Get our Latest Finds
Subscribe to our RSS feed or enter your email address below to get the feed delivered to you by email:
Follow Gizmo
Using this Site
Top Rated
Gizmo's Freeware is Recruiting
We are currently looking for people with skills and/or interest in the following areas:
- Anonymous Surfing Service
- Antivirus for Android
If this sounds like you then click here for more details
How to Disable Internet Explorer
|
Other Language?
|
 Read this article in Spanish |
There's no doubt that Internet Explorer has been a prime target of attack for spyware merchants and other ill-intentioned goons. That's why many folks have turned to alternate browsers for their web surfing.
If you are using another browser and don't use Internet Explorer anymore, there's a case to be made that you should remove it from your system. It is, after all, a potential security threat so, if you don't need it, why not get rid of it?
Except, getting rid of IE is not that easy. In fact, with later versions of Windows there's no satisfactory way of removing it completely without risking crippling Windows itself.
That hasn't stopped folks from trying to remove IE, however, and you can find several techniques documented on various web sites. Instead of removing IE I favor the simple and safer approach of disabling it. Sure, it may not provide the same degree of security as complete removal but that's a small price to pay compared to the cost of potentially de-stabilizing Windows.
There are several disabling techniques but I suggest the method below as it's simple, easy to reverse and doesn't interfere with the operation of the Windows Update service. Furthermore it should work with any modern version of IE.
Step 1. From IE select Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings.
Step 3. Type in "0.0.0.0" in the address box and "80" in the Port box. Don't type in the quote marks of course, just what's inside them.
Step 4. Click OK.
What you've done is set up a dummy proxy server 0.0.0.0 that goes nowhere. With these setting IE cannot make an HTML connection to the internet and vice versa. You have simply and effectively disabled IE.
There's no magic in the 0.0.0.0 address, any dead proxy address would work just as well. I've used that particular address to keep things simple.
If you ever need to re-enable Internet Explorer start it up and select Tools/Internet Options/Connections/LAN Settings from the toolbar and un-check the box "Use a Proxy Server for your LAN ...”
If you really want to remove IE more completely then you can check out these resources but, as I said, I don't recommend it.
http://www.litepc.com/ieradicator.html
http://www.nliteos.com/nlite.html
- Article type:
Printer-friendly version
Comments
unfortunately, whenever i applied the tip/tweaks firefox unable to play my favorite radio streaming, then i had to revert back the setting, and my online radio come back again on firefox. I had turn IE off / disable via 'turn on and off windows features' in control panel (windows 7 starter), as for now doesn't affect my browsing and other W7's application.
i want to know...
if i did't find the connection option in my internet option..because it has to be some setting to disable the connection option from the internet..
how can i get this option back..
one problem is there , one system is internet option not open , i click the internet explorer, that system showing the this both %some setting are managed by your system administrator,,,,how to solve the problem please i want this problem solve steps.
is there a way to disable internet explorer without disabling the anti virus update??/
Is there a way to disable internet explorer without disabling anti virus ? It is telling me the disconnect might be a part of group policy with sysytem administrator.???
Can i some how reduce memory usage of IE???
when I turned the ie connection off the other browser's connection turned off too!! what can I do??
SAME THING happened to ME... RUNNING windows 7 and I REALLY want IE gone period but tried the method of the fake proxy then tried to go into firefox and google and couldn't get on NO CONNECTION so went to FF connection unchecked the FAKE proxy and could get on...
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaa i so want IE gone of my PC but afraid it will mess up.. SICK OF all the space it takes EVEN THOUGH I HAVENT used IE in 6 months when i do a scan for JUNK there IE also collecting everything i have done on the other 2 browsers... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaa
i ran into this problem as well. but if your using Firefox, follow these steps:
-click on Tools then down to Options
-click on the Advance tab then the Network tab
-under the connection back it'll say "choose how Firefox connects to the internet". in that same box theres a box that says "Settings". click on it.
-under settings select the circle that says "Auto-detect proxy settings for network."
boom. your done. no more pop up windows from IE. ugh...
I did this and it worked but it connected the proxy to the internet browser I do use as well. Anyway of stopping that?
tnx alot man.... you saved my life from the horrors of ie.
thanks a lot! this saved me from the damn problem of IE.
thanks....
thanks i been looking for somthing loke this
with the way the law is clamping down on porn i am allways afrade somone at my end will use my computer when im out. but i do suggest a key loger or somthing that will show who used your computer.
be carfull with this. one guy i seen in a story in the news got 20 years. how.. by downloading girls. and not knowing child porn was included.. so a good computer and net lockdown is the primary thing now
I’m not sure it is a good idea to remove IE completely. Not to use it is ok, but not to remove. There are a lot of resources that are developed for IE only or for IE as a primary browser. While IE is sleeping and untouched there is almost no any risk on its security holes. However, once you’ll need it you need to remember how to enable it again. IE was initially developed as a part of OS and it still remains almost the same. So to tell the truth – if we need to get ride from IE we better get rid from Windows. Otherwise it seems that more safe and reasonable way is not to use IE but not to try to take a bit of it from OS.
this all makes a good case for going to Linux ... ubuntu 1104 is now released, and costs nothing but willingness
I want to disable Internet Explorer as it appears to be infected. By trying this , My Firefox browser is also disabled, so I have no internet access. Is there another way to disable IE ?
thanks
Disabling IE is unlikely to rid your computer of infection if indeed this is the case. Also, if you do have a malware infection it's likely to compromise other browsers and system components too, depending on what type it is.
