Microsoft recommends uninstalling Netscape 8
Microsoft is calling for Internet Explorer users to uninstall the new Netscape 8 because a bug in AOL’s browser can interfere with the display of XML content in IE.
Earlier this week Dave Massy, Microsoft’s senior program manager for Internet Explorer, posted workarounds for the problem on an IE blog.
In the blog, Massy recommends uninstalling Netscape 8 or deleting the XML node from a registry file entitled HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Plugins\Extension.
According to the IDG News Service, AOL said the problem was “a minor issue,” and that uninstalling Netscape was not necessary.
“This issue [affects] a very small number of users who visit sites that require that advanced technology,” said Andrew Weinstein, an AOL spokesman.
The company plans sometime next week to deliver a fix to the problem, which will be delivered to users via Netscape’s auto-update feature. “We would not encourage people to uninstall or [change] their browser settings,” Weinstein said.
Several people who posted comments to Microsoft’s IE blog said the XML rendering worked fine with both Netscape 8 and IE installed.