ChristiansUnite Forums

US-CERT: Beware of IE
By Ryan Naraine
June 29, 2004

http://www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3374931


The U.S. government's Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is warning Web surfers to stop using Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser.

On the heels of last week's sophisticated malware attack that targeted a known IE flaw, US-CERT updated an earlier advisory to recommend the use of alternative browsers because of "significant vulnerabilities" in technologies embedded in IE.

"There are a number of significant vulnerabilities in technologies relating to the IE domain/zone security model, the DHTML object model, MIME-type determination, and ActiveX. It is possible to reduce exposure to these vulnerabilities by using a different Web browser, especially when browsing untrusted sites," US-CERT noted in a vulnerability note.

The latest US-CERT position comes at a crucial time for Microsoft , which has invested heavily to add secure browsing technologies in the coming Windows XP Service Pack 2. The software giant has spent the last few months talking up the coming IE security improvements but the slow response to patching well-known -- and sometimes "critical" -- browser holes isn't sitting well with security experts.

On discussion lists and message boards, security researchers have spent a lot of time beating the "Dump IE" drum, and the US-CERT notice is sure to lend credibility to the movement away from the world's most popular browser.

US-CERT is a non-profit partnership between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the public and private sectors. It was established in September 2003 to improve computer security preparedness and response to cyber attacks in the United States.

It has been more than two weeks since Microsoft confirmed the existence on an "extremely critical" IE bug, which was being used to load adware/spyware and malware on PCs without user intervention but, even though the company hinted it would go outside its monthly security update cycle to issue a fix, the flaw remains unpatched.

US-CERT researchers say the IE browser does not adequately validate the security context of a frame that has been redirected by a Web server. It opens the door for an attacker to exploit the flaw by executing script in different security domains.

"By causing script to be evaluated in the Local Machine Zone, the attacker could execute arbitrary code with the privileges of the user running IE," according to the advisory.

"Functional exploit code is publicly available, and there are reports of incidents involving this vulnerability."

To protect against the flaw, IE users are urged to disable Active scripting and ActiveX controls in the Internet Zone (or any zone used by an attacker). Other temporary workarounds include the application of the Outlook e-mail security update; the use of plain-text e-mails and the use of anti-virus software.

Surfers must also get into the habit of not clicking on unsolicited URLs from e-mail, instant messages, Web forums or internet relay chat (IRC) sessions


Use the Following Internet Browsers Below:





(http://www.opera.com/graphics/logos/opera.png) (http://www.opera.com/products/)

"Opera's Software - Free Downloads" (http://www.opera.com/products/)



(http://www.mozilla.org/images/mlogo.gif) (http://www.mozilla.org/)

"Mozilla Browser - Free Downloads" (http://www.mozilla.org/)





Here are some Free AnitVirus Programs that are good and Free.  This Links are in Blue

Yep, Stay away from IE too many Viruses going around.




Use Spybot (http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html) and Lavasoft (http://www.lavasoftusa.com/) to block out unwanted issues. I have both plus Norton AntiVirus Professional 2004 (http://www.symantec.com/nav/nav_pro/) on my computer.  They have free downloads for Lavasoft and Spybot, try them, I think you'll love them as much as I do!





Please :-X think about the options of really nice free downloads of Very good browsers for the internet.


Opera 7.50 - 7.52 is a very good and stable browser compared to IE.  It comes with a very nice Pop-up blocker, I mean nothing gets through it.  You can adjust the pop-up settings very easy as well.

Opera has a way for you to import all your IE Favorite Places and Hotmail Emails.  I can have as many web pages open in one Window, I can minimize the windows and still be in the main window, this helps in toggling between many web sites! Opera has a Very Neat Password Wand that will remember your passwords and protect them for privacy, sue helps logging into more than one forum or account at once!  Opera is Free to download.  Please try it, Six months ago, I would only use IE, Not anymore, Opera has completely worked for my needs YaY! If you have any questions about my Opera or how to work the many Skins and Settings, please Let me Know, okay!

In my Opera 7.50, I have Two Kristi Ann's Web Sites open, one Christian Unites Forum, one Photobucket account, and one Picture Poster account.

I also have Opera 7.52 running as this how I am typing this here very easy.


Here is the Link too Opera Software below;



Blessings Everyone!   \o/


KristiAnn


I use Opera 7.51, that's how I built Kristi Ann's Haven!
 

I use Mozilla, for my browser. I have had too many problems with IE.

My friends are obsessed with Opera. I'll stick with IE, though.

I suppose that is your Choice..... Be careful of the worms and viruses going around on Internet Explorer!!!

I Use DSL and have a choice, Not to use IE at all!

Be careful...

Kristi

Me too. Switching browsers might protect you for a while, but unless you learn how to protect your own system, sooner or later the worms/virii/trojans/scripts etc. are going to be able to affect all the browsers. Personally, I haven't had a bad download from IE because it's protected by software whose developers are not Microsoft. I've gone to sites known to "house" some of those baddies to test it, and come away clean.

