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Internet Explorer

“It’s dead, Jim…” Say Goodbye To Internet Explorer

After being the main entry to the Internet in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet Explorer (IE) is gone. In June, Microsoft dropped the web browser from support.

IE ushered in the age of connection to the world in 1995 and held a majority of the browser market share for many years. In 2014, Internet Explorer still held about 59% of the global market share, with Chrome at 21%. But just two years later, IE lost its top spot to Chrome and trailed behind another newcomer, Safari.

In 2015, the writing was already on the wall when Microsoft released a new browser, Edge. Edge was destined to take IE’s place as the official browser installed on Windows systems.

It’s inevitable, the longer technology is driving work and home life, that we’re going to lose some of our favorites. Adobe Flash Player is another technology that used to be widely used and is now gone. So, now that IE has reached its end of life (EOL), what happens next?

Microsoft Will Redirect Users to IE Mode in Edge

According to Microsoft, now that IE is officially out of support, it will redirect users. A new experience is underway. Those opening this outdated browser will instead land in Microsoft Edge with IE mode.

To ease the transition away from Internet Explorer, Microsoft added IE Mode to Edge. This mode makes it possible for organizations to still use legacy sites that may have worked best in IE.

When in IE mode, you’ll still see the Internet Explorer icon on your device. But if you open it, you’ll actually be in Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Will Be Removing Internet Explorer Icons in the Future

Microsoft isn’t yet getting rid of the IE icons that appear in places like the taskbar and Start menu on Windows. But it will in a future update. Users can expect to see those removed at some point.

Edge Will Import Browser Data from IE

What about your favorites, saved passwords, and other settings that you have in IE? Microsoft Edge will import these from Internet Explorer for you, so they’re not lost.

This will include things like your browsing history and other data stored in the browser. You’ll then be able to access these in the Microsoft Edge’s settings area.

With IE Retired, What Do You Need to Do Now?

Uninstall Internet Explorer. It’s risky to keep older technology that is no longer supported on your system.

Cybercriminals love to exploit older tools that are not receiving any security updates. This leaves an open invitation to breach your network and steal your confidential data.

Six Technology Tools You Shouldn’t Use Any Longer

One constant about technology is that it changes rapidly. Tools that were once staples, like Internet Explorer and Adobe Flash, age out. New tools replace those that are obsolete. Discontinued technology can leave networks vulnerable to attacks.

While older technology may still run fine on your systems, that doesn’t mean that it’s okay to use. One of the biggest dangers of using outdated technology is that it can lead to a data breach or infection.

Outdated software and hardware no longer receive vital security updates. Updates often patch newly found and exploited system vulnerabilities. No security patches means a device is a sitting duck for a breach.

Approximately one in three data breaches are due to unpatched system vulnerabilities.

Another problem with using discontinued technology is that it can leave you behind. Your business can end up looking like you’re in the stone ages to your customers, and they can lose faith and trust.

Important reasons to keep your technology updated to a supported version are:

• Reduce the risk of a data breach or malware infection
• Meet data privacy compliance requirements
• To keep a good reputation and foster customer trust
• To be competitive in your market
• To mitigate hardware and software compatibility issues
• To enable employee productivity

Older systems are clunky and get in the way of employee productivity. If you keep these older systems in use, it can lead to the loss of good team members due to frustration.

49% of surveyed workers say they would consider leaving their jobs due to poor technology.
Following is a list of outdated technology tools that you should replace as soon as possible. Are any of these still in use on your home computer or within your business?

Internet Explorer

Many moons ago, Internet Explorer (IE) used to be the number one browser in the world. But, over time, Google Chrome and other browsers edged it out. Including its replacement, Microsoft Edge.

Microsoft began phasing out IE with the introduction of Microsoft Edge in 2015. In recent years, fewer applications have been supporting use in IE. The browser lost all support on June 15, 2022.

Adobe Flash

Millions of websites used Adobe Flash in the early 2000s. But other tools can now do the animations and other neat things Flash could do. This made the tool obsolete, and Adobe ended it.

