How To Uninstall Windows Internet Explorer 9
The question came up if the installation of Internet Explorer 9 affects another version of Internet Explorer on the operating system. The answer to that question is yes: Internet Explorer 9 replaces an older version of Internet Explorer during installation.
Some users may have installed the beta of IE9 without knowing that, and some may want to go back to a previous version of Internet Explorer after testing the beta or final release on their computer.
Uninstall IE 9
The following guide explains how to uninstall Internet Explorer 9 from the operating system. The test system we used for this guide was a Windows 7 Professional system, keep in mind that it may look slightly different on Vista.
Windows Internet Explorer 9 has been installed as a system update in the operating system, and as such can be removed from the Uninstall an update control panel menu.
To get there click the start orb in the lower left corner of the screen, and then Control Panel in the right menu.
Locate Uninstall a program in the Control Panel and click on the entry.
Windows populates a listing with all programs that have been installed by the user of the system. As we have mentioned earlier, Internet Explorer 9 is not installed as a program, but as an update. It is for that reason not listed among the programs.
To uninstall Internet Explorer 9 click the View Installed Updates link in the upper left corner of the screen. This opens a listing of Microsoft updates that have been installed on the computer system.
It may take a while before all updates are displayed in the list. Now it is time to locate the Microsoft Windows, and there the Windows Internet Explorer 9 entry. You can sort the listing by name or date, to make the identification easier.
Right-click on Windows Internet Explorer 9 and select uninstall from the context menu.
This initiates the uninstallation of the browser from the system. From that point on, follow the instructions to uninstall the browser. To complete the uninstallation, the computer needs to be restarted in the end.
After the restart open up Internet Explorer and click on Help > About Internet Explorer to verify that the old version of the browser is available again. You will probably notice that it is by looking at the design as well.
That's how you uninstall Internet Explorer 9 from the Windows operating system. Please note that this instructions are for the beta of the browser. It is likely that it will also apply to the final release of Windows Internet Explorer 9. This tutorial will be updated otherwise once the final browser version is released by Microsoft.
Microsoft has furthermore published a manual fix if IE9 cannot be uninstalled correctly on Windows.
To uninstall Internet Explorer 9, follow these steps:
- Log on to the computer as an administrator.
- Close all Internet Explorer browser windows.
- Start Notepad.
- Copy and paste the following HTML text into Notepad to convert the HTML text into plain text:FORFILES /P %WINDIR%\servicing\Packages /M Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-*9.*.mum /c "cmd /c echo Uninstalling package @fname && start /w pkgmgr /up:@fname /norestart"
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- Copy and then paste (or type) the following command in the Open box, and then press Enter: cmd
- Copy the text from Notepad, paste the text into the Command Prompt window at a command prompt, and then press Enter.
- After the command runs, and the Command Prompt window returns, repeat step 7, and then go to step 9.
- Restart the computer to complete uninstallation of Internet Explorer 9. When you do this, the previously installed version of Internet Explorer is installed.
Thank you So much. Really helpful
IEradicator will solve your issue :)
Thank u so much for this article
Would anybody give the solution that really works to get rid of IE9 and be able to install IE11?
Didn’t work for me – nothing works, I can’t get rid of this annoying program and can’t update to the latest version! What a nightmare!
Same problem for me…
Have you found a solution ?
Thank You so much from the bottom of my big,big heart ^_^
As what Sherry had said, it’s very easy to follow!
Will be reading more in this site to check some DIY tips! Thanks again, Guys!
You ROCK!!
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU……EASIEST WAY EVER EXPLAINED! TOOK ME A TOTAL OF 3 MINUTES TO UNINSTALL EXPLORER 9. YOU EXPLANATION WAS GREAT. THANK YOU FROM ALL THE COMPUTER USERS THAT AREN’T THAT WELL VERSERSED ON DOING WHAT SEEMED SO COMPLICATED.
I tried to uninstall several times as per instructions and could not. I also tried as per advice doing something in command prompt, but that did not work either. Any ideas?
