Can Firefox mess up the internet explorer on another computer? I THINK NOT!

Ok my mom works for a hospital at home a recently got a new PC for it. It keeps getting viruses and doing weird stuff. I run PCLinuxOS with firefox. So today mom installs IE7 on her PC and it starts freaking out, so she asks me what to do. So i told her to uninstall IE7. So she did then her IE6 wouldn't work. So she called her hospital's support line to get some help. He said that because i am running firefox, she is getting all of these problems! It is just my moms stupidity and her sucky new PC! I am only a freshman in highschool still learning about these things and wondered what you guys thought?!?! Can firefox be causing these problems??? I really think it is impossible.

 

do a system restore...and how about running some anti-spyware programs / virus scanners instead of removing a web browser...

and what are all these "weird things" the computer is doing?

 

If the firefox is on your PC and her PC is seperate... uh, no. I'm an IT Tech and I've never heard of a browser incompatability on one machine affecting another. Especially Linux to Windows.

I don't even think that's possible just from a standard browser. It sounds more like a problem with IE7's install. Perhaps her PC had spyware on it that caused the conflict?

 

No.

Tell her to do a system restore and fix the "weird things".

 

It already has symantec and spybot. The weird things were like IE7 would randomly open and just little stuff like that. Thanks for all the help.

 

Yea, fire fox has nothing to do with it.... she has spyware or a virus or somthing.....

 

I believe it infected with a virus or spyware. I have NO Faith in Symantic. They have caused more problems to PC and they NEVER admit to wrong doing. All other providers will admit if they have a problem with a def file.

What OS is she running?

It's very rare that one program will impact the other. I have been using IE and FF on the same PC since FF was released. If you want to reinstall IE6 you must go to MS support and download the v6. I only use IE maybe once a month. And only when FF does not work on a site.

Now depending one what is included with your symantic you may not want to run spybot with it.

I would backup the data she need then use the restore DVD or Software if imbeded follow the onscreen menu. Then uninstall all of the bloatware installed. If Symantec was a limited time AV trialware. I would un-install it to. then go to symantec web site and download the uninstaller get it removed the the PC. It seams alot of mfg do not know what uninstall means. As far as AV and FW to run, I use Comodo FW and Avira AV. Both are free with a email registeration. Been using them for over 2 yrs now and still trouble free.

 

It's not related; two seperate PCs, two separate operating systems

Edit: is it the same PC?

 

I don't want to ever end up in that hospital for any reason

 

Second time you make me laugh in 5 mins

 

Maybe I misunderstood but I thought the OP had installed PCLOS on his mom's new machine, and was running FF in that OS. No?


John, you're on a roll today! LOL


Edit: Re: Can Firefox mess up the internet explorer on another computer? I THINK NOT! Damn, maybe I should get a new pair of glasses.

 

Anyway, don't know if it's on the same PC or not, but what you do in Linux doesn't affect Windows

Edit: I'm tired tonight. The title says "'on another computer" and it's now that I understand

 

well, you COULD potentially install a virus on the windows drive/partition while under linux...but thats a stretch..

 

You're right...Windows partitions are mounted in Linux so it's possible to read/write

I should have said that e.g. installing software in Linux doesn't affect Windows