Disabling Internet Explorer 2

[Kurti]

Hey All;

Quick Question for the tech's out there;

I have been racking my brain and reading till I can see words coming out of my ears about how to disable Internet Explorer in Windows XP Pro.

I have gone through the registry, that helps somewhat, but, is there an easier way to go about doing this?

Thanks in advance for your helpful suggestions

 

[bcastner]

Install SP1.

In Control Panel, Add/Remove Programs, look under the new tab that will appear: Set Program Access and Defaults. Try either the non-Microsoft or Custom settings.

Do not try a registry change, you are just asking for major problems.

Remember that there are many threads here that can be searched about how to re-install IE 6.0. You may have to use one of several techniques to get your machine to work properly from questionable registry edits. Use the Control Panel option for disabling IE.

 

[Kurti]

bcastner, that sounds like a good idea about using the Set Program Access and Defaults.

However, what if you do not have that feature available? How would you go about disabling Internet Explorer?

 

[bcastner]

If the option does not appear than SP1 is not installed. It is advisable to install it.

You can Google for entries about the time of Microsoft's anti-trust trial. There were several programs and detailed hacks for removing IE. I assume they in principle will give you enough to do the same thing with IE 6.0. But I cannot emphasize enough how ill-advised I think this is. Better to apply SP1 and use the Control Panel approach.

 

[Kurti]

SP1 is installed, however I was asking what if it is not possible to select that as in, it has been deleted.

Then, how would you go about disabling IE?

 

[bcastner]

You may have to re-install to un-install. There are several possible variants of the approach needed.


Microsoft says:

NOTE: Internet Explorer 6 is preinstalled by default in all versions of Windows XP. To provide computer manufacturers greater flexibility in configuring desktop versions of Windows XP, Microsoft has made it possible for OEMs, administrators, and users to remove user access to Internet Explorer while leaving the Internet Explorer code intact and fully functional to ensure the functionality of programs and operating system functions that rely on it. For example, Windows XP supports an "IEAccess=off" switch in the Unattend.txt file, and Internet Explorer has been added to the Add/Remove Windows Components section of the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.

How to Uninstall Internet Explorer 6

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=293907

 

[Kurti]

I took the liberty of searching for the Uatten.txt file and I do not have it in my computer system. Now I wonder if that is because it is a Dell or what... I'm not too sure on that.

I will keep searching the Microsoft site to see if I can find any more information.

 

[bcastner]

Uatten.txt file is used for mass copying of XP images to drives, it was provided above as an example of how a customization would be done by the OEM.

Please refer to the entire article. It provies multiple links to other Microsoft publications depending on what you have installed, and in your case, uninstalled.

 

[Kurti]

It is a good article. I enjoyed it throughly... However, it still does not explain a question that I have been asking.

How do I DISABLE Internet Explorer? I have installed SP1 onto a local machine and yes, I do know that if I use the Set Program Defaults and Access, I can disable it that way.

I still want to know how it is possible to disable it without using that type of feature.

I however did not uninstall anything bcastner, I was simply asking if that Set Program Defaults and Access had not been there, then <u>How do you disable IE?</u>

 

[bcastner]

This makes me very unhappy. But:

1. This will do it: (freeware)

http://www.litepc.com/ieradicator.html

2. Another method. Start, Run, rundll32 setupwbv.dll,IE5Maintenance &quot;C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\Setup\SETUP.EXE&quot; /g &quot;C:\WINDOWS\IE Uninstall Log.Txt&quot;
then hit OK.

 

[wolluf]

with difficulty

you'd need some registry hacks as per bcastner rightly recommended NOT using.

There's an app here

http://www.litepc.com/ieradicator.html

- but its not for XP, unfortunately.

Try Google (Web & Groups) - a number of hits, don't know if any are reasonable.

 

[Kurti]

thanks wolluf...

It seems to be a popular request amongst the millions and millions of computer people out on the web.

I'll continue to look through them and see what I can find.