Removing IE

[herme3]

I've discovered the secret to safely remove Internet Explorer from your computer permanently. It's a little difficult, and impossible to do manually. However, I created a program that will uninstall it. Do you think people would buy it, and do you think Microsoft would be able to sue me if I did sell it?

[ecoli]

don't do it... you need IE to open folders and things like that.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

With the number of programs that use IE as an internal rendering engine, I'd have to say it's impractical. Besides, removing it is incredibly difficult - I'd like to hear how you managed.

[encipher]

It is impossible to remove Internet Explorer. Not because of its difficulty, but because it is an intergrated part of the windows shell. Don't bother, IE CANNOT be removed. Period.

[Dak]

you need IE for security updates.

 

ergo, removing IE actually lowers your PC's security.

 

Annoyingly.

 

You could allways remove permission for IE to access the internet in your firewall, and manually allow it every month when you update.

[encipher]

you need IE for security updates.

 

ergo' date=' removing IE actually lowers your PC's security.

 

Annoyingly.

 

You could allways remove permission for IE to access the internet in your firewall, and manually allow it every month when you update.[/quote']

 

No, removing IE will not lower the PC's security. It CANNOT be removed, so you can't say that it would lower the security if removed.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

You cannot access Windows Update without IE though.

[herme3]

don't do it... you need IE to open folders and things like that.

 

Not true. You are confusing Iexplore.exe with Explorer.exe. Each one seems to be a separate program with separate .dll files. Iexplore is Internet Explorer and Explorer opens folders, opens the Control Panel, and also runs the start menu and desktop.

 

Besides, removing it is incredibly difficult - I'd like to hear how you managed.

 

I'm still testing it, so I'm not ready to share the whole process yet. However, you need to delete multiple files at the exact same time. That's why you need to create a program to do it, you can't do it manually.

 

It is impossible to remove Internet Explorer. Not because of its difficulty, but because it is an intergrated part of the windows shell. Don't bother, IE CANNOT be removed. Period.

 

Here's some proof:

 

This is what happens when you open IE from the start menu:

 

This is what happens when you open IE from the desktop:

 

I will admit that I haven't deleted all of the associated .dll files yet. I'm still experimenting with those, and I'm not sure when I will finish. I have other priorities, such as some novels that I am writing. This IE project is just something that I'm doing for fun.

[Dak]

No, removing IE will not lower the PC's security. It CANNOT be removed, so you can't say that it would lower the security if removed.

 

it can

 

http://kb.mozillazine.org/Mozilla_Suite_:_FAQs_:_Remove_IE

 

I guess people might buy your program. Donationware might be a better bet (some people feel very strongly about this, so i'd imagine that you'd get a bunch of donations).

 

I'm busy at the mo, but if you want a beta tester in a weeks time, i have a virtual machine set up on my PC, so I can risk annhiolating XP by testing your tool if you want.

[bascule]

IE is required for the help system of multiple programs as well

[alt_f13]

I imagine there are a few 3rd party programs that take advantage of some of the dlls. That's not to say they cannot be downloaded when needed though. Every dll on the planet can be downloaded... commercial software or not. For some reason, noone seems to mind free downloads of their dlls.

 

(Guess VB and Vb.n stuff would be useless if this weren't the case, though.)

[encipher]

Try entering a web address in explorer. It will automatically start browsing. THAT is IE. Now IE can be disabled etc.. but it can't be removed. Its built into windows. Email M$ if you arent convinced. Not to mention that if you try and delete IE and all it's files and registry entries etc.. your system will be screwed up.

[doG]

Email M$ if you arent convinced.

Are youi suggesting that you would get an honest answer from M$ if IE could be removed?

[herme3]

Try entering a web address in explorer. It will automatically start browsing. THAT is IE. Now IE can be disabled etc.. but it can't be removed. Its built into windows

 

No. I've studied the Windows files very carefully. That is not IE. When you click on the Internet Explorer icon, the browser that opens is iexplore.exe which is Internet Explorer. Even if you type "My Computer" or another folder address in this browser, you will still be browsing in Internet Explorer.

 

Now, if you click directly on the My Computer icon or a folder, the browser that opens is explorer.exe. This is a separate application. If you type in a web address, it will load the web site in Explorer, not Internet Explorer. They are two separate programs, however they have access to the same .dll files and registry entries. You must be careful when using explorer.exe to browse the Internet. I've noticed that this will make your computer more likely to freeze if a web site crashes the browser.