Thanks this helped out immensely, i kept trying to update a program but but it kept stating require I.E 5 or higher, but i already had I.E 9 installed couldnt find a way of eliminating the problem as i couldnt find I.E 9 until i found your link, so I uninstalled I.E 9 & NOW alls well, back to I.E 8 but dont use the browser anyway!!!
THANKS
the idiot who came up with internet explorer 9 should be locke up in a mental ward . I stupidly downloaded it and it the worst mistake I have ever made . tomorrow I am taking my computer to the geek squad and I will pay $199.99 to remove this crap from my computer . thank alot internet explorer 9 .
Your method doesn’t work for me. I tried it and i receive a message after rebooting stating that the uninstall was unsuccessful. I’ve also tried the command line method and that does not work.
i have windows 7
and i cant find IE in list of programes to uninstall :S
Superb!! It works.
Thanks, it helped!
Wrks for the new version as well (the missus did not like the new version look, and some webpages (Korean) were suddenly geographically blocked, unlike with the previous version) :)
Thanks for the tutorial, well explained :)
thanks i hated windows 9
@Martin, thanks, but this is a direct file download. I would like the link to the page which contains the link as well as Microsoft’s text for manual uninstallarion.
ilev
The support page somehow is no longer available.
That was my experience too. Wonder why :-)
This is your last chance to uninstall IE as Microsoft intent ,With Antitrust Decree Gone, to tie IE10 into Windows 8 with no way to disable or remove the browser. This of course won’t happen in EU where Microsoft is forbidden to ship IE (or media player) with Windows (there is a browsers ballot screen in EU).
p.s couldn’t find a link to the fix it file on Microsoft’s sites.
This is the link http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9787447
I’m with Martin Brinkmann & Mike J.
I have little urge to uninstall IE. Windows Update keeps it current, but I almost never open it. Can’t recall ever having used it for actual browsing since the advent of version 9.
Firefox is my primary browser; Chrome serves as a backup for the occasional page on which Firefox’s ‘Adblock Plus’ blanks out a video or something.
For extra convenience: the Firefox add-on ‘Chrome View’ provides a no-fuss way to open the current page in Chrome.
IE is still the best browser, it is really fast when it comes to playing browser game online, so keep it is the best option.
I keep IE around because many apps use it for their “Help”- site browser.
ie9 is only my fallback-browser for when i have trouble accessing websites in firefox.
maybe it got better version by version, but i dont really care since firefox does everything i want the way i want.
I like to keep IE up to date for better security on my system, even if I do not use the browser as my primary one, its rendering engine is used by third party apps.
Yes, I tried it. No big difference.
Perhaps nothing can fix IE. It’s lagging very badly. And it’s very-very bad that some customers chose MS products like SharePoint which web pages work correctly in IE only.
I only instaled for testing purpose, open it one time and never again.
PS: The same thing happens when I try and “turn if off”
I followed your instructions but got this message:
“An error has occured. Not all of the updates were successfully uninstalled”.
Very annoying, any ideas?
Legend – just what i needed
Thank you.
My thanks IE in any version, including 9 is the most useless, cumbersome, invasive, proprietary browser out there. I am glad to rid of it and its nagware updates.
I want to completely remove IE9 from my computer.
I do the unistall update thing but that does not remove IE9 from c:/program files.
Once I uninstall it through the uninstall update thingy. I try to Install the newest version of IE 9 but I am told there is a newer version allready on my computer. Sure enough I go look and there it is in C://Program files.
I have not tried pulling that out because I don’t really want to screw anything any orse than what it is.
Once I get it uninstalled I may or may not reinstall the newest version I can find.
Wish I had found this site before I downloaded the crap they call IE9. Have tried for 3 days to install it with no luck. After finding this site I am so glad I could not install it and gotten rid of the installer. What crap.
It’s a piece of shit!!!!!, After I updated IE9, It carried virus into my system, and black out everything. Don’t ever download anything from IE9,everyone.
