SOLVED: IE9 Welcome Page “Meet your new browser” Tab Always Opens

If the IE9 Welcome page titled “Meet your new browser” keeps coming up and you want to disable it, use the local Group Policy editor and set PREVENT PERFORMANCE OF FISRT RUN CUSTOMIZATION SETTINGS:

1. run GPEDIT.MSC from the Start button search bar;
2. Expand USER CONFIGURATION, ADMINISTRATIVE TEMPLATES, WINDOWS COMPONENTS, INTERNET EXPLORER
3. Double click “PREVENT PERFORMANCE OF FIRST RUN CUSTOMIZATION SETTINGS” (in the right pane)
4. Set it to ENABLED and set GO DIRECTLY TO HOME PAGE from the drop down.
5. Have a nice day!

Amoung others, I found http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie9-windows_7/every-time-i-start-internet-explorer-9-the-welcome/1f279c69-5570-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5?page=2 useful.