How to Install Internet Explorer and Troubleshoot Setup Problems

ID: Q170993

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01 for Windows 95
Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0

This article describes troubleshooting steps that may help you solve problems setting up and uninstalling Internet Explorer. This information is also available in our Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup and Uninstall Troubleshooting Wizard. We recommend using this wizard, but we have also created this text-based article for your convenience. The Internet Explorer 4.0 Setup and Uninstall Troubleshooting Wizard is located on:

   http://support.microsoft.com/support/tshoot/default.asp

SUMMARY

This article provides general information about installing Internet Explorer. The following topics are discussed:

Internet Explorer system requirements
How to install Internet Explorer
Common Internet Explorer Setup problems

MORE INFORMATION

Internet Explorer System Requirements

To install Internet Explorer, your computer must meet the following minimum hardware requirements:

A 486 with a 66 Mhz processor (Pentium processor recommended)
For Microsoft Windows 95: 12 MB of RAM minimum, 16 MB with Active Desktop For Microsoft Windows NT: 24 MB of RAM minimum
For Microsoft Windows NT: You must be running Service Pack 3 (or higher)
40 to 70 MB of hard-disk space (depending on installation type)
Mouse
Modem
CD-ROM

If you do not know if your computer meets the above listed requirements, consult the documentation included with your computer.

How to Install Internet Explorer

To install Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

1. If Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 2.0 is currently installed

   on your computer, uninstall it. For information about how to do so,
   please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      ARTICLE-ID: Q170757
      TITLE     : Uninstalling Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 2.0

2. Download Internet Explorer from the following Microsoft Web site:

      http://www.microsoft.com/ie/download/

3. If you already downloaded the Ie4setup.exe file, verify that you are

   still connected to the Internet and then double-click the file in My
   Computer or Windows Explorer to start the Active Setup Wizard. If you
   did not already download the Ie4setup.exe file, locate the link to the
   file on the Microsoft World Wide Web site, click the link, click Open
   It, and then click OK to start the Active Setup Wizard.

4. Click the desired download option, and then click Next.

    - Install: Downloads the Internet Explorer installation files and
      then installs Internet Explorer on your computer.

    - Download Only: Downloads the Internet Explorer installation files,
      but does not install Internet Explorer on your computer. To install
      Internet Explorer, you must run the Ie4setup.exe file located in
      the folder to which you downloaded the installation files.
      You can use this option to install Internet Explorer on your
      computer at a later time or copy the installation files to another
      computer and then install Internet Explorer on that computer.

5. Click the desired installation option, and then click Next.

    - Full Installation: Requires 59 MB of disk space to download and
      installs the following components.

       - Internet Explorer
       - Outlook Express
       - NetMeeting
       - FrontPad
       - NetShow
       - Web Publishing Wizard
       - Wallet
       - Multimedia enhancements

    - Standard Installation: Requires 50 MB of disk space to download and
      installs the following components.

       - Internet Explorer
       - Outlook Express
       - Web Publishing Wizard
       - Multimedia enhancements

    - Browser Only: Requires 43 MB of disk space to download and
      installs the following components.

       - Internet Explorer
       - Multimedia enhancements

   NOTE: To reduce traffic on the Internet and reduce the amount of time
   it takes you to download or install Internet Explorer, you should
   use the Minimal Installation option the first time you run the
   Active Setup Wizard. Additional components can be installed at a later
   time using the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel or by running
   the Active Setup Wizard again and clicking the Full Installation or
   Standard Installation option.

   For information about how to install additional components using the
   Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel, please see the following
   article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      ARTICLE-ID: Q171229
      TITLE     : How to Add and Remove Internet Explorer Components

6. Click the integration option you want, and then click Next.

    - Yes: Integrates browser functionality into the desktop and into
      many common shell activities.

    - No: Does not integrate browser functionality into the desktop or
      into common shell activities.

   NOTE: The integration mode can be enabled or disabled after Internet
   Explorer is installed. To change the integration mode, follow these
   steps:

   a. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then
      double-click Add/Remove Programs.

   b. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft Internet Explorer
      4.0 in the list of installed programs, and then click Add/Remove.

   c. If the Web Integrated Desktop is not active, click "Add Web
      Integrated Desktop from Web site" to enable it. If the Web
      Integrated Desktop is active, click "Remove Web Integrated
      Desktop, but keep the Internet Explorer 4.0 Web browser" to
      disable it.

7. Click the appropriate region, and then click Next.

8. Type the path to the folder in which you want to install Internet

   Explorer in the Install In Folder box, and then click Next. If you
   clicked the Install option in step 3 and Internet Explorer is
   currently installed on your computer, the folder in which Internet
   Explorer is currently installed is selected by default. If you
   clicked the Install option in step 3 and Internet Explorer is not
   currently installed on your computer, or you clicked the Download
   Only option in step 3, a different folder is selected by default.

9. Click the appropriate region and download location in the Region and

   Download Location boxes, and then click Next. After you click Next,
   the Active Setup Wizard starts downloading the Internet Explorer
   installation files.

