Removing Internet Explorer

Zip · 6 Oct 2006 at 08:57

Is there a way to remove internet Explorer?

Ive intalled Opera and find it much better but people keep using IE anyway when im not around and i want to remove it for good

The_KiD · 6 Oct 2006 at 09:08

It can be done, but it is not advisable!

MS in the their infinite wisdom selected to tie IE very much into the heart of Windows.

Removing it is possible but tricky and can have knock on effects on lots of programs.

* Many web sites are programmed to work only with Internet Explorer. For example, webmasters authoring a site may have not tested with other web browsers. Some webmasters may not be familiar with WC3 standards or taken the time to program their site so it is universally acceptable by all browsers. Probably 95% of all websites on the Internet should work with Mozilla browsers, but there it a site is not compatible it may appear distorted or inaccessible unless IE is used as a browser.
* Windows Update (WU) requires Internet Explorer. As an alternative, you may be able to manually download security updates, but it will require more monitoring and work than letting WU handle this for you.
* Some Anti-Virus Products require IE for updates. Live updates or automatic DAT updates used by both Norton and McAfee are built on Internet Explorer's foundation. You may be able to manually update your virus signature files but it could require more work.
* Both removing and restoring IE is risky and difficult. IE is complex with extensive hooks built into Windows, for efficiency and functionality. Thus unplugging it from your system may impact Internet connectivity, Windows functionality, and break functionality in Microsoft Office and non-MS products.
* IE is more than a browser, it is the foundation for Internet functionality in Windows. If you compare the install base for Internet Explorer 6 (43.5MB) to Firefox (4.5MB), it provides an indication IE is more than just a browser.

SOurce: StopIE.com

hp7909 · 6 Oct 2006 at 09:12

What The_KiD said really. Hence why even some web browsers have e.g. IE Tab.

Under 'Add/Remove Windows Components', you can remove it in the sense that no desktop icons, etc. Then make your preferred browser the default

Greenlizard0 · 6 Oct 2006 at 17:27

I use Opera, and find it much sweeter than Firefox/IE. It doesn't have any memory problems and is a lot easier to use.

Sometimes though I still have to use IE though as certain things aren't supported, and you can't view everything through it e.g. Arsenal Online TV Gold (a most important service).

Craig321 · 6 Oct 2006 at 17:28

Zip said:
Is there a way to remove internet Explorer?

Ive intalled Opera and find it much better but people keep using IE anyway when im not around and i want to remove it for good

Change the Opera icon to IE?

Then they'll click the IE icon which is actually opera

Zip · 7 Oct 2006 at 17:24

Thanks for the Advice.

Since Microsoft are so pleased with the program they want to make sure your computer craps it self if you try removing it then i think ill just leave it there and just yell at anyone that uses it

squiffy · 7 Oct 2006 at 21:21

XP Lite will totally remove IE and HTML rendering device, however if your normal browser doesn't work it'll mean a fresh install. Best to leave it installed but use another browser, only use IE.

chesterstu · 7 Oct 2006 at 21:26

I use opera and would not uninstall IE because my internet banking site doesnt work with opera and i found when looking for car insurance many, many providers sites simply dont work with opera

bledd · 7 Oct 2006 at 21:30

squiffy said:
XP Lite will totally remove IE and HTML rendering device, however if your normal browser doesn't work it'll mean a fresh install. Best to leave it installed but use another browser, only use IE.

doesn't fully remove it

if you totally remove IE, then windows explorer breaks

nlite can remove a lot of it (as can xplite), but removing it also breaks windowsupdate and thats pretty important imo

taz488 · 7 Oct 2006 at 22:26

just leave it there and delete desktop icon????

whats the matter with using up a tiny bit of hd space and forgetting about it?

Cob · 7 Oct 2006 at 22:57

There's no point in uninstalling it. It only uses 3 or 4mb. Things like Windows Update and parts of the MS site need to use it.

Dreams · 7 Oct 2006 at 23:51

It's easy enough to remove it from the desktop.

And it's damn useful to test stuff with

Zip · 8 Oct 2006 at 04:53

taz488 said:
just leave it there and delete desktop icon????

whats the matter with using up a tiny bit of hd space and forgetting about it?

Thats what i have done

People are slowly catching on that they use opera now