Need AOL help: upgraded from IE7 to IE9, but useragentstring shows IE7

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  1. Posts : 2,752
    Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
       #1

    Need AOL help: upgraded from IE7 to IE9, but useragentstring shows IE7


    I know, this problem is relevant to a Vista system. But I'm hoping any AOL experts here on SevenForums will not shun me and my question.


    I upgraded the Vista machine from Service Pack 2 to Service Pack 3. As a result the installed IE was upgraded from IE7 to IE8. I then further upgraded to IE9. And finally, I upgraded the previously installed AOL 9.1 to a more recent AOL 9.5.

    However I'm still having problems getting proper response from the Nordstrom web site for advertising emails linking to web pages and read through AOL email, same as I had before the above significant software upgrades.

    The problem is that the Nordstrom web site made a change a few months ago which implemented imbedded pictures and graphics differently, and which required higher than IE7. So with the previous Service Pack 2 and IE7 and AOL 9.1, any time the graphics should have appeared on the Nordstrom pages instead there was a "dead links" icon. And at the top of the page was a red error message stating "we no longer support your browser version, IE7" and which also provided a link to a Microsoft site that theoretically would allow me to upgrade my version of IE.

    I was hoping that my software updates would resolve all of this. But it didn't. And I now see it's because AOL is still sending the old "IE7" value to Nordstrom's as the name of the installed browser, rather than "IE9" as it now should be sending. THIS IS MY PROBLEM... to be fixed, if someone knows how to get that done.

    Well, when I clicked on that link in the red error message to theoretically begin upgrading my theoretically out-of-date IE (although I know that I'm already running the most current IE9 allowed with Vista), I get a response back from the MS site page that says exactly that... namely that I'm already running the most current IE9. Obviously they pre-checked and discovered there's no need for an upgrade, because IE9 is already installed. So it's only AOL that hasn't got its own browser data value updated correctly.

    So, I decided to investigate, looking at the "useragentstring" which must be queried for by the Nordstrom site. And even though I have IE9 installed, apparently AOL is still replying to the Nordstrom query with a string value that says IE7 is being used, not IE9.

    I'm now absolutely convinced that THIS is the problem which needs fixing, and my goal is now to do whatever is needed to change whatever is buried deep in AOL that still shows IE7 (which USED TO BE TRUE) instead of the now current IE9 that is installed right now. I suspect once the useragentstring will show IE9, that the problem displaying the Nordstrom web pages will disappear.






    So now I see this useragentstring value which also shows IE7!!! And yet, it is really IE9 that is on the machine.

    So, if I knew how to purge that old IE7 "cookie" value or whatever AOL saves in order to populate the useragentstring, so that it would pick up a current and correct value of IE9, well I suspect that would obviously now send the proper useragentstring to the Nordstrom web site when queried, and the online sales pages would [hopefully and presumably] now populate the graphics correctly on those pages.

    So... you wouldn't happen to know how/where to get that AOL value changed to properly reflect IE9?

    Is it buried in some file I can manually edit, or patch with hexedit, or something? Or is there just a standard way you ask AOL to re-check system state, to re-discover the current browser installed is now IE9??
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  2. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #2

    Hi to be clear is this a good link to where the issues exist ?
    AOL.com - News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment, Local & Lifestyle
    Which look fine on my end,
    Use this to flush the dns,
    SF IE Restorator - Troubleshooting General Issues with IE
    You should also apply this to get rid of any Microsoft comp-view lists downloaded automatically,
    It's the same in ie8-9-10-11,
    http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/33571-google-search-display-issue-internet-explorer-11-fix.html
    You can also reset ie but repeat the above comp-view list process after,
    Export Favorites to html file before resetting Internet explorer/ just to be safe.
    https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/86795-internet-explorer-import-export-favorites.html

    Tutorial of Resetting Internet explorer,
    https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1222-internet-explorer-reset.html
    Accessing Internet Options from the Start menu search,
    Reset process first opening Internet explorer
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  3. Posts : 17,322
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #3

    dsperber said:
    I upgraded the Vista machine from Service Pack 2 to Service Pack 3.
    The latest service pack for Windows Vista is Service Pack 2 (SP2).
    Service Pack and Update Center - Microsoft Windows

    Where did you get service pack 3?
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  4. Posts : 2,752
    Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
    Thread Starter
       #4

    derekimo said:
    dsperber said:
    I upgraded the Vista machine from Service Pack 2 to Service Pack 3.
    The latest service pack for Windows Vista is Service Pack 2 (SP2).
    Service Pack and Update Center - Microsoft Windows

    Where did you get service pack 3?
    It was presented in Windows Update. I installed it. Came from MS.

    OOPS... my bad.

