reset IE to default settings

[John Shaw]

Hi, I would like to incorporate a few IE related tasks in a
batch script of mine which requires no user interaction and runs on multiple
machines with multiple OS's, not all of them attached to a network either -
though all machines will have at least IE6. I have no worries in making
different code for different OS's if that needs to be the case. perhaps I
can find help here?

I would like to reset IE to all default values in all areas ... (advanced
tab) settings, reset web settings, reset privacy/cookie settings, clear ssl
state, and reset all zones to default values.

I realize each of these settings may require multiple registry keys and
values to import - or is there an easier way, such as using rundll32 a few
times with some obscure strings.....

If that isn't possible, I'm not entirely opposed to a very small,
stand-alone (i.e. doesn't need to be "installed" on the target machine) 3rd
party app if such a beast exists and can run with command line parameters
without user interaction other than maybe a one button prompt at most.

Can anyone help me out, even with just any one of these tasks on any one OS,
or point me in the right direction to look for help?

Thanks!

 

[Hans Le Roy]

Hi John,

My first thought is: wouldn't that be a task for the IEAK / Internet
Explorer ADministrator Kit
(http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/ie/ieak/downloads/ieak6/ieak6s
p1.mspx)?

Kind regards

Hans Le Roy
MS MVP Windows/IE-OE

 

[John Shaw]

Hmm, ya know I was thinking about that as I was writing, but having used it
LONG ago just to deploy, not clean up after IE, I wrote it off. Still
skeptical, but let me see if that can do the job...

 

[John Shaw]

Well since there is no maintenance mode that I can find, and I'm not trying
to setup user restrictions, I am assuming that a quite reinstall of IE 6 on
the target machine would reset all of these values to default?

That would work for me except for one exception that I just realized.. (and
as I was just about to get excited too.) a flat install of IE6 is quite a
bit larger in size than the small script or app I was hoping for; generally
if it can't fit on a floppy, it's unfortunatley too large for my use in this
case ...

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

Hi, I would like to incorporate a few IE related tasks in a
batch script of mine which requires no user interaction and runs on multiple
machines with multiple OS's, not all of them attached to a network either -
though all machines will have at least IE6. I have no worries in making
different code for different OS's if that needs to be the case. perhaps I
can find help here?

I would like to reset IE to all default values in all areas ... (advanced
tab) settings, reset web settings, reset privacy/cookie settings, clear ssl
state, and reset all zones to default values.

I realize each of these settings may require multiple registry keys and
values to import - or is there an easier way, such as using rundll32 a few
times with some obscure strings.....

I would try looking at using an .inf file
or modifying an existing one.
Look at FixIE.inf and iereset.inf as models.

Note: I have never done this personally but supposedly
this is a technique (especially the iereset.inf case)
which some Searchbar hijackers use
for trying to perpetuate their modifications.

Perhaps you can find further ideas along this line
using these terms as search keywords.
If you find anything useful I hope you will report back
and share.


Good luck

Robert Aldwinckle
---

 

[John Shaw]

I would try looking at using an .inf file
or modifying an existing one.
Look at FixIE.inf and iereset.inf as models.

Note: I have never done this personally but supposedly
this is a technique (especially the iereset.inf case)
which some Searchbar hijackers use
for trying to perpetuate their modifications.

Perhaps you can find further ideas along this line
using these terms as search keywords.
If you find anything useful I hope you will report back
and share.

Great info, thanks! I completely forgot about that angle. Though the
iereset.inf is a good start, it's just a drop in the bucket to all that I am
trying to accomplish; I'll of course have to modify it, remove the homepage
reset as I'm not interested in that, few other things -- But there are tons
of .inf's related to IE not just on a system, like iereset.inf and ie.inf
(that's a goodie) but in a flat install directory of IE6, say from the
output of the IEAK... surely one of those will have the rest of what I
need - then again, as with most tasks, I have this feeling I won't be able
to do everything by using just one method...

BTW for anyone interested, the command line to install an .inf file (as
opposed to a right click > install) is " rundll32
syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction DefaultInstall 128 .\iereset.inf "
obviously change the .inf name to suit your needs, and assumes the .inf is
in your current working directory...

If/when I find out the rest, I'll surely report my findings back in this
thread! Hopefully I'll have the time to get it done before the weekend or
else it'll be next week. :\

Thanks again!

 

[John Shaw]

BTW for anyone interested, the command line to install an .inf file (as
opposed to a right click > install) is " rundll32
syssetup,SetupInfObjectInstallAction DefaultInstall 128 .\iereset.inf "
obviously change the .inf name to suit your needs, and assumes the .inf is
in your current working directory...

allow me to eat my words really quick... perhaps that command line is for
something else, I had that hidden in my bag of tricks somewhere and must've
forgotten why, because trying it that way failed. A quick google turned up
this:

" rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132
C:\windows\inf\iereset.inf "

This way works great. I'm gonna have to re-learn what I thought I knew
about that one.

Cheers

 

[Robert Aldwinckle]

" rundll32.exe setupapi,InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132
C:\windows\inf\iereset.inf "

Good tip. Thanks. That got me right into the IE6 RK.

This way works great. I'm gonna have to re-learn what I thought I knew
about that one.

In my case I have only ever glanced at it before.
I have never really known when I encountered one what were hardcoded
labels and what were arbitrary names. It looks as if a lot more is
fixed than I thought.

Cheers

Good luck

Robert
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