Spuninst.exe

How to Uninstall Internet Explorer 8 on Windows Server 2003 (The Hard Way)

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Sometimes you need to roll back to a previous version of Internet Explorer on Windows Server 2003, but the standard “Add/Remove Programs” fails or the uninstaller is missing. If you find yourself in this position, you can trigger the uninstaller manually—even if the files are missing.

The Standard Manual Uninstall

If your system still has the uninstallation files, you can run the following command:

  1. Click Start > Run.
  2. Type or paste: %windir%\ie8\spuninst\spuninst.exe
  3. Follow the prompts to remove IE8.

What if the “spuninst” folder is missing?

If you navigate to C:\Windows\ie8 and the spuninst folder is nowhere to be found, you aren’t out of luck.

  1. Find a Donor: Locate another Windows Server 2003 machine that still has the folder.
  2. Copy the Structure: Copy the entire spuninst folder from the donor machine to the same path on the target server.
  3. Run the EXE: Execute the spuninst.exe as mentioned above.

The “Missing File” Trick (IEENCODE.DLL.000)

During the uninstallation process, the wizard may stop and ask for specific files. A common culprit that goes missing is IEENCODE.DLL.000.

If you cannot find this file anywhere, here is the workaround:

  1. Search for the existing file IEENCODE.DLL on your system.
  2. Copy IEENCODE.DLL to a temporary location (like your desktop).
  3. Rename the copy to IEENCODE.DLL.000.
  4. When the IE8 uninstaller asks for the file, point it to your newly renamed file.

The uninstaller will accept the file, proceed with the cleanup, and successfully remove Internet Explorer 8 from your system!

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