Reinstall IE

[Chris Barnes]

I have a user w/ Win2k SP4 who a couple of months ago decided he wanted
to "get rid" of IE.

Now he wants to do some WindowsUpdates and lo and behold, the updates
require using IE.


He has tried to reinstall IE, both by downloading from MS' website as
well as the Win2k cd, but with no luck. The install seems to progress
normally, but when he hits the Finish button, the system reboots.

When it comes back, the install program acts like it was just starting
and makes him go through the entire process again (complete with another
reboot, and the loop continues). I looked in his C:\Program
Files\Internet Explorer folder and iexplore.exe is NOT present.


Suggestions?

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
(e-mail address removed) Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
Computer Systems Manager MSN IM: (e-mail address removed)
Department of Physics ph: 979-845-7801
Texas A&M University fax: 979-845-2590

 

[George Hester]

Well it depends on how IE was removed in the first place. If IE was
"removed" after a service pack was installed then assuming we are talking
about IE 5.5+ then we have an issue. Further IE cannot be "removed" without
damage to the system. IE is a system installation and cannot be removed.
Note that IE and Windows Explorer the shell are basically the same in
Windows 2000.

So what we want to do is fix this. Well here is one suggestion. Go into
the registry (Start | regedit | OK) to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components

In here you will search for "express" and again for "explorer" w/o the
quotes. You should find Outlook Express version installed and Internet
Explorer version installed. OEX is this one:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed
Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}

The IE one is also in there but as I have not changed my IE in Windows 2000
I cannot be sure. But check:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed
Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}

Both of these keys have a Name called IsInstalled. Make sure the the Data
value for them is 0. After you make that change Install IE 6 SP1 as that is
the only IE version available at Microsoft's web site. Do NOT reboot first.
HTH

 

[Chris Barnes]

Well it depends on how IE was removed in the first place. If IE was
"removed" after a service pack was installed then assuming we are
talking about IE 5.5+ then we have an issue. Further IE cannot be
"removed" without damage to the system. IE is a system installation
and cannot be removed. Note that IE and Windows Explorer the shell
are basically the same in Windows 2000.

Thank you for answering.

I had *hoped* he had used the Add/Remove Programs (Windows Components).
I found out he simply erased the iexplore.exe from the C:\Program
Files\Internet Explorer directory...


After I sent my original message, he found another Win2k box and copied
the previously removed iexplore.exe (no indication if it was the same
service pack or hotfix level, but I kind of doubt it).
It works.... sorta.
IE now comes up, but when he goes to the WinUpdate site, it gives the
message about his security settings being too high, etc (despite the
fact I lowered his security settings all the way down).


Will doing what you suggest below still help?

So what we want to do is fix this. Well here is one suggestion. Go
into the registry (Start | regedit | OK) to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed
Components

In here you will search for "express" and again for "explorer" w/o the
quotes. You should find Outlook Express version installed and
Internet Explorer version installed. OEX is this one:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed
Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}

The IE one is also in there but as I have not changed my IE in
Windows 2000 I cannot be sure. But check:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed
Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}

Both of these keys have a Name called IsInstalled. Make sure the the
Data value for them is 0. After you make that change Install IE 6
SP1 as that is the only IE version available at Microsoft's web site.
Do NOT reboot first. HTH

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
(e-mail address removed) Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
Computer Systems Manager MSN IM: (e-mail address removed)
Department of Physics ph: 979-845-7801
Texas A&M University fax: 979-845-2590

 

[George Hester]

Yes if you are willing to go to IE 6 SP1. I should probably shut my trap
about that browser in Windows 2000 but as I try to point out the gotchas in
my posts IE 6 SP1 has a nasty gotcha in Windows 2000. If your user will be
working with XML files and you get Exception errors I may be able to solve
that for you. No guarantee though. But as the user is in a position of
being unable to access Windows Update because the security settings are set
too high and you know they're not, installing IE 6 SP1 may be the only
alternative.

Now first let's be clear about something. The Windows Update site is called
just that. Not WinUpdate. There are many spoofs on the Net so we have to
be clear about that. I am going to assume you mean:

http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Tell me when does the user receive the Secuity warning? Right away as the
page loads? After the scan is initiated? When exactly? Does the user have
any AV software installed? They can interfere with successful browsing of
sites which use ActiveX which the Windows Update site does. Also make sure
scripting and ActiceX in IE Properties | Security | Custom Level | are
enabled. Not Prompt.

Finally there is a Certificate update for Windows 2000 that can be necessary
for successful Windows Update use. I got mine from Verisign but I think
Microsoft has the location:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;834438

 

[Chris Barnes]

Yes if you are willing to go to IE 6 SP1. I should probably shut my
trap about that browser in Windows 2000 but as I try to point out the
gotchas in my posts IE 6 SP1 has a nasty gotcha in Windows 2000.

Actually, the user decided that upgrading the WinXP Pro is a better
option. ;-)

Now first let's be clear about something. The Windows Update site is
called just that. Not WinUpdate. There are many spoofs on the Net
so we have to be clear about that. I am going to assume you mean:
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

Yes, that site. I was simply abbreviating out of laziness.

Tell me when does the user receive the Secuity warning? Right away
as the page loads? After the scan is initiated? When exactly?

After the scan starts.

Does the user have any AV software installed? They can interfere with
successful browsing of sites which use ActiveX which the Windows
Update site does. Also make sure scripting and ActiceX in IE
Properties | Security | Custom Level | are enabled. Not Prompt.

Norton AV 8.1 Corp Ed. It hasn't intereferred w/ updates on anyone
else's machine here...

If he hadn't already started installing WinXP, I would have checked the
ActiveX next.

Finally there is a Certificate update for Windows 2000 that can be
necessary for successful Windows Update use. I got mine from
Verisign but I think Microsoft has the location:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;834438

That is helpful to know. I'll save that for future reference.


--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
(e-mail address removed) Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
Computer Systems Manager MSN IM: (e-mail address removed)
Department of Physics ph: 979-845-7801
Texas A&M University fax: 979-845-2590