Microsoft has released a download blocker for those who need to keep their systems from moving to IE8. I am using IE8 on some of my systems, however, I have discovered that it doesn’t work properly for all the software that I currently use, so there is a need for me to stay with IE7 on some of my systems.  If you have software that will not work with IE8 yet, here are the steps so that you can keep your pc from Automatically updating to IE8. 

     Internet Explorer 8 is being pushed by Microsoft starting this week as part of Windows Updates or Microsoft Updates.

For computers running Windows XP or Windows Server 2003, the Blocker Toolkit prevents the machine from receiving Internet Explorer 8 as a high-priority update via Automatic Updates and the Express install option on the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites; Internet Explorer 8 will be listed as an optional update with the Custom install option.

For computers running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, the Blocker Toolkit prevents the machine from receiving Internet Explorer 8 as an important update via Automatic Updates on the Windows Update and Microsoft Update sites; Internet Explorer 8 will be listed as an optional update.

The Blocker Toolkit will not prevent users from manually installing Internet Explorer 8 as a Recommended update from the Windows Update or Microsoft Update sites, from the Microsoft Download Center, or from external media.

Download the IE8 Blocker Tool from http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=21687628-5806-4ba6-9e4e-8e224ec6dd8c&displaylang=en (http://www NULL.microsoft NULL.com/downloads/details NULL.aspx?FamilyID=21687628-5806-4ba6-9e4e-8e224ec6dd8c&displaylang=en)

Once you download the file you will see the following file (make sure you know what location you picked to save the file)

Step 1 – Double click the IE8BlockerToolkit.exe and the select run.

Step 2 – You will get the agreement message – select Yes to this message.

Step 3 – You will be prompted for a location to save the files that get created from the IE8toolkit.exe file. Chose a location you can find (for my example I used C:\IE8Blocker).

Step 4 – You will be prompted that folder does not exist if it is a new folder. Select yes to this message.

Step 5 – select start – run – and in the run box that opens type CMD and hit enter

Step 6 – In the DOS window you should have C:\> if you get anything else type cd \ (there is a space between the cd and the \) and hit enter to get C:\>

Step 7 – Type the following. C:\IE80Blocker /B. If it typed in correctly you will see a message “The operation completed successfully. ** (that is IE eight zero)

**C:\IE8Blocker /B is based on the fact that I saved the files in step 3 to c:\IE8Blocker. If you choose to save your files in step 3 to another location you will need to type that location followed by a space and then /B (Capitol B).