IE11 and Buggy Software

~~November 2013 saw the release of Microsoft’s latest version of Internet Explorer, IE 11 for Windows 7. The new web browser’s impact is growing as many Windows 7 and Windows 8 users install this new version of Internet Explorer as part of their regular Windows Updates. As touted by Microsoft, there are a few benefits to the new browser such as faster rendering (loading) of web pages, better security, and it is also optimized for the touch screen interfaces that are now being used with the new Windows 8 platform. All of these sound like steps in the right direction, but, in providing desktop support for the business clients of TRA Consulting, I find that I am spending a considerable amount of time preventing IE 11 from being installed in the first place, and removing this latest incarnation of IE when it has caused problems for users. Whenever a new version of Internet Explorer is released, there is always quite a bit of trouble for computer users in making the transition. This is particularly true in the business world where businesses are tied in to other programs that need Internet Explorer in order to work and are needed in the day-to-day running of the business.
 
One of the problems caused by the update of IE 11 lies in the fact that the development of the many add-ons and extensions created for in Internet Explorer for business-use have not kept pace with Microsoft’s efforts to keep IE relevant to home users. These add-ons and extensions for business-use are often created by smaller third-party companies that usually don’t have the personnel or resources to keep up with Microsoft’s many changes. As a result, there can often be a disconnect in the coding between newer and older versions of Internet Explorer and its interfaces with other programs that were created for older versions of IE, causing users to report bugs.
 
For example, one of the companies we support has financial accounts at a bank that allows users to print checks directly from the bank’s web site using a compatible check printer. The bank’s site and the printer are accessed exclusively through Internet Explorer up through version 9. By default, IE is set to automatically update to the latest version via Windows Update. Once the IE 10 and IE 11 updates were released, users at this company started reporting problems regarding check-printing. We solved the problem by un-installing IE 10 and IE 11 and rolled the users back to IE 9 and blocked any further updates until printer add-on has been updated to be compatible for further versions of Internet Explorer.

Employees can sometimes waste valuable time trying to find a work-around or a solution to these problems, when their time could be spent more productively. Businesses can increase and facilitate the productivity of employees by providing them with smooth and user-friendly computer systems. We can help by providing pro-active desktop support through remote management software (RMM), and personal one-on-one service from TRA Consulting which means we can block and/or remove IE 11 on each managed system individually or as a group in a matter of minutes; thus saving time and keeping IT costs for our customers in line with their projections.