Since downloading IE 9, can’t search anything on internet. If using Bing to search, opens new window but never connects.
THANKS A BUNCH!!! Internet explorer 9 was so annoying, it was always glitching and i dont have any toolbars which makes it complicated to go back to google. I went on another website trying to help me with this, but the moron had no idea what he was talking about! THANKS AGAIN!!!
Thank you so much i hate the internet explorer 9. You helped me alot with getting my internet explorer 8 back!!!
You the man wot a releif thanks bro
I was quite happy with IE8 but system updated automatically to IE9 probably asked me but I couldn’t have been thinking – whole new learning curve to go through – all my favourites I have difficulty finding and downloading simple text files you get all sorts of questions and things popping up at the bottom .
Do I really want to go through all above to get back to IE8 – no I don’t so may as well go to Firefox and learn that.
THANKS SOOO MUCH! With IE9, i couldnt play minecraft in the browser and the downloads got annoying
Thanks man! I hate IE9! It made my electric bill go up, my fuel economy go down and my dog was turning less “manly”! Now im back to 8 and all is well! HAHA!
Really thx!
i followed this guide to fix crashing problem: http://backspacetab.com/2011/05/16/internet-explorer-9-crashes-in-windows-7/
but IE 9 really sucks.. thanks for the uninstalling guide… i uninstalled it successfully!! :-O ThumbsUp
It seems that IE9 does not fully uninstall and leave the system the way it was prior to installation. Remnants appear to be left behind that cause trouble shooting issues.
For example, prior to installing, links in email messages within Outlook 2007 worked as expected. However, after installing and then uninstalling IE9 the links no longer work and give an erroneous messages of “system admin restrictions” and “canceled operations.”
Thank you. IE9 really interferred with my work and I could not get over the learning curve (learning Windows 7 and Office 2010 in addition was TOO MUCH). You know it’s amazing that these updated programs are supposed to improve our life, but they don’t – they add more layers of complication. No one in the sofware design world seems to understand the KISS concept. As in: Keep It Simple Sweetie. But then without updates and new programs, there would be higher unemployment…
The restart advice was crucial. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thankyou for the info as my computer kept crashing using ie9…
Hi.i know that last post is in 2010 but i can’t uninstall ie 9.I just installed today this update,and when i try to uninstall it like in the tutorial above it’s saying:An error has occurred.Not all the updates were successfully uninstalled.
I don’t know what to do.It’s driving me crazy!!!Because of this,i can’t see what i type or what some1 send to me in yahoo messenger.It’s seems that yahoo messenger and ie are very close,and there seems to be a problem with script.I just want to uninstall it.I tried restore point,but i don’t know why all my restore points before installing this were deleted.Also i can’t open ie9.A window appears for 1-2 seconds,but then disappear.I can’t check if java script is enabled…nothing T_T . Please some help!!!
Hello there
I STILL can’t uninstall IE9. Am going slowly mental with it. I want to reinstall IE8 but am getting nowhere.
Help! Please.
Many thanks.
thanks man!
I’ve always stood my ground with the previous internet explorers as to people saying it’s crap and to install Firefox which I personally don’t rate. But oh my god, how wrong have Microsoft got it this time. This constantly crashes no matter what add-ons you disable. Liked the google search box at the top in IE8 as well was a lot easier to access than IE9. Complete joke – uninstalling now!
For those who can’t find it in their updates – just type internet in the search bar at the top right of the updates box and it will appear!
Thanks, Really useful :)
It is still possible to uninstall IE9 in the final build. So if you really want to go back to IE8 then go ahead ;-)
Great article, worked perfectly for me….thank you!!
I downloaded Firefox and want to uninstall win explorer altogether I read your instructions on taking off exp ( but I dont want to return to exp 8 I want all of win explorers off my system and only use firefox is this posible? I have win 7 home prem
Joey no you cannot uninstall Internet Explorer completely. You can only turn it off under “turn Windows features on or off” in the Uninstall a Program control panel applet.
