This article discusses the availability of the Windows Internet Explorer 7 Installation and Availability Update. This article also describes changes in the installation experience and improvements in the Internet Explorer 7 user interface. Additionally, download information is included.

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System requirements

Internet Explorer 7 runs on any of the following operating systems:

•	Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2)
•	Windows XP Professional x64 Edition
•	Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1)

For a list of the minimum system requirements to run Internet Explorer 7, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

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Features

For a list of Internet Explorer 7 features, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

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Download information

To download this Internet Explorer 7 update, visit the following Microsoft Web site: All Windows users can install this update from the Windows Update Web site or from the Microsoft Update Web site.

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List of changes that are made in the Windows Internet Explorer 7 Installation and Availability Update

•	Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation check is disabled. The Windows Genuine Advantage (WGA) validation check process is now disabled in the Windows Internet Explorer 7 Installation and Availability Update. Therefore, you can install Internet Explorer 7 even if the version of Windows that is installed on the computer is not genuine.
•	The menu bar now appears by default. Unlike the version of Internet Explorer 7 that was released in the fall of 2006, the menu bar now appears by default.
•	First Run Experience runs for new users. The first page that appears when you start Internet Explorer 7 helps you complete the browser installation process by prompting you to define the default search provider, the phishing filter settings, and more. For example, you are also prompted about whether to enable ClearType. Additionally, the First Run Experience highlights some top-level features of Internet Explorer 7.

For more information about how to configure and to use Automatic Updates in Windows XP, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

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