The Adobe Flash Player lost all support, including security updates, as of January 1, 2021. Do you still have this lingering on any of your computers? If so, you should uninstall the browser plugin and any Flash software.

Windows 7 and Earlier

Windows 7 was a very popular operating system, but it’s now gone the way of the dinosaur. Replacements, Windows 10 and Windows 11, are now in widespread use. The Windows 7 OS lost support on January 14, 2020.

While it may still technically run, it’s very vulnerable to hacks. Microsoft Windows OS is also a high-value target for hackers. So, you can be sure they are out there looking for systems still running this obsolete version of Windows.

macOS 10.14 Mojave and Earlier

Because of the cost of iMacs and MacBooks, people tend to hang onto them as long as possible. Once these devices get to a certain point, updates no longer work. This leaves the hardware stuck on an older and non-supported macOS version.

If you are running macOS 10.14 Mojave or earlier, then your OS is no longer supported by Apple, and you need to upgrade.

Oracle 18c Database

If your business uses Oracle databases, then you may want to check your current version. If you are running the Oracle 18C Database, then you are vulnerable. Breaches can easily happen due to unpatched system vulnerabilities.

The Oracle 18C Database lost all support in June of 2021. If you have upgraded, then you’ll want to keep an eye out for another upcoming end-of-support date. Both Oracle 19C and 21C will lose premiere support in April of 2024.

Microsoft SQL Server 2014

Another popular database tool is Microsoft’s SQL. If you are using SQL Server 2014, then mainstream support has already ended. And in July of 2024, all support, including security updates will stop.

This gives you a little more time to upgrade before you’re in danger of not getting security patches. But it is better to upgrade sooner rather than later. This leaves plenty of time for testing and verification of the upgrade.

Get Help Upgrading Your Technology & Reducing Risk

Upgrades can be scary, especially if everything has been running great. You may be afraid that a migration or upgrade will cause issues.

We can help you upgrade your technology smoothly and do thorough testing afterward. Schedule a technology review today.

It’s Time To Move On From Internet Explorer

Mark Funchion is a network technician at Tech Experts.
For those of us who have been online a long time, we remember the original browser war: Internet Explorer vs Netscape Navigator. In recent years, Internet Explorer has fallen off in security and usefulness. Meanwhile, Chrome, Firefox, and Edge (specifically Chromium-based Edge) have increased in usage and also do a much better job of updating frequently to mitigate security issues.

In 2019, Chris Jackson – who is a Principal Program Manager in the Experiences and Devices Group of Microsoft – wrote https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/windows-it-pro-blog/the-perils-of-using-internet-explorer-as-your-default-browser.

In the blog post, he writes that Internet Explorer is a compatibility solution. This means that IE exists now just in case it is needed, such as for a banking site that has not been updated to support modern browsers and does not function otherwise.

To further demonstrate that Microsoft does not want you to use IE, they are ending Internet Explorer’s support for MS Teams on November 30th 2020. Next year on August 17th 2021, MS will end IE support for Office 365, Outlook, and OneDrive, among other services.

In this time of remote working, ending support for their own remote collaboration software is a big deal, and to follow that up the following year with products so widely used like Office and Outlook shows that the end of IE is finally upon us.

There are a few challenges as some software (especially financial and medical fields) has been slow to change and still only work with Internet Explorer. Another issue is users who have been using a computer for a long time have grown accustomed to using Internet Explorer and do not want to change what they know.

Also, many users have accumulated a lot of favorites and passwords in Internet Explorer and do not want to give those up.

Many people with saved passwords may not know what some of their logins are because they have had their credentials saved for so long.

Fortunately, these issues can be handled by importing your information into another browser. To handle it manually would be a pain, but your information from Internet Explorer can all be easily transferred into the main modern browsers (Chrome, Firefox, and Edge). Aside from a few clicks from you confirming what you want transferred, it’s nearly automatic.

That aside, many browsers follow the same general design, making it easy to recognize icons and fields like your address bar or home page button. They are also customizable, much like adding toolbars on IE, so you can adjust a new one to your liking to match your old familiar layout.

