Downgrade from IE9 to IE8--How?

[The Lord of the Flies]

I'm using Win7 Pro, 64-bit.

Thanks!

[Ryu Connor]

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/wind ... explorer-9

[The Lord of the Flies]

Heh, that knew English that you typed.

On this page { http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/downloads/ie-8 }, the dropdown menu doesn't list Win7, 64-bit. Which ver. should I get?

(Heh, I just used Internet Explorer 8 download as the search-terms to get the above. I guess I should learn more about search engines, heh.)

[BlackStar]

The only 100% safe way is to use System Restore to move to an older restore point.

Alternatively, you could try to uninstall IE9 from add/remove programs -> Windows features, and then reinstall IE8. This might work - or it might not.

Anything else won't be 100% safe and might cause damage to your system.

Why do you wish to go back to IE8? IE9 is an improvement in all fronts, and it has a compatibility mode to enable IE8-type rendering.

[derFunkenstein]

If you're on Windows 7 all you have to do is uninstall IE9. IE8 will be put back in its place. That's what Ryu was getting at - just follow the directions to uninstall and voila. 8 is back.

[Aranarth]

This is probably a stupid question but...

Why would want to run IE8 instead of IE9?

If it is a compatibility issue with a particular webpage surely the compatibility tool built into IE9 would take care of it?

IE8 is slower, less secure, and more buggy than IE9.

(Personally, I gave up on IE long ago and have been using Firefox and Chrome for primary web browsers for a while now...)

[The Lord of the Flies]

Thanks! I'm using it now! Cool!

I don't like the way IE9 handles the d/ling of files--I'm used to the old way, and I do a lot of d/ling hehehe

[Ryu Connor]

It would be better for you to adapt to the change in IE9.

The downloader change was an oft requested feature swiped from FireFox and Chrome. I can understand not liking it, but you're losing a great deal in terms of standards support, security, and even performance.

That and realitistically the downloader isn't going away so you might as well get used to it now.

[The Lord of the Flies]

Maybe. But they should have like a switch--ya know, like a sort of Classic View, like they do for the Start Menu, see. Why not? Why not a swich that allows one to have IE9 handle d/ls the way it used to for from a long time now? hehehe

I mean I can't even close my browser-window while a d/l is coming without aborting the d/l! What a buncha crap! hehehehe

[rukes]

Thanks! I'm using it now! Cool!

I don't like the way IE9 handles the d/ling of files--I'm used to the old way, and I do a lot of d/ling hehehe

Could you describe the new way? I'm still with IE8 so I haven't experienced it.

[The Lord of the Flies]

Umm, well, I'm not sure how to describe it....

It's very similar, but not exactly, like how it's done by Firefox. I tried Firefox a few years ago--I didn't really like it so much hehehe

[BIF]

I agree about Firefox. Not thrilled with it. And it still malfunctions with certain types of websites, so I only use Firefox when absolutely necessary.

This is probably a stupid question but...

Why would [anyone] want to run IE8 instead of IE9?

IE9 is annoyingly annoying. The consolidations and vanilla-izations are a step backward. Not everything has to have multiple functions!

1. Searches should be made in the SEARCH field. IE9 did away with this. It's stupid to have two dislike fields (URL and Search) now combined.
2. Refresh button has been getting smaller and smaller in the last several releases of IE. Now it's much too small in IE9. It's like using a sewing needle to poke at a speck of dust. Yes, I do use F5. But when my hand is on my mouse, I should be able to USE THE MOUSE for simple functions that do not require text typing. And any target that I aim to hit with my mouse should be reasonably big.
3. Stop button is also distressingly small in IE9.
4. I despise having to "hold" the back button in order to see my "back history". IE8 has a dropdown tab, much faster, much cleaner.

The ONLY good thing about the IE9 User Interface is the ability to "tear off" a tab and create a whole new IE window. Other than that, IE9 is annoying! Microsoft, please stop annoying the customer!

[The Lord of the Flies]

Microsoft, please stop annoying the customer!

Thank you! I wonder if they heard that--I hope they did! hehehehe

[EsotericLord]

I agree about Firefox. Not thrilled with it. And it still malfunctions with certain types of websites, so I only use Firefox when absolutely necessary.

This is probably a stupid question but...

Why would [anyone] want to run IE8 instead of IE9?

