How to roll back IE by X to just IE

June 28, 2005 11:13 AM

In setting up access to my cable internet the cable company's set-up CD installed Internet Explorer by "so-and-so." I hate this. I know (assume, I guess) it was created with Microsoft's Internet Explorer Administration Kit (IEAK). I also know you can't really uninstall IE, but is it possible to uninstall these IEAK customizations? A free "IE-cleaner" download or step by step clean-up instructions would be great!
posted by clgregor to computers & internet (7 comments total)

For the love of God, man; do you love exploits, spyware, malware, crapware, pop-ups, pop-unders, and ads? Run Firefox.
posted by keswick at 11:21 AM on June 28, 2005

Oh I do run Firefox. But for the occasional site that 'needs' IE I want it nice and clean.
posted by clgregor at 11:26 AM on June 28, 2005

See here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/176497/EN-US/
posted by jpoulos at 11:33 AM on June 28, 2005

My DSL install cd gave me the option of installing their version of a browser or not. Before you go through the effort of fixing this, re-run the install cd and see if that option exist for you.

First, BACK UP YOUR BOOK MARKS. I didn't loose mine but I make no guarantees that you won't.

To get a normal IE back get your OS/recovery disk (you might not even need it to do this) and go to the control panel, add remove programs, add remove windows components. If you see the browser you don't want as an option, uncheck it. If you don't, uncheck IE and click next. When this is done go back in and check IE, then click next.

This should give you back the normal IE.

No, I use Mozilla.
posted by 517 at 11:46 AM on June 28, 2005

SpyBot also offers a fix to change the "Internet Explorer by X" line.

Way back in the dark ages, Comcast did the same thing to me when they bought out ATT Broadband. I naively thought the fix would save me time over changing the pop3 mail settings and instead got stuck with that and a bunch of spyware.
posted by BigFatWhale at 12:41 PM on June 28, 2005

If this were me, I'd search the registry for the string which shows up in your IE title bar "provided by Such-and-Such" and simply edit it. Beware messing in the registry is dangerous.
posted by TuxHeDoh at 12:51 PM on June 28, 2005

You can access a lot of these settings by using the Microsoft Management Console (mmc).

Go to Start > Run, and type mmc

From there, choose Console > Add/Remove Snap-In. Click Add. Choose Group Policy. Click Add. Click Finish. Click Close. Click Ok.

Now, expand the User Configuration tree, go to Windows Settings, Internet Explorer Maintenance, and then Browser User Interface.

Here's where you can set the logo, the title bar, toolbars, etc.

Also visit User Configuration \ Administrative Templates \ Windows Components \ Internet Explorer. Here you'll find other things, like "Disable external branding of Internet Explorer."

This is all from a Windows 2000 perspective. It should be similar enough to XP that you'll be able to follow along. Hope this helps!
posted by odinsdream at 12:54 PM on June 28, 2005