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It's pretty common for IT departments to restrict what can be installed on a computer, so the obvious answer is that there's a lot stopping you.

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That is true. I have no administration permissions on my computer at work. Installing another browser is just not an option. Hence the problem (I would not be using IE6 if I had the choice!)

Can you not run portable versions, too?

Hah, my obvious answer seems to be less obvious than I thought :) No admin rights? Enter portableapps.com:

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable

http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/google_chrome_portable

Obviously the usual caveats apply to software from 3rd party sources, but portableapps.com has been going for years with no complaints.

Again, in corporate networks the policy on downloading and running executables of the internet tends to be "don't do it" - regardless of whether the .exes are harmless or not.

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