Both the Linux CD's booted but refused to run.
Knoppix gave a 'cannot find the file system' error.
Ubuntu got as far as 'loading kernel' and never got any further.

The AHK script did nothing.

barney,

I think the bottom line with IE is that it is no longer necessary although as far as I am aware it cannot actually be removed from the OS.

I only ever use it in XP for MS Updates, solely because it is easier. I could simply update from the notifications but the website provides more information if I need it.
Even though I have never updated FF beyond 3.6 if I want to take it out of the sandbox it normally runs in I can either change the user agent or use IE Tab and access MS with that.

I do not question that later versions of IE are safer than previous ones but again I come back to the point of how you use it.

That does not mean that you cannot get caught out but that is true of any version of any browser.

I would never advise other people not to update IE in the same way that I would never advise other people to follow some of the other computing practices I use, nor would I change them.

Why are people still using Opera at all?

Personal choice?

@pilgrim
There is IE8 for XP.

-fenixproductions (June 02, 2013, 04:57 PM)

I know.

I would advise to upgrade not because IE8 is a lot better but because other software may use its libraries (and hence be vulnerable to any of its exploits).

What other software? If you are talking about within the OS or OS related, XP was designed with IE6 and in spite of dire warnings I have never seen it stated that updating IE was essential.

I have a lot of software that has never been updated for a number of reasons, some I only have a license for a specific version, some the later versions have either become bloated or been changed in some way.
One of the most recent was Avira which earlier in the year removed the option to choose when to update the product, if I reach the point where it no longer works or definition updates are no longer available I will move to something else.

I am sure that nobody here would disagree with the statement that there is no such thing as 'complete security'. I have a range of security measures in place that probably go beyond what many people use and the last untoward thing I found on any of my computers was a tracking cookie, that was several years ago.
I am under no illusions that my systems are impregnable but I believe that more important than what version of a program you have is how you use it.
There are a small number of exceptions to that, Java for one, but I would not include IE in that group, in fact the only reason I updated to IE7 was because I preferred it.

I have no doubt that in years to come the same things will be said about IE* that are now being said about IE6 and there will still be large numbers of people who use the older versions without any problems.
I am not against updating things I just think that the issue gets out of hand at times.

New is not necessarily better, or safer. It's a question of balance and what I feel is right for my computers and the way I use them. If one of my systems did get exploited that's down to me, no-one else.