IE9 is annoyingly annoying. The consolidations and vanilla-izations are a step backward. Not everything has to have multiple functions!

1. Searches should be made in the SEARCH field. IE9 did away with this. It's stupid to have two dislike fields (URL and Search) now combined.
2. Refresh button has been getting smaller and smaller in the last several releases of IE. Now it's much too small in IE9. It's like using a sewing needle to poke at a speck of dust. Yes, I do use F5. But when my hand is on my mouse, I should be able to USE THE MOUSE for simple functions that do not require text typing. And any target that I aim to hit with my mouse should be reasonably big.
3. Stop button is also distressingly small in IE9.
4. I despise having to "hold" the back button in order to see my "back history". IE8 has a dropdown tab, much faster, much cleaner.

The ONLY good thing about the IE9 User Interface is the ability to "tear off" a tab and create a whole new IE window. Other than that, IE9 is annoying! Microsoft, please stop annoying the customer!

Well I can at least solve 2 of those 4 issues for you. I really, really dont understand any reason why you DONT want a combined field, but you can get a seperate search field by downloading any of the toolbars out there (bing, google, etc) if you really want one.

Also, you dont have to "hold" the back button to see your histroy. Just right click it and viola, history.

Buttons arent an issue for me as a gamer but I guess I can see it bothering the older folks.

[Aranarth]

I agree with I.E. 9 being more annoying that past versions.

Firefox and chrome if you download a program installer you get a single warning when you run it after downloading and then it continues.

I.E. 9 you click the link and it warns you it is an executable and asks if you want run it or not, (choose run) then asks you again when it goes to execute it. And if the installer is not published you get another warning.
Why three warnings when the first one was enough?
Plus the "run anyway" is buried in a way that is not helpful.

As for doing lots of downloading, I recommend freedownloadmanager(.org)

[BIF]

Well I can at least solve 2 of those 4 issues for you.

I really, really dont understand any reason why you DONT want a combined field, but you can get a seperate search field by downloading any of the toolbars out there (bing, google, etc) if you really want one.

I don't want a "toolbar". They're buggy and introduce unwanted code and advertisements! I want the original search field. Toolbars frequently cause problems, including the famous "cannot write to memory" error. The original search window was PART OF IE. That is what I want, what was ORIGINALLY there, not a third party bugfest.

Also, you dont have to "hold" the back button to see your histroy. Just right click it and viola, history.

Well, thank you for that. But really, was the old drop-down really that bad or ugly? The removal of that just made the UI less intuitive, which is not an improvement.

Buttons arent an issue for me as a gamer but I guess I can see it bothering the older folks.

Okay now I smell blood in the water...

1. Games are great and all, but some of us are actually WORKING. We have to get things done. Cutsey user interfaces just aren't necessary, and in some cases actually reduce the user experience, especially when you remove features and functions that are intuitive by their very nature.

2. What's with the "older folks" quip; was that a slap?

Interfaces should be easier to use for ALL people, and making buttons 5 pixels square on a high resolution monitor doesn't help anybody, young or old! Please also bear in mind that a lot of "younger folks" have visual or dexterity challenges too. Enlarging screen objects and characters through Windows settings should not be necessary just to meet reasonable expectations.

I never said that I needed a HUGE icon or button, just a REASONABLY-SIZED button. If you have difficulty understanding that in context, I would give you the "SAVE" button at the bottom of this posting window as an example of a size that would fit the definition of "reasonably sized." Even the "Bold", "Italics", and "Underscore" buttons in this response window are reasonable in size and targetability. Conversely, the IE-9 refresh button is TINY by any definition, and forcing this upon the user is just plain inconsiderate!

I'm just saying that the UI could be better designed, and that it SHOULD be better designed. "Older people" my ass...

[EsotericLord]

Well I can at least solve 2 of those 4 issues for you.

I really, really dont understand any reason why you DONT want a combined field, but you can get a seperate search field by downloading any of the toolbars out there (bing, google, etc) if you really want one.

I don't want a "toolbar". They're buggy and introduce unwanted code and advertisements! I want the original search field. Toolbars frequently cause problems, including the famous "cannot write to memory" error. The original search window was PART OF IE. That is what I want, what was ORIGINALLY there, not a third party bugfest.

Also, you dont have to "hold" the back button to see your histroy. Just right click it and viola, history.

