Is Windows Explorer in Windows 7 still tied around Internet Explorer like it is in Windows XP? I have another question.. will there ever be a feature where if a user installs another web browser, would there be any way to have other programs that rely on IE to be tied around that instead? Like, have Windows somehow communicate with whichever web browser you're using as your default to carry on whatever actions the certain software needs? I'm just curious is all :P. I would appreciate an answer! Thanks!

Azure Light said: Is Windows Explorer in Windows 7 still tied around Internet Explorer like it is in Windows XP? I have another question.. will there ever be a feature where if a user installs another web browser, would there be any way to have other programs that rely on IE to be tied around that instead? Like, have Windows somehow communicate with whichever web browser you're using as your default to carry on whatever actions the certain software needs? I'm just curious is all :P. I would appreciate an answer! Thanks!HiInternet Explorer is less integrated in Windows 7 than it was in previous versions of Windows. In the next version of the beta, you will be able to completely uninstall Internet Explorer from Windows using theTurn WindowsFeatures on or off component in Control Panel.See the following article for complete details.Beta to RC Changes Turning Windows Features On or OffHope this helps.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Beta Ronnie Vernon MVP

Thanks for your response! That cleared things up for me :). I've been waiting for a very long time for Microsoft to finally allow you to do this :D. Thanks again :).

Azure Light said: Thanks for your response! That cleared things up for me :). I've been waiting for a very long time for Microsoft to finally allow you to do this :D. Thanks again :). You're welcome, glad this helped.Have fun.Thank You for testing Windows 7 Beta Ronnie Vernon MVP

According to the article, apparently it has a similar effect to un-installing a program. "If a feature is deselected, it is not available for use. This means the files (binaries and data) are not loaded by the operating system (for security-conscious customers) and not available to users on the computer"So, I guess the files are still there, just ignored by the OS. EDIT: Thought I'd like to add a comment. It's a step forward for Microsoft, but it's not quite there yet. It WOULD be nice if it were possible to completely remove IE and install Firefox in replacement and use Firefox to render anything related to the web.

EgadsMessage deleted.You have been using these forums long enough to know that we have aCommunity Code of Conductthat every member must adhere to.Please read it one more time. Ronnie Vernon MVPForum Moderator

@ egads... Do you realize thatthere are a LOT of programs that use the built in IE HTML rendering engine to do their thing? Things that go beyond the simple and obvious (Windows Explorer). There's a LOT of them. Many of them are 3rd party apps. It's the same kind of thing as to why the N version of Windows was an epic FAIL on the part of the EU. The EU figured they'd teach Microsoft a lesson - but in the end, NO ONE wanted XP-N. If I recall correctly, some poor OEM is stuck with 1500 copies. Not even Real Media - the guys who were the ones who originally complained to the EC - liked the N version. Why? Because when Microsoft followed the letter of the ruling against them and removed Windows Media Player, they pulled it ALL out.It turns outReal Player is nothing more than a shell for WMP as it uses the same components. In fact, many media player apps these days hook into the Windows Media Player engine. Why reinvent the wheel? There's no real advantage in doing so. In fact, by hooking into existing architecture, you have fewer lines of code to mess with plus it makes the download for your app that much smaller. If it says "Portions copyright Microsoft..." on your media player's About screen - it's likely hooking into existing Windows APIs - including the bits for WMP. So if Microsoft pulled the plug on IE completely, do you have ANY clue as to how much of a headache it would cause? How many apps it would break? How loud the howling would be when that happened? How much do you think it would cost everybody financially as well as in time and frustration? No.. Sorry... The Firefox Geckko engine might be great. But it's NOT a 1:1 substitute for the IE engine. Nor is Webkit, nor is Opera's rendering engine. The ONLY legitimate substitute for IE's rendering engine - would be another version of IE. Do us all a favor and think things all the way through. There IS method to Microsoft's apparent madness when it comes to IE. The way Microsoft is handling this IS the best way possible without causing ALL manner of havoc in the Windows realm. As things sit right now, you're perfectly free to install Firefox, Opera, Chrome, or if you're suidical, Safari or any of the other bazillion odd browsers on the market on your Windows box make any one of them the default, remove the icons for IE, and move on with your life without EVER using IE ever again. Since Vista, you don't even need to use it for Windows Update. So WHAT exactly is the problem?

egadsExactly how was Microsoft dishonest? For the past dozen or so years, they've held fast to keeping IE as a part of the OS. They're finally allowing it to be taken off the desktop. That, right there is aHUGE concession.The matter of the MSHTML rendering engineIS relavent in this discussion.Your previous comment said you wished you could completely uninstall it. I merely pointed out why that wasn't going to happen. Completely removing IE would involve removing the engine and removing the engine eliminates the API. And that would NOT be a good thing.