The rats who develop these nasties do it for a number of reasons; the challenge being one of them, like a mountain climber climbs the mountain because it's there.

My suggestions: switch browsers if you really like something else, but take the time to learn how to protect your systems properly, no matter what browser or what OS you use.

Also, take the time to learn how to deal with something you do happen to get infected with...don't just rely on an antivirus because they don't always do the job. Some of the stuff out there can disable the antivirus. Like the boyscouts say "be prepared". Don't wait til you've "got it" before you learn about it.

Security and privacy is up to us....you sure won't get it from Microsoft.


http://www.net-integration.net (http://www.net-integration.net)
http://www.spywareinfo.com (http://www.spywareinfo.com)
http://www.tomcoyote.com (http://www.tomcoyote.com)

Gracey

I use "MyIE2" - a free browser software that my LAN Administrator turned me on to.  (You can find it with a simple Google search.) It works great!  It's got all the firewall protection and a great popup blocker - it is extemely functional, plus, in conjuction with my McAffee "super-duper-whooper-blooper-stooper-virus-stopper" (okay - maybe it's just McAffe Delux) I rest easy.

Of course - I still shut my computer down when I'm away for more than an hour or so.  Hey - just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean 'they' aren;t after me!  ;D

I also Have MyIE2 it's now named Maxthon. Those of you who want the link, here it is~> Maxthon (MyIE2) (http://www.myie2.com/html_en/home.htm). They have Free downloads too!

I have many browsers on my computer, IE (YUCK!), MyIE2, Mozilla FireFox, Opera 7.51 & 7.52, Plus my Juno account has a browser similar to IE. I even have AOL loaded on my machine, I don't use it though.

Browsers are Peoples Perferences in Life, they can choose any one they feel meets their needs for the internet. It's still a Free Country last time I checked.

I just wanted to warn everyone about the dangers of IE that is all...  :-X

Thanks Kristi!

Guess that's why I've been getting Trojans every other day!
Not to mention many viruses!

Good thorough information.

 ;D
iconHis

Do you actually use all those? (well, I see you don't use AOL (ick))  I am wondering....what is the point in so many browsers? (just askin', cause one is all you really need). Am I missing out on something here?

If I really felt the need to change, I probably would go with mozilla, but my IE is so customized I can do pretty much everything I want with it.

blessings
Gracey

Hi KristiAnn:

I went and checked out the link for the downloads page you posted for Opera....uh, do you have to put up with advertising through your browser?

The page says:


ugh...I spent a lot of time and effort trying to avoid ads on the net. A browser that wants you to look at it's ads isn't really free....

Did you buy your browser?

Gracey

Hiya Gracey,  ;D


I am so sorry for my late responding to your questions.  :'(

I did Not Buy my Opera's 7.50 or 7.52 at which I typing this on my Opera 7.50.  With two of Kristi Ann's Haven's Open, another Website I am an Adminitrstor of, Favor Minded Ministries, Ask Jesus.org, and a google window.  All this open in one Opera Window, with all the websites tabbed and I can minimize them in the same Opera Window.

I also have my Opera 7.52 running in it's own Window as well, with eight websites open there.  My 7.50 and 7.52 have small adds above, and they're so small it don't bother me at all. Both Opera's I have come with a built in Pop-up Stopper that Rocks! I don't get any pop-ups at all!!! YaY...

I am Not endorsing Opera, I simply like it for my personal internet browser!!  To each their own, right!

Love Sis,  \o/

MsGuidedAngel
AKA
KristiAnn

Everyone should run Firefox in my opinion *grin*
http://getfirefox.com (http://getfirefox.com)

Hi George.....believe it or not, Mozilla browsers are not a happy thing on my computer. I personally like it (mozilla), however, IE seems to have developed a mind of it's own and refuses to allow any other browser....(shades of "Hal").

Actually, I'm quite sure it's the ops, more so than the browser, but anyway, my computer could easily take it's cue from Hal!

Gracey

I have been using firefox for 2 or 3 months. I really like it. It is faster than IE, and more easily customized.  ;D

It does have small glitches from time to time, like getting a "cannot locate web page" once in a while. But this in very minor compared to the security flaws in IE.

NOTE: If you use firefox, do not download the ActiveX plug-in. The ActiveX control in IE is one of it's biggest security flaws. If you go to a website that requires ActiveX (like windows update) then use IE for that website and then go back to firefox when done.

Are you aware that just having IE on your computer affords the same opening as if you were using it, even when you aren't?  For instance, for some people, even with mozilla set as a default, have found when access their "hotmail" acccount (personally, I would ditch hotmail)  msn will automatically use ie to open email. Microsoft is a big pain. I wonder what would happen if  IE wasn't installed? Would msn just use the browser that's there? Or would it not open the mail at all?

There's ways to uninstall  IE(but not without a lot of headaches and then, maybe, windows update won't work and various other ms goodies may not either-personally I don't think that's any big loss), but if not, you should have "protection" provided by outside developers.

