The Windows XP Service Pack 3 is available again and many users have already made the switch to protect their system with the latest security updates. If you have installed Internet Explorer 7 before updating the system to the third Service Pack and decided to uninstall it again you might have noticed that the option to uninstall the browser is grayed out and therefor not possible.
The reason for this behavior is that the system would revert back to an older version of Internet Explorer 6 that would not contain the patches applied by the Service Pack. The Windows XP Service Pack 3 updates the version of Internet Explorer installed on the system during installation of the Service Pack.
The only possible way to uninstall Internet Explorer 7 that has been installed before installing Service Pack 3 is to uninstall the Service Pack first and then Internet Explorer 7. Microsoft suggests that users of IE6 should update their system with Service Pack 3 first and install IE7 afterwards. This would ensure that the browser could be uninstalled normally.
I’m sure that not many users will run into this problem but some surely will. An alternative would be to switch to another browser like Opera or Firefox if you do not feel like uninstalling the Service Pack to uninstall IE7 is worth it.
Related posts:
Steps to take before you install Windows XP Service Pack 3Windows Vista SP2 Beta 6002.16497 Released
Uninstall Microsoft Internet Explorer 8
Uninstall Internet Explorer 8
Download Windows Vista SP1 Beta through Windows Update again
Internet Explorer 7 Release Candidate 1 available
Direct Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3 downloads
Ask the Readers: Windows XP Service Pack 3 Experience so far ?
14 Responses to “Don’t install IE7 before Windows XP SP3”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
-
[...] keliose vietose radau perspėjimus, kad įdiegus Internet Explorer 7 versiją prieš diegiant Windows XP SP3, vėliau naršyklė taps nebepa… – programų sąraše bus įrašyta pilkai. Jei norite išsaugoti pašalinimo galimybę, geriau [...]
-
[...] Microsoft warns Internet Explorer 6 stragglers users that upgrading to Service Pack 3 with IE7 installed eliminates the ability to uninstall IE7, so wait until after SP3 installs to put it on. (Phew.) [via] [...]
I have installed a cleaning program called CCleaner (Crap Cleaner), which is freeware, and in that program the option for uninstall Internet Explorer 7 is still active or available….
I haven’t tried it though…
Christoffer you probably will be able to uninstall IE7 that way. The problem however is that you will then be left with a IE6 version that is not fully updated and it probably won’t be updated automatically afterwards even if you connect to Windows Update. Worth a try though.
nLite proposes to integrate IE7 alltogether with XP SP3 in its personalized Windows XP setup. My question may be naive, but if IE7 option is chosen, does nLite install it sequentially, that is after the IE6 updates? I imagine it does.
Transcontinental, i think that nLite install Windows Hotfixes/Updates acording to their order after KB*. Even if you add for example: KB999999 first and KB777777 after the first, KB777777 will install fisrt.
And perhaps nLite doesn’t even install updates, it unpack updates and copy files directly to the i386 folder.
Bruno, nLite, I’ve read, has a dedicated option for IE7 integration. What I ignore, but presume as true, is if this integration follows the logic of integrating it after IE6 updates …
So long as it doesn’t break this I can still run IE 3.0 :)
http://tredosoft.com/Multiple_IE
Nice to admit some speak, or read, or paste, Lithuanian :)
I don’t get it, what’s so bad about IE7 that you HAVE to switch back to IE6?
darkkosmos, some don’t like IE, some prefer IE6. I switched to IE7 only for security motivations : I never use IE7 otherwise than for MS updates.
But, freedom remains, and consequently availability to switch back to IE6 !
@darkkosmos: what’s wrong with IE7? *lots* :D…seriously, some people – mainly web designers/developers – will benefit from having older browsers, so they can create web apps/pages that work well in older browsers. i’ve personally developed a website that looks good in Firefox, Opera and IE7…but i never tested it in IE6 and it looks horrible in there. basically, older browsers are less likely to support newer CSS and JavaScript statements and whatnot, so they’re ideal for testing websites. it’s a fact that GMail will at least complain in older browsers.
I tried to install the sp3 update from Microsoft’s site and my computer would boot to a blue screen. I had to have a tech from Friendly Computers come to my house to fix my computer. It took him about 45 minutes, and their rates were really reasonable. I am not sure what the problem was, but if you are having any problems, I recommend their services. Their site is http://www.friendlycomputers.com and you can find the closest location on their site.
i have uninstall windows internet explorer 6 for service pack 2; to install internet explorer 7,but internet explorer 7 which is not working properly so i have uninstall it and wants to install internet explorer 6 for service pack2 again