Ron Schenone

How To Uninstall Internet Explorer Version 7 – Method #2

Posted by on Dec 21, 2006 | 47 Comments

It seems that some who tried to use the first method I posted still could not get Internet Explorer 7 off of their system. I did locate an article from Microsoft’s MSDN site which has a second method you may wish to try to get IE 7 uninstalled. Here it is:

Method 2: Run the Spuninst.exe program that is in the IE7 folder

If you cannot uninstall Internet Explorer 7 by using Method 1, use the uninstaller file that is available in the IE7 folder to uninstall Internet Explorer 7. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Click Start, click Run, type %windir%\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe, and then click OK.Note In this command, %windir% points to the Drive:\Windows folder. The placeholder Drive represents the hard disk partition that contains the Windows operating system files. By default, the IE7 folder is a hidden folder. Therefore, you may have to make this folder visible. To do this, follow these steps:
    1. Open Windows Explorer.
    2. On the Tools menu, click Folder Options.
    3. Click the View tab.
    4. In the Advanced settings list, under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders, and then click OK.
  2. Follow the wizard instructions to uninstall Internet Explorer 7.
  3. After you uninstall Internet Explorer 7, double-click the Internet Explorer icon to verify that Internet Explorer 6 is restored.”

WARNING! USE THIS AT YOUR OWN PERIL. AND I WOULD MAKE A RESTORE POINT FIRST !

[tags]uninstall, internet explorer 7, method #2, [/tags]

  • http://www.ie-vista.com Sandi

    How to uninstall IE7 (it is different depending on the version installed):
    http://www.ie-vista.com/kbase2.html

  • paul

    you’re a lifesaver, 2 out of 3 computers at firestation were down with this problem!!!!!!

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Paul,
    Thanks for the comment and I am glad it worked for you.

    Regards, Ron

  • Jon Linch

    Thanks!

    I was upgrading the home computer which my wife relies on for work. I was in trouble in more ways than one.

    Thanks again

    JonL

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Jon,
    You are welcome.
    All the best, Ron

  • Geraldo

    Excellent. Needless to say IE7 is banished, never to be sen again and we are back with trusty old Firefox. Thank you.

  • Push

    Hi

    I have had the same problem and found it very frustrating.

    I tried method 1 – failed

    Method 2 was working until the process failed to find some exe files on the registry (IE7 file in the windows folder).

    There were two problems that I discovered: Firstly, some of these files were hidden in another IE folder called IE7(2); secondly, the files that could not be found were labeled appropriately but had 000 at the end. I relabeled them by adding 000 to the end of each label in the registry and the uninstall then progressed. (Hope this makes sense and was the correct thing to do!)

    At the end of this all my problems resolved. I have changed to Firefox now and so far so good.

    Considering that I am normally useless with this sort of thing, I was considerably pleased with myself.

    Hope it helps others

    Push

  • http://n/a Per K Fredlund

    Hi! This looks like it’s worth an effort. I have some instability issues with my winxp pro installation after having had ie7 pushed into my pc automatically through windows update. Ok partially my fault i could have cancelled and done manual update when i saw IE7 on the list, but i have a machine at work with ie7 working fine so i wasn’t worried about it. I gonna let you know if this uninstall also works for winxp. I do not have nor intend to get Vista, at least until a (few)service pack(s) has been released..

    Regards :-)

    -Per

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Per K Fredlund,
    Good luck with the uninstall. I hope it goes smoothly for you.

    Also try the first method as well. This worked on my system just fine. But as with any computer, your mileage may vary.

    http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/2006/12/11/how-to-uninstall-internet-explorer-7/

  • Per K Fredlund

    Hi :-)

    The uninstall went fine. I also checked various other sources of instability. And after also uninstalling the ATI drivers/software and replacing with windows update drivers my system was back to being rock solid again. I will stick to avant for tabbed IE-browsing from now on. IE7 – stay away !!!

    -Per

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Per K Fredlund,
    Alright. Glad it went well. And thanks for letting us know.

    Ron

  • charles

    thanx so much for this information, you save me lots of time and stress. lol

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Charles,
    You are welcome.

  • Dark

    Thank for the help! The uninstall went along great!
    I was having trouble with my computer afer I installed IE7, but now it’s back to normal. Yay~!

    - Da

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Dark,
    Thanks for letting us know. Ron

  • http://www.worldwideinfo247.com/index.html Joseph

    Thanks for posting this info….it really help solved my problem. If its ok with you… I would like to write a short article about this subject and link it to your website, so that other people with the same problem can find it. Thanks Again

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Joseph,
    No problem. I appreciate you asking and please go ahead and link to my post. I think it is a gret idea to spread the word as much as possible.
    Best regards, Ron

  • Spud

    You are a gentleman, method 2 worked a treat and saved a format job, thanks

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Spud,
    Glad it worked for you.
    Regards, Ron

  • Ron H

    Unbelieveably AWESOME!!! How incredibly simple.

    I have been struggling with this issue for nearly 2 weeks, trying all kinds of things listed on the Microsoft helpless site.

