Internet Explorer 8 (IE 8) is the latest version of the Web browser by Microsoft. If you have upgraded to it, but for some reason want to revert to your earlier Internet Explorer version, you will have to uninstall IE8 from your computer.
In this article, we are going to cover various steps to uninstall IE8 from Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008-based computers.
Uninstall IE8 from Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008
To uninstall IE8 from a Windows Vista or a Windows Server 2008 computer, perform the following steps:
- Close all applications and windows open on your computer.
- Open Control Panel.
- In the Programs section, select Uninstall a program.
- On the Uninstall or change a program page, select the View install updates link from the Tasks pane on the left.
- Double-click Windows Internet Explorer 8.
- Click Yes in the confirmation box and then follow the instructions displayed on the screen to complete the installation.
In case the Windows Internet Explorer 8 option is not available, perform these alternative steps to remove IE8:
- Copy the command given below: FORFILES /P %WINDIR%\servicing\Packages /M Microsoft-Windows-InternetExplorer-8*.mum /c “cmd /c echo Uninstalling package @fname && start /w pkgmgr /up:@fname /norestart”
- Click Start and type cmd in the Start Search box.
- In the Programs list, right-click cmd.exe and then select the Run as administrator link.
- In the Administrator Command Prompt window that opens, right-click, and then select Paste. The command you copied earlier will be pasted in the Command Prompt window.
- Press Enter.
- IE8 installation will now start.
- Restart your PC after the uninstallation process is complete.
After your PC restarts, check the Help menu in your Internet Explorer to see the current version of Internet Explorer. If it is Internet Explorer 7, the uninstallation process has completed successfully. If the version is still Internet Explorer 8, contact Microsoft Support for resolution.
After you uninstall IE8, you might receive the Application event log errors every time you start your computer. To fix this issue, you will have to delete Internet Explorer User Accelerators and Internet Explorer Machine Accelerators registry keys. Here are the steps:
Caution: The Windows registry is an essential part of your Windows operating system. Any incorrect changes to it may cause irreversible damage to the registry as well as your computer. This is the reason why, it is recommended that you backup the registry before making any changes to it. You can use the Registry Editor or an advanced registry tool, such as RegGenie to perform the backup.
- Open the Start menu and then select Run.
- Type regedit and then press Enter.
- Navigate to the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions
- Delete the following entries:
- {7B849a69-220F-451E-B3FE-2CB811AF94AE}
- {CF7639F3-ABA2-41DB-97F2-81E2C5DBFC5D}
If you find using the above methods to uninstall IE 8 a confusing and a time-consuming process, it is recommended that you use a reliable third-party program uninstaller tool, such as Perfect Uninstaller to perform IE8 removal. This tool is designed to scan your entire hard disk and registry for entries related to IE 8 and remove them to ensure complete uninstallation.
You may also use a reliable registry tool, such as RegGenie, to scan the registry and get rid of any left behind IE8 entries.