Internet Explorer is one of the most mocked applications on the planet. It is hated by many and cursed by others, especially when it does not work. It seems that Microsoft keeps
rolling out new versions of the browser even before things in the last version are fixed. The truth is that without IE, we would not be able to use most of the third party browsers like AOL, Firefox and Chrome. They all rely to some extent on Internet Explorer.
The fact remains whether IE is an application or a component of Windows. In reality it is both. That is why there is no way to completely remove Internet Explorer from Windows. As much as we would like to do so, it is just not possible. There are a number of Windows components that use Internet Explorer during the course of operations so it must remain on the system at all times.
Internet Explorer is far from being a normal application. It is a hybrid, so to speak. It is a cross between an application and a windows component. Even if you delete all the shortcuts, you will never remove the program. Many times we see infected computers where IE is so corrupted that it will not even open. In cases such as this we can install third party browsers that work, in most cases, much better then Internet Explorer.
If the condition arises where Internet Explorer needs to be “reinstalled”, there are a few ways to repair it without having to re install Windows all over again. To do this, first you are going to open your Control Panel. Once in the Control Panel you are going to look for Add/Remove Programs (XP) or Programs and Features (Windows 7). You now want to look for the option to Turn Windows Features On or Off. Look for Internet Explorer and uncheck it. Follow all prompts that are issued until the operation is complete.
In order to reinstall you will have 2 choices. The first is to duplicate what we just did above and now recheck Internet Explorer where it was just unchecked. IE should now reinstall. Alternately, you can use an alternate browser such as Firefox or Maxthon to reinstall a new copy. This is usually the preferred method. Simply do a search for Internet Explorer and download only from the official Microsoft Website.
Once you have the small pre-installer downloaded, run it like you would any other program. It might take some time depending on how many updates will have to be downloaded with the install. Once installed, you will be prompted to restart your computer.
Once you have rebooted, open Internet Explorer to check and see if the issues are resolved. If not, you will have two choices. You will have to use a third party browser, which is actually recommended anyway, or you will have to reinstall Windows. I highly recommend using the third party browser option since reformatting a system is quite time consuming.
I hope this little tutorial was helpful and you are able to use it to again get your IE running again.
by Ross Deprey
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