I am concerned about the IE problem so am trying to take steps to minimise the risk.
I have it running on `high` security, but I also read it should be run in safe mode. I can`t see how to do that.

Any help please?

use firefox

Thanks, but I`d still like an answer to my question if anyone can help.

iexplore -extoff

I think you guys think you`re replying to someone who knows their way round a pc.
I am a total numpty who needs things spelling out in `proper` English.

So what does iexplore -extoff mean please?

Thanks for your patience :help:

Go to Start menu and click on Run*, type "iexplore -extoff" into the box, and press Enter.

* or hold down the Windows key and press "r", if you can't find "run"

I think you guys think you`re replying to someone who knows their way round a pc.
I am a total numpty who needs things spelling out in `proper` English.

So what does iexplore -extoff mean please?

Thanks for your patience :help:

Don't mean to sound harsh, but that ^ is exactly the reason you should install and use a more secure browser

just make sure you have all the latest updates installed from Microsoft
and you will be alright. as usual the threat has been over hyped.
safe mode is only about the operating system of the machine.
get yourself some antivirus software and you will be fine.

I think you guys think you`re replying to someone who knows their way round a pc.
I am a total numpty who needs things spelling out in `proper` English.

So what does iexplore -extoff mean please?

Thanks for your patience :help:

Seriously, Internet Explorer is pretty risky and always has been for the more experienced computer user to use.

In the hands of a PC novice, surfing with Internet Explorer is almost a guarantee that you will eventually fall prey to problems that you could have avoided by using a safer browser like FireFox or Opera (My recommendation).

Be aware that you can install as many browsers on your PC as you wish, it doesn't mean you lose the use of IE.

http://www.opera.com/browser/

just make sure you have all the latest updates installed from Microsoft
and you will be alright. as usual the threat has been over hyped.
safe mode is only about the operating system of the machine.
get yourself some antivirus software and you will be fine.

That's the problem though, Internet Explorer is without any shadow of a doubt the most vunerable browser in use.
Microsoft has to constantly give it's users updates to combat these new theats, and Microsoft is usually slow to respond to new threats.
Even if Microsoft have managed to find a "fix" for this latest vuneability, it won't be too long before another Internet Explorer vunerability is discovered.

The best solution is not to keep Internet Explorer up to date, but to switch browsers altogether.

Thanks very much, all replies most welcome, I shall look at the alternatives.
I wish I knew more, but at my age its enough if it just does what I want it to do (mainly looking at genealogy sites and adding to my family tree, I don`t go on any games sites which seem to be particularly vulnerable)

Thanks very much, all replies most welcome, I shall look at the alternatives.
I wish I knew more, but at my age its enough if it just does what I want it to do (mainly looking at genealogy sites and adding to my family tree,I don`t go on any games sites which seem to be particularly vulnerable)

The trouble is it isn't just games sites that make IE vunerable.

This latest game sites vunerability has made the newspapers, but it isn't the first IE vunerabilty, nor will it be the last.
The latest vunerability isn't just an isolated case, IE has a long history of vunerabilities that rarely make the general print or tv news media, although they are well known amongst the PC community.

Minimo this article was written back in 2004, but seems as relevant today as regards to IE's security flaws.

http://reviews.cnet.com/1990-3513_7-5142616-1.html

Don't you need IE to download windows updates?

Don't you need IE to download windows updates?

Yes, but that doesn't mean you have to use it as your main browser.

Don't you need IE to download windows updates?

oops, replied to the wrong thread.
Should have been this one.

How do I completly get rid of IE off my pc?

The trouble is it isn't just games sites that make IE vunerable.

This latest game sites vunerability has made the newspapers but, it isn't the first IE vunerabilty, nor will it be the last.
The latest vunerability isn't just an isolated case, IE has a long history of vunerabilities that rarely make the news media, although they are well known amongst PC community.

Minimo this article was written back in 2004, but seems as relevant today as regards to IE's security flaws.

http://reviews.cnet.com/1990-3513_7-5142616-1.html

Thanks, I`ll have a look at that.

That's the problem though, Internet Explorer is without any shadow of a doubt the most vunerable browser in use.
Microsoft has to constantly give it's users updates to combat these new theats, and Microsoft is usually slow to respond to new threats.
Even if Microsoft have managed to find a "fix" for this latest vuneability, it won't be too long before another Internet Explorer vunerability is discovered.

The best solution is not to keep Internet Explorer up to date, but to switch browsers altogether.

The problem is that bad people want to get into other peoples computers. By far and away the most successful method is social engineering - and getting people to install stuff they don't understand what it's going to do.

