How to prevent an application from launching IE?

[Kunal]

I've installed a broadband dialer application that behaves fine except that when it starts, it launches IE 8 on my machine, and loads its (the dialer company's) home page. The loading of its home page causes my system to freeze/hang for nearly 2 minutes. During that time, I can't even launch Task Manager to kill IE.

Is there any way to prevent the application from launching IE? Or, even if it does launch it, is there any way of shutting down that specific instance of IE automatically and immediately?

My default browser is Firefox, so I'm assuming that the dialer application internally launches IE by doing something like "system.launch("iexplore.exe", "home page of dialer"). So I can't change the behavior of the dialer application. I just need a way to prevent this specific dialer application from launching IE.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Dencandy]

Welcome to Windows Forum, Kunal. If I understand correctly you've set FF as your default browser but your dialler still launches IE. This link: HOME.ATT.NET shows a way to stop IE from being launched by using an option in Add/Remove Programs from Control Panel, but still allows you to keep it if you need it. I haven't tried it myself so can't vouch for it.

I'm not sure if there's an issue with your Firefox home page, but if there is you can deal with it from Tools > Options > Main.

If you want to change your IE home page when you use it, you do that by clicking on the small down arrow next to the little house image (top right) and fix your home page from there.