Microsoft issues guidelines on IE7 automatic update

Microsoft’s rollout of Windows Server Update Service, on 2 February, will include an automatic upgrade to Internet Explorer 7. The IE7 Installation and Availability Update is designed to address recent security concerns.

For companies who wish to stay with IE6, Microsoft has issued guidelines explaining how to prevent the automated update taking effect.

If a company’s service is configured to automatically approve Update Rollups, IE7 will be downloaded and installed to workers’ PCs when the release becomes available. Microsoft is reminding companies that they will need to disable the auto-approval rule before 12 February if they wish to remain with IE6.

After 12 February they will have to synchronise the update package with their WSUS server and then switch the autoapproval rule back on.

It is likely that a lot of companies will wish to remain with IE6 as some web-based applications experience issues running with IE7. Over a third of web users still use IE6, according to data from Web metrics vendor Net Applications Inc.

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