In Case of Web Emergency: break out FTP

OK.

You ignored my advice: Be Different: Alternative Browser Choices

You just HAD to stick with Internet Explorer and not keep an alternative web-browser on your system or USB stick...just in case.

Now your Internet Explorer is hosed and you can't get to the web in a browser to surf for a troubleshooting solution.  You don't have any friends you can call for help. You are up the creek.

I'm sure that if you don't care enough to download an alternative web-browser, you definitely won't be keeping a Linux LiveCD or BartPE or VistaPE boot disk around.

Too bad.

Luckily your friend William Stearns over at the SANS-ISC Handler's Diary has got a backup plan for you...use FTP to download a copy of Firefox, without using a web-browser.

It turns out the command line "ftp" tool (included with windows) could be used to get firefox from an ftp mirror of the Mozilla software collection.  Get to a command prompt ("Start", "Run" and type "command<Enter>").  In that command prompt, run:

ftp ftp.osuosl.org

User: anonymous

Password: {your email address}

cd /pub/mozilla.org/firefox/releases/2.0.0.11/win32/en-US/

binary 

mget *.exe

(say yes to getting Firefox Setup 2.0.0.11.exe)

quit   

Now that you're back to the command prompt, run this command, including the quotes as the file has spaces in the name:

"Firefox Setup 2.0.0.11.exe"

Depending on your firewall settings (you do have a firewall, right?) your mileage may vary.

And one more thing, maybe you want to save or print this.  Otherwise you might not be able to get to this post when you need to, since your IE browser is tanked.

--Claus