Microsoft took what appeared to be a shot at Oracle’s wallet this month when it switched on search-and-destroy in its security software for older versions of the Ask browser toolbar, which has long been bundled with Java even in the face of users’ complaints.

But Oracle has sidestepped Microsoft’s new policy by changing its Java installer so that it adds a Yahoo browser tool to Internet Explorer (IE).

Microsoft’s security products, including the consumer-grade Windows Defender and Security Essentials — the former is bundled with Windows 8.1, the latter is a separate download for Windows Vista and Windows 7 users — now detect and delete earlier versions of “Search App by Ask,” a browser toolbar that sets Ask.com as the default search engine in IE and nags users not to change the browser’s home or new tabs pages.

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