    Uninstalled IE7 per your instructions and all the programs appear to be operating correctly. Now I can get some homework done.

    In addition to IE not working correctly,and the other issues reported, Adobe 8.0, Solidworks, Norton Systemworks, Juno and others quit working. Plus the “Activate Windows” did not work and that countdown clock was ticking.

    Interestingly, spawning ATT allowed Internet access, but only vicariously by manually typing the address in- Favorites did not work- and following linkd, but Quicken One Step Update accessed everything OK.

    The Red Herring that I started following was the error message saying that Microsoft.NET Framework 1.1.4…had an error on line 1 position 21. I kept trying to fix Framework, with no success.

    Tax time nearly here and could not use the internet to use TurboTax and was getting DESPARATE to resolve this and pacify the wife.

    I finally stumbled onto your website while attempting one last search using the school computers, before having to reformat or install on a blank hard drive. What a blessing. You have saved me a ton of hassle.

    I like a couple of features of IE7 and may try it again AFTER TAXES are done, and I feel adventurous.

    I have saved your website to my Favorites.

    Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
    Ron

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Ron,
    I’m glad you were successful in getting IE7 off of your system.
    All the best, Ron

  • Vivienne

    I had a technician look at my computer for a couple of problems, while he was here he installed Autopatcher, since then I have had problems and it automatically dl IE7. After falling on your site lol, I successfully managed to get rid of it and all was fine. Today I have it back! I wonder if this autopatcher thing is reinstalling it automatically? I have just been trying to uninstall IE7 AGAIN and I keep getting a copy error
    “setup cannot copy the file ieeula.chm???? Help! Please. Thank you in advance.

    P.S. I am a computer blonde!

  • Vivienne

    Forgot, this is followed by a couple of other errors!

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello Vivienne,
    Autopatcher is actually a convenient way to quickly update a system with the latest fixes and patches from Microsoft, without having to downloading them. It sounds like your system may have not been updated for awhile and the tech, chose this method to bring your system up to date.

    The error you mentioned is a Windows help file, which has nothing to do with IE 7.

    Also, and this is just a guess, it appears the tech. may have enabled Windows auto updater, and IE 7 has been reinstalled on your system.

    I would recommend that you call the tech. and explain the problem you are having and that you don’t want IE 7 on the system. There is also the possibility that something else may be causing the system error, i.e. a bug of some type.

    Trying to fix this on your own, could cause additional system problems.

    Hope this helps, Ron

    PS FWIW – had I originally repaired your system and issues surfaced after the repair, I would not charge my client. But that’s just me. :-)

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  • Stephen

    This Method 2 worked like a charm. Had pc’s at work that were giving the error, “The Requested Lookup Key Was Not Found In Any Active Activation Context” I had tried everything, but this solution….SWEET!!!

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Stephen,
    Glad it worked for you.
    Ron

  • Anthony

    Hi Ron

    Following on from all the other comments, I would also like to express my thanks over this issue. My problem revolved around our Small Business Server R2; it ‘turned up’ its toes in a rather spectacular fashion and after installation/recovery required activation within 3 days. Its inability to activate with Microsoft and ‘Blank’ pages in the SBS Server Management Console was driving me to distraction! Interestingly, I also discovered an error message “The requested look up key was not found in any activation context …” whilst accessing the internet, and ‘googling’ the error message finally brought me to your site. Well, it’s all working again, so a very big THANK YOU!

    Kind regards

    Anthony

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello Anthony,
    You are most welcome.
    Regards, Ron

  • BWAN

    hey ron,
    holy crap are you a genius! i;m in med school right now and we have all this web-based, PDF-format stuff we have to lookat. unfortunately, my problems with IE were somehow affecting Adobe, which i uninstalled and reinstalled like a gazillion times. anway, i copied and pasted that “spuninst” code into the Run tab and rebooted and “Viola!” i;,m back and running and a big ron-fan besides. anyways, you have my gratitude for making making such a colossal pain in my head go away so quickly.

    best,
    BWAN

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello Bwan,
    I’m glad it worked for you. All the very best in your medical studies.
    Regards, Ron .

  • miguel agawin

    I’m using vista and I can’t find the “run” option when I click on “start.” How do I create a restore point?

  • miguel agawin

    okay, I found out “run” by simply searching it but it can’t find that location “%windir%\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe.”

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello miguel,
    In the RUN command box – type in the command:
    “%windir%\ie7\spuninst\spuninst.exe

    OR just copy and past it into the box.

    Here is how to create a Restore Point.
    http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-10878_11-6159394.html

  • http://www.wabuf.com Matthew

    Hey Ron,
    This seems to be helpful, but only to XP users. My Vista is set up in a way that there is no “IE7″ folder in the Windows folder. I’ve done full system searches, unhid everything and still cannot find any trace of the Spuninst app. It’ll work on my XP laptop, but IE is working fine on it, and there is no need.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Matthew,
    That is correct. When I posted this back in December 2006, Vista hadn’t been released yet. With Vista, IE is integrated to the OS. You can upgrade, but not downgrade. At least that is my understanding from what I have read.

