Windows Me Annoyances

Chapter 8. Taking Control of Web Integration

Web integration is not the bundling of a web browser with Windows. Instead, what Microsoft calls “integration with the Web” is actually a collection of features and interface elements, all designed to make it appear as though Internet Explorer (IE) is more an extension of Windows than a distinct application. Whether it’s truly integrated is purely a matter of semantics; what’s important is the effect on the interface you use every day.

This chapter discusses the various components that make up web integration in Windows Me. Perhaps in an effort to allow the OS to be taken more seriously, or perhaps because the integration in Windows 98 wasn’t much of a success, Microsoft has somewhat scaled back the web integration in Windows Me. Nonetheless, web integration is there. Fortunately, all of the features therein can be customized or easily disabled, as you prefer.

One substantial misconception to note is the nature of said components. Even though they’ve been loosely associated with the Internet Explorer application, many of them don’t have all that much to do with the Web or the Internet. For example, the “web content” in folders is only called that because its appearance mimics a web browser’s appearance.

The Lowdown on Web Integration Components

The following is a list of the various components that Microsoft has put under the “integration” umbrella. Although the settings and configuration of these various components is scattered across ...