Uninstalling IE 5.5

[RichieL]

Help. When trying to boot up PC using Windows 95, I never make it to the Desktop with the Start button. Right before it would appear, I get window showing an error message that my research says Reinstall IE 5.5. Problem is I can't install over the existing version. I must somehow unistall the current version. I can't select the unstall program option in Control Pannel because I can't get there using Start....cna someone help me manually uninstall IE 5.5. I have the actual setup 5.5 program to reinstall once I get the old version off. Any help would be great. I believe there are a bunch of manual steps I might be able to use. I don't want to reinstall Windows 95 with a clean install! Thanks.

 

[TSSTechie]

Hi

Have you tried booting in safe mode and getting into the Control Panel that way.

Hope this helps

May The Force Be With You

 

[RichieL]

Thanks for the feedback TSS. Can you be more specific. I get to Safe Mode. I am at a blue screen with the words Safe Mode in all for corners. There is no Start Button. All I can do is open a "Tasks" window which then allows me to browse and "open" a program or file. Where would I go to get to "Control Pannel"? I downloaded a freeware program that I am hesistant to use that supposedly uninstalls Internet Explorer. That is my next step if I can't make your idea work. Please tell me specifically what you think I should do. So frustrating!

 

[TSSTechie]

Hi

No Start Button????

Try holding down the windows key and pressing 'r' for the run dialog. In there type 'control' and press enter. This should get you into the control panel.

Hope this helps

May The Force Be With You

 

[MyTwoGirlsDad]

If the freeware program is from the people at 98Lite, it's a good and through program to remove internet explorer. Be forewarned though, it will remove everyting connected to IE. Be sure to read the README before starting and be sure to backup your favorites folder, which they prompt you to do at the program start.

It creates a great base on which to reload IE.

It works but be careful.

 

[RichieL]

Thanks TSS and MyTwoGirlsDad. TSS - I tried your idea..still no Start button appearing. I did find the control exe file. I tried to run that through the tasks window within Safe Mode...I got the same IE error message. I think all roads lead to IE. And MyTwo...the downdload I have is the 98Lite program..call IEradicator. I will try it tonight. Thanks again to you both. I'm ready to buy a new PC if this doesn't work..which I guess I need anyway if I still use Windows 95 on a 133mhz machine with a 1.6G hard drive..

 

[oldcomptrguy]

Have you tried putting the Windows 98 CD in the drive and reinstalling over your current system? That will replace the damaged IE5 and other windows files but will not affect any of your other programs or files.

 

[RichieL]

I tried that OldGuy. No luck. I also tried to use the IEradicator program. I started it up in the Tasks window in Safe Mode. It started out OK, gave me the warnings of what would happen etc, I said OK. Something quickly got downloaded or copied or something (something quickly flashed on the screen) then it said reboot to finish the process, which I expected. However, when the machine rebooted I just ended up back where I always end up...with the machine trying to install Windows...getting pretty far, and then the error message that means reinstall Windows Explorer. I still can't do that yet...I do not think the IEradicator actually did anything...Any advice MyTwoGirlsDAD?

 

[BeenThereDoneThat]

RitchieL:

If you are not getting a start button then Windows Explorer is probably corrupt. You will need to reinstall over your existing installation as oldcomptrguy suggested. The problem is that you are using Windows Explorer as your shell at the same time that you are trying to correct it. If you change this you may be able to do the things you want to do. You can do this if you are not afraid of DOS. It has been a long time since I have run 95 so I hope I'm getting this correct.

Start your computer and press F8 and when you get to a screen to choose how you want to start, choose Command Prompt Only. This should bring you to a C:\> Prompt. Type in cd[space]windows and press enter. Type in edit[space]system.ini and press enter. Under the [boot] section look for a line that says shell=explorer.exe and change that line to read shell=progman.exe. Then choose File>save and then choose File>exit. Press Ctr+alt+delete to restart the computer. You should get to the desktop with the program manager as your shell and maybe you can run the setup program to reinstall Windows.

If this doesn't work change the line back to shell=explorer.exe and we'll try to think of something else.

 

[RichieL]

OK BeenThere - I used your idea and I now boot up and get to my desk top with a Start button. That's the good part. I have reinstalled Windows 95 over the old version and said "no" whenever it said a newer version of the file was available (wrong thing to do?). I can get into Excel, but I can't get to the internet. I have tried to uninstall Internet Explorer with IEradicator program. It does something, says to reboot, seems to want to modify some icons, and puts me back at the desktop. I then tried to reinstall IE5 with the IE5setup.exe file residing on my PC. It doesn't seem to do anything. How can I tell if I have any working version of IE working at this point? When I go to one of my Icons that used to take me to the net, I see the IE5.5 screen blink very quickly. I then get an error indicating that files are missing. Additionally, I was running Windows 95B I think after upgrading a while ago. Maybe even C. Now I am back to A which is what I had when I bought the PC as this is what was on the CD ROM that I used to reintall Windows 95. So now I get to the desktop and can go nowhere. Can you help? Is there an order in which to try to fix these several problems? Any help would be much appreciated. I know I am close to being out of luck here trying to fix Windows 95 related issues...this forum is my last chance. Thanks.

 

[oldcomptrguy]

You can always do a format to wipe the hard drive clean and then start over reinstalling Windows 98. Be sure and back up all you data. I would run a Scan Disk first to be sure there are no errors on the hard drive.

 

[MyTwoGirlsDad]

Richel,

Where are you at now? Did you try to reinstall IE5.5 and all updates?

Just checking!

SD