Mark
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how to uninstall Internet Explorer 9?
I just bought a new WIN7 computer which came with IE9. I do web development for a living and I discovered that IE9 has removed the javascript error alert from the status bar. After perusing the web, I have found that there is apparently no way to enable this in IE9. It has simply been removed! I've read angry postings from developers going back months and Microsoft seems unresponsive about putting this back on the browser.
This was on of several nice features that inspired me to continue doing my webpage initial development in IE, versus e.g. Firefox. I need this. I would like to either co-install IE8 on my system or, if that's not possible, remove IE9 and reinstall IE8. Before I toally hose up my computer, I want to know if this can be done safely and, if so, what procedure I should follow.
This was on of several nice features that inspired me to continue doing my webpage initial development in IE, versus e.g. Firefox. I need this. I would like to either co-install IE8 on my system or, if that's not possible, remove IE9 and reinstall IE8. Before I toally hose up my computer, I want to know if this can be done safely and, if so, what procedure I should follow.
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using Rindi's method should revert your system back to IE8 as default (embedded into Win 7), but depends on the system builder/OEM. I do this to our new systems that arrive with Win 7, as we have about half our office still on XP with IE8, and need to keep all systems on the same platform for now.
As it is a new PC the original default was probably with IE9 already, so you probably have no IE8 once you have removed IE9. With older versions where IE8 was the original you'd have IE9 installed as an update and then you would uninstall not by turning windows features on or off, but rather directly via "View Installed Updates", and then uninstall an Update.
Rindi, with all due respect, the method that you described (using the Turn Windows Features on or Off option) is not the proper way to revert back to IE8. This is a rather common mistake, and it will actually make all of the versions of Internet Explorer unavailable on that Windows build. It literally does what it says.
The proper method is as follows:
Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> View Installed Updates (on the upper-left)
Scroll down until youfind Windows Internet Explorer 9. Highlight and click the Uninstall button.
As an alternate method, you can open up a command prompt with full admin rights... Start -> cmd -> Ctrl+Shift+Enter -> acknowledge the UAC prompt. Within the elevated command prompt, paste in the following, run it and then reboot:
FORFILES /P %WINDIR%\servicing\Package
In the event that method still doesn't work, execute a System Restore to a point prior to when you installed IE9:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html
If that doesn't work and you have also installed Windows 7 Service Pack 1 already, you may need to weigh your options. If you really don't like IE9, you would potentially need to temporarily uninstall SP1, then uninstall IE9, ensure that IE8 is working, then re-install SP1. Quite a bit of juggling.
The proper method is as follows:
Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> View Installed Updates (on the upper-left)
Scroll down until youfind Windows Internet Explorer 9. Highlight and click the Uninstall button.
As an alternate method, you can open up a command prompt with full admin rights... Start -> cmd -> Ctrl+Shift+Enter -> acknowledge the UAC prompt. Within the elevated command prompt, paste in the following, run it and then reboot:
FORFILES /P %WINDIR%\servicing\Package
In the event that method still doesn't work, execute a System Restore to a point prior to when you installed IE9:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/700-system-restore.html
If that doesn't work and you have also installed Windows 7 Service Pack 1 already, you may need to weigh your options. If you really don't like IE9, you would potentially need to temporarily uninstall SP1, then uninstall IE9, ensure that IE8 is working, then re-install SP1. Quite a bit of juggling.
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Wow! Quite an unexpected collection of responses. I thought this would be rather simple, but I've used Windows long enough that I should know better. I think I'll avoid collateral problems and not remove IE9. I can use IE8 on clients' workstations to test and I can always use firefox, etc. I'll close this one and post another to see if that overly complex developer's F12 panel can give me javascript errors.
ASKER
Thanks to all for well thought out responses
I'm not sure though if you can install an older version of IE on a system that came with the newer version there already, but you can try installing it from the m$ download below:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-explorer/downloads/ie-8