Downloading updates

Internet Explorer updates

Question: I'm looking for a download of the *entire* IE5 setup without having to order the CD-ROM. Can you point me to a link or ftp?

Indeed it can be handy to download all the setup files once, without installing them, and to store the files locally for later installation (or reinstallation); or to download once and then post the files on a LAN for others to use without having to re-download the whole shebang again.

Microsoft still has a vestigial public FTP site (ftp.microsoft.com/) and there's some interesting (and free) stuff there; but they no longer offer browser downloads that way.

However, you can still easily download the entire IE5 package without installing anything; instead storing the full setup files locally: Go to the IE download site (www.microsoft.com/windows/IE/), and start the download process. The first piece that comes down (Ie5setup.exe) is a very small front end that's actually the download manager for the full install. That Setup/Download Manager gives you the option to save files locally. Here's how:

After you've downloaded the small Ie5setup.exe file, run it, and select the "Install Minimal, Or Customize Your Browser" option when it appears. On the "Component Options" dialog, click the "advanced" button and select "download only" and click OK, and Next. The setup program will then download all of IE5 to whatever location on your hard drive you select. You can then install the browser from there, and/or leave the files there for later use.

For those of you who use Firefox, it's possible to download Microsoft updates using an addon called "IE Tab". Conbined with "Agent Switcher" you can fool most websites that are programmed to use IE. Since "IE Tab" uses IE components and scripts, you are exposing yourself to the same security problems you were trying to get away from in IE.