What about those legacy web pages? All three modern browsers also have the ability to use a plugin to emulate Internet Explorer on specific pages. Or, if absolutely necessary, you can keep and use IE only as needed.

Another benefit to the three modern browsers is update frequency. Chrome will update within days, if not hours, of an issue being discovered. Firefox is also on a similar schedule.

Edge had three security updates in August of 2020, so it also updates more frequently than Internet Explorer ever did.

Change is hard, especially for some people when it comes to their computers and software. There was outrage when Microsoft Office introduced the ribbon bar and when Windows updated the start menu.

For some, the change was seamless; for others, it took some time. Either way, these have become the norm and most people are now comfortable with them.

The same is true of browsers. They are all used in generally the same way, and while using Chrome may be a little different in the long run, you are safer and your experience is more secure.

If the company who develops a product feels it is not useful for everyday use, it’s time to move on.

Browser Battle: Why Chrome Continues To Take Over

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.
Every day I see different browsers on different computers. There’s Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, and Apple’s Safari browser. Some people like to stick with what they know, and they use Internet Explorer or even Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

There are those people that really love Mozilla’s Firefox browser and are loyal and comfortable using that. Apple users tend to stick with Safari, like how Windows users use Internet Explorer and Edge, because it’s the default they’ve used for years.

I made the switch to Google Chrome for good about 5 or 6 years ago, and I continue to use it as my browser of choice.

There are preference issues and everyone likes what they like, but there is definitely more to why I use Google Chrome over the other browsers. There are even reasons why I think you should probably use Chrome too.

Let’s start by acknowledging that there are certain websites that only have full functionality in a certain browser and that’s OK. Maybe you need to use Internet Explorer for something. Use what you need to for certain tasks. When you have a choice, use Chrome.

Chrome is celebrating its 10th birthday with a nice updated look, but that’s just the surface. It continues to add features that not only improve your user experience, but also help make things a little more secure.

Chrome now will auto-generate and suggest strong passwords for new accounts created, keeping them unique and therefore significantly more secure.

Google also made sure that the mobile integration for Chrome is second to none. Just make sure you are signed in on your computer and your phone to keep all of your bookmarks and browsing synced.

While a browser like Firefox may meet some of the standards set by Google, there are areas other browsers just can’t stack up.

Mozilla has updated and launched a new and improved mobile app. It is now faster than it was ever before. Want to sync your data between your phone and computer browser with Mozilla? Sure, just create a completely separate account, link them, and hope for the best. Mozilla’s ability to share bookmarks is fair, but it can’t keep the settings streamlined.

These are the areas that Google Chrome excels in, making your browsing experience seamless.

The password manager will also make using your account on multiple devices much easier, as you can use the manager to store passwords and use them on any device you are signed in to.

If you own an Android phone or use the Google Play store but don’t use Chrome, you are missing out on great app integration.

Another reason Chrome pulls ahead in the battle is because of its amazing app library and easy integration and updates. Other browsers can’t begin to offer the things that Google does.

If you need more reason, consider that most of the major browsers use Google’s safe browsing programming to detect potentially dangerous sites.

Consider that these companies are using someone else’s programming to keep you safe… and that programming is from the clear leader in the browser battle: Google Chrome.

Chrome: The New Standard Browser For Business

jared-stemeye
Jared Stemeye is a Help Desk Technician at Tech Experts.

Numerous enterprises still consider Microsoft’s web browsers as the standard browsers. On paper, Internet Explorer is venerability defined. However, the reality of such claims are a bit different, industry analysts argue.

“Microsoft retains a very strong relationship with [enterprise] IT,” says Gartner Technology Research analyst, David Michael Smith, in an interview. “Most enterprises still have a ‘standard’ browser, and most of the time, that’s something from Microsoft. These days it’s IE11. But we’ve found that people actually use Chrome more than IE.”

Smith, who was updating a 2015 research report on browsers in enterprise, was adamant that, at the time of forecast, Chrome was and still is the king.

“It’s the most-used browser in enterprise,” Smith discloses, referring to Google Chrome.

