what's the significance of making Google Chrome my browser?

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Thanks cromag. But with the installing updates, how is Microsoft going to contact me that I need to install updates? (I'm just so used to the updates happening basically automatically when I shut the computer down.) (I just don't want to screw anything up.) And really, I use Chrome all the time, even though IE is my default browser, so what's the big advantage to making Chrome the default browser? Maybe I should just leave well enough alone.

Updates have little linkage to the browser; the control panel update application is totally independent of the browser in recent versions of windows (Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8).

I run with Chrome as the default and have for a few years now. I also do have FireFox installed along with a fully updated install of IE 10 with no issues.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Thanks cromag. But with the installing updates, how is Microsoft going to contact me that I need to install updates? (I'm just so used to the updates happening basically automatically when I shut the computer down.) (I just don't want to screw anything up.) And really, I use Chrome all the time, even though IE is my default browser, so what's the big advantage to making Chrome the default browser? Maybe I should just leave well enough alone.

If you're using automatic updates, nothing will change. That is a seperate subsystem independent of IE. If you're doing them manually, set a bookmark in IE (Add to Favorites, or whatever it's called), and when you want to do updates, launch IE manually with the blue E, and go to that bookmark.

Unless you tell it not to, IE will also probably ask you if you want to make it the default browser any time you launch it, so it's easy to change back.

[PeterT]

Also remember this is one of those religious computer discussions; there is no right or wrong answer, it's whatever YOU are comfortable with.

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by PeterT

Updates have little linkage to the browser; the control panel update application is totally independent of the browser in recent versions of windows (Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8).

I run with Chrome as the default and have for a few years now. I also do have FireFox installed along with a fully updated install of IE 10 with no issues.

Think I'll be okay even though I'm XP and IE8?

Thanks

[Gregg Bell]

Originally Posted by taustin

If you're using automatic updates, nothing will change. That is a seperate subsystem independent of IE. If you're doing them manually, set a bookmark in IE (Add to Favorites, or whatever it's called), and when you want to do updates, launch IE manually with the blue E, and go to that bookmark.

Unless you tell it not to, IE will also probably ask you if you want to make it the default browser any time you launch it, so it's easy to change back.

Thanks taustin and all my updates have always been automatic so I should be okay. But, like I just asked Peter, do you think even though I'm running XP and IE8 I'll be okay with switching?

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Think I'll be okay even though I'm XP and IE8?

Thanks

As far as I know it's a moot point. XP is out of support and I don't think there are any new patches coming for it.

But why don't you just try and see what happens when you launch the Windows update application after making Chrome the default.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

How so JS?

My wife was using Chrome and switched back to Firefox because of Google collection data on her usage.

Originally Posted by PeterT

Updates have little linkage to the browser; the control panel update application is totally independent of the browser in recent versions of windows (Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8).

If I recall correctly, Windows Update in XP required ActiveX and IE. If you removed IE, you wouldn't be able to run Windows Update. (That was true if you removed just the browser, and left the libraries behind.) That being said, I think automatic updates was independent of ActiveX and IE.

[PeterT]

Originally Posted by BWinmill

If I recall correctly, Windows Update in XP required ActiveX and IE. If you removed IE, you wouldn't be able to run Windows Update. (That was true if you removed just the browser, and left the libraries behind.) That being said, I think automatic updates was independent of ActiveX and IE.

But I really doubt Gregg intended to REMOVE IE; just to set a different browser as default.

[Stitchawl]

Warning: Off topic

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

If WE don't maintain pedantric standards, what will the pedantrists of the future aspire to?

Shouldn't that be 'pedantic?'


Stitchawl

[taustin]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Think I'll be okay even though I'm XP and IE8?

Thanks

I should note that the last security update for XP from Microsoft will be in April of next year. It would be a really, really, really good idea to replace the computer by then with something running a more current operating system. (You'll have more and more trouble with IE8 as time goes by. Already a lot of web sites are not supporting it, and more and more are giving annoying pop-ups about it.) But any of the others should work fine if you keep them up to date.

[taustin]

Originally Posted by PeterT

As far as I know it's a moot point. XP is out of support and I don't think there are any new patches coming for it.

That isn't true yet. Another year, more or less. April 2014.

Originally Posted by PeterT

But why don't you just try and see what happens when you launch the Windows update application after making Chrome the default.

It will fail. The XP version uses ActiveX controls, which only work in IE. But the automatic update system is independent.

[Gregg Bell]

Guys, thanks so much. And no, I was never intending to remove IE8. But my computer's working good with IE as the default browser, and I'm using Chrome as the actual browser so everything's cool. I'm just going to leave it the way it is. And thanks (I think-lol) for the heads-up on XP's demise, taustin. My computer is working great. Oh well, at least I have another year. Maybe they'll come up with a patch (or maybe Obama will do one of those free coupon giveaway things like he did for digital TV converters a couple of years ago and I can get a new computer for free). (It could happen.)

[cromag]

Just to explain, Microsoft's automatic updates are automatic. But ...

As a result of a pretty dramatic malware attack a few years ago I "hardened" my Windows computer. In addition to the usual anti-virus, anti-malware, firewall systems I have several other security programs, including Secunia PSI, which warns me of outdated or insecure versions of software. There have been a few times that Secunia picked up a Microsoft product that didn't have the latest patch. Presumably I would have eventually gotten an automatic update -- but I updated manually rather than wait. For those manual updates I manually called up IE.

[Dopedangel]

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Guys, thanks so much. And no, I was never intending to remove IE8. But my computer's working good with IE as the default browser, and I'm using Chrome as the actual browser so everything's cool. I'm just going to leave it the way it is. And thanks (I think-lol) for the heads-up on XP's demise, taustin. My computer is working great. Oh well, at least I have another year. Maybe they'll come up with a patch (or maybe Obama will do one of those free coupon giveaway things like he did for digital TV converters a couple of years ago and I can get a new computer for free). (It could happen.)

Dont you should set chrome or another browser to default Internet explorer 8 is 2-3 years old and has a lot of vulnerabilities. Better to set chrome the default.
@JSwolf
Firefox is financed by Google and it provides Google the almost the same amount of data as chrome. 70-80% of the legal or above board web runs google ad services so if you use the internet google collects your data so what browser you use is not that important as long as you are on the internet you are owned by Google