How to disable or remove Internet Explorer 11?

I found this web page:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rer-on-windows

It says, "Applies to: Windows 10, version 1909, all editions"


First method:
"Press the Windows logo key+R to open the Run box.
Type appwiz.cpl, and then select OK.
In the Programs and Features item, select Turn Window features on or
off.
In the Windows Features dialog box, locate the entry for the installed
version of Internet Explorer. For example, locate the Internet
Explorer 11 entry. Then, clear the check box."

The problem with this is that the dialog box comes up blank. This may
be something, such as a service, that I disabled, but I don't know
what.


Second method:
"To disable Internet Explorer 11, run the following command at an
elevated command prompt:

dism /online /Disable-Feature
/FeatureName:Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64

The following message is returned:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Disabling feature(s)
[===================100.0%===================]
The operation completed successfully.
Restart Windows to complete this operation.
Do you want to restart the computer now (Y/N)?"

The problem with this is that DISM says:
"The disable-feature option is unknown."


Anybody know how to actually accomplish disable-or-remove?

-dan z-



--
Protect your civil rights!
Let the politicians know how you feel.
Join or donate to the NRA today!
http://membership.nrahq.org/default....ignid=XR014887

Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.

On 2020-04-18 5:58 p.m., KenW wrote:
On Sat, 18 Apr 2020 18:31:57 -0400, slate_leeper
wrote:

I found this web page:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rer-on-windows

It says, "Applies to: Windows 10, version 1909, all editions"


First method:
"Press the Windows logo key+R to open the Run box.
Type appwiz.cpl, and then select OK.
In the Programs and Features item, select Turn Window features on or
off.
In the Windows Features dialog box, locate the entry for the installed
version of Internet Explorer. For example, locate the Internet
Explorer 11 entry. Then, clear the check box."

The problem with this is that the dialog box comes up blank. This may
be something, such as a service, that I disabled, but I don't know
what.


Second method:
"To disable Internet Explorer 11, run the following command at an
elevated command prompt:

dism /online /Disable-Feature
/FeatureName:Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64

The following message is returned:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Disabling feature(s)
[===================100.0%===================]
The operation completed successfully.
Restart Windows to complete this operation.
Do you want to restart the computer now (Y/N)?"

The problem with this is that DISM says:
"The disable-feature option is unknown."


Anybody know how to actually accomplish disable-or-remove?

-dan z-

IE is so intertwined into Windows, good luck and make sure you have a
drive image to restore.


KenW


Why bother removing it? If you don't like it don't use it!

Rene

"slate_leeper" wrote

| First method:
| "Press the Windows logo key+R to open the Run box.
| Type appwiz.cpl, and then select OK.
| In the Programs and Features item, select Turn Window features on or
| off.
| In the Windows Features dialog box, locate the entry for the installed
| version of Internet Explorer. For example, locate the Internet
| Explorer 11 entry. Then, clear the check box."
|
| The problem with this is that the dialog box comes up blank. This may
| be something, such as a service, that I disabled, but I don't know
| what.
|

Why not just go through Control Panel? These tweaking
sites like to sound mysterious with their command line stuff,
but they're just making things difficult.

Though if I remember correctly, removing IE has been a scam
for a long time. I think it just removes the shortcut. It can't
remove the bulk of it, anyway. iexplore.exe is just a graphical
frontend for what Microsoft considers to be Windows Internet
functionality. History, cookies, cache and Internet API are all
indistinguishable from IE. Libraries like urlmon.dll and wininet.dll
come with IE.

slate_leeper wrote:

I found this web page:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rer-on-windows

It says, "Applies to: Windows 10, version 1909, all editions"

First method:
"Press the Windows logo key+R to open the Run box.
Type appwiz.cpl, and then select OK.
In the Programs and Features item, select Turn Window features on or
off.
In the Windows Features dialog box, locate the entry for the installed
version of Internet Explorer. For example, locate the Internet
Explorer 11 entry. Then, clear the check box."