    Just checked Windows Update History. It was indeed Vista Service Pack 2 which I installed, not Service Pack 3 as I had typed. KB948465.

    My eyes had noticed on the words "Service Pack 3" on a MS Office 2007 update a few lines later, and I guess my brain filed things incorrectly.

    You are right. I'm wrong. It was Vista SP2 that I installed yesterday. There is no SP3, as you've noted.

    Sorry for the confusion. My mistake.
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  5. Posts : 2,752
    Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
    Thread Starter
       #5

    ThrashZone said:
    Hi to be clear is this a good link to where the issues exist ?
    AOL.com - News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment, Local & Lifestyle
    Which look fine on my end,
    I'm not sure I follow what you're trying to direct me to with this, or the additional tutorials you've provided links for.

    There is nothing wrong with IE9 which is now installed on the Vista machine. IE works perfectly, as does access to the Nordstrom web site getting to the identical web page "externally" using IE which "fails" when viewed through a browser window in AOL 9.5.

    The failure looks as follows:



    And the failure is caused by the fact that (in my opinion) the Nordstrom web site queried AOL running on the Vista machine for "useragentstring". And the AOL running on the Vista machine returns a value that contains an indication (if I interpret it properly) that MSIE 7.0 is running, which is unacceptable to the Nordstrom site.



    So even though IE9 is now the currently installed version of IE running on the Vista machine, AOL still sends a data value that indicates IE7 is installed, not IE9. At least that's how I interpret what is being sent, and the meaning of that field value.

    This has nothing to do with Windows 7 or Windows 8 or anything. It has to do with AOL 9.5 running on a Vista machine, and for which the above symptom is exhibited trying to access the Nordstrom web site which requires a newer version of IE than 7.
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  6. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #6

    The popup is somewhat normal if a website sees or does not know how to handle ie9.. compatibility view,
    Which you have some third part utilities or add-ons that are displaying here,
    Which I'm guessing this symbol is a compatibility view symbol,
    Attachment 304372
    Seeing your other question in the security section I'm wondering why or if your questions should be merged ?
    MBAM cannot remove "culprit" access to 5.45.64.145/5.45.69.131
    Last edited by ThrashZone; 22 Feb 2015 at 19:56.
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  7. Posts : 2,752
    Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
    Thread Starter
       #7

    One more demonstration of the problem...

    (1) here is what the Nordstrom web page looks like when viewed directly on the Vista machine using "external" IE9:



    (2) in contrast, here is what the exact same page looks like when viewed through a "browser window" within AOL 9.5:



    Note the individual graphics pictures are DEAD LINKS because they have not been "delivered" by the Nordstrom web site because it's "unhappy" that IE7 is being used (as it used to be, until yesterday)... although it's not now as IE9 is currently installed since yesterday.




    That's what I'm asking for help with. How or what do I do to force AOL 9.5 to reset it's "knowledge" of what IE browser version is NOW INSTALLED, to change it from 7 to 9?
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  8. Posts : 2,752
    Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
    Thread Starter
       #8

    ThrashZone said:
    The popup is somewhat normal if a website sees or does not know how to handle ie9.. compatibility view,
    Which you have some third part utilities or add-ons that are displaying here,
    Which I'm guessing this symbol is a compatibility view symbol,
    Interesting obvservation. Yes, I did enable compatibility view when installing IE9 and running through its 1st-time options wizard.


    Seeing your other question in the security section I'm wondering why or if your questions should be merged ?
    No, these are TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.

    It was only when I was responding to a question on the security forum thread to provide "useragentstring" that I noticed the"MSIE 7.0" value imbedded there. And that got my mind wandering off to THIS second separate and independent problem. I just had never known about "useragentstring" previously, and as soon as I saw it and saw "MSIE 7.0" I immediately thought it might be in some way relevant to this AOL browser window issue. That's the only connection.

    But they should not be combined... the two issues are entirely separate, although they're both occurring on the same Vista machine.

    The AOL thread here is for the AOL problem.
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  9. Posts : 20,583
    Win-7-Pro64bit 7-H-Prem-64bit
       #9

    In a nut shell ?
    Uninstall what ever add-ons you've downloaded from aol/ toolbars....
    They have altered everything about ie9,
    aol.com looks fine to me with the previous link I posted,
    Cheers.

    Viruses have a nasty habit of changing uas along with a bunch of other stuff.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 2,752
    Windows 7 Pro x64 (1), Win7 Pro X64 (2)
    Thread Starter
       #10

    ThrashZone said:
    The popup is somewhat normal if a website sees or does not know how to handle ie9.. compatibility view,
    Which you have some third part utilities or add-ons that are displaying here,
    Which I'm guessing this symbol is a compatibility view symbol,
    That is the PRINT icon!!! Nothing to do with compatibility view.
      My Computer


 
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