Frequently Asked Questions
Internet Explorer 6/IEAK 6

Revision - 3.2

Q: What is Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1?
A: Internet Explorer is the latest major upgrade to the Microsoft web browser line, replacing Internet Explorer 6.0. This upgrade adds increased reliability, flexibility and privacy features.

Q: What is the official Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 SP 1 Website?
A: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.asp

Q: What is the download link?
A: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/critical/ie6sp1/default.asp

Q: Quickly, what are some of the features that Internet Explorer 6 includes?
A: Internet Explorer 6 provides new Explorer Bars, greater privacy support, error protection, Outlook Express Virus Protection, and other new features.

Q: Can you expand on that, still keeping it short?
A: Improved or new features:

• New Look
• Image Bar
• Auto Image Resize
• Media Bar
• MSN IM Integration
• Web Privacy
• Error Reporting

Q: What does Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 add?
A: Internet Explorer 6 SP1 is the next update to the Internet Explorer technologies representing general improvements to Internet Explorer 6. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 includes a well-tested collection of updates that focuses on a variety of customer-reported concerns with Internet Explorer 6. Internet Explorer 6 SP1 includes all prior patches and updates as well as enhancements to security and reliability.

Q: What Operating Systems can I be able to install IE 6 SP 1 on?
A: Windows 98, Windows Me, Win NT (with latest Service pack 6a), Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

Q: You mean I won't be able to install IE 6 on Windows 95?
A: No. This is partially due to the fact that some major OEMS are not preinstalling Win 95 to new computers, plus the fact that Microsoft is phasing out support of this older operating system to encourage users to upgrade to later versions.

Q: What about Windows 3.1?
A: Ha!

Q: What are the system requirements?
A: Total download size for a typical installation is approximately 25 megabytes (MB). However, because Setup downloads only those files that are necessary for your computer, this size can vary between 11 and 75 MB.

• 486/66 MHz processor (Pentium processor recommended)
   
• Windows 98:
  16 MB of RAM minimum
  Full Install Size: 11.5
• Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition:
  16 MB of RAM minimum
  Full install size: 12.4 MB
• Windows NT® 4.0 Service Pack 6a and higher:
  32 MB of RAM minimum
  Full install size: 12.7 MB
• Windows 2000:
  32 MB of RAM minimum
  Full install size: 12 MB
• Windows Millennium Edition:
  32 MB of RAM minimum
  Full install size: 8.7 MB
   
• CD-ROM drive (if installation is done from a CD-ROM)
• Some components may require additional system resources not outlined above.

Q: When was Internet Explorer 6 Preview 1 released?
A: November 2000, but only to a select group of developers.

Q: When was the public preview released?
A: It was first expected February 27, then March 14th. However, it was officially released March 26th. 

Q: When was the full version of IE 6 released?
A: August 27th, 2001.

Q: Can I order an IE 6 SP1 CD?
A: Yes, The CD is free, but the cost for shipping and handling is $5 US, plus tax; $7.50 CAN, plus tax. The website is: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ordercd/ie6sp1.asp

Q: Do you have a list of the  Internet Explorer 6  newsgroups?
A: 

• microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.setup
• microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.browser
• microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie6.outlookexpress 
• microsoft.public.de.german.inetexplorer.ie6b.ieak
• microsoft.public.ja.inetexplorer.ie6
• microsoft.public.ko.inetexplorer.ie6
• microsoft.public.tw.inetexplorer.ie6
• microsoft.public.cn.inetexplorer.ie6
• microsoft.public.ar.inetexplorer.ie6
• microsoft.public.he.inetexplorer.ie6

Q: What is the build number of the public beta?
A: 6.0.2462.0000 Thanks KAG.

Q: What is the build number of the final IE 6 release?
A: 6.0.2600.0000

Q: What is the build number of the final IE 6 SP 1 release?
A: 6.0.2800.1106

Q: What kind of encryption does IE 6 SP 1 provide?
A: 128-bit for Win 98, Me, NT, XP. For Windows 2000 & Windows 2003 Server, you must download the high encryption pack as IE 6 will not change your system's encryption settings.

Q: Does IE 6 have a new look ?
A: New stylized buttons in the browser toolbar, more colorful menu background and toolbar areas. Directly integrates the Windows XP look into all visual aspects of the browser window, including dialog boxes, menus, scroll bars, list boxes, and toolbars.

Q: Does IE 6 support Java VM?
A: Yes, but it is not included in the original IE 6 installation. Rather, it is downloaded on-demand when a user encounters a website that requires it.

Q: What new advanced features have been added?
A: Automatic Image Resizing, Off screen image compositing, image toolbars, and error reporting. 

Q: What is error reporting?
A: This tool allows you to report unrecoverable errors in Internet Explorer (for example, general protection faults or invalid page faults) to Microsoft over the Internet.

Q: Can you tell me what Microsoft says about error reporting?
A: "The Internet Explorer Error Reporting Tool provides fault collection services. It offers to extract information about the Internet Explorer problem and upload the data to Microsoft for analysis. You can view details about the problem and then choose whether to transmit the fault information to Microsoft and restart Internet Explorer. If a known problem occurs, a link can be provided to a Service Pack, hot fix, or Knowledge Base article. If Microsoft has not previously found or addressed the problem, the necessary information can be transmitted to a Microsoft problem database for investigation. This information can help determine potential problems that Microsoft needs to fix in future Internet Explorer Service Packs."