Every browser is insecure. End of story. As the take up rate of FF / Opera has risen, so has the number of threats to those that have been discovered. IE is no worse these days than FF. Everyone tells you that IE is bad because MS won't update it even if a flaw is found, but just over 24 hours after this flaw was found, they've pushed a supported fix out to everyone (and tested it on the myriad of configurations that IE can be installed in).

I'm not going to defend MS any further, but this scaremongering is getting rediculous. People on this site are more likely to pick up malware from their emails and facebook / myspace accounts than they are being hacked via their browser. At the end of the day, it's currently impossible to write secure software, and until that becomes possible, incidents like this will happen again. Even once it is possible, the bad people aren't going to go away, spam won't stop and people will still get hacked - there's too much money and not enough knowledge to stop it.

As an aside, if you do intend to remove IE from your computer, please bare in mind that it is classed as an operating system component from Windows 98 onwards, and various other features of Windows and other applications you may have installed may stop working or become very unreliable. I would not recommend removing IE from your system unless you understand the consequences. Using another browser for normal surfing is fine, just don't expect that it means your computer is 100% safe (it's never going to be).

People on this site are more likely to pick up malware from their emails and facebook / myspace accounts than they are being hacked via their browser.

I watched last weeks BBC News technology program "Click", they were interviewing Mr.Kaspersky, the Russian founder who set up the IT security company Kaspersky.
He was asked, what was the greatest threat toady, to the average internet user, Mr.Kasperky replied that it wasn't any longer the e-mail attachments, or even fraudulent links or buttons you click on (A la Facebook), but simply visiting a dodgy website, which will automatically download malicious script without the user needing to do anything, except land on the page.

Opera has 2 inbuilt features that as far I am aware Internet Explorer doesn't, to protect the user with regards to these threats.

1)In built Haute security,which prevents the user from landing on any webpage or site that has known security issues.
2) It can block both Java and Java Script on all websites, but gives you control to allow Java or Java Script to run on only those specific sites that the user trusts.


Every browser is insecure. End of story.

I would rephrase that by saying no browser is 100% safe, just like no house or home is 100% secure from burglars....

But some are more secure than others.

There is very little doubt according to Secunia, the company that is renowned for tracking vunerabilities and patches in the major browsers, that Internet Explorer has the worst security track record and Opera has the best.

I think something a lot of people don't appreciate also is that often malware is pushed via adverts which sites don't have full control over. So staying away from 'dodgy' sites doesn't necessarily protect you from threats.

I think something a lot of people don't appreciate also is that often malware is pushed via adverts which sites don't have full control over. So staying away from 'dodgy' sites doesn't necessarily protect you from threats.

That's true but by definition once the said site has allowed these types of adverts on their site then that site can be called "dodgy".

That's true but by definition once the said site has allowed these types pf adverts on their site then that site can be called "dodgy".
It's not necessarily a question of allowing though is it? If Google ads or whatever serves them with an infected ad then there's not a lot they can do about it.

It's not necessarily a question of allowing though is it? If Google ads or whatever serves them with an infected ad then there's not a lot they can do about it.

Hmm, we seem to be caught up in terminology here, when I used the term "dodgy sites" I used the term to refer to all sites that contain malware,including ones with those adverts.

So virtually every website then, as most are capable of hosting malware, even if it's only until someone notices and removes the offending ad.

So virtually every website then, as most are capable of hosting malware, even if it's only until someone notices and removes the offending ad.

Hmm I thought I answered that question.

The term "dodgy site" I used in post 18 was used to describe a site that was found to contain malware, whether whether that be from adverts or otherwise.

I used it as a descriptive term, rather than say :

"When you land on a site that could infect your machine through malicious code, used on the webpage, or whether you landed on a site known to have spyware inducing advertising."

The term "dodgy" was just quicker to use.

The term "dodgy" was just quicker to use.
And highly imprecise. Most people would think a "dodgy website" to be a porn website or some such. Not a perfectly legit one that's been a victim of hacking or unlucky enough to get served a bad ad.

And highly imprecise. Most people would think a "dodgy website" to be a porn website or some such. Not a perfectly legit one that's been a victim of hacking or unlucky enough to get served a bad ad.

Whatever you say.

That's true but by definition once the said site has allowed these types of adverts on their site then that site can be called "dodgy".So SF is dodgy because there are loads of ads, including Google ads?

So SF is dodgy because there are loads of ads, including Google ads?

Read my original post 18, I meant "dodgy" as in any site that caused you a "drive by" infection, I.e one that you don't have to click anything on.

If SF did have adverts that caused "drive by" infections, then yes that would be termed a "dodgy" site in the context that I used it.

But SF could be served an ad which caused a "drive by" infection, which would, no doubt, be acted upon promptly by the mods / site admin as soon as it was noticed. Nevertheless, it is susceptible (sp?) to being the source of malware due to it hosting external content on it's pages that it has no pre-emptive control over.