Unable to install Internet Explorer 6 on XP

This article can also be found at support.microsoft.com and by typing in article number Q304872.

SYMPTOMS
When you try to install Internet Explorer 6 on a computer that is running Windows XP, you may receive the following error message:

Setup has detected a newer version of Internet Explorer already installed on this system.
Setup cannot continue.



CAUSE
This behavior can occur if Internet Explorer 6 has already been installed and the installation package does not contain any new customizations.

Uncustomized versions of Internet Explorer 6 only install the Internet Explorer Exception Pack and cannot be reinstalled. Customized versions of Internet Explorer 6 that are created by an Internet service provider, Internet content provider, or a corporate administrator can be installed once to apply customizations (branding) but cannot be reinstalled.



RESOLUTION
WARNING : Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys and Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit it. If you are running Windows NT or Windows 2000, you should also update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD).

To work around this issue and reinstall the same customized Internet Explorer 6 installation package a second time, change the IsInstalled (REG_DWORD) value for the Branding component from 1 to 0 in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components
The Branding key always begins with a greater than (>) character.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.