Microsoft Squishes Bugs, Crushes IE7

May 22, 2007: Internet Explorer 7 users were surprised this week when a Microsoft bug patch rendered the browser inoperable for many.

The May 8 six-bug patch prevented IE7 loading for users who have changed the default location of the Temporary Internet Files directory according to Microsoft. However, some users have reported that the problem exists even when all the default settings are used.

“The issue here is that after applying the update, these users may then see the 'File Download - Security Warning' dialog box raised when starting IE,” writes Microsoft Security Response Team member Christopher Budd. “After you close the dialog, you then cannot start IE.”

The problem affects IE7 on both Windows Vista and Windows XP SP2, and while Microsoft has released two workarounds for the issue, the problem persists.

The workarounds involve either relocating the Temporary Internet Files folder to the default location, or changing the permissions to the folder in the new location. It is not known currently known when a patch for the problem will be available.

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