If you clicked the Download Only option in step 3, the following message is displayed after the Active Setup Wizard downloads the Internet Explorer installation files:

   Setup has finished downloading Internet Explorer 4.0.
   Run "IE4SETUP.EXE" from the <path> folder when ready to complete
   Setup. You must run IE4Setup.exe to complete the installation.

If you clicked the Install option in step 3, the following message is displayed after the Active Setup Wizard downloads the Internet Explorer installation files:

   Setup has finished downloading Internet Explorer 4.0.
   If you are connected to the Internet, you can disconnect now if you
   want. Installation will continue in a few moments.

If your computer stops responding (hangs) after this message is displayed or the installation does not continue for some other reason, you can restart the Setup program by running the Ie4setup.exe file located in the folder to which you downloaded the installation files. When you restart the Setup program, the Smart Recovery feature allows the Active Setup Wizard to recognize where the installation halted and recover the installation where it left off.

After the installation is finished, the following message is displayed:

   Configuring your system. Please wait...

While this message is displayed, all remaining files are copied to your hard disk, the registry is updated, and all remaining Setup log file entries are made.

Common Internet Explorer Setup Problems

When you attempt to install Internet Explorer, one of the following error messages may be displayed:

Setup could not retrieve the information needed for the installation. The network is probably busy. Please run Setup again later.
Setup was unable to download information about available installation sites. The network may be busy, do you want to retry? If you continue having this problem, please try Setup at a later time.
Installation Failed.
The folder '<path>' is invalid.
Setup cannot upgrade the current version of Internet Explorer. You must uninstall it before you can install this version of Internet Explorer. Setup cannot continue.
There is not enough disk space to install Internet Explorer 4.0 using the installation option you selected. You need to have <xxxx> KB free on drive C. Currently, there are <xxxx> KB free.
Please free up some hard-disk space, and then click Next. Or click Back to change your installation options or folder.
You do not have enough disk space to install Internet Explorer 4.0 with the options you selected. You need to have <xxxx> KB free on drive C. Currently, there are <xxxx> KB free.
Please free up some hard-disk space, and then click Next. Or click Back to change your installation options or folder.
Error initializing the cache. Shut down all programs and run Scandisk or Chkdsk. Delete the cache, cookies, and history directories in your Windows directory and the restart Internet Explorer. If the problem persists reinstall Internet Explorer.
Setup was unable to download all the required components for this installation. The Internet is likely busy. Please try setup again later and select Smart Recovery to continue downloading.

Only the desktop wallpaper may appear when you restart your computer after you install Internet Explorer.

For information about these problems, please see the appropriate section below.

Setup Could Not Retrieve the Information Needed for the Installation:
To resolve this behavior, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
```
      ARTICLE-ID: Q166917
      TITLE     : Err Msg: Setup Could Not Retrieve the Information
                  Needed...
```

Setup Was Unable to Download Information About Available Installation Sites:

This behavior can be caused by either of the following situations:

    - The location from which you are attempting to download Internet
      Explorer is extremely busy or there is a different behavior with the
      location.

    - The proxy server settings that Internet Explorer is configured to
      use or the settings for the Dial-Up Networking connectoid that
      Internet Explorer is configured to use are incorrect.

To work around this behavior, use the appropriate method:

    - Try downloading Internet Explorer from a different location or
      downloading it at a later time.

    - Verify that the proxy server settings or the settings for the Dial-
      Up Networking connectoid are correct. For information about how to
      do so, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge
      Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q153967
         TITLE     : Internet Explorer Err Msg: Could Not Open...

Installation Failed:

If this error message is displayed, Setup also displays a red X next to all the items in the install list. If the error message is not displayed, Setup may display a red X next to one or more items in the install list.

This behavior can be caused by any of the following situations:

    - There is not enough free space on the hard disk.

    - A file that Internet Explorer is attempting to copy to your hard
      disk is already being used by another program.

    - One or more of the installation files is damaged.

    - You are no longer connected to the Internet.

To work around this behavior, use the appropriate method:

    - Increase the amount of free space on the drive on which you are
      installing Internet Explorer. To do so, follow these steps:

      a. Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then
         double-click Add/Remove Programs.

      b. Click a program you do not use, and then click Add/Remove.
         Follow the on-screen instructions, until the program is removed.

    - Quit all programs that are currently running. To do so, right-click
      a program name appearing on the taskbar, and then click Close.
      Repeat this process until no programs appear on the taskbar.

    - Delete the folder to which you downloaded the installation files and
      then download the files again. For information about how to do this,
      view the online Help topic deleting.

    - Verify that the proxy server settings are correct and then connect
      to the Internet again.

   After performing one of the above steps, attempt to install Internet
   Explorer again.

The Folder '<path>' Is Invalid:
For information about this behavior, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
```
      ARTICLE-ID: Q166990
      TITLE     : Error Message: The Folder '<Path>' Is Invalid...
```

Setup Cannot Upgrade the Current Version of Internet Explorer:

This behavior can occur if either of the following conditions exist:

    - You are installing Internet Explorer 4.01 (Version 4.72.2106.8)
      over Platform Preview 1.0 (Version 4.71.544.) or 2.0 (Version
      4.71.1008).

