IE11 : automatic upgrade to heap of dung

Ursa major

Ursa major

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This morning, the look of IE11 has completely changed from the way it was last night (I assume to something able to run on some tiny mobile phone display). It occupies the whole screen (fine on a 2" screen; mine's 17" and I prefer to have multiple windows open) and you have to click before you're even shown the tabs and the favourites. On top of that, it runs like a drain (and the machine is a four-core i7): almost ten seconds before it let me scroll down a Chrons page, five before I could type into the title bar of this thread! (To let you know that it is the software taking all the time, it brings up the page's URL and then runs those irritating line of dots one gets in Hotmail/outlook across it.) What a heap of crap!


If I can't get to it go back to a display I like, I'm going to change browsers. Any suggestions? (I'm using windows 8.1 (though this too may change if that's why the bl**dy browser is the way it is, although it was all working perfectly yesterday.)
 
Google Chrome is also pretty good, and usually pretty quick. Only issue with Firefox, i find, is they don't keep up with NIS's (Norton Internet Security) regular updates, and NIS's Identity Protection gets screwed up as a result.

Plus with Google Chrome, if you have a Google account, you can access your bookmarks and last opened tabs on all your devices that have Chrome.
 
I've done a system restore (back to Saturday), so there are now 426GBs of updates waiting (plus virus checker updates). I've changed the update characteristics (to me approving them before they happen: this option wasn't offered on setting up the PC, and I forgot to change it in the Control Panel). I hadn't noticed the checked flag on the IE "About" window that enables automatic IE updates. (Note that I'm logged into my old laptop - using IE9 - in case the Restore did a wobbly; IE9 does not have this flag.)

Note: the update was from IE 11.0.9600.16384 to IE 11.0.9600.16518. I've seen some issues with 16518 on the Web, but none mentioning the problems I've had. That may be because of what I did. This morning, the (new) machine asked me which browser I wanted to use. It said that while I decided (done by installing a browser) I could use the one that was on the apps screen; the icon had been removed from the bar at the botton of the screen (as I'm using the desktop, not the Apps UI). Because I didn't want to waste time :)rolleyes:), I went straight to the Apps screen. Now when I've used this before, as with M$ Office, I got a version I expected. I wonder if launching IE11 from the apps screen somehow indicated that I wanted to use an apps-screen UI. I'll have to see.

I actually like IE :)eek:) in its normal configuration, so don't want to install another browser, but I shall if the heap of s**t I was forced briefly to use this morning is all that's on offer from Microsoft. Even if the UI was okay - it isn't - it's unusable because of the seconds-long delay after each user-requested action. Goodness only knows what it would be like on this machine (Intel Core2 Duo T7100 @1.8GHz, with only 2G Ram); luckily, being Vista, I can't get anything later than IE9.
 
Ursa major said:
I've done a system restore (back to Saturday), so there are now 426GBs of updates waiting (plus virus checker updates). I've changed the updat characteristics (to me approving them before they happen), including the flag on the IE "About" window that says automatic updates. (I'm logged into my old laptop - using IE9 - in case the Restore did a wobbly.)

Note: the updates was from IE 11.0.9600.16384 to IE 11.0.9600.16518. I've seen some issues with 16518, but none mentioning the problems I've had. That may be because of what I did. This morning, the new machine asked me wish browser I wanted to us. It said that while I decided (by installing a browser) I could use the one that was on the apps screen; it had been removed from the bar at the botton of the screen (as I'm using the desktop, not the Apps UI). Because I didn't want to waste time :)rolleyes:), I went straight to the apps screen. Now when I've used this before, as with M$ Office, I got a version I expected. I wonder if launching IE11 from the apps screen somehow indicated that I wanted to use and apps-screen UI. I'll have to see.

I actually like IE :)eek:) in its normal configuration, so don't want to install another browser, but I shall if the heap of s**t I was forced briefly to use this morning is all that's on offer from Microsoft. Even if the UI was okay - it isn't - it's unusable because of the seconds-long delay after each user-requested action. Goodness only knows what it would be like on this machine (Intel Core2 Duo T7100 @1.8GHz, with only 2G Ram); luckily, being Vista, I can't get anything later than IE9.
Click to expand...

I know exactly what is up with your IE... You're running it in windows 8 metro mode (Which runs it full screen, like an app). You can change that by removing IE as your default browser, or in the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen: Press the button with the spanner on it, and select "View in Desktop". If the navigation bar doesn't show, there should be a thin bar at the bottom of the screen, with an ellipsis.

I will try and find a more suitable solution.
 
Thanks! :)

That sounds like what's happening, and you've given me a workaround. :)

(I can't hold up updating IE11 as most updates are meant to close security flaws, and I don't want to leave myself more vulnerable than I need to be.)