It’s not in my “uninstall or change program list. I tried using the instructions for deleting IE8 (C:\WINDOWS\ie8\spuninst\) but there is no IE9 in my windows folder. I’m running Windows 7. Help?
this worked for me thx man
The internet 9 was not on the list, how can you help me if it’s not on the list, that’s the only thing that’s stopping me from being happy!!! I intalled internet 9 by file, not as a update, what do I do!!! SOS!!!
i followed all these steps, now IE9 doesn’t show up in programs or updates, but IE8 was not replaced. i am using Win7 Home premium with Sp1,what to do
Been testing IE9 since the beta came out and it sucks, Just pretty and loads initially faster then WHAM, Slower than ie8 for the next and procedding pages and searches. At Least they got Win7 pro right.
Thanks so much the information was really helpful
Thanks very much for your help. I’m very grateful. I can’t imagine how this bogus IE9 beta has been since i ran it. Never again with. Shame to the developers.
thanks dude
Muchas Gracias.
thanks allot you saved my life it didn’t work on my computer you see. you’re the best
thanks, it was really helpful
Thanks sooo much! I don’t think I will ever download a BETA version again!
I download this crap on my laptop and everything just come to almost a halt
I could not access anything on my computer with window 7. I think microsoft has build a program that is not compatible with their own program even though it is a beta.
I just could not uninstalled it in the end I have to used system restore which took me a long time to get to it
well..so u r frustrated, eh? bill the inconfident eunuch has raised his petticoat on u and now u r looking and seeing no genitalia? u did not expect this eh? so sorry! well..my everyday sojourn thru mumbai roads gets me to view many such bills and they always do the unpleasant thing. they raise their petticoats..what do i do? i close my eyes. i wanna forget today existed. i wanna go back to tomorrow. i wanna deny the eunuch who thinks he owns me! i wanna do a ‘system restore’. yes. if nothing else works do what the hindus do. go back in time…
i did exactly but its still on my computer and no more on programs and….
thanks
OMG! Thank you sooo much! I downloaded it because i liked the google one very much and thought that while it might be different, it still had some of the same things. WRONG! The Internet Explorer 9 Beta is a complete crash and burn, litterarly! I swear i installed it a week ago and it’s been driving me crazy every sence! It’s keeps crashing, messing up, freezing, working slowly, everything and this is a brand spanking new computer! Updated and everything. I freaken hated and i swear i tried everything to delete it but i had no luck! I’m so freaking glad i found this page, i’m deleting it as i write!
My advice for what its worth is that if you have a working version of IE whether IE8 or 9 or whatever
Don’t touch it
Leave it alone so that it can do updates
If you try to upgrade it, downgrade it or even use it for browsing it will probably break and then you can’t do any updates.
Use a different browser for everyday use and leave IE to do updates
There are lots of browsers to choose from
explorer 9 >>>>what a piece of sh–t .. out it go ,,,back W/ firefox mozzila beta
i tried and cannot find it i want my old internet back
THANK YOU SO MUCH – This really screwed up my computer and your information got it back for me. :)
thank you very much
i installed IE9 Beta early oct. 2010 after installed hey did’t open the videos
he blocked so many video & some feature
thanks for nice presentation to unistalle IE9
I tried to uninstall IE9 for my colleague but it was not visible under Uninstall or change a program or under Uninstall an update.
Same problem when I looked at my computer. We both have Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit and 32bit.
I wunt to uninstall !E!9 but it doesnt show on my list! It keeps crushing and i wuna go back to the older version but i cant i need to uninstall 9. how can i get rid of this piss of crapp?????
Thanks. You kick major butt. IE9 Beta does not. :-/
thanks this is use fulll………..Info……………..
Thx for the information. Installed IE9 on one of my office systems in advance of client requests. To my dismay, the browser is now in a never ending “Stopped Working / Close Program” loop. Needless to say I do not have a browser. I have a mess. Should know better about betas but client demands were pushing the envelope.