The problem with this is that the dialog box comes up blank. This may
be something, such as a service, that I disabled, but I don't know
what.

Second method:
"To disable Internet Explorer 11, run the following command at an
elevated command prompt:

dism /online /Disable-Feature
/FeatureName:Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64

The following message is returned:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Disabling feature(s)
[===================100.0%===================]
The operation completed successfully.
Restart Windows to complete this operation.
Do you want to restart the computer now (Y/N)?"

The problem with this is that DISM says:
"The disable-feature option is unknown."

Anybody know how to actually accomplish disable-or-remove?

That you disable or remove IE won't stop programs from trying to
continue using its libraries, like HTAs (HTML Applications), or call IE
using an internal function, like when you ask for help but the program
wants to load IE to go to a web page for the document. You'd have to
wait until the author updates their program to use whatever is the
default web client rather than hardcoding into the program a call or
command line to a specific one. If you managed to remove IE, some
program may crash or issue errors or just do nothing when they attempt
to use IE.

Microsoft's method #1 does not remove IE. It doesn't even remove files
for IE. All it does it remove access to IE using commands and probably
also removes programmatic access to IE from within programs (but that
doesn't mean the programs are aware IE access was disabled).

Which dialog box came up blank? When you tried to run appwiz.cpl (which
is the Add/Remove Programs wizard)? If so, what happens when you load
the Control Panel (control.exe), and click on Uninstall a Program link?

Or is it when you get the Add/Remove Programs wizard that you click on
the "Turn Windows features on or off" link in the left panel, and its
that next window that is blank? Are you logged into a Windows account
that has admin privileges when you try to access the Windows features
dialog? Enabling or disabling Windows features does so across *all*
Windows accounts, not just the account under which you are currently
logged into. To make global changes to Windows features requires admin
privileges.

For method #2, are you running a 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 10?
Is the command shell running with elevated privileges in which you run
DISM? Just using the "Command Prompt" shortcut does *not* load a
command shell with elevated privileges. Right-click on the "Command
Prompt" shortcut, and select "Run as administrator". First load the
command shell with elevated privileges (so you see a black window
showing the command prompt), and then run DISM.

On Sat, 18 Apr 2020 21:41:55 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:

slate_leeper wrote:

I found this web page:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...rer-on-windows

It says, "Applies to: Windows 10, version 1909, all editions"

First method:
"Press the Windows logo key+R to open the Run box.
Type appwiz.cpl, and then select OK.
In the Programs and Features item, select Turn Window features on or
off.
In the Windows Features dialog box, locate the entry for the installed
version of Internet Explorer. For example, locate the Internet
Explorer 11 entry. Then, clear the check box."

The problem with this is that the dialog box comes up blank. This may
be something, such as a service, that I disabled, but I don't know
what.

Second method:
"To disable Internet Explorer 11, run the following command at an
elevated command prompt:

dism /online /Disable-Feature
/FeatureName:Internet-Explorer-Optional-amd64

The following message is returned:

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Image Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Disabling feature(s)
[===================100.0%===================]
The operation completed successfully.
Restart Windows to complete this operation.
Do you want to restart the computer now (Y/N)?"

The problem with this is that DISM says:
"The disable-feature option is unknown."

Anybody know how to actually accomplish disable-or-remove?

That you disable or remove IE won't stop programs from trying to
continue using its libraries, like HTAs (HTML Applications), or call IE
using an internal function, like when you ask for help but the program
wants to load IE to go to a web page for the document. You'd have to
wait until the author updates their program to use whatever is the
default web client rather than hardcoding into the program a call or
command line to a specific one. If you managed to remove IE, some
program may crash or issue errors or just do nothing when they attempt
to use IE.

Microsoft's method #1 does not remove IE. It doesn't even remove files
for IE. All it does it remove access to IE using commands and probably
also removes programmatic access to IE from within programs (but that
doesn't mean the programs are aware IE access was disabled).