EDIT: Anyway, I'm uploading the updates (I assume they're still somewhere on the machine, so uploading is probably the wrong verb), minus the browser-selection, and I'll see how it goes.
 
Last edited:
Excellent. :)

(I'll see whether it works for IE11, but I don't see why it shouldn't: apart from the "placing text over a URL in Chrons" issue, it seemed to be working in the same way as the IE10 I've used.)
 
I'm surprised anybody's still using IE. Firefox is the best, I find. I tried Opera but didn't like it.
 
Just to mention that the application of the updates has gone okay (Microsoft, Anti-Virus and HP) and the system is working as it was yesterday. Note that IE is at the same version as the one that wasn't working properly this morning, i.e. ;) 11.0.9600.518, so it wasn't the IE update that was causing the problems. The only thing different to this morning's configuration is the absence of the browser-changing option software; I don't think I shall be bothering to use this software anytime soon.

I'll keep a record of the possible fixes in case things go haywire again.
 
Ye, I personally like the metro look of IE but it get's irritating if you are using a mouse and keyboard. Despite that, however, I just use Google Chrome. I find it simpler to use.

Opera on PC isn't good. It's better for smartphones, etc.
 
I always try and use mouse and keyboard, as I hate touchpads** and have issues with touchscreens (which keep moving about when one or other paper documents I'm looking at brush against the screen). The new laptop (like the new one) doesn't have a touchscreen :))), nor something that analyses my hand movements and thereby screws up what I'm doing. (I'm having a great deal of "fun" at the moment, as I have just the one USB mouse here, but am using both laptops at the moment, in different rooms).


** - The one on this old laptop is very sensitive, particularly so (for some reason :rolleyes:) just before I hit ctrl-C or ctrl-X, meaning all sorts of random stuff gets moved about if I'm not careful.
 
lonewolfwanderer said:
Opera on PC isn't good. It's better for smartphones, etc.
Click to expand...

I've been running Opera on PCs for years, and had very few problems with it. Why do you say it's not good?

(not being defensive - just wondering...:D)
 
OPERA FTW!!! (How I've missed doing that here!)


:D

And you can set the page refresh to "instantly redraw" in the settings, which speeds things up, and you can turn off the image and page cache if you have any problems viewing this site.

(Py - wohooooo! That's SOOOO nice to hear!!!)


Ursa - there must be a way to revert. I'd uninstall and find a download of an older version (and set whatever auto-upgrade feature you had off). I avoid using IE, though... *shudders*

*Edit: I should finish reading the thread before replying. :eek: Well, glad it's sorted!
 
I have reverted, Leisha - a restore, a rerun of the updates (total save for the browser-selector) - and everything is okay for now.
 
Opera used to be really good - but they built the whole back end of it and sadly stripped out a HUGE number of features. Now its not even got a favourites list!

It's got a nice favourites bar with folders, but no sub-folder and you can't have more than a few or they run off the edge of the screen. Sadly both it and Firefox have dumped the ide of "file - edit" etc.. command menus along the top (why!?!?!) but at least Firefox has a drop-down list of bookmarks with sub-folders (even if its hidden up in the top right corner).

My view - PC interface design took a 20 year step backwards in the last few years with this insane drive to get smartphone app-style onto the pc
 
:(:(:(


Oh. I just downloaded a new Opera, to see what you meant... Where are all my features gone?! Opera was the leading browser for customisation, and now it's reduced to three tabs of basic settings???


:mad:

And - blimey - you're right. They've ruined Bookmarks. And I always had the old-style "Show Menu" on, cos I like my File | Edit | View, etc.

I'll have to make sure I only upgrade to the latest *decent* version, if I ever upgrade.


Can't believe my beloved Opera is ruined... :(

Opera, if you read this somehow, FIX IT!

I can't even add my precious red-and-bold O to the Opera name, cos it doesn't deserve it...

--------------------------------------------------


Ursa - I realised too late that you'd fixed it (see my edit). I'm very glad you got a workaround. Browsers are one of those things we rely on and come to love, even in the face of people telling us we should switch...

*coughmighthavetochangeonedayifOperadoesn'tfixitself*
 
Leisha - yeah got a new computer and leaped on new opera - only to get the same shock. I might well down-grade to an older more feature rich version. I also can't get why something so simple as a favourites/bookmarks menu has been cut - sadly the current coders for opera appear inept (and apparently its been like this for over a year!)





Also in other news -HI LOOPYCAT!
 
Umm - you two are using Speed Dial? And you do know that Speed Dial items can be stacked in folders? And you are using Stash? Just wondered...:)
 
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