Downgrading Internet Explorer 8 Beta is easy to do on Windows XP. You simply need to remove it from Add/Remove Programs via the Control Panel. Follow the directions below to begin and follow through the removal of IE8 Beta.
- Open Add/Remove Programs: Open the Control Panel and then double click on “Add and Remove Programs”.
- Remove Windows Internet Explorer 8: Scroll down the list of programs until you get to “Windows Internet Explorer 8” and click the Remove button. The application list with IE8 highlighted is shown in the image below.
- Start Internet Explorer 8 Removal Wizard: After the Remove button is clicked the Windows Internet Explorer 8 Removal Wizard will open as shown below. Click the Next button.
- Review Possible Dependent Programs: If anything has been installed after IE8 there is a possibility these applications might not work properly once IE8 is removed. A list of these items will open in a new Window as shown below and you will need to confirm you are OK with moving forward with the removal.
Chances are that all of the applications will still work fine in IE7 and if not they can be removed and then reinstalled to function with Internet Explorer 7 so click the Yes button.
- Continue With IE8 Removal: After clicking the Yes button the removal process will continue as shown in the below images.
- Complete Internet Explorer 8 Removal: The last step in the IE8 removal process will be to restart the computer as shown in the below image. Clicking the Finish button will automatically restart the computer unless you check the “Do Not Restart Now” box. If you check this box IE8 will not be removed until the next reboot.
- Verify IE8 Downgrade: Once the computer has been restarted launch Internet Explorer and make sure that Internet Explorer 8 has been downgraded back to Internet Explorer 7.
Windows Internet Explorer 7: Introductory Concepts and Techniques (Available Titles Skills Assessment Manager (SAM) – Office 2007) (Paperback)
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Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 [Old Version] (Software)
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Thanks! I thought it would be harder than that! I didn’t even think to look there. Anyway it solved my problem downgrading ie8!
Sure no problem. Glad it helped.
I have vista and can not find the upgrade I did to IE8.
I am having major problems with it!
I did download firefox and things are working much better!!
Hello Lani,
Did you try looking under the Control Panel >> Programs and Features window? The upgrade should be located there and you should be able to remove it.
yes It is NOT under there.. I always uninstall programs from there…it’s the first place I looked…and it’s not there. Maybe its a vista problem?? I don’t know but I sure don’t find it.
Fire fox is working good tho… so Microsoft can go stuff themselves!
Click on “View Installed Updates” once you are in “Programs and Features”. It will be listed as an update called “Windows Internet Explorer 8”. I just verified this is how it shows on Windows Vista.
Just as an FYI my IE8 update was installed on 5/5/2009.
thanks much ..that was where it was and I uninstalled it!!! I appreciate your help!
Lani
No problem. Glad it helped.
hey i’ve similar problem on XP; I can see the IE 8 is install in Add/remove program from Control panel. but when i click i can’t see any remove or change button at all. but I want to downgread the IE8 to IE7 to run one off the new application.
I have this exact same problem, on XP pro. IE 8 is listed in add/remove, but there’s no “remove” button like there is with other programs. Help!
Hello Christine,
I have a computer here running XP Pro as well and when Internet Explorer 8 is installed it will show under add/remove programs as “Windows Internet Explorer 8” . When you highlight it in the list the remove button will show in the bottom right corner. If you are removing it though you want to make sure to have another browser installed such as IE7, FireFox, Safari, Chrome, or Opera.
Hope that helps.
I’m having that same problem, the REMOVE button does not come out. I went into remove componets and I only found Internet Explorer. Can I remove that one or do I have to install Firefox before I remove it? Please Help, I’m not very good with this!!!
Hello Barbie,
I would suggest that you install Firefox before you remove anything to make sure you have a backup where you can download Internet Explorer again if you need to do so.
Hope that helps.
Thanks.
alex
When I downgrade to IE7 will I lose any data? When I look in my add/remove items I see IE8 but no IE7. When I try to download IE7 with IE8 installed it won’t allow me to. I just want to know if I should remove IE8 and then reinstall IE7 and if that is safe?
Hello Tyler,
I would first make sure Firefox or Chrome is installed. Also the previous Internet Explorer version is probably listed under Windows Components in the “Add/Remove Programs” window.
As for being *safe. I don’t know specifically what you mean. You are always at risk of causing issues if you are configuring things that you are not 100% confident are correct.
My home pc has windows xp….I don’t know what beta is. I do not see IX8 in the add/delete window but I desperately want to get it off and go back to IX7. I am “not” a hot shot on a computer so instructions, if there are any, must be for dummies 101. thanks much anyone
Hello Sandie,
If it is not showing under the Add/Remove Programs list as “Windows Internet Explorer 8” then it is possible that it will show under the “Add/Remove Windows Components” list which you can view by clicking the “Add/Remove Windows Components” button which is located in the left column of buttons under the Add/Remove Programs list.
Hope that helps.
Internet Explorer 8 is as stable as Opera and Firefox. it does not crash a lot like IE7.
