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From: "jbclem" 
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general
Subject: Re: can't remove ie8
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 2017 22:14:20 -0700
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First, I checked the entire computer for spuninstal.exe before I did 
anything.  The only ones I found were tied to kb numbers.  There was no 
spuninstal.exe in the IE8 folder anywhere.

Second, before I deleted the folder I copied the entire IE8 folder to a 
flash drive.
So I can easily copy it back, but I wonder if I unregistered it when I 
deleted it.  But also, I don't even know if it was registered as there was 
no entry for it in Add/Remove Programs and no uninstall file.  And since 
there was no Outlook Express anywhere, that may also point to an 
unregistered (improperly installed) IE8.

Also, I searched my computer for mshtml.dll and found three copies of it, 
two are identical (4-14-2008) and one of these is in windows/system32 so 
hopefully that's where it's supposed to be.

But you've given me a good idea, if IE8 comes with Outlook Express then if I 
can find an installer for it maybe I can get it properly installed with an 
uninstall file, and also Outlook Express.  Although I was under the 
impression that everything after Windows XP came with Microsoft Outlook.

I've run into mention of "Spoon.net - Sandboxed IE6 IE7 IE8 Standalone" but 
haven't found one yet and don't know if it includes Outlook Express since 
it's for people who are testing browsers.

Later...
I just found (and downloaded) IE8-WindowsXP-x86-ENU.exe (16,488 kb).  Now 
we'll see if it works, first I have to transfer it to a different computer.



"Paul"  wrote in message 
news:otlpdu$bhh$1@dont-email.me...
> 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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