• How to uninstall IE 8, no remove button in CP add and remove programs

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    #481225

    I have a client machine that was behaving badly relative to add ins. I can see the add ins but when going to the “more information” hot link the remove is grayed out. I am logged on to the machine as an admin.

    Fed up with this behavior I thought I’ll just remove IE and start over or have the users use another browser. When I go to Control Panel to uninstall it there is no uninstall button. XP SP3 on the machine.

    Any help would be appreciated.

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    • #1316140

      4stringman, Welcome to the Lounge.

      You can check the installed updates section of Add/Remove Programs (You do not mention you looked here). IE 8 was often an update to IE 7 on XP. If IE 8 is there simply uninstll it there. When you do so, IE 7 will automatically be reinstalled. If this works, see if any add ons are enabled in IE 7. I would disable/remove all add ons before upgrading to IE 8. Then you can re-enable/reinstall add ons one at a time to ensure things are working properly.

      • #1316149

        Well that is interesting. Thanks for the info Ted, so it installed as an update.

        I did check the updates box and I can see IE 8 on the list but again no remove or uninstall button. There are several other IE updates on the list which can be uninstalled. I thought about taking the time to uninstall all of them and then maybe an uninstall option for IE8 would appear? But it seemed like a lengthy experiment with little hope of being an answer.

    • #1316169

      It should be under “Turn Windows features on or off”, just below View installed updates:

      How do I uninstall or remove Internet Explorer as a troubleshooting step?
      http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957700


      Bruce

    • #1316171

      Important You cannot uninstall Internet Explorer 8 if it is set as not removable. This occurs if you install Internet Explorer 8 before you install Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Windows XP. If this scenario applies to you, then you must uninstall SP3 before you can uninstall Internet Explorer 8. For more information about this issue, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 950719 You cannot uninstall Internet Explorer 7 or Internet Explorer 8 after you install Windows XP Service Pack 3 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957700#stepsforxp

      Bruce

      • #1316191

        Thanks for the info Bruce.

        I can’t prove when each was done since there are no “installed on” dates for SP3 or IE8 in the add and remove list. I doubt SP3 was done after IE 7/8 but I suppose it’s possible.

        I know you are not the author of this phrase “You cannot uninstall Internet Explorer 8 if it is set as not removable”. I can’t believe how convoluted MS is making this. When IE 8 installed was the user presented with a “set IE 8 as not removable” check box option? I think not, I have never seen such a thing. How would it be set to that and why wouldn’t MS make it so it can be uninstalled like the other any other red blooded windows app. Very frustrating how they force things on people and play by different rules than other apps.

        But your pointer to the KB has a clue. I will try this command %windir%ie8spuninstspuninst.exe

        • #1316195

          When IE 8 installed was the user presented with a “set IE 8 as not removable” check box option? I think not, I have never seen such a thing.

          No, but a warning dialog should have appeared on installing SP3; and Microsoft released at least three separate cautionary articles to the press over the course of nine months:

          Microsoft warns of IE8 lock-in with XP SP3

          Microsoft repeats IE8 lock-in warning for XP users with SP3

          Bruce

          • #1316198

            Thanks Bruce for the articles but there was never any RC or beta versions of IE 8 or 7 for that matter on this machine. It’s a production machine. No playgrounding.

            No “”If you chose to continue, Windows XP SP3 and IE8 Beta 2 will become permanent” ever appeared.

            It sounds almost like a bug. Why would they intentionally design their programs to behave this way? And if a bug, why wasn’t it fixed before production release. MS continues to give reasons to use other products.

    • #1316175

      Well, Bruce may have the answer. Worth trying.

    • #1316192

      to disable IE on 7 here is solution, you cannot totally remove it
      http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/2734/uninstall-disable-delete-internet-explorer-8-from-windows-7/

      • #1316194

        It’s not Win 7, it’s XP. I ran %windir%ie8spuninstspuninst.exe and it rolled it back to IE7. Still can not uninstall IE 7 but at least it isn’t nagging me about add ons. IE 7 shows no add ons so hopefully or app will run trouble free now. This all started by being unable to delete add ons.

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