Internet Explorer still retains a sizable share – Smith calls it “a significant presence” – generally because it’s still essential in most companies. “There are a lot of [proprietary web software, portals, and] applications that only work in IE, because those apps use IE browser specific plug-ins,” Smith stated, indicating examples like legacy versions of Adobe Flash, Java, and Microsoft Silverlight.

“Anything that requires an ActiveX control still needs IE,” Smith concludes.

Many businesses have adopted the modern/legacy implementation strategy: keep the IE browser to handle older sites, services, and web apps, but offer a modern browser for everything else.

That approach lets employees access the old, but does not punish them with a rigid, sub-standard browser for general-purpose use. With this strategy Internet Explorer has played (and continues to play), the legacy role. All while, Chrome remains the most used browser in the world.

There are a few reasons why Chrome is widely used. Doing business on the go is becoming more and more common, even necessary. For that, Chrome boasts some of the best mobile integration available. With Google mobile apps offered on every major platform, it’s easy to keep your data in sync, so seamlessly browsing between multiple devices is easy.

Sign-in to your Google account on one device and all your Chrome bookmarks, saved data, and preferences come right along. It’s a standard feature you can find on other platforms, but Chrome’s integration is the best in the industry.

Secondly, Chrome is fast and light – and with a thriving extension library, it’s as fully featured or as trimmed down as you want it to be. Everything is right where it should be. Privacy and security controls are laid out and accessible while the browser gets out of your way when you need it to.

With all of this included, the most important of these reasons is Google’s announcement of a new Chrome Enterprise Bundle that is suggested to make integration and company standards compliance a breeze. It will help admins deploy and manage the Chrome browser across an entire company. It also provides admins a single installer for the Chrome browser and the Chrome Legacy Browser Support extension (for running an ActiveX widget and administrative policy templates).

Bottom line, Google is vying for the top spot in both consumer and enterprise browser usage, and they are doing a heck of a job achieving this goal. They have already managed to sideline Microsoft’s browser on its own OS, especially in cases where users are not on Windows 10, and don’t have access to “Edge”- Microsoft’s modern browser platform. The true king of business web browsers has become, and will remain, Chrome for the foreseeable future.

Older Internet Explorer No Longer Supported

Microsoft recently made the announcement that it will no longer offer support for Internet Explorer versions prior to Explorer 11.

It is also only through Explorer 11 that users can receive updates for the following operating systems: Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. While this does not prevent users from continuing to turn to Internet Explorer for their browsing needs, it does serve as a call to action for optimum usability and security while surfing the web.

Without up-to-date security patches, devices are at risk of malware and other forms of malicious attacks.

In addition to such security risks, users who continue to use unsupported versions of Explorer may lose Independent Software Vendor (ISV) support or encounter compliance issues.

The company also outlined how Explorer users can update to the latest version, at no extra charge. People who use Internet Explorer (IE) can be roughly divided into three categories: Enterprise users, small to medium businesses, and home PC users. Each groups has a slightly different means to upgrade to Explorer 11; however, their experience should be hassle free.

Albeit, some small-to-medium business owners have expressed concerns about their line-of-business (LOB) application having a dependency on a particular Explorer version. Microsoft has addressed this concern by integrating an Enterprise Mode into Explorer 11 that allows backward compatibility with web applications specifically designed for previous versions of Explorer.

Smaller businesses, whose software does not depend on previous IE versions, can upgrade through Automatic Updates or contact a Certified Microsoft Partner like Tech Experts for assistance.

Home PC users could see an automatic upgrade to Explorer 11 via Automatic Updates.

Still, if the home PC upgrades are set to ‘off’, updates to Explorer 11 will have to be done manually through the Control Panel and the Check for Updates button under the Windows Update tab.

Browser Wars: Which Browser Should You Use?

colorful Internet browserby Lino Perna,Technician

Since its public release in 2008, Google Chrome has been taking its place in people’s hearts and minds, replacing the commonly used Internet Explorer.

Ever since then, these two browsers have been at constant war. The public loved the fresh, simplistic, elegance of Chrome which left Internet Explorer in its dust.

Now, after all these updates and changes, which of the two has made the most positive progress? Which browser is better?

Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer was the most widely used browser up until 2008. It had the internet navigation world in the palm of its hands, and because of its massive success Microsoft decided not to change anything.

Internet Explorer came standard with every new Microsoft computer, so to the general public, that was the only option. Yes there were other web navigators, but this was the best.

In its current state, Internet Explorer 11 is faster and more efficient than any other previous versions. The security and privacy features are phenomenal and coveted by other browsers.

In a general sense, the interface is usable, but may be too complicated for some users. While it doesn’t have site prediction or voice search, it is still faster and better than ever for everyday tasks.

Chrome
When Chrome was first released, it had low usage percentage because it was an unknown browser, but at that point, Firefox had become prominent and had passed up Internet Explorer.

Slowly but surely, Chrome became more widely known and used. It took until 2011, but finally overcame the competition and became the most used browser in the world.

Today, Chrome reigns over the other browsers. Its usage surpasses any of the other browsers, but the question is: Why? The reasoning for the era of Chrome is its design.

It’s easy enough for an individual of any age to use. It simultaneously possesses the ability to give you luxuries such as: a drop-down box with thumbnails to easily access your favorite websites or the integration of Gmail and Youtube.

The simplicity of it contributes to the unparalleled speed that it possesses. Speed, efficiency and quality are the necessary staples of success.

Google Chrome possesses all three of these essential attributes that helped it achieve and sustain dominance over its predecessors.

The built in flash player and PDF support put Chrome ahead of the competition because both tools are used quite frequently in both a business and scholastic setting.

Wrapping Up
It all comes down to this: When it comes to efficiency, speed, and quality, Chrome takes the cake.

Its facile interface, outstanding quality, and unmatched speed rocket it past Internet Explorer, and any other browser at that.

Though Internet Explorer may be easier to access, if you want a browser that can do all you ever needed and more, while also being considerably faster than its competition, Google Chrome is the browser for you.

(Image Source: iCLIPART)

Improve Your Web Browsing Experience With Add-ons!

There are multiple Internet browser add-ons that can make your web browsing experience more productive and more enjoyable.

Add-ons are programs that are installed into your browser application, which provides additional functionality.

The first Internet browser to introduce is Internet Explorer (IE). IE is one of the most popular web browsers available because it’s native to all Windows Operating Systems.

IE has been negatively criticized by many users and technical websites for security issues, but with careful web browsing and the right add-ons Internet Explorer will get the job done.

In the business world there are many websites that requires the use of Internet Explorer.

This limits us from the functionality that we are used to in other Internet browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome.

For example, in Firefox and Google Chrome if you accidently close one of your Internet browsing tabs you can recover it by going to the History option and clicking on recently closed tabs or a key combination of Ctrl+Shift+T. IE doesn’t offer this option.

Until Microsoft updates IE, the recommended add-on is called Open Last Closed tab. It is a free download from www.download.com. Search “Open Last Closed Tab” download and install and you will be satisfied that your Internet tabs are safe from getting closed accidently.

Since it is the most popular browser, Internet Explorer has had more issues with security than most others. It’s the most popular, therefore, hackers will get the most “bang for their buck” by attacking IE.

The best way to prevent browser security issues to install the add-ons/toolbars that comes free with the antivirus of your choice.

Phishing is the most common problem. What happens is if you misspell a website or click on a link from an email it will take you to a website that looks similar to the one you are used to.

So when you enter your username and password it actually steals your login information.

A good Choice is Norton’s Internet Securities toolbar; all of them will protect you from phishing. However, Norton verifies many popular banking and shopping sites.

One of the best things about Norton is if you see the Antivirus Norton Toolbar display a shield, you know you’re dealing with a site that’s been authenticated by Norton as safe and legitimate.

Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending e-mails that look like they’re from legitimate companies to try to get you to reveal personal information, such as credit-card numbers or online banking passwords.

Another very useful browser add-on is Last Pass. Last Pass is an application and add-on that stores all of your saved passwords, login information, and important notes.

For example, if you are in the automotive industry. You will have a number of parts ordering applications and websites to that require passwords.

