In need of a browser for Windows 7

Post Reply New Topic

I decided to try to take control of Windows 7 in my Acer 5517 NoteBook, and I began by doing a fresh installation and making Administrator active and deleting the standard account and removing Internet Explorer 8 ... and now I need a browser (while trying to keep MS Update at bay). I assume I can download Firefox or some other browser elsewhere and get it in on a stick, but I would first like to hear what anybody else here might have to suggest. So ...

What controllable browser might you suggest for windows 7, and how would you get it into a notebook that presently has none at all?

My browser of choice is Google Chrome with Adblock+ and FlashBlock extensions installed. My rationale for using Chrome over other browsers is that Chrome has the most minimalist UI out of all the main browsers, taking up the least screen space. It also loads quickly and uses little resources.

FlashBlock I find useful because Flash doesn't perform well and on my laptop runs down the battery quickly. In the event that I need to use Flash to view content the extension allows you to easily play the flash content by pressing a 'play' button over where the flash content would normally load. In any case, most of the flash content I ever want to view is Youtube videos, which I view using the beta html5 player rather than flash anyway.

Just download the installation executable on another computer and transfer it to your netbook via an external storage medium.

I also vote Google Chrome. It is faster than IE8 and Firefox.

http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/9222/s ... chrome.png

Hi, can you please send me the steps on how to delete the standard account, and remove IE8 from Win7? The closest I can think of is "turning off the feature," but I must be wrong. Also, I would recommend Firefox by experience and Google Chrome from word-of-mouth (I may switch over myself). No other browser would do.

I've heard that Google Chrome is really buggy and has other technical issues. Everyone's browser of choice seems to be Mozilla Firefox, but I think Mac's Safari is a pretty good browser too, but I don't know how good it is for Windows.

I put Firefox with AdBlock plus on Mum's new 7 netbook. She hasn't had an issue yet.

You can get FF from their site to a thumb drive easily, just go there, and it gives you the option for different OS/Language.

I've found a number of cases where IE8 is faster than Chrome. IE8 is not bad and the OP didn't really *need* to switch it. Firefox is slowest, but unless you have an old computer, most web browsing functions should be basically instantaneous these days other than network limitation.

In general though, yes, Chrome.

I would highly go with Google Chrome..... Its currently very fast and I don't seem to get any problems using it.
Plus also it loads very fast and loads pages at good speed, I'd highly recommend it.

My issue with IE8 and WMP11 is the same: I want to decide (choose, pick, control) exactly what, when and how it does anything whatsoever, and I will never again put either on any system I ever set up for myself or for anyone else.
----

Many thanks to all of you for your responses!

I have used Firefox without trouble in the past, but I will take a closer look at Chrome before doing anything here.

You are correct: Turning IE8 off is what I actually did. And as to the matter of the accounts, I did this:



Open a command prompt with a right-click and "Run as Administrator", then just type this and you will be a little more in charge of your own machine and W7:

net user administrator /active:yes
(Enter)

After that, I was able to delete my previous and more-hobbled "Administrator" account, then I changed my password to nothing at all so I can now just start my machine and let it boot all the way up while I get my coffee.

In what way is FireFox more configurable than IE8? And what were you trying to configure with WMP11?

I have no idea. I just know IE8 has things in it that I do not want and cannot remove.



Nothing. I just wanted to decide whether or not it did anything at all, and it cannot be used unless allowed to take over.

Firefox is still the best, Chrome is still to buggy and have some privacy issues. You can customize the tool bars
in Firefox to take up minimal space, I have moved my navigation bar up into my menu bar, and have my tab bar
below that so I have plenty of space on my 14" laptop screen. Also with IE8 you can't really uninstall it, its only
hidden from view.

What things does IE8 have that you do not want and cannot remove?

What does WMP11 'taking over' consist of?

Is that a real question?