There is a program (forgotten the name as you need to purchase it, and I didn't) that was developed to replace IE (something or other lite) and the developers specifically developed it to work on all those sites that will only work with IE.

Personally, when I can find a way to completely uninstall IE without wrecking my op system totally (that would be a miracle since it's pretty crummy to begin with), I probably will do it and put out the money for something else.

I do know, though, that IE is more fully integrated with Windows XP than with previous ops, and that makes it harder to uninstall (although, probably not impossible for one so inclined).

I wasn't aware just having IE on your computer was a security hole, but it makes sense now that you bring it up. I am sure you could get rid of it if you really wanted to. But unfortunately it is needed for some things to work right, windows update being the most important.

Oh, I just had I good idea, If you go into your firewall and block IE from accessing the internet when you are not using it and then unblock it when you need it. Sweet, I think I will do that right now.

As far as websites that use ActiveX, using firefox with the ActiveX plug-in would be better than using IE. Although I still would not get the ActiveX plug-in. I would still recommend using IE only when necessary and switching back to firefox when done. This seems to be the safest method at this time.

I have heard that MS is going to fully integrate IE into up coming OS's. So there will be no choice in having it on your system. Unless of course you decide to go with another OS like Linux or the Sun Java OS that is based on Linux.

Just last week I was going to load Linux Mandrake 8.2 on an old system and start learning how to use it. But the old hard drive has to many errors on it. It would not install Linux. I did a surface scan on it using a partition tool and all I got for three hours was errors. Oh well. Maybe I will do a dual boot on my kids computer or my laptop.

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

I still have a lot of questions about the gaping security holes in Windows products, especially Internet Explorer. I do have a firewall and can turn IE's ability to contact the Internet on and off. However, I've read that there are still security holes just having IE installed on your computer. I thought about deleting it completely, but that is apparently not a wise thing to do. I understand that you really have to know what you are doing to get that done, especially considering that Bill Gates has tied it into much of the operating system. I've read that you can actually crash the OS in trying to get rid of IE.

I opted to use a freeware browser called Avant and configure it to run independent from IE, but I really don't think that is possible. There are many advantages to Avant, including speed and the ability to turn many dangerous components completely off (i.e. active-x and scripts). I understand there is another freeware browser called Slim Browser that is another step up in security and speed. Does anyone know anything about either of these browsers (Avant, Slim)?

It actually appears that many Windows services try to run regardless of which browser you want to use. GUESS WHAT - they run through Internet Explorer. I did an experiment the other day that was fascinating. I changed the extension of Internet Explorer from "exe" to "bxe", thinking that I could see what the system would do without it. Well, IT WAS ALMOST LIKE MAGIC - the OS almost immediately installed another copy of Internet Explorer with the correct extension. UM??? - Darth Gates appears to be loose in our computers, regardless of our wishes.   ;D

I'm thinking it JUST MIGHT have to do with many other services on the Internet that involve money. Another puzzle is Windows Media Player. Turn that rascal on and it sends stuff everywhere. The privacy notice on Windows Media Player is very interesting. In reality, it appears that we don't have any privacy or security using Windows products. I'm beginning to wonder how much Microsoft is paid by third party vendors of FOR PAY SERVICES.

UM??? - I wonder if Darth Gates is monitoring this conversation.


 ;D

Love In Christ,
Tom

It's things like this that make you want try your hand at Linux. Get rid if windows altogether.

There probably is a micrsoft version of the FBI that watches our every move. Smack down the little guy before he can get out of windoze. ;D

I am probably being watched right now.  :-X

Nahhh...I say let em watch.  Maybe they will hear the Gospel.   ;)   My Father see's every thing they say and do too.   In fact He even see's their thoughts and heart.

The only time MSIE has been a problem for me was once, surfing random sites related to severe weather, a users site installed a backdoor trojan on my PC without my knowledge.   Obviously I found this installment and removed it in short time.   So now I use Mozilla when I am random surfing, but I still use MSIE when I visit sites I frequent.

The only defense anyone has, is a good backup (hardcopy) of your important data.   Either burn it to disk, or get a tape backup or something of that nature.   Using any computer, any software, no matter what it is, theres always the chance the computer will either crash or be at risk to security attack.  Its like your home.  The only safe bet is to have good insurance, and a safe box with your important documents.  In PC lingo the equivalent is a good backup of your important data, and of course the typical virus protection, firewall good sense etc.  Maybe even a little prayer over your PC  ;D

Be as safe as you can be, but always plan for the worst.

Grace and Peace!

As they say "pessimists are blessed for they make backups".

 ;)

One Word ~>  "Opera" (http://www.opera.com/products/) ;D

Nothing compares to the ability to break glass with opera vocals!   ;D

j/k MS  I couldn't resist  8)

Grace and Peace!