I agree it works great for me now. When I first installed it on Windows XP Pro I had some issues. Are you running it on Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista? How long have you been running it? I think saying it is as stable as Firefox may be a stretch though I do agree that it now is much more stable than it was. I don’t use Opera much at all so I can’t say if Opera is stable or not. My daily browser is primarily IE8 at this point and I never have it crash but the same holds true for Firefox when I do use it.
Im really having a hard time using my IE8.Im using vista.I already checked out my control panel I even checked my installed update but still can’t find the program..please help me.please…
Hello jyl,
What version of Vista are you running? The initial article deals with Windows XP and not Windows Vista however I have Vista Business Ultimate installed on another PC here so if that is the same version you are running I may be able to lend a hand in figuring out your issue.
Yes I did the same. But IE8 icon not there in control panal and also IE7(Windows XP). Some SAP site is not working in my PC. But it was working in earlier stage ie before upgrading IE8 . Can u give soln about this issue. I have original windows CD-ROM also. Can u give details, once again how to install IE7 in my PC.
Hello kamaraj,
I am not sure I follow what you are asking. You need to untinstall IE8 or installing IE7 won’t matter. Where specifically do you see IE7 installed? Also where have you looked exactly for IE8 being installed? IE8 has to show installed in one of only a couple locations.
Thanks.
alex
Ok, I have looked through all the posts on many sites regarding downgrading from IE8 to IE7. IE8 is killing me. It is extremely slow and many sites wont work with it. MSN’s own gaming page hardly works with it! Simply unbelievable.
The problem is this: I have vista and the program is nowhere to be found. It is not in the programs area where you can install them and it is not on the view installed updates tab area either. Do you have the answer for this one?
Hello shea,
IE8 has become a lot more stable since I wrote this article though you can still uninstall it if you don’t like it. I would suggest two other things to try if you are having trouble uninstalling off of the directions above.
1. Install & Try FireFox
2. Learn how to use IE8’s Compatibility View which displays web sites how older browsers would display them.
Hope that helps.
Thanks.
alex
Internet Explorer 8 seems to be better than any previous version of IE. IE8 is very stable and rarely crashes or cause blue screens.
“`
Hello Bruce Stoner,
I like IE8 as well. Some people still seem to have issues with some of its functionality though.
Thanks.
alex
es muy lento
Hola Pablo Felix Earle,
Estoy de acuerdo en que IE es bastante lento por lo que prefiero Google Chrome como mi navegador principal ahora. Todavía se usa el IE, aunque de vez en cuando y creo que Internet Explorer 8 ya está bien para su uso en producción.
Gracias.
alex
Hey,
I’ve been trying to downgrade to IE8 for HTMLing but when i go to add/remove programs and select windows internet explorer 8 the remove button isnt there???
If you have any ideas of how i can fix this email me at
martinjoey18@yahoo.com
Thx
Hello Joey,
Are you logged into your computer as an administrator? What version of Windows is installed? Is it 32-Bit or 64-Bit?
Also what is HTMLing? To make sure I understand properly you don’t want to downgrade to IE8 you want to downgrade to IE7, right?
Thanks.
alex
Hi Joey,
This answers your question why the remove button isn’t there: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950719/
I had the same problem myself!
:)
Hello Tom,
Great link. Thanks for taking the time to post that. I checked it out and what a pain to have to remove SP3 just to uninstall IE7 or IE8. Anyway I am sure this will help others so thanks again.
Thanks.
alex
Hi-
also having trouble uninstalling IE8. Windows Service Pack 3 also is difficult to uninstall, if not impossible- As I run “uninstall” it cannot find registry files to copy- it appears I am stuck with this. And I don’t have the disks to find them if they are not on my drive(s).
Does anyone have this problem when trying to uninstall SP3 or IE8?
I got into this mess once I got fed up that my IE8 runs like complete dreck since I loaded SP3.
Much as I like using Firefox and Chrome and Opera, it bothers me that IE8 doesn’t seem to work. It’s just ridiculous. And now I see Microsoft is going to suspend support of XP in a couple of months!
Windows XP-32Bit.
Hello Bran,
I have yet to uninstall SP3 so you might try posting your SP3 question on Engage to see if someone else can provide an answer to that question.
As for uninstalling IE8… what issues are you having trying to uninstall IE8? I personally stopped using Internet Explorer all together and have started using Chrome as my primary browser. Windows 7 64-Bit has 32-Bit IE and 64-Bit IE installed however they both seemed to be causing blue screens. Chrome is the only browser that currently functions 100% for me on Windows 7 Ultimate 64-Bit.
Good luck.
Thanks.
alex
For Vista, you need to go to Program and Features -> Installed Updates and scroll down to Windows Internet Explorer 8
Hello Andrew,
Awesome. Thank you for taking the time to post details regarding the Internet Explorer 8 to Internet Explorer 7 downgrade! I am sure others will find these details helpful if they are wanting to downgrade.
Thanks.
alex