Well, thank you for that. But really, was the old drop-down really that bad or ugly? The removal of that just made the UI less intuitive, which is not an improvement.

Buttons arent an issue for me as a gamer but I guess I can see it bothering the older folks.

Okay now I smell blood in the water...

1. Games are great and all, but some of us are actually WORKING. We have to get things done. Cutsey user interfaces just aren't necessary, and in some cases actually reduce the user experience, especially when you remove features and functions that are intuitive by their very nature.

2. What's with the "older folks" quip; was that a slap?

Interfaces should be easier to use for ALL people, and making buttons 5 pixels square on a high resolution monitor doesn't help anybody, young or old! Please also bear in mind that a lot of "younger folks" have visual or dexterity challenges too. Enlarging screen objects and characters through Windows settings should not be necessary just to meet reasonable expectations.

I never said that I needed a HUGE icon or button, just a REASONABLY-SIZED button. If you have difficulty understanding that in context, I would give you the "SAVE" button at the bottom of this posting window as an example of a size that would fit the definition of "reasonably sized." Even the "Bold", "Italics", and "Underscore" buttons in this response window are reasonable in size and targetability. Conversely, the IE-9 refresh button is TINY by any definition, and forcing this upon the user is just plain inconsiderate!

I'm just saying that the UI could be better designed, and that it SHOULD be better designed. "Older people" my ass...

My job has me listening to people complain about stuff like this for about 10 hours a day, so yeah, that was a bit of a slap. I apologize. (I listened to a guy today tell me i need to get my company to make every single computer we own be completely controllable by voice. ~_~)

"Reasonable" is a relative term. Like I said, I can see people who lack the cordination/ability to easily select a button of that size being annoyed by IE (and the only people I know who would be bothered by this are in their late 50s or older). As a gamer i deal with buttons that small and smaller in...pretty much every RPG ever.

Buttons that i have seen in the past 5 min that are about the size (or smaller) of the refresh/stop/home/favorites/tool buttons in IE (yes, they all have the same clickable area):
The arrow on the Win 7 toolbar that shows addition icons.
The "close" button for many different applications
The arrow buttons on Windows explorer
Checkboxes of any kind (like the ones below the box I'm typing in right now)
The smiley faces on this page.
Buttons for most drop down menus.
Icons in many video games

IE's smaller buttons probably annoy you because you are used to the big ones. You probably don't realize how many other buttons you click pretty much every day that are at least that small.

Luckily, we live in a day and age of several very competent browsers.

Again, sorry if I offended you.

[BIF]

My job has me listening to people complain about stuff like this for about 10 hours a day, so yeah, that was a bit of a slap. I apologize.

Apology accepted. I'm sorry you have to listen to stupid stuff all day. I usually get my share from management, so I feel for you!

"Reasonable" is a relative term.

Yes it is, which is why I gave examples...to show you that I was not being unreasonable. To avoid the annoying multi-quote syndrome, my responses below are in BOLD+underscore. I've been scolded before for using colors in my TR posts...

Buttons that i have seen in the past 5 min that are about the size (or smaller) of the refresh/stop/home/favorites/tool buttons in IE (yes, they all have the same clickable area):

The arrow on the Win 7 toolbar that shows addition icons. I agree.
The "close" button for many different applications. I agree.
The arrow buttons on Windows explorer. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY agree, those are way too small!
Checkboxes of any kind (like the ones below the box I'm typing in right now). I agree.
The smiley faces on this page. I agree.
Buttons for most drop down menus. I agree.
Icons in many video games I wouldn't know, but I'll defer to your experience in this area!

IE's smaller buttons probably annoy you because you are used to the big ones. Not sure about that, but I think we've fallen below the lower threshold of "reasonable"....

You probably don't realize how many other buttons you click pretty much every day that are at least that small. Oh sure I do, but I was just keeping my scope to this thread which was about falling back from IE9 to IE8. Somebody asked "why", which is precisely what I have been contemplating recently! (but I probably won't fallback myself)

Luckily, we live in a day and age of several very competent browsers. Very true, but there is room for improvement...for example, Firefox does not work with as many websites as IE does.

Okay, maybe Bold + Underscore is just as annoying as a series of quotes. Arrrgh, there MUST be a better way!

Again, sorry if I offended you.

I appreciate that you made an effort to understand, really I do. Thank you.