Yeah, Kristi, but you still need IE to update at the Microsoft website, and as long as you even have IE installed on your computer, you are as open to attack as if you were using it. Consider it Microsofts "built in" backdoor.   :D

Gracey

Oklahoma Howdy to All,

I used a freeware browser called Avant for quite some time, but I'm currently using a freeware browser called Slim Browser.

For whatever reason, it seems that most of the browsers still use some of the Internet Explorer files and functions. Avant was good, but Slim Browser works with fewer bugs and errors. You can also turn Active-X and Scripts capabilities on or off any time you wish. I only leave these turned on with sites I know are safe, and Christians Unite is definitely safe.

There is another gremlin loose in Windows, the Windows Messenger. That's a security hole big enough to drive a semi through. You can and should disable this. I did disable it on my system, and I can't see any negative effects at all. There's something I don't understand in all of the Windows security problems. Researchers and security gurus have been telling Gates for years about the problems, and they just don't fix them. I'm thinking that it has something to do with pay services that Microsoft and affiliates make big money with. I'm also thinking that Microsoft gets paid by other companies to leave the bugs in Windows so their own pay services work. Money has to be the culprit. The logical answer for security would be to leave that garbage out of the operating system and let the user install it with whatever pay services they want to use. OH!!! - pardon me - that's common sense.  ;D

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hello everyone.

Gracey, you can go microsoft and manually download the patches that you need. That way you would not have to use windows update. I don't do this myself, but I know some that do.

By Blackeyedpeas


Oh yes that definitely needs to be disabled. That service is only needed if you are on a network that is controlled by an administrator. It allows an admin to control updates and make changes on client computers from a remote computer. That is why it is such a security hole.

But there are other services that need to be disabled as well. Like remote desktop help, secondary logon, terminal services to name a few. These are not needed by most home users. Besides being security threats they also slow your computer down by running unnecessarily in the background.

http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm (http://www.blackviper.com/WinXP/servicecfg.htm) This is an excellent place to learn what services do what and what setting is recommended and why. Please note that this is for windows XP and 2000 only. Also that he is in the process of updating his Service Configurations to include SP2.

This is a great site to learn how to tweak your computer. If you shut down unneeded services you will notice a boost in performance as well.



I agree. But bad things can happen to good sites. Two or three days ago a forum that I go to often had a incident. Someone inserted malicious code into a post and was redirecting everyone to a very nasty picture. On top of that it falsely associated user names with that post.  >:(

I have just about every program you can think of to secure my computers. I practice safe browsing. But still about two months ago I had a virus.

My point is that even though you think things are locked up tight, there is always someone trying to find a new way in and you have to be careful.

Peace to all.

According to this news article, Microsoft was supposed to kill the messenger in their next update (that was Oct. 2003):

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39117450,00.htm (http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39117450,00.htm)

But, windows has within something called the "messenger service" which is different from windows messenger, or msn messenger. This is also considered an opening for problems, and if you want to take care of it and don't know how, there's a little program (utility) out there called "Shoot the Messenger"

http://grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm (http://grc.com/stm/shootthemessenger.htm)

Brothers and Sisters,

I'm not new to computer security, but I am completely new to Windows XP. I really appreciate the help and advice in this thread. Every new link to XP security information makes me realize how little I know about XP.

It is sad there are so many ways to hit plain and ordinary folks. It appears that the number of ways to get you increase with each new version of Windows. I'm thinking that Bill Gates would make a great terrorist, considering that he appears to be holding all of us hostage.   ;D

Love In Christ,
Tom

Although I'm a total freaked-out MACHEAD, my wife (sob, sob) has a peecee.  Because of security breaches, I've set it up as:

Windows 98SE
Firefox (Mozilla), which is FREE, and has an email client called thunderbird which does NOT have the open doors that Outlook has.

NO messenger.

I keep IE locked down, plus I'm behind a Linux server firewall.

When I run a security (port) check online, the service tells me I don't exist.  ;D ;D ;D

Seriously....either go MAC, or try the Firefox. Since installing it, we've not had one single intrusion.

Evangelist,

Brother Hank, I have Norton Internet Security as my main protection. The Shields Up site test indicates my computer is in complete stealth mode, but my old computer was still crashed in stealth mode, and I wasn't using Microsoft for browsing or email. There are evidently still some holes in the operating system itself.

I certainly don't use Outlook or Outlook Express. There are all kinds of nasty problems designed specifically for them. Another good rule is to set whatever email program you use for plain text only.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Greetings,

Regardless of what browser you might favor, ALL of them
face the same problem...adware/spyware/malware or some
other malicious code that cause you to go "Hummm. how did
that happen!"

IE is no better than Mozilla or some other free browser.
IE has security issues (duh) as well as non-brand name
browsers. When it comes down to the mechanics of a
browser, they all suffer security problems. A browser by
any other name is still a browser. Adware/spyware/malware
coders are getting sophisticated in their programming skills
spybots are behind them in their dust. These programmers
are learning the tricks to get past how data is formatted on
a browser. For example, turning off executable downloads
from a browser does not mean person (hacker) cant run an
program with it on. They still can!

