Getting a web browser without a web browser?, (Thu, Dec 20th)

[Steve]

The ongoing issues and questions about Internet Explorer raised an interesting question: On Windows, if Internet Explorer doesn't work for some reason, how would you get a working web browser?



It turns out the command line ftp tool (included with windows) could be used to get firefox from an ftp mirror of the Mozilla software collection. Get to a command prompt (Start, Run and type commandEnter). In that command prompt, run:
ftp ftp.osuosl.org
User: anonymous
Password: {your email address}
cd /pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/2.0.0.11/win32/en-US/
binary
mget *.exe
(say yes to getting Firefox Setup 2.0.0.11.exe)
quit


Now that you're back to the command prompt, run this command, including the quotes as the file has spaces in the name:
Firefox Setup 2.0.0.11.exe


This post isn't intended to imply that Firefox is better on any level. We just wanted to offer a way to get a working web browser if Internet Explorer refuses to run for any reason.

More...