Q: What features are available for developers?
A: DHTML enhancements, Full CSS Level 1 Support, DOM Level 1 Support, Enhanced SMIL 2.0 multimedia support, content restricted iFrames, XML 3.0 and more.

Q: Where can I find IE 6 Information on MSDN?
A: Here.

Q: What is the IEAK?
A: Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK) 6 programs and tools make it easy for you to deploy and manage custom browser software packages.

Q: Quickly, what are some of the features of the IEAK?
A: Internet Explorer Customization Wizard, Privacy, Toolbar Personalization, New Policies and Restrictions, and all the features of IEAK 5.5.

Q: Can you go into these features more in depth?
A:

• Customizing Privacy Settings
  When you run the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard, you can customize the privacy settings for your users. You can define privacy preferences that determine whether Internet Explorer checks Web sites for an established privacy policy and whether Internet Explorer discloses users' personal information to those Web sites. The privacy preferences also determine whether Internet Explorer allows these Web sites to store cookies on users' computers.
• Customizing the Internet Explorer Toolbar
  When you run the Internet Explorer Customization Wizard, you can personalize the look of the Internet Explorer toolbar, giving you additional flexibility and design opportunities. You can change the toolbar background and the icons for the standard toolbar buttons, such as Search and History. Also, you can customize the appearance and number of additional toolbar buttons.
• Resultant Set of Policy Features
  IEAK 6 includes a new Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) snap-in to help you plan browser policies before you deploy your custom browser packages. You can use this snap-in to review policy information that is set up for computers and users. When you add the snap-in, the RSoP Wizard allows you to choose either logging mode to access the policy information for an existing computer and user, or planning mode to generate policy information based on the Active Directory™ service in Windows 2000 Server. Note This feature is only available on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

Q: Where can I download IEAK 6?
A: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ieak/downloads/ieak6/ieak6sp1.asp  The download is 9-12 MB.

Q: What is the official IEAK 6 website?
A: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ieak/default.asp

Q: What are some of the technologies in the IEAK?
A:

• Internet Explorer Customization Wizard. The Internet Explorer Customization Wizard browser customization into five stages. Step-by-step screens for each stage guide you through the process of creating custom browser packages. When these packages are installed on your clients' desktops, they'll receive customized versions of Internet Explorer with the settings and options that you selected.
• IEAK Profile Manager. After you deploy Internet Explorer, you can use the IEAK Profile Manager to change browser settings and restrictions automatically.
• IEAK Toolkit. The IEAK Toolkit contains helpful tools, programs, and sample files, such as the animated bitmap tools, a sample sign-up and add-ons. The toolkit also includes the IExpress Wizard; you can use it to control setup options and to integrate command-line switches, which control how your custom browser packages are installed.
• IEAK Help. The IEAK Help includes many conceptual and procedural topics that you can view by using the Index, Contents, and Search tabs. You can also print topics from the IEAK Help.

Q: What other new general features of IE 6 have been added?
A: New delete cookies tab, new META refresh setting, new security levels. 

Q: What languages is IE 6 available in?
A: Internet Explorer 6 is available in over 20 languages, from simple Chinese to Norwegian. For more information about your local language, please visit the Internet Explorer Worldwide sites.

Q: How do I view a website's P3P privacy policy?
A: View -> Privacy Report. Then double click the website that you want to view.

Q: What are the cookies settings in IE 6?
A: Internet Explorer 6 includes six pre-configured cookies settings, which are easy to adjust: Accept All Cookies, Low, Medium, Medium-High, High, and Block All Cookies. You can also create and import your own custom privacy settings in an XML format.

Q: What is Auto Image Resize?
A: If pictures are to big to fit in the browser window, this feature automatically resizes them. Also if you navigate to a Window where the pictures fit, but resize the window, IE 6 automatically resizes them. There is no distortion as both height and width are adjusted.

Q: What is the Media Bar?
A: The Media Bar integrates Windows Media Player in the personal bar. 

Q: How much free registry space is required to upgrade on Win NT 4?
A: From IE 2.0 - 3.x, 4 MB. For IE 4.0-5.x, 2.5 MB.

Q: I have Windows NT 4.0 with SP6a installed along with IE6 Public Beta. I want to uninstall Service Pack 6a. Can I do this?
A: Yes, but first uninstall IE 6.

Q: If I have Win 95, 98, 98SE, or NT and want to upgrade to Windows 2000 should I uninstall IE 6 Public Beta?
A: Yes.

Q: What is UTF-8?
A: "Internet Explorer 6 Public Preview uses a new standard to transmit 
non-English addresses (URLs) to the server. URLs are now encoded in 
a character-encoding standard named UTF-8."

Q: What is msnsspc.dll?
A: MSN challenge/response authentication (provided by Msnsspc.dll) will no longer be supported by Internet Explorer. The registry setting which enables MSN authentication in WinInet has been removed.

Q: Where can I see more information on the public beta release?
A: You can see both of the internal KB articles we released on IE6 preview here and here. The final release notes for the public beta are avail here.