    Regards, Ron

  • http://www.wabuf.com Matthew

    Thanks Ron!
    That would explain my problem with popups when I open normal folders and say; My Computer… what I failed to realize was the fact that there is an active address bar in every folder window (portal to IE and the internet).
    Well, I’ll just have to do a reinstall then.

    Thanks for the help!

  • Nancy

    Ron,

    I’m not sure this is the right place to ask this particular question – if not, let me know. Google led me to you, as my problem seems to be related to the issue in this thread, although not in the same way it has for others.

    The short version of my problem has to do with the file Wndiows/System32/urlmon.dll. Apparently this file has become corrupted, and it’s affecting all kinds of programs. Most importantly, Windows Explorer won’t load, and I get the usual “has to shut down, sorry for the inconvenience” message. The same thing happens when I try to use Control Panel to check Add/Remove Programs. I’ve had to resort to using the cmd function to try replacing the file with a fresh copy, but I can’t get access. Every thing I’ve tried has met with a dead end.

    What I’m wondering is if I should try uninstalling IE7, even though I rarely use it. (I’m a dedicated Firefox user, but there are sites which will only let you use IE.) Will this remove the offending file so I can replace it with a fresh version?

    I’m extremely frustrated because this is happening on my work machine, and I’m leaving on vacation on Friday!!

    Thanks.

    Nancy

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hello Nancy,
    Try doing a System Restore to a point before you originally starting having problems.

  • Nancy

    I’m not sure how to do this, and when I went to find out how, Help and Support crashes too. I’m actually not sure if I had the XP system restore activated, because I have Norton GoBack. However, that also crashes.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Nancy,
    GoBack would replace System Restore. If that also is crashing I would suspect you may have a virus or other problem with the system.

    You can try posting your problem in the http//:www.help.lockergnome.com forum.

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  • Asif

    Thanks a lot dear Ron Schenone. I was reinstalled the IE 7.

  • orlando

    Hi Ron Schenone
    thanks for the information, I had problem
    at first with the same situation and I did it as
    Method #1 but from MS2 ” Command Prompt”
    and went just well.

    thanks for the information.

    I payd many dlls to a person to fix my computer
    because I dont have enoght time to do it my self

    but I found out this problem after I paid the money
    so this help me I lot.
    thanks..

    I am from Mexico

  • http://www.msn.com/ Logi Josef Gudmundsson

    MSN EXPLORER BROWSER – THE TOUCHY-FEELY ALTERNATIVE TO IE

    In addition to Internet Explorer, Microsoft had included its new breed of Web browser in the XP package. Dubbed MSN Explorer, it is more personalized than IE6. To use it, you need to have a Microsoft “Passport” or Hotmail address, which is covered in the next section.

    Begin to opening MSN Explorer from the Start menu, click the butterfly icon. If you are online, a wizard will guide you through the procedure to set up MSN Explorer. You will only need to do this once. Signing on in the future will be simpler and can be automated. After you are signed in to MSN Explorer you will see a window similar to Figure 9.13. Notice that it is already customized somewhat, goving you a personal greeting tailored to your time zone. Information about the city in which you live (according to the ZIP Code you gave when you signed up for Hotmail) is also prominent. The toolbar shows how many new Hotmail messages are waiting for you. Simply click the mail button to display your Web-based Hotmail inbox. If you have MSN Messenger buddies, a number next to the icon will show you how many of them are online. By clicking the icon, a drop-down list appears with Messenger options to connect you with your buddies.

  • http://www.msn.com/ Logi Josef Gudmundsson

    The downside to all of this customizations is that you cannot choose your own home page in MSN Explorer. The home page is permanently set to http://www.msn.com, although you can personalize it by choosing the MSN features and news you want to see. In addition, if you are frustrated that a significant portion of the main MSN Explorer screen is used for tool and navigation bars, you can make a bit more room for viewing Web pages by minimizing the one on the left (see Figure 9.18).

    Fans of Internet Explorer who open mulitple IE windows while surfing the Web might be frustrates with the multiple-window format that MSN Explorer uses. The easiest way to open up additional windows is to press Ctrl+N while within MSN Explorer. Or, you can click More Choices to the right of the address bar and select New Window from the drop-down list. Each new window that opens will be in a different format from the main MSN Explorer window-the My Stuff and main toolbars will not appear, leaving more room to view Web pages. It´s all connected, more so than in other programs: Closing the main MSN Explorer window wlll close all ist subwindows.

    MSN Explorer does have its advantages: with personalized content and the possibilities of multiple users on a single computer, you can sign on and be sure to see all of the information that you want to see. This includes email, an integrated calendar, your MSN buddy list, favorite Web sites, stock quotes, and more. Since the information is Web-based, it is particularly handy when traveling. You can sign on to MSN Explorer from any computer and have all you personalized settings at your disposal. The information about your home town will make it easier to keep in touch, get local weather forecasts and news, and possibly alleviate homesickness.

    To add a user, click Add New User from the opening screen of MSN Explorer. (You will need to sign out if you are already signed in.) Each User chooses a unique picture, which is used as in identifying icon, making it easier to see who´s who.