July 15, 2009 3:37 PM PDT

Make Firefox appear to be IE

by Tom Merritt
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If you don't like Internet Explorer, and would rather use Firefox, some sites make it hard for you. Sometimes, they just nag you with warnings. Other times they just plain refuse to load in your browser, or even try to warn you your operating system is wrong.

Here's a handy add-on to work you right around these artificial barriers. Go to addons.mozilla.org and search for user agent switcher, or you can find it at CNET's Download.com. Add the plug-in to Firefox and restart your browser.

When you come upon a naggy site that doesn't like your browser, go to tools, select User agent switcher, and select the browser you need to pretend to be.

Reload the page and the prejudice ends. You can use it on many sites to log-in to your classes or pay your bill. It will even fool Mozilla.org into insulting you for using IE. That's how good it is.

Do be aware, sometimes the reason they warn you to use a certain browser is because their crappy site BREAKS in every other browser, so the user agent won't help you in those situations. But for a lot of sites, you'll be able to use them just as if you had Internet Explorer running in Windows.

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by linhlh July 15, 2009 5:22 PM PDT
Besides the compatibility and design reasons, why would websites prevent Firefox users from browsing ? :O
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by ZetaZeta_ July 15, 2009 10:51 PM PDT
The only time I had a site keep me from browsing was if it required SilverLight (so no Chrome) or if it required HTML5 (:3 so no IE).
If all sites are written to open standards and all browsers well developed, then it doesn't even matter. Then browsers can compete on rendering speed and features. <3 I long for such a world ever so.
by aznwill28 July 30, 2009 7:44 PM PDT
Well if you use frontpage to design a website it only allows compatibility for ie.
by pd83 July 15, 2009 7:03 PM PDT
Why not just firefox extension, IE Tab?
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by mac79pr July 15, 2009 8:19 PM PDT
Yes, "IE Tab" is way better.
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by t3h1337g33k July 15, 2009 9:14 PM PDT
IE Tab is more compatible for certain sites, but not necessarily better. Why be forced to load APIs from IE, when using your good ole Firefox will do just fine with very simple trickery? Yes, IE Tab is nice to have for sites that actually don't work on anything but IE, but this is a much simpler approach for sites that actually would work in Firefox, if not for the stupid detection/redirect scripts they use for browser agent.
by G-Skaf July 16, 2009 7:56 AM PDT
Whenever you come upon a naggy site, you should probably reconsider whether it's worth any of your time and effort. Complain to their owners. Look for alternatives.

All sites should be written according to web standards.

Proprietary, non-standard extensions and "Internet Explorer required" messages are so 90s.

All browsers should properly implement those standards.

Internet Explorer has not and most likely won't have a proper implementation of web standards in the near future. Microsoft has clearly shown they are unable and/or unwilling to improve this mess. Until they do, their "product" is to be avoided.
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by Software_Lover July 17, 2009 12:25 AM PDT
I've been to a few web sites that still demand Internet Explorer. It makes me want to e-mail the developers and tell them to shove their site up their *****.
by G-Skaf July 20, 2009 12:10 PM PDT
Software_Lover:

That's about the sanest thing to do.
by verdyp July 17, 2009 4:45 AM PDT
One of the web sites that absolutely wants IE is the microsoft web site itself, for all its support sections for Office products, or the online help. For such sites, pretending that Firefox (or Chrome or something else) is IE will not work, as Microsoft really wants to download IE specific components on its web page using ActiveX signatures. In some cases, it will just offer you a link to a page containing all the available downloads that you'll have to look for manually.

Microsoft still does not like something else than IE (and the future users of retail versions of Windows 7 E or Office will not get the support they have the right to claim to Microsoft).

Note that Windows Update / Microsoft Update are (normally) not affected (at least on Vista and Windows 7) because the site instructs the browser to use the dedicated application built into the OS instead of the browser: with this dedicated app, the IE control is directly embedded, without depending on the installed browser. But this won't work from XP (that has no dedicated client application like in Vista or Win7), or if you are trying to use the windows update website instead of the dedicated app (in Vista or Win7), if you are currently using something else than IE: these alternate browsers will not launch the dedicated application.

However,

for optional downloads, (including some temporary security fixes or patches that some users will need for specific cases, or some patches for Microsoft games or drivers for Microsoft hardware, or for the bloody DRM drivers used in Windows Media, or for some "Genuine" licence checks that it still persists in wanting being performed within the browser by an ActiveX control insetad of using a key generated by an external tool running out of the browser),

IE is still the only browser supported by Microsoft (that persists in wanting a completely unneeded ActiveX component to get FULL access with all administrator privileges to your system).

It's high time that Microsoft provides full support for competitive browsers that are standard compliants and that can perfectly support the website GUI (notably because Win7E will be finally released without IE on next October 22), and stops considering that our systems is theirs just to get the paid support).

Microsoft really made no effort for Chrome and lies when its site indicates that IE is not installed, and wants us to upgrade or install it after each page.
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by El Cacique July 17, 2009 11:48 AM PDT
Your statement that Microsoft website only wants IE is wrong. I just opened my firefox 3.5.1 browser and it loaded Microsoft websites with no problems. In fact, it loaded them quicker than IE itself. I just didn't load their home page, I actually clicked on several of Microsoft's links and they all loaded with no problem. IE8 is my default browser but I also use very much Firefox. THey are both great. Firefox is a bit faster.
by mrc1965ca July 17, 2009 5:30 AM PDT
You can also use a plug in called IE Tab. When installed, you will see the Firefox icon on the bottom right-hand side of the window. If you need to display a webpage using IE, just click this icon and it will reload the page to IE specs. The icon will also change to an IE icon. To return to Firefox mode, follow the same instructions. This plug in is compatible with Firefox 3.5
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by Freedomstarfox July 17, 2009 8:05 AM PDT
Yes except that IE Tab makes it actaully run in IE within the Firefox window. User Agent Switcher makes it pretend to be IE while still staying as Firefox. However, IE Tab is a great add-on to use also for those sites that truly need IE and won't work even with User Agent Switcher like Windows Update (Windows XP and earlier).
by Yellowbird77 July 17, 2009 4:29 PM PDT
What is needed is for Chrome to sleuth as Firefox or IE.
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by dlevinson15 July 23, 2009 11:13 AM PDT
Opera has an option that allows it to appear to the site to be either IE or Firefox. Often sites that claim to require IE work perfectly with Opera once you use this option. Chrome should follow suite.

The exception are sites that use ActiveX controls - which are unsafe anyway and shouldn't be used.
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by SX10 IS October 19, 2009 12:48 PM PDT
Doesn't work!
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