Try to argue with
the EU to get rid of this (joke).

The EU required MS to unbundle IE from the OS. MS chose to provide a
browser choice update so you can pick your own - one or more. Providing it
as high priority update ? yes ?, as without a browser you going nowhere;
optional ? why not? most people will already have a browser downloaded and
installed other than IE. But notwithstanding either, MS should have offered
an additional choice button of, for example "choice already installed" and
thus disabled the choice window from appearing again. You need a browser to
get the update!

Selecting later only ensures choice screen opens next boot/open IE, as does
just closing it down. Irrespective of any of these choices. Next time you
restart PC and open IU up pos the choice window. If you close IE then open
in current PC session then no choice window appear. Seem only happens on
startup/restart

Next guess: choose IE, as this is already installed, nothing will happen. Probably.

If you are running windows vista, check your start-up programmes. To check this
Start -> All Programs -> Startu

If that programme is in startup folder, delete it

THIS IS JUST TO CHECK. I HAVE NOT TRIED THIS.

Yes I agree. It should be seen that Microsoft have abided by the EU ruling
by notifying us about the choice of browser we use, but then it should be up
to the end user to say, ok I've made my choice, now stop pestering me. I
don't know why Microsoft didn't think of that one.

You can hack it out of the registry. Go to HCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\run and remove BrowserChoice Key, "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\browserchoice.exe" /run

Dont forget to back up first....

Why is there no "dont show this again option"?

I fail to see how one needs to have a browser to be offered this update.
Why does someone need a browser to " get the update " when it's being
offered automatically ?

Are you stating that MS should scan folks computers to see if there are
any alternative browsers installed before offering this update or are
you asking that there be a choice that states the User already has such
a browser and MS should stop pestering them ?

The EU needs to be concerned with more important matters instead of
continually trying to force Microsoft to do something that just ends up
annoying Windows Users. Let them force Apple or Google to end the abuse
of their monopolies and then I'll believe this isn't just a vendetta
against MS.

There is no point in explaining anything to that plonker because he/she is
now a transsexual and so has lost all his mental faculties.

Can't you the sort of statement he made?

"The EU *forced* MS to do this. The High Priority given to this "update"
was dictated by the EU. You need to direct your complaint towards them, "

Now these nutters haven't got a clue how EU operates.

As far as the solution is concerned, I have setup my system in such a way
that I don't receive any updates post SP3 and so I am not affected by this.
Microsoft patches are completely waste of time because they are doing more
harm than any security they are supposed to provide.

This patch does not remove reliance on IE to get updates and so there is
still some more fight in the EU about this. IE should never be part of the
OS but Microsoft in their wise wisdom decided to do to beat all the browser
competition.

Sorry, don't understand the second sentence of your post. "This was
indicated as High Priority and though now hidden is eeident that t has been
hidden.".

Are you saying that reverting to a prior restore point successfully removed
the "Browser Choice" update and that you have now selected "Don't show this
update again" in Windows/MS Update?

MS states that "Once installed this update cannot be removed". I assume this
means that it doesn't appear in Add/Remove programmes even with "show
updates" ticked and that there is no uninstall option. However, if you were
successful, I can see many people using "System Restore".

This just happened to me on my XP machine without warning!

I had to disable pop-up blocking in the Google Toolbar, and I was then able to click on Install Windows Explorer (which I am determine to stick to thanks to the EU).

My existing version of IE8 was un-installed, and replaced by a more recent version. The "choice" screen no longer appears when I boot, but there is (now WAS!) an icon on the desktop to bring up the "choice" screen. Its target is the following file:

C:\Windows\system32\browserchoice.exe\launch.

On my wife's XP machine, I entered the custon section of Windows update and deselected the KB976002 update, so It will no longer be offered to me. Being cynical, I wonder just how long it will take the EU to force Moicrosoft to repeat the dose.

Interestingly my Windows 7 machine is not affected as I purchased by copy from Amazon (in the UK) as an order in advance of publication, and they kindly supplied me with a non-European english version.

This the same troll who use to use the date/year as a User Name, now
changes it to gibberish, does not comprehend grammar, and now recommends
that no updates be installed after SP3 is applied.

This delusional advice is from an anti-social, foul-mouthed psychopath
whose ISP is DSL-TISCALI-UK. It's about as sound as listening to the
inmates of a loony bin.

Try start, run, msconfig

go to startup and deselect C:\System32\browserchoice.exe

I'm about to do this now, so I'm hoping it works for me too!

I have just received the same update and have to say that I strongly object
to new software being installed on my machines in this manner. I too have the
browsers I want, already installed.
I cannot find it in Add/Remove programs, rolling back to a checkpoint before
the update does not work.
To my mind this is akin to my machine being hacked and therefore must be
illegal
Anyone else feel the same?
Anyone from Microsoft willing to comment?

You are the only one to blame yourself. Microsoft patches are a complete
and utter waste of time and you can stop them by going to Security Centre
and turning off Automatic Updates. I don't get any updates and so my system
is as secure as possible.

There is no evidence that Microsoft updates are making computers any safer.
If at all, people's machines are becoming less safer because of these
patches. For example only a few days ago "Gordon" complained that his
system is ridden with viruses and he was blaming me for not patching my
system. Apparently, if I don't patch my system, he is the one who gets
viruses!!. Now this is bizarre!!.

I have therefore, concluded that it is the M$ patches making his system
weaker.