There are signs that the next browser from Microsoft is about to be released.

Yesterday the software giant posted a toolkit to block the upcoming Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) from downloading and installing automatically when it is officially released. This is odd, given that IE8 is not out there yet, and is being seen by avid Microsoft-watchers as a sign that the software giant is about to lift the lid on its new browser.

Normally it releases the tool three months before the launch of its browser, so the smart money is on an April Fools' day release.

Microsoft's company blog says that Redmond would push IE8 to users via its Windows Update and Microsoft Update services when the browser is finished. The blocker makes changes to each PC's registry so that companies will not suddenly find that their browsers have updated and wonot work on their network.

 Jane Maliouta, IE program manager, said that Microsoft had done a lot of work to make sure that sites that worked with IE7 will work with IE8. However, many IT organisations will still want to test the browser before it is deployed.

The blocker is basically an executable blocker script that creates a new key in the Windows registry to halt automatic downloading and installation. It has no expiration date, and can't prevent users from manually updating their machines by grabbing IE8 from Microsoft's download site.

Microsoft wants to distribute IE8 using its Automatic Update system as a  "High Priority" update in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, and "Important" in Windows Vista and Server 2008. The blocking tool, however, downgrades IE8 to an optional download. X

Check Out
ComputerWorld