Browser Problem.

[St_Zartan]

It is apparent from all the technical threads on this forum I have skimmed that, as a group, we are really smart with the clicky-clicky, esp. when web-based whatever is involved. OK. I suffered with this for a long time and tried lots of things before swallowing my pride and asking for the online help.

So I have a really obnoxious problem with web browsing that seems to have pretty much fucked my whole computer. Something on my computer is telling the Internets that I have a really old browser. (I use Mozilla Firebird 0.7 because I have got it set up just like I like it, you see, plus I heard that Firefox Emerged was still pretty shaky.) Anyway, no matter what browser I use - this one, IE 6.0, a brand-new copy of Netscape 7.something that I just installed - I get error messages from websites saying my browser is old and cannot be used, etc. Like:

netLibrary is now optimized for IE 5.5+, Netscape 6.2+, and Other Gecko from Mozilla 1.1. Please update your browser with the latest version to take full advantage of the many new features now available from netLibrary.

So, yeah, basically the problem is I have updated my browser and websites (like Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail, which is a Problem) aren't being told. Any advice?

[slink]

OK. It's first thing in the afternoon for me, so my brain is still waking up, and my eyes still opening up - like a baby rodent. But all I can think of right now would be hacking the registry to make sure it doesn't think the older browser is still installed.
That and, you say you're using new browsers, and t's not working - but I can't work out if that means you've installed FireFox 1.0? Basically, you should. I haven't had any stability issues with it, and if you're getting these version issues, it may be the thing to clear it up.
Uninstalling before installing the new one is important, and not doign so might be causing this?

I'll have a think as I wake up, and I'm sure someone else will probably have better ideas.

(To hack the registry, open the start menu and go to Run, type in regedit and hit return. Then use the Find option in the registry editor to find anything referring to the older browsers. I would uninstall FireFox and Mozilla, make sure the registry is empty of any of their info (you could use RegCleaner, available easily from a google search, which finds loose threads in the registry and clears them out) and then install FireFox 1.)

[arkabee]

i've only had three cups of coffee,
but you might want to go into IE properties, program tab, and tell IE to check if it is the default browser.  then, reopen it and tell it it's the default browser, then try again at one of those sites.


your OS version and SP level would be helpful to know too.

[CortJstr]

I know I've seen a way to fake your referer headers with Firefox (those are what your browser broadcasts to sites letting them know what version browser and OS you have) but I don't really have time to do a deep search right now. Try poking around the various Firefox sites like mozillazine.org.

[St_Zartan]

RKB, tried your advice; no dice. Full disclosure: I'm running Windows ME (yeah, yeah, I know) and if I'm reading that About box right, I'm on SP1.

Slink, I'll have to try out your advice tonight - I'm getting ready for work just now and don't have time to rustle up the warez and put 'em through their paces. I have explosively bad luck vis-a-vis the Registry, so I want to take it nice and easy. Oh, and I did in fact install Firefox 1.0 to try it out, but uninstalled it a while ago.

[Nabubrush]

Jesus, Cort - make time! Zart's getting killed out there!



Oh, the humanity!

[arkabee]

start- run- regedit

goto the "registry" menu, choose "export registry file".

in the "save in" box, navigate to a location you will be able to find again later.

in the file name, type something useful for identifying the file such as the date with the word "backup" appended to it.

under "export range" verify that the radio button is selected for "all"

click "save".

the most important thing about having bad luck is being able to identify that y ou have bad luck, and attempt to corral the effects of the bad luck into a particular area.

for instance, if you make a backup of your registry before doing any editting of it, then rather than f-up the registry, your milk will be bad next time you eat cereal.


also, run adaware and spybots search and destroy.  verify you have no viruses.  goto c:\windows\temp and delete all files there and reboot.  empty your temp inet IE files, manually if need be.  do all your critical windows updates.

winME is a beast, most of all be careful.

[Nabubrush]

the most important thing about having bad luck is being able to identify that y ou have bad luck, and attempt to corral the effects of the bad luck into a particular area.

for instance, if you make a backup of your registry before doing any editting of it, then rather than f-up the registry, your milk will be bad next time you eat cereal.

My milk was bad this morning (no shit). What do you know of this, Ark? I guess I'm probably better off this way, as I only took one (fairly largish) swallow.

[arkabee]

the most important thing about having bad luck is being able to identify that y ou have bad luck, and attempt to corral the effects of the bad luck into a particular area.

for instance, if you make a backup of your registry before doing any editting of it, then rather than f-up the registry, your milk will be bad next time you eat cereal.

My milk was bad this morning (no shit). What do you know of this, Ark? I guess I'm probably better off this way, as I only took one (fairly largish) swallow.

i want to make a joke about taking swallow, as in the bird, but am unable.  i don't drink milk anymore, though, so i dunno.  i don't think i went to alaska last night, but if i did i wish i had pictures.