I really laugh when people when they tell me that
browser "X" is better than browser "Y". There is no difference.
(I'm really aching to use an "!" on that last sentence.)

I've dissected lots of spyware code that will run around
both IE and Mozilla and other popular browsers. Both have
issues with buffer flows along with other a host of other
issues. It all comes down to "eye-candy". "Humm... this is
nice, I like this feature." or "Hey, cool I like the tabs!"

If you truly want to keep your computer safe from spyware,
viruses, hackers , coffee spills and the occasional cat hair
found logged in the keyboard, turn your computer off, toss
it into the closet and lock the door. (throw away the key
helps too..........along with the cat!)


Jim

Well, this is what I've been trying to tell people:


Education is the best way to deal with it, not changing your browser (although it might help for a while). Me, I'm still using IE....not because I think it's great, but because I've had very few problems that I haven't been able to handle with it, and who wants to give them the satisfaction? (I had one bad one, but it didn't come through ie and I had to reformat) But, because I got educated about security measures, and how to be careful, where to go for help if you can't fix it, I feel a little better (not safe, just better, lol).....

To say there is no difference in browsers in very disengenous at best.  IE does not follow standard internet coding nor render pages like they should.  Instead lazy web designers have let IE mutilate the web.  Mozilla/Firefox and Opera all use net standards for rendering.  You know those codes and rules to make things standard so everyone can play together??

Do all browsers fall victim to security holes and such?  Absolutley though there are many less with firefox/mozilla than IE and the mozilla group fixes them promptly.  Even better often times firefox will tell you, that you need to update you browser for a security fix.

Also IE is unfortunately part of the OS which makes it QUITE a bit different than firefox.

As far as feature sets, skins, extentions, etc, firefox does circles around IE.

Saved_4ever,

Brother, I really appreciate your help and information. I've been using other browsers for some time, but all of them still used the IE engine.

I just downloaded Firefox and will probably take the plunge sometime today. I really didn't know there were browsers that were independent of IE. I did know one could use a non-Windows OS and use a browser much more secure, but I didn't think I was smart enough for a different OS.   :D  It hasn't been that long ago that I graduated from DOS.

If I disappear for a day or two, you will know that I messed things up.   ;D

Love In Christ,
Tom

I used Mozilla Firebird for quite some time and liked it, though it had problems with some sites. Then I "upgraded" to Firefox. Though I like the RSS feeds in Firefox, it is not a very useful browser as it has a bug that makes it impossible to log in to most sites or to fill in forms - for sites I have to log in to, I have to revert to Firebird or IE. (I have a number of browsers on my computer to check html on my websites).

It is still necessary to have IE, both to update Windows and to log in to certain websites, like my bank, which are so poorly written they only work with IE.

Whatever browser you use, it is still necessary to have a good firewall and antivirus program, plus programs to get rid of spyware. I have ZoneAlarm Pro, Norton Antivirus, AdAware 6, and Spybot and so far have avoided major problems except for a few tracking cookies that get by when I use IE.

(I suppose having dial-up access also helps, as it makes it more difficult for people to hack my computer.)

I never used Messenger and finally disabled it, though my firewall setup blocked it from accessing the internet anyway.

Microsoft HAS been casual about security until fairly recently, but that doesn't mean other OS's are more secure - just that not enough people used them to make them attractive to hackers, virus writers, etc. That may be changing as Linux becomes more popular.

Rhys,

I just installed Firefox and am taking it for my first test drive.  So far, so good.

I did see an extension (plugin) that can be used to load a web page with IE from inside Firefox. I'll get it and try it for Windows Update and let you know if it works.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed with Firefox, but I do miss some of my password utilities. The new Firefox has some ways to add custom functions, so I'm going to try with my password helper and spell-checker. If I get those working, I'll be very happy with Firefox. It is extremely fast.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Agreed, a lot of problems come from the user just "clicking away".  I yell at my mother all the time for that.  I have a hardware firewall to my network and my mothers.  This seriously helps me maintain their systems.  Even so they seem to have been pretty safe so far.

I tried zonealarm (the free version) and it was more trouble than it was worth.  Even after setting up certain rules and IP filters I still had issues with it.  I control/monitor my other PC's with UltraVNC (so I can run those desktops from my main computer often times eliminating a need for any periferals for them) and zonealarm was such a pain about it.  MS's new firewall is just as annoying with VNC too.

I wouldn't touch or recommend norton products to any one.  I have had nothing but trouble with them.  In fact 4 out of 4 times my system got all hosed just by installing their junk and only after uninstalling it and some fixing did my system come back.  I refuse to use their products.  To think people pay money for them makes me sad.   :'(  I use AVG it works better isn't a resource hog, and best of all it's free to home users.  I use adaware and SB S&D and have been for a while now.


