Microsoft has released an updated version of Internet Explorer. Now anyone can download the IE7 irrespective of the fact that the copy of Windows is original or a pirated one. Microsoft programmers decided to drop Windows Genuine Advantage, as the security feature, from Explorer to promote the browser to a wider audience. From the moment it released IE7 almost a year ago, Microsoft has restricted the browser to users who can prove they own a legitimate copy of the operating system. Before Microsoft allows the browser to download, it runs the user’s PC through a Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation test, a prime part of XP’s antipiracy software.

The update can be downloaded from Microsoft’s website here. It has a number of features that include: The menu bar is now visible by default, the online help section has been enhanced, and a new tool is included to help IT administrators in large enterprises deploy the browser.

Microsoft is hoping the update will boost adoption of IE 7. Despite the releases, Explorer’s market share has declined slightly over the past year as competition emerges from Firefox, Safari, Opera, and other alternative browsers. Explorer’s market share fell from 81.3% of the market in October 2006 to 77.9% in September 2007, according to market watchers at Net Applications.

Written by mahesh15 in Microsoft