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

[dsperber]

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Well, when I clicked on that link in the red error message to theoretically begin upgrading my theoretically out-of-date IE (although I know that I'm already running the most current IE9 allowed with Vista), I get a response back from the MS site page that says exactly that...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??

 

[ThrashZone]

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,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/98056-sf-ie-restorator-troubleshooting-general-issues-ie.html
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.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/86795-internet-explorer-import-export-favorites.html​

Tutorial of Resetting Internet explorer,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1222-internet-explorer-reset.html
Accessing Internet Options from the Start menu search,
Reset process first opening Internet explorer
​

 

[derekimo]

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?

 

[dsperber]

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.

 

[dsperber]

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.

 

[ThrashZone]

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,
View attachment 304372
Seeing your other question in the security section I'm wondering why or if your questions should be merged ?
http://www.sevenforums.com/system-s...culprit-access-5-45-64-145-5-45-69-131-a.html

 

[dsperber]

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?

 

[dsperber]

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.

 

[ThrashZone]

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.

 

[dsperber]

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.

 

[ThrashZone]

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:

This is the version of ie9 you should be using,
Cheers.

 

[ThrashZone]

Here's what I should of posted first,
If I knew you had any aol add-ons installed,
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows7/How-to-manage-add-ons-in-Internet-Explorer-9

 

[dsperber]

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,

Perhaps I wasn't clear neough.

The AOL.com - News, Sports, Weather, Entertainment, Local & Lifestyle link DISPLAYS PERFECTLY in the browser windows launched by AOL for me as well. But that isn't the problem.

The problem is that the Nordstrom web site (not the AOL.COM web site) apparently requires a version of IE higher than 7 (which apparently AOL.COM doesn't care about). And apparently what AOL as currently installed on the Vista machine is sending to the Nordstrom site in response to its query about browser version is telling the Nordstrom site that it is IE7 installed on the machine (which was true yesterday, until the software upgrades I applied), when in fact it is really IE9 that is now installed.

I am assuming (perhaps incorrectly) that it's proven by the value of "useragentstring" which I have posted previously, that contains "MSIE 7.0" imbedded in it, which is the culprit. I am assuming (perhaps incorrectly again) that if only AOL would send "MSIE 9.0" to the Nordstrom site that it would all work perfectly... same as the result of when external IE itself is used to connect to that identical Nordstrom site web page.

That's what I'm asking for help on, if anyone knows, and if my assumptions are correct about "useragentstring" having that old "MSIE 7.0" value in it as definitely what is causing the problem.

 

[dsperber]

Here's what I should of posted first,
If I knew you had any aol add-ons installed,

What are you talking about?

What "AOL add-ons" do I have installed that you know of???

 

[ThrashZone]

This a loaded question,
Mostly because your loaded with malware/ viruses....
My best recommendation is to return to your security question and clean your machine,
Corruption effects everything,
If you don't know what a third party toolbar is or what an browser add-on is the previous link should explain it in some detail,
Pease out,
Cheers.

 

[dsperber]

Just for closure, I now have ABSOLUTE PROOF that regarding the AOL issue the value of "useragentstring" sent from AOL to the Nordstrom site definitely is the "culprit" insofar as being responsible for the failure of the Nordstrom web page to work properly.

I just connected to the Boston machine (my friend is in Florida this week, but their Boston machine is still on and remotely accessible to me), which is a Windows 7 laptop (not Vista) and is running IE10.

As you can see from the following, it absolutely indicates WHICH version of IE is operational:

So the question again is absolutely "how do I get AOL on the Vista machine to recognize that it is now IE9 installed and not IE7 as it used to be", in order to send the proper "useragentstring" value?

 

[dsperber]

If you don't know what a third party toolbar is or what an browser add-on is the previous link should explain it in some detail,

Are you talking about a "third party toolbar" or "browser add-on" for AOL?? What are you referring to?? In IE?? What are you referring to?

What do you see and where, that you're referencing? What screenshot have I posted that you are suspicious of something in it??

That was a PRINT icon on the browser window, hardly a 3rd-party add-on.

 

[ThrashZone]

Press the F12 key which will open developer tools,
Click on Browser mode and see what is showing,
switch to ie9,
Anything else would have to be corrected by aol,
Cheers.

 

[dsperber]

Press the F12 key which will open developer tools,
Click on Browser mode and see what is showing,
switch to ie9,

It already was IE9!

I'd already done a COMPLETE RESET of IE "back to default", deleted all cookies and history, etc., etc.

The problem is NOT WITH IE9!!!

The problem is in AOL, which is still somewhere holding on to its old remembrance of the fact that up until yesterday this Vista machine WAS using IE7. But now it's using IE9, and hopefully some AOL expert reading this thread can tell me what to do or what must be uninstalled and reinstalled in order to refresh that particular indicator so that "MSIE 9.0" will get sent in the "useragentstring" reply value.

You see, when I use "external" IE9 on this Vista machine, it presents the following correct "useragentstring" value, correctly reflecting IE9 as the IE version in use:

But when using AOL on this same machine the version announced is incorrectly IE7, which it used to be until yesterday:

THAT is the problem: how to get this indicator reset in AOL so that it correctly shows MSIE 9.0 (and Mozilla/5.0 as well)

 

[ThrashZone]

Using normal ie9,
Click on the Gear symbol on the top right and click on Manage add-ons,
Click on Show All add-ons,
Post a screen shot of the pages on Toolbars and Extensions.

You will most likely need to Uninstall what ever aol listing via Uninstall a program,
I doubt there is a aol expert around here the only ones would be on a aol forum where ever that is ?
Once you uninstall aol stuff re-download it/ them using ie9 and carefully read the install options,
If it says anything about running websites in compatibility view automatically I would suggest No,
Cheers.