To have windows updated yes and no.  If you have SP2 on XP you can just set it up for auotupdate and then you don't need any browser at all.  The other updates most people want will bug you enough i.e. WMP and MS messenger.  Of course you can't really get rid of IE anyhow since the browser is just an extention of the window manager also called explorer.  (you should notice the process named explorer.exe in the task manager if you use win 2K or XP).  I only state all this for anyone who doesn't know.  You may know all of this.

You should write and complain to your bank.  As you have said it is poorly written and hence can not be used with other browsers.  Luckily my banks webpage works with firefox/thunderbird/firebird what ever iteration you are using.

As far as stopping cookies even in IE you can disable them to "ask for every one".  I block any cookie I don't want or know where it comes from.  OF course you need to be sort of savvy to use this option as I have had to fix several accidental cookie blocks for my mother.  I haven't had a tracking cookie I didn't want since I started blocking cookies 2 years ago or so.  It's a pain at first but once you get your list setup you almost don't notice it, unless of course you visit new sites all the time.  It's veryy telling though of just how much junk a website trys to dump on your PC.


I think you just don't have certain settings coorectly setup.  I have been using Firefox since the .6 version of then named thunderbird over two years ago.  I only use IE when I have no choice which is almost never.  Firefox has and still keeps me logged into every website I personally use.  This includes obviously CU.  As far as forms I believe that's an option you need to set.  I did it so long ago though it just keeps following me with every new version.  A great thing about firefox is it keeps your settings and bookmarks separate so even if you uninstall and reinstall your bookmarks are still there.

If you go to the menu and use tools --> options and then click on the privacy tab you will see a section for "saved form information" and another for "saved passwords".  You can then tick the box and it saves any form and search info you have typed in.  It can also be cleared by using the clear button.

It works all the time for me.  In fact, when I fill out certain forms, I just hit the down arrow and it takes but a few seconds to fill out forms.  You don't even have to type any letters.  It's a beautiful thing.    ;)

You guys should give me some examples of what doesn't work.  Maybe I can help.

Actually yes they are for two reasons.  When there is a hole they fix it ASAP (ie linux and MAC) and secondly the whole nature of how the OS is run.  For all intent and purposes windows is always run as "root" or with administrative privlegdes.  Linux is not, by default you are run as just a user and are asked for a passwrod to install anything or even change things as simple as the system clock.  Windows would be much better just by following that example.  People are too lazy to log off and sign on again as an admin just to install a program.  They just "can't be bothered with such things":-\.  I do agree though that as linux gains popularity that viruses will become more of a problem.

I'm not a linux nut, in fact for now I still use XP Pro as my main desktop but I do have a few linux distro's that I play with every so often.

Saved_4ever,

Brother, thanks for the information on Firefox. I've now been using it for a total of about 5 hours. You really helped with the form (password) information. I think that I can figure that out now.

I set Firefox to run completely separate on my system. I also didn't know about the cookie configuration options. I think that I'm getting happier by the moment with Firefox. I still have the old fashioned dial-up services, and Firefox is much faster than the several browsers I used that depended on IE.

I'm an old guy trying to learn new tricks.   :D  Thanks for the help.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Brother, if you click on view go to text size you can increase, decrease the text size. That is if your eyes are like mine. The one thing I love about Mozilla Foxfire, I can open several tabs, in the same window. ;D

Tabbed browsing is like a gift from God for those of us that have several web pages open.   :D

If you really want to change your font sizes use control + to make it bigger or control - to make it smaller.   ;)  Much better than using the toolbar.  My mom likes that feature.  She is getting very blind.  She's not even really old yet only 47.   :-X

DreamWeaver & Saved_4ever,

Thanks brothers!

I am a member of the bifocal crowd, and I just enlarged the text in Firefox. WOW! - this is nice. I can lean back in my chair and still read the screen.

I downloaded a bunch of help information on Firefox, but I haven't had a chance to print it out yet. I'll probably make myself a cheat sheet on the features I want to use. I would say that most of it is really pretty easy, once you start trying a few things.

Now, I just need to find a spell-checker to use on the forum.  If not, people are going to find out pretty quickly that I don't spell very well.

Love In Christ,
Tom

saved_4ever

Here is an example:
http://login.yahoo.com/config/login?.src=geo&.intl=us&.done=http%3a//geocities.yahoo.com/

When I enter my username and password to sign in to Geocities all I get with Firefox is the same sign in box over and over - it obviously isn't transmitting the entered information to the server, or not doing it correctly. No other browser I have has this problem, and I am not the only one who has experienced it with Firefox, from comments I have read.

Firefox also doesn't work with several other sites I have to sign in to, (WorldNetDaily for one) but not all sites. It didn't work with CU until CU brought up a line at the bottom of a page I could sign in on - that worked.

As far as forms goes, it has much the same problem, just bringing up the form box again blank after supposedly submitting it. Once I got the form back with all of the info I had entered on all the lines crammed into the last line.

Incidentally Firefox brings up this line at the top of this page ( CU)
: 616) { moveToAbsolute((innerWidth-616)/2,layer1.pageY)};">

which other browsers don't, but that may be an error in the webpage, not the browser.