Which dialog box came up blank? When you tried to run appwiz.cpl (which
is the Add/Remove Programs wizard)? If so, what happens when you load
the Control Panel (control.exe), and click on Uninstall a Program link?

Or is it when you get the Add/Remove Programs wizard that you click on
the "Turn Windows features on or off" link in the left panel, and its
that next window that is blank? Are you logged into a Windows account
that has admin privileges when you try to access the Windows features
dialog? Enabling or disabling Windows features does so across *all*
Windows accounts, not just the account under which you are currently
logged into. To make global changes to Windows features requires admin
privileges.

For method #2, are you running a 32- or 64-bit version of Windows 10?
Is the command shell running with elevated privileges in which you run
DISM? Just using the "Command Prompt" shortcut does *not* load a
command shell with elevated privileges. Right-click on the "Command
Prompt" shortcut, and select "Run as administrator". First load the
command shell with elevated privileges (so you see a black window
showing the command prompt), and then run DISM.


The blank box is control-panel - Programs - Turn Windows features
on or off. The box is headed "Windows Features."

RE DISM: Tried running as Administrator and running as System (via
ExecTI).

-dan z-


--
Protect your civil rights!
Let the politicians know how you feel.
Join or donate to the NRA today!
http://membership.nrahq.org/default....ignid=XR014887

Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.

slate_leeper wrote:

The blank box is control-panel - Programs - Turn Windows features
on or off. The box is headed "Windows Features."

Go into Services (services.msc) and check the state of the Windows
Modules Installer service. It should have a startup mode of Manual
which means it will start when called by something else. You do not
want this service disabled. With it set to Manual, click on the Start
button to check that its starts okay (status = Running). Some users (or
overly aggressive tweakers or scripts they use) will disable this
service when trying to kill off the forced Windows updates.

If your install of Windows 10 is not genuine, you cannot use all the
Windows features, and perhaps why that dialog is empty. Could be you
never activated your installation of Windows. Make sure it is
activated: in the Search taskbar button, enter "windows activ", select
"See if Windows is activated", select it, and check if that dialog says
if Windows is activated or not. After activation and reboot, retry the
Windows Features dialog.

RE DISM: Tried running as Administrator and running as System (via
ExecTI).

Don't try to run dism.exe elevated. Open a command shell that is
elevated, and then run dism.exe inside the shell. You could also try
using SFC (system file checker) by running inside an elevated command
shell:

sfc.exe /scannow

Reboot and retest. It that doesn't help, but DISM can still run, try
cleaning up the WinSxS store and check health of the OS:

To clean WinSxS, there are 3 ways:
- Go into Task Scheduler, navigate down to:
Task Scheduler Library\Microsoft\Windows\Servicing
and right-click on the StartComponentCleanup task to Run it.
- Or, use DISM in an elevated command shell to run:
Dism.exe /online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

You'll notice the Task Scheduler event has no triggers; i.e., it is not
scheduled to run at specific intervals. It is a custom task that gets
called by something else, like the installer service or some system
cleanup routine.

To check health, run:

dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /AnalyzeComponentStore

That just gives some info about what will get cleaned up out of the
WinSxS component store. Don't try cleaning up WinSxS by yourself with
manual editing. Use the Windows-provided tools.

dism.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

This is similar to using the Task Scheduler event noted above;
however, prior versions of updated components are immediately deleted,
so no 30-day grace period, and no 1-hour timeout limitation. I
suggest you save a image backup of your OS partition before using DISM
(even for when you're trying to get rid of IE).

DISM will take a long time to run. Some info about this is at:

https://win10.guru/dism-analyzecompo...ponentcleanup/

On Sun, 19 Apr 2020 11:40:50 -0500, VanguardLH wrote:


Very helpful. Thank you very much.

-dan z-



--
Protect your civil rights!
Let the politicians know how you feel.
Join or donate to the NRA today!
http://membership.nrahq.org/default....ignid=XR014887

Gun control is like trying to reduce drunk driving by making it tougher for sober people to own cars.