FettesPS

Let’s not beat around the bush here, Internet Explorer is garbage. It has been the thorn in the side for every web developer that has walked the Earth. The Internet would be a much better place without it. Now that I have that out of the way, I’ll get down to showing you how to remove Internet Explorer of any version on an platform.

Internet Explorer 6

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

• Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs
• Cick Add/Remove Windows Components
• Locate Internet Explorer and uncheck it
• Click Next and continue to follow the prompts

Note: Although this will remove all the links to Internet Explorer on your system it will not actually delete IE completely, as it is integrated with the Windows Shell it will still exist on your computer and be used for browsing files.

Chrome Frame
Our friends at Google have offered us another solution for those who cannot uninstall Internet Explorer 6. If you are not an Administrator on your system and cannot remove IE or install an alternate browser then Chrome Frame is the solution you’re looking for. After installing the plugin your browser will be able to render websites using Chrome’s engine, meaning your old and dusty copy of IE6 will be able to run HTML5 and not mangle every other site out there. How do you get this plugin? Just grab it at Google Code.

Internet Explorer 7

Windows XP and Windows Server 2000/2003

• Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs
• Locate Internet Explorer 7 and click Remove

Note: Uninstalling Internet Explorer 7 will result in Internet Explorer 6 being restored

Windows Vista

• Start->Control Panel->Programs and Features
• Click View Installed Updates
• Locate Internet Explorer 7 and click Uninstall

Note: If the above method does not work for you try following these steps instead:

• Navigate to C:\WINDOWS\ie7\spuninst\
• Run spuninst.exe

Internet Explorer 8

Windows Vista

• Start->Control Panel->Programs and Features
• Click View Installed Updates
• Locate Internet Explorer 8 and click Uninstall
• Cick OK
• Click Yes when prompted

Windows 7

• Start->Control Panel->Programs and Features
• Click Turn Windows Features On or Off
• Locate Internet Explorer 8 and uncheck it
• Cick OK
• Click Yes when prompted

Note: If the above method does not work for you try following these steps instead:

• Navigate to C:\WINDOWS\ie8\spuninst\
• Run spuninst.exe

Stopping Automatic Updates from Installing Internet Explorer 7/8

• Open Internet Explorer
• Click Tools then Windows Update
• Select Custom
• Uncheck the box beside Windows Internet Explorer 7/8 for Windows XP
• Check the box beside “Don’t show this update again”

Windows will no longer try to install the newer Internet Explorer versions when doing its automatic updates.

If you do a fair amount of developing with serial devices then you eventually reach a point where your computer has 20 or 30 comm ports listed as “in use.” This can become a rather large annoyance when working with programs that only allow you to use the first 10 ports. Sure, you can manually set a device to use a port that’s listed as “in use” but this could potentially cause issues.

There’s a trick that will let you see the hidden devices that are eating up your COM ports:

1. Enter set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=1 into Command Prompt
2. Open Device Manager
3. Click View -> Show Hidden Devices

Now when you expand the section on COM ports, the non present COM ports will be in grey. You can now easily remove any unwanted devices that are tying up COM ports by Right Clicking then selecting Uninstall. After you are done, should you wish to hide these devices again you can do so by entering
set devmgr_show_nonpresent_devices=0 in Command Prompt.

Like many others I eagerly awaited the release of an app that some were saying would save Vonage. I waited in anticipation as Vonage Mobile, as they’re calling it, worked its way through the App Store’s brutal approval processes. Naturally they found something that was against policy and sent Vonage back to the drawing board. A part of me knows that app I had been waiting for died on the drawing room floor that day. What ended up making it through the second approval process was a rather twisted and unfulfilling flop.

This new app, once installed, looks beautiful. It feels natural and is easy to use. However it doesn’t do what I would expect a VOIP app to do. I have an account with Vonage, and have had one for about 3 years now. Can I use this account with Vonage Mobile? Of course not. I must create a new one and pay money into another account for prepurchased minutes (even though I have 500 a month I almost never use), and it most certainly won’t allow me to use my inbound number at all. To top it all off, they won’t let me download it in Canada so I had to download a pirated version of a free app just to find out that it wasn’t even worth it.

I’ve never been thrilled with their service, but it was dirt cheap and allowed me to call family across the country. For a year or so I’ve been thinking of parting ways with their service but have held on to my account because I had thought it would be of use again to me when the app came out, I was wrong. Goodbye Vonage!