An update is available for the native JSON feature in Internet Explorer 8

Windows Internet Explorer 8 is the first Microsoft Web browser that includes native support for encoding and for decoding JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). Because of the new ECMAScript specification changes, some customers have reported issues. These issues are caused by deviations between the native JSON feature in Internet Explorer 8 and the final specification. An update is now available to address these customer issues and improve JSON interoperability of Internet Explorer 8. This update enables JSON interoperability of Internet Explorer 8 to keep in conformance with the new "ECMAScript, fifth edition" standard specification.

This update corrects deviations in the following methods:

• JSON.stringify (value [, replacer] [, space])
• JSON.parse (test [, reviver])
• toJSON ()

Note Most of this update applies to invalid argument values or to other irregular situations. For more information about this update, see the ''More information" section.

Update information

The following files are available for download from the Microsoft Download Center:

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Registry information

To use the update in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

Restart requirement

You may have to restart the computer after you apply this update.

Update replacement information

This update does not replace a previously released update.

File information

The global version or the English (United States) version of this update installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables. The dates and the times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The dates and the times for these files on your local computer are displayed in your local time together with your current daylight saving time (DST) bias. Additionally, the dates and the times may change when you perform certain operations on the files.

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 file information notes

• The files that apply to a specific service branch (QFE, GDR) are noted in the "Service branch" column.
• GDR service branches contain only those fixes that are widely released to address widespread, extremely important issues. QFE service branches contain hotfixes in addition to widely released fixes.
• In addition to the files that are listed in these tables, this update also installs an associated security catalog file (KBnumber.cat) that is signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows XP Service Pack 3

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 file information notes

• The files that apply to a specific product, SR_Level (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table.
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Version	Product	SR_Level	Service branch
  5.8.600 1 . 18xxx	Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008	SP1	GDR
  5.8.600 1 . 22xxx	Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008	SP1	LDR

• GDR service branches contain only those fixes that are widely released to address widespread, extremely important issues. LDR service branches contain hotfixes in addition to widely released fixes.
• Service Pack 1 is integrated into the release version of Windows Server 2008.
• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately in the "Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 and for Windows Vista" section. MUM files and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are extremely important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes are not listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 and of Windows Vista

Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 file information notes

• The files that apply to a specific product, milestone (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table:
  Collapse this tableExpand this table

  Version	Product	Milestone	Service branch
  5.8.600 0.16xxx	Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2	RTM	GDR
  5.8.600 0.20xxx	Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2	RTM	LDR

• GDR service branches contain only those fixes that are widely released to address widespread, extremely important issues. LDR service branches contain hotfixes in addition to widely released fixes.
• The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed separately in the "Additional file information for Windows Server 2008 R2 and for Windows 7" section. MUM and MANIFEST files, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are extremely important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes are not listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.

For all supported x86-based versions of Windows 7

For all supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 and of Windows Server 2008 R2

For all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

For more information about the JSON object and specific details of the changes that this KB addresses, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:

• JSON.stringify method
• JSON.parse method
• toJSON method

For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Additional file information

Additional file information for Windows Vista and for Windows Server 2008

Additional files for all supported x86-based versions of Windows Vista and of Windows Server 2008

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows Vista and of Windows Server 2008

Additional file information for Windows 7 and for Windows Server 2008 R2

Additional files for all supported x86-based versions of Windows 7

Additional files for all supported x64-based versions of Windows 7 and of Windows Server 2008 R2

Additional files for all supported IA-64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2