How to Uninstall Windows Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) in Vista
Fed up with Internet Explorer 8 which is unstable at best? IE8 IE8 Beta 1 may occasionally crashes or not responding when browsing websites, and users have to close the browser with request to send the error report to Microsoft. The bugs or crashes happen more frequently especially if users using third-party add-ons such as Google Toolbar. This is generally expected as this is the first beta of IE 8.
Beside, user interface of IE8 is generally similar to IE7, reducing the enticing for users who face problems when using IE8 to stay using it. If you decided to rollback and revert back to original IE7 or IE6, it’s possible to uninstall IE8 to do so.
IE8 can be uninstall by using Add or Remove Programs module in Windows XP, but in Windows Vista, Windows Internet Explorer 8 is not considered to be a ‘program’. Instead, IE8 is categorizing as an ‘update’. Thus, users will not be able to find Windows Internet Explorer 8 in “Programs and Features” of Windows Vista.
To uninstall Internet Explorer 8, go to Control Panel, and click on Uninstall Programs link or Programs and Features icon. Then on Tasks pane on the left, click on View installed updates link. Locate and select Windows Internet Explorer 8 in the list of installed updates, and then click on Uninstall button. Click on Yes when asked that are you sure want to uninstall the update.
If there is no option of IE8 been found on “Programs and Features” or “Add or Remove Programs” dialog box, or uninstallation of Internet Explorer 8 is unclean (causing error message such as setup cannot continue because a more recent version of Internet Explorer has been detected on this computer when trying to downgrade to IE7), try to manually run the spuninst.exe.
To do so, go to C:\WINDOWS\ie8\spuninst\ folder (your drive letter may be different), and run spuninst.exe. Restart the computer after uninstallation completed.
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Entries (RSS)
February 16th, 2009 03:31
HELP!
It doesn’t show in the “Add/remove Programs” in my windows xp. any ideas of how else to remove the IE8??
February 14th, 2009 07:21
[...] my main browser is Firefox. I uninstalled it as part of experimenting with removing it from Vista (its an update, so it’s not immediately apparent how to remove it) and forgot all about it. When RC1 came along recently, my interest was piqued once more and I [...]
February 13th, 2009 23:27
I refuse uninstalling IE8 untill i know that all systems are stable!
lol
Where can i get hold of a copy of IE7 after Uninstalling IE8…
Bearing in mind this is for Vista not XP, as copies of IE7/IE8 are readily available for XP…
HELP!
Simplification;
I WANT a copy/download link for IE7 for Vista!
so i can roll back from IE8…
…Thanks…
Note*
Do expect crashes and failures in IE8…
February 11th, 2009 02:25
Yes tank you tanks now i want ie7 on his pc becauz it doesnt works but he dont wants to!! I hat it i cant get in a game webstite to play and wat he(that guy who made the forum or sometin) said, google toolbar is sayin taht it doesnt work or soemtin!!!
February 8th, 2009 03:18
You people need to realize there is no way of uninstalling IE. All this does is removes the shortcuts from the start menu and desktop. You will still be vulnerable to the exploits against IE!
February 7th, 2009 03:37
doesn’t show up there for me. any other ideas?
January 29th, 2009 14:31
I should add that for some reason IE switched over to German from English!!!!! Which is why I need to re install it.
Also my Wife can’t run web mail in IE 8 Either.
thanks
January 29th, 2009 14:29
uggg they don’t offer IE 7 for Vista!!! And since my PC is in German I can’t get Safari in English. My go with Firefox but on my old PC it keep crashing!
January 26th, 2009 23:48
I’m using Windows Vista Home Premium and this unintall worked like a charm!
Thanks for the tips!
January 19th, 2009 13:01
Didn’t work for me ;-;
It didn’t even show up in the installed updates
January 18th, 2009 13:21
This didn’t work on my PC!
January 17th, 2009 02:40
thankyou.
i’ve been using firefox since i downloaded ie8, now i can revert to ie7 again
January 16th, 2009 21:39
yes Beta8 on my XP messed my desk top up bad. It confused me so bad by constant errors and not being able to even get on a page without the errors that and even do anything that i had to do a complete recovery and then my puter got so messed up that i have to take it in to get it fixed. Since HP didnt send me a recovery disk with my puter 5 yrs ago i was screwed royally. I wouldnt try anything that says Beta at all. I have a new laptop and i wont download any beta. I wish I could send them my bill for there mess. if it is doing this to so many people why are they still allowing it to be downloaded. Its a total rip off. You should never mess with puters cause this is a costly price we pay as the consumers.
January 15th, 2009 08:51
This didn’t work! AGRHHHHH!!! It says it wasn’t uninstalled properly or something, or that not all of the updates were uninstalled. Sysem Restore fixes his problem, but I can’t be bothered. Hehe.
January 14th, 2009 08:57
Thank you so much. this totally helped out my Laptop.
There’s only one slight problem.
IE downloads and installs perfectly, but when i try to use the browser, it doesnt work. i use wireless internet, and it works perfectly on the Safari browser, but not in the IE browser. it tells me the only way to solve it is to call a service provider. i called, but they couldnt find out anything. Help?
January 13th, 2009 11:51
THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH. . . .
January 11th, 2009 15:36
OMG, THANK YOU SO MUCH! well, at least i hope
it works. All those other websites don’t explain properly. Your advice has also helped me fix another problem. (or in the process, heres hoping it works)
January 10th, 2009 14:28
IE8 Beta 2 on Windows 7 Beta just errors and errors and errors . . . Firefox is working so far.
January 10th, 2009 12:20
Bless you. I’ve been trying to get this off my computer for over 6 months.
January 10th, 2009 10:37
Thanks for the information.
January 9th, 2009 03:55
Very helpful. Thanks. Vista didn’t like IE8 beta 2 much either…
January 9th, 2009 00:37
thanks a lot….
IE8 is the worst browser i have used… mozilla firefox 3.0 is the better option for browsing….
January 7th, 2009 00:49
thank you, thank you, thank you…IE8 sucks
January 6th, 2009 23:59
Thanks a lot,I have been scratching my head for weeks on how to solve that problem. Explorer 8 works ok on my XP desktop, but not at all on my vista laptop
January 6th, 2009 20:27
Yeah….thx for this information!