Last Pass will securely store all of this information and this will also speed up the process when logging in to your software or websites. You can purchase last pass from www.lastpass.com.

Try out a few for yourself. For Internet Explorer add-ons visit http://www.ieaddons.com/en/.

For Google Chrome add-ons visit https://chrome.google.com/webstore.

And for Firefox add-ons visit https://addons.mozilla.org. There are several thousand add-ons available to choose from.

Microsoft Office 365: Work Anywhere, Anytime?

Microsoft is coming out with a new product called “Microsoft Office 365.”

This product is being pushed more for the business market and not towards home users as much as their popular “Microsoft Office Suite.”

Microsoft Office 365 is a subscription based web application that essentially gives you your copy of Microsoft Office anywhere you are and at any time, using Internet Explorer and a web connection.

This software is powered by Microsoft’s already popular “SharePoint” collaboration application.

Office 365 doesn’t give you access to all of the applications available in the traditional Office suite – for instance, Outlook isn’t included in the package – yet.

Microsoft Office 365 includes Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft OneNote, and something Microsoft is calling Microsoft Outlook integration.

Outlook integration links a local copy of Outlook that is installed on your PC to the Office 365 suite in the cloud.

One of the best features in Office 365 is the ability to share files and documents on the go through a web interface that acts like a centralized server for your company.

This connection is 100% secure with encrypted data transfers and is password protected allowing only those who know the password to access to your company’s data and files.

This gives you access to the documents that you were working on in the office while you are on the road. And, anyone else in your organization that needs access to your files can use them anytime, anywhere.

Another advantage of using a web based application like this one is that, since it is a web hosted application, you don’t need to install any software.

You can access your documents from any computer with and Internet connection using just your password. The ability to store and work on your documents anywhere doesn’t come without some caveats.

Although Microsoft guarantees 99.9 percent uptime, most Internet service providers don’t. If your entire organization was deployed on the Office 365 platform and your company’s Internet connection went down, you could very well experience a bout of low productivity until everything came back online.

Office 365 and other cloud services are undoubtedly the wave of the future.

If you’d like to explore some cloud solutions for your organization, please give the office a call at 734- 457-5000.

 

Is It Time To Explore Alternatives To Internet Explorer?

Internet Explorer, for most part is incorporated in our everyday lives, in one way or another.

Internet Explorer is a very solid web browser, but you may be tired of it and want to try something new or different out.

Some people say that they are frustrated with the constant updates, script errors, and the warnings over and over again. The frustration can end today!

Here is a brief overview of the three most common web browsers that are used other than Internet Explorer. All three work on most Windows based Operating Systems and are all free to download and use.

Google Chrome
This is Google’s gateway into the realm of Internet browsers. Chrome is a stripped-down web browser that is designed to run “lean and mean.” If you are using a slower computer or maybe you are concerned about resource usage on your system then this is the browser meant for you.

The layout of this browser is a little different than what most people are used to, it is sort of plain looking, but gets straight to the point.

I highly recommend giving this one a try for a few days and see if you like it or not. Download is available at google.com/chrome.

Firefox
Mozilla Firefox is currently the second most widely-used web browser in the world. Firefox programmers routinely fix security issues as well as develop many useful plug ins to enhance the entire operation and your web browsing experience.

I do not recommend downloading every plug in, but there are many that you will find useful. Download is available at Mozilla.com

Opera
The least known web browser of them all is Opera, made by Opera Software. Opera works on all Operating Systems.

It is one of the fastest browsers now available and it also has the added advantage of being optimized for use on mobile devices. It is also specially designed for users who have visual or motor impairments.

Opera has received tons of positive reviews and is winning industry awards for usability. Download is available at opera.com.

All of these web browsers have their strengths and weaknesses, but you don’t have to settle for the browser that came with your system.

If you’re not happy with Internet Explorer, then I would give all three of these a try. They’re all quick to install and use.

If you have trouble installing or using any of these web browsers give the Tech Experts support team a call at (734)-457-5000. Or, you can just bring your system in to us and we’ll work with you to get everything set up properly.