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From: Paul <
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Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Subject: Re: can't remove ie8
Date: Sat, 04 Nov 2017 21:27:26 -0400
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jbclem wrote:
I'm trying to remove Internet Explorer 8 completely from WinXP so I can install IE6 and get Outlook Express back. But IE8 isn't listed in Add/Remove Programs, and in the IE8 folder under Program Files there is no uninstall file. I removed the IE8 folder completely, but I still can't install IE6 because the installer finds some reference to IE8.
Can someone help me with this...I'm not sure where else to look for IE8 references.
John
This is copied off my (dead) WinXP install. Which once had
IE8, and I later removed it. These logs are dropped in
C:\Windows if you're looking for them. You can see the
path printed out, as to what the uninstall process uses.
[ie8Uninst.log]
0.000: =============================================================================== =
0.000: 2012/06/01 22:28:13.125 (local)
0.000: C:\WINDOWS\ie8\spuninst\spuninst.exe (version 6.3.15.0)
Apparently there was an uninstaller in the ie8 folder.
*******
The installer really isn't standalone, in the sense that it
uses Windows Update or other packages to add dependencies
the IE8 package needs. Perhaps some sort of graphics support.
IE8-WindowsXP-x86-ENU.exe 16,883,056 bytes
I have a previous version of IE8 installer, that was somewhat smaller.
Previous versions of IE, such as IE6, now that was a
proper standalone. It didn't hide what it was doing
from you (you make one of those for your own self, by
snagging the install folder when IE6 installs, then you
can use that folder forever, as an installer of IE6).
I had some install of IE8, that took a
significant portion of an hour, downloading other
stuff, but I haven't been able to reproduce that
one. Most other attempts only screwed around
for a minute or two. The installer doesn't tell you
what it is doing. Only those log files (which I never
noticed before), might contain hints.
*******
Once you remove the IE8 folder, you're cooked.
You can try re-installing the package, but it's going to
attempt to run the spuninst registered for the job, and
it's going to find it missing.
The reason Internet Explorer behaves strangely, is mshtml.dll
or similar ("the HTML engine") is a part of the OS. Key parts
of the OS rely on it for rendering. It can *never* go missing.
It might be in the windows folder itself, and perhaps your
"sweep" with the big hammer, didn't get it. This means that
one copy of IE must be installed at all times. When you
bump up to IE8, it replaces the engine. When you uninstall
IE8, it puts IE6 (or whatever was there previously) back
in control. So that there is always an "engine" component.
This is what happens, when parts of your OS are implemented
with HTML/activex/javascript or whatever. The ole bailing
wire and binder twine trick. Something I do not approve of.
The core components of the OS should be immutable, not
some hot potato the user is forever juggling. They should
not dangle this stuff in plain sight, so the user can get
themselves in trouble.
I'm not an IT guy and can't fix this for you. You can
try re-installing the package, but at this point,
I really can't see why that would work. This is not
like other packages. It always expects existing materials,
for the install or uninstall sequence to work. This is
the one time, you should *not* have deleted that folder :-/
If I did what you did, in my computer room here, right
now I'd have Macrium open, mount my last WinXP backup,
get that IE8 folder, copy it, and put it right back... :-)
Before you do anything else, make a backup, so you can
get back to a (semi) working system if need be. Maybe
you'll be doing additional desperate things, and having
a reference copy of the OS will come in handy later.
Note that even Repair Installing the OS, can have
"trouble" with IE versioning. Normally, the sage advice
is to down-level IE first, before doing the Repair Install,
which of course is impossible advice most of the time. I
think I discovered, during some experiment, that if
I Repair Installed the OS, then installed IE8 on top,
as long as the "final" IE level was the same as the
OS before Repair Install, it actually works OK. Repair
Installing something with as many Windows Updates as
that thing is going to need, isn't really all that
practical an option.
*******
These are examples of WinXP virtual machine files that
have a copy of the IE8 folder in them. But there's no
way of knowing whether one of these folders, exactly
aligns with the patch level of what you're running.
Still, it would give the spuninst.exe something to
chew on, on its way back to IE6 etc. These were offered
for download on Microsoft modern.ie web site, but
they were discontinued for download some time ago.
Right now, I think Windows 7 is the oldest OS on offer there.
You can try Googling on the SHA1 checksum and see
if there are copies around somewhere.
IE8.WinXP.For.WindowsVPC.exe 910,335,488 bytes
SHA1: 12E08B0B6AF6BF4B6FC3EE054F2F59A1509A86FB
IE8.XP.For.Windows.VirtualBox.zip 1,229,679,520 bytes
SHA1: 0A766326C61DEBDAC638EFD244042295B1113172
This would not be my first choice as a triage technique,
but if you don't have any other options (i.e. that backup
you made), you could go looking for a copy of one of those.
VPC2007 is the Microsoft hosting software that works with
the first file. Oracle VirtualBox is the hosting software
that runs the second one. The 7-ZIP version 16.04 utility,
can burrow into both those packages, all the way down
to the IE8 folder, so you don't need to install any
hosting software at all to get the folder out of there.
Just a copy of one of those files, plus the installation
of 7-ZIP, would get you inside those archives.
(7-ZIP, the all-purpose can opener...)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7-zip
At this point, I'm hoping you have a backup.
Paul
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