For most users this is an easy and straightforward process as Internet Explorer 8 can be removed from the programs list in the Windows Control Panel. Only Windows XP users who installed the third service pack before Internet Explorer 8 were not able to uninstall the web browser unless they would uninstall the service pack 3 before.

Microsoft has created a script to remove Internet Explorer 8 automatically from a computer system where it is installed. The script is available as part of Microsoft’s Fix It initiative which tries to provide one click solutions to common problems on the Windows platform. The file UninstallIE8.msi can be executed right from the Microsoft website or by downloading it to a local computers system and running it from there. Please note that it is generally not a good idea to remove Internet Explorer 8 unless it is causing troubles on a computer system.

Related posts

• Uninstall Internet Explorer 8 (33)
• Take Back Your Privacy By Disabling Auto Suggest In IE8 (3)
• Log Into Multiple Accounts At The Same Site With Internet Explorer 8 (9)
• Internet Explorer Add-on: Report a Webpage Problem (6)
• Internet Explorer 8 Final (16)

Users who experience those problems would probably like to uninstall Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 and go back to Internet Explorer 7. The following guide explains how to uninstall Internet Explorer 8 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Some Windows XP users might not be able to uninstall Internet Explorer 8. This happens to the users who installed a previous version of Internet Explorer 8 and later on the Service Pack 3 for Windows XP. A warning is issued to those users during installation of Internet Explorer 8 that the installation will become permanent.

They might still be able to use System Restore to downgrade again if a System Restore point is available that dates back prior to the installation of Internet Explorer 8.

Uninstalling Internet Explorer 8 in Windows XP and Windows Server 2003

• From the Start menu, open Control Panel and click Add or Remove Programs
• Click Windows Internet Explorer 8 Beta 2 and then click Remove.
• Your computer will be reverted to Internet Explorer 6 + previous IE6 security updates or Internet Explorer 7 + previous IE7 security updates depending on what you had before the upgrade.
• You can confirm that by clicking Help, then About Internet Explorer next time you launch Internet Explorer.
• Be sure to check for any new security updates.

Uninstalling Internet Explorer 8 in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

• From the Start menu, open Control Panel and click Programs
• Click Programs and Features and click View Installed Updates (located in the left side menu
• Select Windows Internet Explorer 8 and Uninstall
• Your machine will be reverted to IE7 + previous IE7 security updates
• You can confirm that by clicking Help, then clicking About Internet Explorer next time you launch Internet Explorer.
• Be sure to check for any new security updates.

Related posts

• Uninstall Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (6)
• Log Into Multiple Accounts At The Same Site With Internet Explorer 8 (9)
• Internet Explorer 8 Final (16)
• Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1 Released – Your Thoughts ? (4)
• 2008 will be an interesting year Browser wise (5)

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

• Running different browsers (2)
• Internet Explorer 7 Standalone Edition (5)
• Improve Internet Explorer with IE Surfgear (2)
• Windows XP Service Pack 3 leaked (6)
• Uninstall Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (6)