I had no problem, with your example. Though I had to type my password in, it remembered my user name.

I can't try out geocities because I am not a member there but it sounds like a cookie issue to me.  

The same would go for your forms.  If you accidentally blocked cookies from a site your info won't work.  Otherwise you may want to do a fresh install (wipe out everything related to firefox) or check your settings on things.  I don't need IE for anything but windows update right now.  Actually my main PC is broken and I am using firefox with linux right now.  No problems with forms, ordering or even having my username and pass kept here on CU.  I also don't see the line of bad code in windows or linux.

Rhys,

Brother, I'm new to Firefox, but I'm having no problem at all in using the password function to log in to Christians Unite.

I'm wondering if you imported Internet Explorer settings when you installed Firefox. I wonder if a clean install of Firefox would solve your problem.

Love In Christ,
Tom

How do you tell what version of IE you have??

You should be able to go to the toolbar click "Help ---> About Internet Explorer".

I could also tell if you tell me A) What version of windows you are using and when was the last time you upgraded IE?

That's not really my problem - I usually type in my usernames and passwords anyway, so they aren't on record on my computer.

The problem is that forms and log in boxes simply don't work.

I have tried all kinds of "cookie settings" with no results.

However, when trying to fill our a search form tonight at

http://www.nlnac.org/Forms/directory_search.htm

I get the following message with Firefox after hitting the "search" button:

"Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80040e21'
ODBC driver does not support the requested properties.
/Forms/directorySearch.asp, line 82"


When doing the same thing with Firebird 0.7 I have no problem and the search goes through.


I also get odd code showing up in Firefox on other sites that CU, including Yahoo. Every CU page has " 616) { moveToAbsolute((innerWidth-616)/2,layer1.pageY)};">" at the top.

I'm not positive of what your problem is but it's your system.  The search works just fine for me and again I have no issues with CU or any other site and those types of errors.

It's on your end not firefoxes.

HELP!

Since we've got a few users of Firefox here, maybe someone call tell me if there is a spell check program that works with it. I used IE Spell for the IE based browsers, but I'm sure that it won't work. I installed Free Spell last night, and it erased my message everytime I tried to use it. It did do the spell check and make corrections, but the messages disappeared.   :D

I'm brand new to Firefox, and I really like it, but I really need a spell check program.   :D  It doesn't have to be free, just as long as it works. Thanks in advance for any help.

Love In Christ,
Tom

According to the Mozilla website, I'm not the only one having this problem. I did find tonight that Firefox doesn't seem to be handling Java (or maybe html) correctly - I suspect this is the problem with the login boxes and forms.

I saved the Yahoo login page to a file and ran it up in both Firefox 1.0 and Firebird 0.7 with "view source". Firefox hashes the last line: "<script language='javascript'></script>postamble();</scrit>" whereas Firebird shows it as it actually is (confirmed with a text editor): "<script language='javascript'>postamble();</script>"

The rest of the page looks identical in each browser in a quick scroll through, just the last line is different, but somehow Firefox isn't handling things correctly. I used the same file for both browsers and it actually reads as Firebird displays it.

Don't know I never use a spell check for browsers.  If anything I just open up my mail program and do a copy paste into a "new" email and speel check it.  I'm not usually worried about the speeling that much.  Have you looked through all the extentions for firefox?

I believe this is what you are looking for BEP.

It's called spellbound. (http://spellbound.sourceforge.net/install.html#header)

You should be able to click that link and then look down the page for a button that says "Install SpellBound".  The default configs should work (they worked for me).

Firefox may give you a message that it stop a program from loading on your computer.  In that case click the button at the top of the page (same line as the message) and allow the url of the page and it will install for you.

You should also know that you can configure you tool bar by right clicking the "menu bar" and going to "customize".  Then you can drag the icons onto the the tool bar or nav bar where ever you like.  I personally add the "tab" button, print button and now spell check button.

Let me know if you need anymore help.   :D

I'm glad you asked for that because I will use it all the time now.  yippee!

I use dictionary. com in an extra tabbed window. Click on the "G" where the Google search is, click on dictionary. com type in the word you are thinking of. I C&P the word, least thats how I do it. :D

I'd have to say that using spellbound is easier and faster though now that I have tried it.  No extra tabs or copy and pasting.  Besides it checks your whole post in one shot.

Saved_4ever,

Thanks again brother. I just added the new icons to my menu bar. This is getting easier and easier by the minute. I also installed Spellbound, and it works like a charm. Now I just need to have Firefox type for me.   :D

Spellbound is much better than any checker I've had before, and it's tiny in comparison to the others. It also has an easy "add word to dictionary" function for Bible terms, old English, and Bible names that aren't usually found in regular dictionaries. COOL!

DreamWeaver, you must go to the Firefox extensions page to see all of the neat stuff you can add to Firefox. The best thing about them is small size, extremely fast, and I think it is all based on PHP.

Love In Christ,
Tom

I am impressed, I like it. Click right and click on "spell checking." I will be using this from now on.