      To resolve this problem, uninstall the Platform Preview version of
      Internet Explorer 4.0 before you install Internet Explorer 4.01.
      For information about how to do so, please see the following
      articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

         ARTICLE-ID: Q166322
         TITLE     : Uninstalling Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview
                     1.0

         ARTICLE-ID: Q170757
         TITLE     : Uninstalling Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview
                     2.0

      NOTE: If for some reason you cannot uninstall the Platform Preview
      version of Internet Explorer 4.0, rename the Shdocvw.dll file.

      For information about renaming files, click Start, click Help, click
      the Index tab, type "renaming" (without quotation marks), and then
      double-click the "Renaming Files" topic.

    - The Active Setup Wizard cannot determine which version of Internet
      Explorer is currently installed on your computer.

      To work around this behavior, use one of the following methods:

       - If you are upgrading to Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01 from
         Internet Explorer 3.x and you have never successfully
         installed Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01, or Internet Explorer
         4.0 or 4.01 has been uninstalled, reinstall the version of
         Internet Explorer 3.x you are currently running before
         you installing Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01.

       - If you are upgrading Internet Explorer 4.0 to 4.01 (or
         reinstalling Internet Explorer 4.0 or 4.01), then check the
         Active Setup Log.txt file for lines that begin with "File
         Version" to determine the cause of the problem.

         NOTE: If any of these files have a version number of 4.71.544.x
         or 4.71.1008.x, rename them before you run Internet Explorer
         4.0 or 4.01 Setup.

         When you install Internet Explorer, it checks the version of
         several files to determine which version of Internet Explorer is
         currently installed on your computer. If Internet Explorer 4.0 or
         4.01 is currently installed, it determines whether the Web
         Integrated Desktop is enabled. The results of this version check
         are added to the Active Setup log.txt file.

There Is Not Enough Disk Space to Install Internet Explorer 4.0 Using the Installation Option You Selected:
This behavior can occur when you install Internet Explorer on a drive other than the drive on which Windows is installed and the drive contains less than 50 MB of free disk space.
To work around this behavior, increase the amount of free space on the drive on which you are installing Internet Explorer and then attempt to install Internet Explorer again.
Error Initializing the Cache:
This behavior can occur if you are using Windows NT and you disabled long file name support for partitions using the FAT file system.
To work around this behavior, enable long file name support for partitions using the FAT file system and then attempt to install Internet Explorer again. For information about how to do this, view the online Help topic long filenames.

Setup Was Unable to Download All the Required Components:

This behavior can occur if Internet Explorer Active Setup finds a version of a file that is incompatible with Internet Explorer.

To resolve this behavior, use the following steps.

NOTE: If you are currently running Internet Explorer with the Active Desktop enabled, disable the Active Desktop before you proceed. To disable the Active Desktop, right-click an empty area on your desktop, point to Active Desktop, and then click View As Web Page to clear the check mark.

For information about how to remove the Windows Desktop Update component, see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

      ARTICLE-ID: Q165695
      TITLE     : How to Add or Remove Windows Desktop Update

   a. Restart your computer to a command prompt. To do so, follow the
      steps in the appropriate section below:

      Windows 95:

      Restart your computer, press the F8 key when you see the "Starting
      Windows 95" message, and then choose Safe Mode Command Prompt Only
      from the Startup menu.

      Windows NT:

      Restart your computer using an MS-DOS-formatted floppy disk.

      NOTE: If your system partition uses the NT file system (NTFS) file
      system, follow these steps instead of starting your computer to a
      command prompt:

      1. Install Windows NT into a separate folder.

      2. Restart your computer.

      3. From the Windows NT boot menu, choose the new installation of
         Windows NT.

   b. Rename the following files located in the <drive>:\<windows>\system
      folder or the <drive>:\<windows>\system32 folder, where <drive>
      is the drive letter on which Windows 95 or Windows NT is installed,
      and <windows> is the folder in which Windows 95 or Windows NT is
      installed:

       - Wininet.dll
       - Urlmon.dll
       - Shdocvw.dll
       - Shlwapi.dll
       - Wintrust.dll
       - Digsig.dll
       - Inseng.dll
       - Jobexec.dll

      For example, to rename the Wininet.dll file, type the following
      command at a command prompt, and then press ENTER:

         ren wininet.dll wininet.xxx

      NOTE: If you are running Windows NT and your system partition uses
      NTFS, rename the files using Windows NT Explorer in the new
      installation of Windows NT. For information about how to rename a
      file, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type "renaming"
      (without quotation marks), and then double-click the "Renaming
      Files" topic.

   c. Restart your computer normally, and then install Internet Explorer
      again.

      NOTE: If you are running Windows NT and your system partition uses
      NTFS, restart your computer into the previous installation of
      Windows NT, and then install Internet Explorer again.

Only the Desktop Wallpaper Appears When You Restart Your computer:
For information about how to work around this problem, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
```
      ARTICLE-ID: Q174486
      TITLE     : Only Desktop Wallpaper Appears When You Start Your
                  Computer
```

Additional query words: 4.00

Keywords          : kbsetup kbtshoot msiew95 msient kbfaq
Version           : 4.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: March 19, 1999