[stressfreesoul]

Wow. I never thought a browser could be so impressive, I have completely removed Internet Explorer and I am solely using Firefox. The addons available for it have almost completely mothballed my anti-virus. Now I know wether to trust a site before I have even clicked, all scripts and cookies are blocked until I unblock them, I have no annoying advertisements all over the page.
Wonderful, I'll never revert to that IE malarky again...

[demortes]

Unfortunately, if you wish to download anything from Microsoft's website, you're gonna need IE, cause Firefox doesn't work. Things like updates, SP3 beta, or SP1 for vista.

[IMP49]

demortes is right, you will need to have IE in order to download updates from Microsoft. I too use Firefox, and only use IE for my updates.

[TOGG]

I have Opera as my default browser, but use the IETab extension with Firefox to collect Updates.

I don't know the technical details, but Firefox uses those parts of IE that are needed to collect the updates without having IE open or running (although, since IE and Windows share components, it could be said that, whenever Windows is running, some of IE is as well).

I know that some part of IE is active while the IETab is running because I have scripting and Active X set to 'Prompt' in IE, and I have to keep clicking to allow them to run throughout the update process.

[stressfreesoul]

Ive downloaded the IE tab, however I have problems with activex programs auto downloading into IE and when you go into the programs tab, then manage add-ons the delete activex button is turned off, why is this and how do I sort it/stop the auto download?

[TOGG]

I'm not a regular Firefox user so I'm not sure I understand the problem you are having. When I do use Firefox and the IETab, IE itself is always closed and I have never noticed any 'auto downloading' or anything similar. As I said, I have Active X and scripting set to 'prompt' in IE, and only permit them to run when prompted by the Windows Update site.

At all other times, (which is not often because I never use the installed version of IE except to try and answer a query here) I refuse permission, but because my ISP's browser is based on IE, I occasionally get prompts from that.

Hopefully, a Firefox user will offer some advice soon.