Brother Tom, its worth downloading.

Bumping outta oblivion

Brothers and Sisters Using Firefox,

BB Code is another really neat extension for Firefox. It makes it easy and fast to use code that the Christians Unite forum software recognizes. It's a simple right click context menu for bold, italic, color, font size, and more. It works great, and you can apply what you want while you are typing. I highly recommend it for Firefox users.

The Spellbound spell checker is a must have also.

Love In Christ,
Tom

I never though about telling y'all about the BB Code.   Oops

Brother
I am so glad that you are getting on so well with Firefox. Its an awesome browser and a keeper for sure. been using firefox and also Mozilla for about 10 months now and it can do most things that IE can do. Its faster and after tweaking it to your liking, it looks and acts great also. I love the themes that you can use. Now i am off to download the spell checker you recommened as i am sure you can see, i need one  ;D

AHA!  Thank you, saved.  I found it.  6.0.  So I must be upt to date..   And, I have SP2.

But I update so often, different, I couldn't tell you the last time I did what.

I'm clueless.   :-X

Joey,

Thanks for the link Brother!  This is all new to me. I can't believe how small all of the programs are for Firefox. Not only are they small, they are much faster than anything I used for IE, and there are no crashes anymore.

The extensions are tiny, but they work very fast and accurately. I'll have to go get that weather extension.

Thanks again.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Joey,

Thanks Brother!!

There's another one called "Foxy Tunes" that allows you to listen to music in Firefox.  It's just as fast and good as the rest of the extensions. I know that it works because I just got through listening to the Gospel music Sister Pat has attached to the devotions she has been posting. I think that "Flash Got" is another one that allows things that were done in IE that are not automatically done in Firefox. I have them both, and they both work automatically once a couple of easy configurations are done (Example: default player for midi). The interesting thing is Firefox is so much faster than IE. I still have an old fashioned and slow dial-up account, so speed is pretty important to me.

Tom

Put the cat out?  I didn't know it was on fire!
%%

http://reviews-zdnet.com.com/4520-7297_16-5570819.html

Seven,

Thanks Brother! Those were excellent articles.

I was just thinking that I've not had a single "Browser must shut down - send report to Microsoft" since I started using Firefox. In fact, I haven't had a single system error or crash related to browsing since I started using Firefox.

Now it's down to using Internet Explorer only for the Windows updates, and maybe the folks doing Firefox will figure that out soon.

Tom

 -- Bother! said Pooh,
as the EPA closed the honey factory.
%%

YIKES... I still have FireFox and I don't used either!!!

I only use Opera YAY, better than FireFox!!


Happy Holiday's, \o/

MsGuidedAngel

I just thought it was somewhat funny. Kinda like a "Dear John"
letter.

jim

I don't really like opera.  It had too many issues for me and I'm not interested in ads in my browser that take up valuable space.

I haven't had mycomputer lock up on me at all, using firefox. I used Opera in the past and had my computer lock up,  So to me Firefox is 100, times better.

Resting in the Lords arms.
Bob

Brother Bob,

The same would be true for me. This helped to remind me to tell everyone using Firefox about a really neat extension called Sage. Sage is a tiny but extremely efficient news machine. It uses what's called RSS feeds from thousands of news sources, and you can list whatever you want in Sage and read recent news from however many sources you want. I'm really surprised there are so many free sources, including some of the largest names in the news business. I set it for 2 or 3 top news and breaking news, a couple on high-tech developments, one on gadgets, one on sports, and a couple I can't remember. What's really sharp is the material is retrieved so quickly with a brief of each article. You click on the briefs you are interested in to read the entire story - with pictures. Just for curiosity, I typed in the names of the biggest newspapers in the country in the "find box", and Sage automatically set things up for news briefs from all of them in a matter of minutes.

I could be wrong, but I don't think there is anything like this for Internet Explorer. If so, it couldn't be as fast and efficient. I understand that all of the extensions are written in Perl, an extremely fast and stable script language, maybe somewhat like active x, but I would assume it is much safer. I use a fire-wall anyway, and I can't imagine huge newspapers trying to distribute virus or trojans.

It's rated 5 stars and is great for anyone wanting to get a quick glimpse of news in just about any category you can think of typing into the "find box". I didn't do it, but I would guess you would get 100s of results on hot topics like Israel, Iraq, Iran, religious news, or whatever your interest is. You can get it on the main Firefox site which is now secure (.shtml). I really think that it is faster than Google in searching for and researching topics.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Psalms 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

 you know ive had firefox on my computer for awhile and ive heard everyone is going to it, but since i read this topic ive downloaded OPERA for the first time and im really enjoying it, The google ads don't bother me to much but it would be nice if they would go bye bye (LOL), Besides that there are some totally cool options that i can totally appreciate. The only problem ive had so far is it isn't compatable to GMAIL . I havent been able to configure it to work, so ill try the help line and see how the support is.
    :DIf it doesn't work .. well ... I"ll just praise the Lord anyway :P