Thks !!
Thanks !!!!!
Very useful !!!!!
Very easy to follow instructions!!!! Thanks so much for the info :)
John, it sounds like you had the same problem I had with IE9 and my computer either downloaded an update/fix for the issue or it just resolved the problem by itself.
I was not able to ever find the IE9 program to uninstall and was about ready to revert my computer to an earlier time. However, one of the issues which I had (e.g. signed out of Windows Live, or the status of a toolbar change remaining on my screen had disappeared).
I then went back into the uninstall programs after several normal shutdowns over a few days; organized the installed updates and it now appears under the Microsoft Windows Update and is listed as “Windows Internet Explorer 9”.
I swear to you that this was never there before and now it just appears. You may want to shutdown your computer, make sure it is set for updates or check for updates, and then go back to your installed updates and click the organize button which will put youe IE9 up toward the top of your Windows updates. Mine is the third one down from Windows updates.
Hope this helps. So strange that my Beta works pretty much fine now, just a few lags when opening a page (e.g. page does not load w/o a refresh) and just a few minor issues I have with the layout or options that I would like fixed/reverted back to IE8 but otherwise it is a much more stable platform now.
Thank you Chris!!!!!!!!!!!
The restart is crucial. It will appear after that.
I doubt anyone got confused by this, but the start orb is at the lower left, not lower right…
For those who can’t find “Windows Internet Explorer9” in the regular “Uninstall a Program” list, click on the “View Installed Updates” over on the left of the window, should be right above “Turn Windows Features On or Off”
This is where it was for my machine in Windows7 Pro.
thanks for the help, IE9 is utter garbage, it even crashes constantly on MSN LOL.
Ms fail as always,
besides it looks like it was made for pre-school users
THANKS DUDE :::1!!!!
REEALY IWAS IN TROBLE I
INSTAALLLED IT
IN THE WRONG LANGUAGE
SO THANKS :))
Mine was listed under the regular “uninstall a program” and was listed as “Windows Internet Explorer Platform Preview”.
Thanks a lot. I installed it but did not play nice with Citrix Remote Access, so I had to remove it.
Thanks :) helped a lot.
thx
Anyone that installs a BETA of anything without understanding that there is a chance you will not be able to remove it properly, upgrade to the final version properly, or totally render your system useless is an idiot.. sorry. Maybe you are not so familiar with what beta actually means because companies like google put that tag on full production software for years before removing it, even when its in general public use, but that certainly is not the case with IE9.
Betas ship WITH KNOWN BUGS, and with unknown bugs. They offer no guarantees installing it won’t make your computer burst into flames. It is all at your own risk.
In any event, the people I am specifically calling idiots are the ones who are acting like this is a final release that doesn’t work well.
Oh and who are you to say we are idiots when you are reading this? It just goes to say if we are idiots, you are more idiotic than us to only call us idiots and not yourself.Besides if you were that smart and knew the risks why did you install it?
Thanks!
BIG PS at the one that called us idiots. im sure all of us know what a beta is. but for u to call US idiots, makes u an @ss! not only that but ITS OUR COMMENTS TO THEM THAT MAKES THE BETA BETTER. if WE cant express our opinions about an update that obviously is HORRID, then whats the point? instead of calling others idiots- look at urself first please, as u ASSumed that we are ignorants, thus making an @ss out of urself by not understanding that IT IS OUR OPINIONS THAT MAKE A BETA BETTER. they can have as many updated beta’s as they want, but untill i see at least have the people RAVING about it(instead of ranting), IE 9- WILL NOT exist anywhere on my computer
i was actually ready to give up, after my computer crashed every 10 minutes for about 5 hours right after the explorer 9 update. i have a windows 7 ultimate, with more then enough memory and more then enough of EVERYTHING. my computer just hated this version. i sent a feedback to microsoft , and it seems that im not the only one that hates it. i hope that the full verision will be better tested before being put out. this is an F for FAIL.