As a first step, I would suggest following this guide.
http://www.techsupportalert.com/content/someones-removal-guide.htm
In windows 7,IE persistantly is blocking a download from a site i know is perfectly ok on the grounds of "protecting my security" and offers noway of allowing the download. Whats the best way round this? Clicking on the message does not offer a solution.Is disabling IE the only way? Help appreciated
Try on a different browser, if you have one installed?
In Windows 7 (I don't know about other versions), there is another solution designed by Microsoft that works like a charm, and is reversible:
1. Open Control Panel
2. Click on 'Programs and Features.' (if you can't see 'Programs and Features,' Click on 'View By' in the upper right corner, and choose 'Large Icons.')
3. In the left column of the window that appears, click on 'Turn Windows features on or off.'
4. In a few moments a listing of folders will appear. De-select the tick box next to 'Internet Explorer (version #).' A warning will pop up, indicating that removing functionality of Internet Explorer may affect the operation of other applications, and it offers a link to find out more information. I've never noticed any lessened functionality in any other applications.
5. Click 'Ok.' You will be prompted to restart now or later. Whenever you restart, a message appears indicating that Windows is being configured. In my case, it restarted, configured, then did a partial boot ending just before showing my desktop, then it restarted a final time and all was well. A total of 2 restarts that only took about 3 minutes.
If you want to bring IE back, just follow the steps again, this time selecting the box next to 'Internet Explorer.'
Knowing that IE is gone is bliss. Hope this helps you find bliss...
Yes, thank you ...the below worked for me!
by A nony mouse (not verified) on 15. February 2011 - 4:10 (#66443)
In Windows 7 (I don't know about other versions), there is another solution designed by Microsoft that works like a charm, and is reversible:
1. Open Control Panel
2. Click on 'Programs and Features.' (if you can't see 'Programs and Features,' Click on 'View By' in the upper right corner, and choose 'Large Icons.')
3. In the left column of the window that appears, click on 'Turn Windows features on or off.'
4. In a few moments a listing of folders will appear. De-select the tick box next to 'Internet Explorer (version #).' A warning will pop up, indicating that removing functionality of Internet Explorer may affect the operation of other applications, and it offers a link to find out more information. I've never noticed any lessened functionality in any other applications.
5. Click 'Ok.' You will be prompted to restart now or later. Whenever you restart, a message appears indicating that Windows is being configured. In my case, it restarted, configured, then did a partial boot ending just before showing my desktop, then it restarted a final time and all was well. A total of 2 restarts that only took about 3 minutes.
If you want to bring IE back, just follow the steps again, this time selecting the box next to 'Internet Explorer.'
Knowing that IE is gone is bliss. Hope this helps you find bliss...
Thank you so much for you posting... very easy to implement. IE did not show up on any of the expanded lists. I know it is on my computer because each time I try to download an older IE version, the response says "unable to download because a more recent IE version is detected on this computer." Any advice for me, please?!
in my IE automatically opening the porn sites before it opens the IE script error is coming....
i removed the IE 8 but now it is opening directly....now i m using Firefox for the browsing i want to remove the IE....
what can i do????
i tried this, but it disabled my google chrome internet connection! I couldn't load anything at all, it was like i wasn't even connected to the internet. I don't want to have internet explorer enabled, but I want to keep using google chrome. what can I do?
If you’re using some third-party firewall (like Comodo) just define a policy to block all requests (In/Out) from iexplore.exe. Make Chrome default browser. That should be enough to completely block IE without removing it.
I did this but my IE is still accessing the internet. I mean when I load it I can still use it to search. Does that mean it was null effect?
I, too, refuse to use IE. Too many (builit-in?) problems. What I decided to do was to deny it access to the internet using my firewall (PC Tools FW Plus this time). Any firewall will do except the built-in windows FW which defaults to allowing outgoing connections. For me and those who prefer to use another browser (Opera for me this time), denying IE access to the internet using a FW is a very simple and safe method, and will not present the possibility of negatively impacting your OS. Give it a try.
Thank you ! Some type of infectious thing was causing script issues and warnings constantly although I was using another browser. This seemed to be the ready remedy. Cheers to you !
yeah me to it was really annoying.
Post new comment