Windows Does Not Start After Installing Internet Explorer

• Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0, 4.01 for Windows 95

SYMPTOMS

When you install Internet Explorer and then restart your computer, your computer may stop responding (hang). This behavior may also occur when you start your computer in Safe mode.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, follow these steps:

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

2. Type the following line, and then press ENTER

         cd <windows>
   

   where <windows> is your Windows folder. For example, type:

         cd windows
   

3. Type the following line, and then press ENTER:

         edit system.ini
   

4. Locate the following line in the System.ini file:

         shell=explorer.exe
   

5. Change the "shell=explorer.exe" line to read:

         shell=ieremove.exe
   

6. Save and then close the System.ini file.

7. Restart the computer. Follow the instructions on the screen to remove Internet Explorer.

8. When you restart the computer after you remove Internet Explorer, repeat steps 1-6. In step 5, change the "shell=ieremove.exe" line to "shell=explorer.exe."

9. Restart your computer.

STATUS

Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

REFERENCES

For more information about using Ieremove.exe to uninstall Internet Explorer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q166313
   TITLE     : Removing Internet Explorer 4.0 for Windows 95 Using
               Ieremove