 

Although these two applications might look similar because they use the same interface files, they are different. Internet Explorer has the ability to open pop-up windows from other browsers and programs. Explorer does not. Also, explorer.exe contains the coding for the start menu and desktop. Internet Explorer does not.

 

This is why if you create a toolbar for Internet Explorer, you must remember to program it to open with Internet Explorer and Explorer. If you just program it to open with Internet Explorer, it will not work when a web site is loaded with explorer.exe.

 

Email M$ if you arent convinced.

 

Microsoft said that Windows Media Player can't be uninstalled either. That is something that I have figured out how to do completely.

 

Not to mention that if you try and delete IE and all it's files and registry entries etc.. your system will be screwed up.

 

That is why I'm still testing and experimenting. I haven't tried to remove all the .dll files yet and I haven't even tried the registry entries. I doubt removing the registry entries would be necessary. If I remove all other parts of Internet Explorer, leaving the registry entries there won't make a difference.

 

From what I've seen, the web browser interface files for both Internet Explorer and Explorer are completely separate from the folder browsing files. Therefore, I'm not really sure how it will mess up the system.

[CanadaAotS]

Well I suggest you do as the above guy said, and use a virtual machine to test it. It really sucks to completely screw over your system and have to reformat

*been there MANY times haha*

[Dak]

Didn't the america v microsoft anti-trust case establish that IE could be removed without destabalising the PC, and that MS were a bit naughty for not providing an uninstaller?

[Klaynos]

Didn't the america v microsoft anti-trust case establish that IE could be removed without destabalising the PC, and that MS were a bit naughty for not providing an uninstaller?

 

Disabled from web stuff I belive, but not removed... Many elements of it are deeply integrated with the OS...

[herme3]

Well, what is "Internet Explorer"? If you say that removing Internet Explorer just requires you to delete the program itself, then it is quite easy. If you want to delete every .dll file that Internet Explorer uses, then you will have major problems. How many of the Windows files would you consider to be Internet Explorer? I don't consider any shared files to be part of it, even though they might contain some code used to browse the Internet.

[Klaynos]

Discussing it as an individule application is probably incorrect, as it is not.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Explorer_and_Windows_integration

 

Reading that, according to MS, it is infact just a brand name for some functionality of the operating system...

[Genecks]

Just allow me to boot up to DOS and let me use dosshell. Screw IE and explorer.

I want my winfile back dammit!

At least I could look at more details of a file with it, without typing crap in the virtual dos.

[Dak]

Well, given that this was originally proposed as a security improvement, you could argue that iexplore.exe is all you really need to get rid of. So, you could unregister/delete all BHOs, toolbars, active-x's (exept WGAValidator) and plug-ins (except java, which windows update uses), delete certain IE reg values (like the trusted zone entries), set the security to the highest possible and so on, and set your firewall so that IE has to ask permission for net access, to basically get a skinny, crippled IE.

 

Then, you could rename all copies of iexplore.exe to iexplore.old, to disable it completely.

 

When updating, you could rename iexplore.old to iexplore.exe, give it one-time permission to access the net, update windows, and then rename iexplore.exe to iexplore.old.

 

Would that pose any problems? I guess that certain things (like windows help center not being able to access the net like it sometimes does, and active desctops not working) would not work, but i dont think there'd be any majour issues. If the odd dll remains, i dont really think that'd be a security problem?

 

note: don't try this at home, unless you know enough about computers to fix your pc if this cripples it

[KLB]

Didn't the america v microsoft anti-trust case establish that IE could be removed without destabalising the PC, and that MS were a bit naughty for not providing an uninstaller?

That case involved Win95, which had been replaced by the time that case had ended. WinXP is a totally different beast. For starters Win95 ran on top of MS-DOS. WinXP does not have DOS, only a DOS emulating shell.

 

The best sollution for dealing with MSIE is to require your firewall to ask for permission to allow IE to access the Internet every time MSIE starts and to place the Internet Zone on high security.

[Sayonara]

Why would I want to remove IE, spite aside?

[reor]

I'm not that good with the pc, so, please don't shoot me: What about those alternative Explorer shells? Isn't it possible to replace Explorer with one of those?

[KLB]

I'm not that good with the pc, so, please don't shoot me: What about those alternative Explorer shells? Isn't it possible to replace Explorer with one of those?

Those other Explorer shells are nothing more than skins that run on top of Explorer. As a result whatever Explorer is vaulnerable to they are also vaulnerable to. The only way to avoid this risk is to use browsers that have their own rendering engines like Firefox or Opera.