BIG THANKS FOR THIS POST, SAVED ME FROM GOING INSANE!
yuk! Thanks for the help on uninstalling this ugly piece of sheet!!!
You don’t know how much i appreciate getting rid of it!
Matt, you pompous little ****, we do know what a beta version is. The problem is that beta versions are supposed to be uninstallable/revert back to a previous version.
In Windows 7 Home Premium in my case it is nowhere to be found so that it can be uninstalled and reinstalled at a later date.
Chris do you know why when I uninstall Explorer 9 that it says that it has not uninstalled the whole program? I really can’t stand this 9 I have lost ALL my bookmarks (favourites) I want my 8 back but 9 will not uninstall
Thanks, Dannielle
wow all you idiots commenting obviously have no idea what a beta is.
that’s for posting, IE9 had a few bugs in it that were driving me nuts!
Thanks — Great of them to change the method! This version is a piece of crap. It installed it and it keeps crashing. Back to the Chrome browser for me.
thanks! way helpful. Installed to ck if things worked on on book price comparison website [which specializes in add-ons which allow book price checks on the fly] (www.BargainBookMole.org) and found IE 9 screwed up IE!
so this is very helopful!! thanks!
IE9 isn’t showing up in my “programs” for uninstall, i’ve restarted the computer twice, but it’s just not there. Any idea how to get it on that list???
John, have you sorted the updates by name or date? Can you confirm that it is definitely not in the Uninstall an update listing? I had to scroll down in the listing as well to find it.
Don’t bother with Microsoft… they are of no help! GOTO IE9…. GOTO about… Look for version number and at the end of that you will see something like this “KB245#####”. That is the update for your browser.. It may be listed as a security update. Uninstall it and restart if needed… Recheck for next KB# to uninstall till you have killed it off completely! This may take some time… Sorry but only way I know. Good luck :)
Hi Martin,
I’m having a problem with going back to 8 also. I have done the uninstall thing but my computer says that it cannot uninstall it. I can’t stand 9. I have tried everything to get back my 8.
Don’t know what else to do
Your best bet is to contact Microsoft about it. I’m not aware of an option to force uninstall Internet Explorer 9. I’d say you could try Revo Uninstaller or another program that cleans up leftovers but that would be awful risky considering the deep integration of Internet Explorer in the system.
Should have included that i’m on W7 Home Premium
I downloaded IE9 Beta last night and I already have an annoying glitch that interferes with my productivity and want to uninstall the program.
I am using Windows 7 on a Sony Vaio and the issue is that when I close an app (windows live) or close a toolbar (ie disable/enable toolbar within IE) the remnants of said action is left hanging on my screen.
For e.g. I signed out of Windows Live and now the “sign out” action button is stuck on my home screen and it appears no matter what page I am on.
I tried to uninstall IE9 but it does not even show up on the downloaded updates or on the uninstall program. What a piece of **** Microsoft has put out so far.
I like the possibility but this is not going to work.
Does anyone have a further suggestion, short of restoring my computer?
Thanks
I have windows7 with IE9 how do I uninstal IE9beta and go back to IE8.
I got vista but same dilemma !! Its sooo freakin irritating and dont know what to do anymoree! Ugh
I know I have exactly the same issue, I’m using mozilla firefox as I cannot find IE9 on my uninstall programs list too! Trouble is I need IE for my Security Software for my updates, please let me know if there is anyway of getting around it too!
Thanks!
thanks!
Thanks for this, I can’t believe how completely stupid the IE9 dev team is to have a BETA install overwrite a stable one.
Thanks a lot ;o)
I updated to ie9 and within two days noticed something was wrong. Could not get into my wordpress or my business account. Thanks to these instructions, I am back in business. NOONE should every release a product to the public they don’t know will work correclty—to me that’s just bad business.
@gadgets You are trolling, surely?!
I keep it around as does fokka, just as a fall back when Opera, Chrome and FF don’t work!