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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June 13th, 2009 21:40
but as as I open Opera -instant speed, however, even Oper fails to open a webpage now and then ever since IE8 was installed. Basically IE8 has effected all http/…/port 80 requests ? IE8 has screwed around with a lot more things that just being a basic web-broweser.
YUP, IE8 is still HORRIBLE !, IE8 almost seems to selectively work on websites that it wants to show.
Whats goin’ on with Microsoft ? -DO they not know how bad IE8 has really been. !!???
M$ really sucks now. This is how Billy-Bob wants to control “OUR” public Internet ?
Every other OS out there (Apple, Linux, *BSD’s , PS3, …) uses a basic Unix NetOS.
‘comon Bill throw the towel in -the decades of greed should be over for WinBlows. !!!
June 7th, 2009 01:07
Sandra, go to “start” and you will see a choice for “control panel.”
June 7th, 2009 01:02
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! 8 was like dial-up times a million. Then, after what seemed like an hour of waiting, it couldn’t open up the sites I was looking for. You made my life a little easier.
June 4th, 2009 02:09
Thanx a lot!!!
June 3rd, 2009 21:10
OMGosh Thank you sooooo much.. i could not get this crap off my laptop and i was going to reformat my laptop to get the crap off.. once again thank you
:)
May 30th, 2009 19:12
I downloaed IE8 and there was another browser came attached–( Babalon), not wanting said browser I put it into restricted sites,and it took both browser’s and now I can’t access internet options.
May 27th, 2009 20:33
Thanks, you are helpful
May 27th, 2009 16:45
Thank you for this helpful information. It really worked for me the best.
May 25th, 2009 19:50
What is a control panel
May 22nd, 2009 00:38
thanks very much.
May 20th, 2009 05:56
Thank you for the uninstall information.
Explore 8 is very buggy right now and I’m tried dealng with constant crashes.
Again, thanks.
May 19th, 2009 07:05
Thank you very helpful!
May 17th, 2009 04:09
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, I finaly have Protools back “on air” in my Acer 7520G/Vista, many many Thanks to you, I have tried everything short of the Chainsaw to get it to work over the past couple of weeks but as soon as I found your site and read your info and chucked out that mongrell ie8 and downloaded and reinstalled ie7, BINGO, for some strange reason EVERYTHING WANTED TO WORK AGAIN FOR ME.
MICROSOFT SHOULD BE TAKEN TO TASK FOR INFLICTING IE87 ON US? I am temped to send them an invoice for time wasted on fixing this problem. once again many thanks,now I can get on with study in my music diploma course at CDU.
Yours faithfully,
C. John O’Brien
P – 0406053738
E – cliffordbrn@yahoo.com.au
May 16th, 2009 02:53
Thank you so much! This was very helpful.
May 14th, 2009 14:01
That information was really helpfull.Thank you.
May 5th, 2009 22:56
Man!! IE8 SUCKS on Vista!! I simply am unable to open links by clicking on them in other windows. Keeps saying to add the site to the pop-up blocker. But, the pop-up blocker is turned off… go figure.
Sometimes, it tries to open a new window, but the browser just locks up.
I experience none of these issues on XP. IE8 seems to be fairly stable there. But, why should we be worried about the stability of a ‘critical update’?
May 1st, 2009 20:50
@Kolin uninstall using method
May 1st, 2009 09:39
It’s still not showing up under installed updates, I’ve even searched by date & I just made the the mistake & installed it tonight! Ugh, wish I never did.
April 30th, 2009 10:32
Well, the official release is just as stable or less so than the beta version. It’s been installed for ten minutes, and it has crashed no few than a dozen times. I can’t even get many sites to open, and those that do download in 5x the time they used to.
April 24th, 2009 01:24
does this completely remove internet or just this edition?
April 21st, 2009 08:37
THANKS A BUNCH!!! I was getting frustrated because I could not find IE8 under my Programs and Features. That was pretty sneaky of them to put it in the updates…especially when it is JUNK!
Thanks again – your information has helped rid me of one MAJOR headache.
April 15th, 2009 11:29
I also am greatful for your help to uninstall ie8 Thanks so much. I spent too much time looking in the pc before I went to web search and you did it in seconds.
April 12th, 2009 11:49
You are a genius. Downloading IE 8 was a huge mistake I made. You have saved me so much trouble, you will never know how much I appreciate your info on how to uninstall that pile of S**T. Thank you so very much.
April 7th, 2009 02:21
Check this website and follow the steps:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/957700
April 3rd, 2009 09:04
thank you.