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Replace and Disable Internet Explorer
Friday, Jul. 2 2004 | Author: ScrivsWell this is an extreme measure, but might be very useful for some IT departments or those people who constantly have to fix their parents’ computers because of viruses and whatnot.
While viruses and Trojans have been around for years, this particular attack was new because it used several vulnerabilities at once, and it didn’t require the user download or install any programs or visit any malicious Web sites. It’s time to say goodbye to Internet Explorer and its security flaws forever. Here’s how to do it.
Category: Uncategorized
30 Responses for "Replace and Disable Internet Explorer"
July 2nd, 2004 at 10:41 pm
1odd. He didn’t go far enough.
You can easily do more than that.
Install Firefox to the IE directory, rename firefox.exe to iexplore.exe, stick an IE skin on it, import all the IE bookmarks, so it looks as much like IE as possible. All your IE shortcuts launch FireFox… but it looks like IE.
And set Windows Update to run entirely in the background, downloading updates automatically… you don’t need to open IE to do that.
And finally, in Internet Settings, set a proxy server that doesn’t exist, with *.microsoft.com as an exception.
I suppose you should probably set FireFox to identify itself as IE, too, in case it runs into some lameass javascript somewhere. But that’d pretty much do it. :-)
July 3rd, 2004 at 8:43 am
2Microsoft fixes browser hole … sorta … kinda … maybe?
Microsoft released a patch to the Internet exploder Explorer that while does not fix the issue that allowed untold numbers of its users to send passwords and other sensitive data out, it at least masks it (typical security response from…
July 5th, 2004 at 3:38 pm
3I tried to rename OR delete iEXPLORE.exe. Within seconds it is back. I posted to the Microsoft IE newsgroup. So far only one response telling me not to do that. Exactly how does one rename IE? Even when I worked very quickly by having Firefox on the clipboard, I could not get it to stick. I ended up with about eight copies of IE under different names but the original IEXPLORE.EXE right back in seconds. Must have something to do with Windows Protection.
July 5th, 2004 at 7:18 pm
4If you’re using windows XP (and maybe 2000), windows keeps backups of system files in at least a couple different places, including c:\windows\system32\dllcache. Windows will automatically restore files from dllcache when the regular versions are renamed or deleted. Ironically enough, this is supposed to be a security procedure to prevent viruses from corrupting system files.
Also, don’t forget that IE is tied into windows at a very deep level, so deleting iexplore.exe might be completely impossible. Even if it isn’t, you’ll probably have to turn off System Restore and remove all the various copies of iexplorer.exe simultaneously–and even then it might not work. Sorry, you no longer control your computer.
July 6th, 2004 at 3:16 pm
5Nah, David… iexplore.exe is just a GUI for explorer, like myie2 or crazybrowser. modifying that doesn’t touch the underlying explorer system.. Won’t affect anything.
It’s pretty simple. Just name the firefox file iexplore.exe, right-click drag it in and choose ‘move’ and tell it to overwrite the other file. I haven’t tried it on XP, but it works perfectly fine on 2000.
July 6th, 2004 at 6:21 pm
6JC… Thanks for the updated detail. That is what I hoped to get. On the other hand, WinXP produces an interesting error when you try to drag in a file: A file with that name already exists. Specify a different name. If that isn’t Microsoft circling wagons I don’t know what it is. BTW, I read on the Microsoft IE newsgroup today that MS is putting out IE SP2 with a popup blocker…we will see.
July 6th, 2004 at 10:13 pm
7you can already download that here. Works quite nicely, actually… blocks a little bit too much, but it’s easy to get the popup you missed and wanted, and much more importantly, it blocks activex stuff. Of course, you’ll probably have to uninstall it when the final release of it comes out, but in the meantime you get the same benefits.
Also gives you access to windows update version 5, which is nice… it lets you hide updates you don’t want to see again.
July 6th, 2004 at 10:13 pm
8and it’s an xp service pack, not an IE service pack. just happens to modify IE… too bad they don’t port it to at least 2000…
July 13th, 2004 at 5:17 pm
9Hey- i might not be understanding you, but in my experience, any changes you make to IE will just result in windows replacing the corrupted IE.exe with a ‘fresh’ one. I tried several things including renaming another exe to iexplorer.exe and putting it in IE’s folder, and even using a hex editor to completely corrupt the exe, but leave all outward appearances the same- and it STILL replaces the exe. Isn’t there some way in the registry to just completely mess up windows’ recognition of changes being made to the IE folder? If i delete that dllcache file and then delete iexplorer.exe will that do it?? there’s got to be a way to get rid of this garbage!!!
July 14th, 2004 at 3:04 pm
10I use ZoneAlarm to block Internet Explorer from accessing the internet. I only use Mozilla Firefox.. works good.. IE is not uninstalled or permentantly crippled.. but I get no ads or anything..
July 27th, 2004 at 1:15 am
11This is very simple and i’ve been using my technique for a long time to keep employees working instead of surfing. Go to Tools>Internet Options> connections>Lan Settings> Use Proxy, type “FakeProxy” in the box>Advanced, type *.microsoft.com or *.companywebsite.com and click OK, YOUR DONE. this keeps people from going elsewhere, it still allows for all updates, and keeps employees surfing where they are suppose to be. CHEERS
August 5th, 2004 at 11:08 pm
12IEradicator2001 search for it and read
October 21st, 2004 at 8:20 am
13better yet:
http://www.litepc.com
http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox
http://www.dmsn.tk
http://www.winamp.com
http://www.openoffice.org
http://www.winamp.com
December 7th, 2004 at 1:06 pm
14Hello
I found a solution on Mozilla forum
edit your autoexec.bat at your drive root
(in this example it is C:)
write this commands to end of file
rem DOSYANIN BASI:STARTOFFILE
@echo off
C:
cd “\Program Files\Internet Explorer”
if not exist IEXPLORE.EXE goto End
if exist IEXPLORE.EX_ del IEXPLORE.EX_
if not exist IEXPLORE.DIR md IEXPLORE.DIR
if not exist IEXPLORE.DIR goto End
attrib -r -h -s IEXPLORE.EXE
ren IEXPLORE.EXE IEXPLORE.EX_
if exist IEXPLORE.EXE goto End
ren IEXPLORE.DIR IEXPLORE.EXE
echo IE disabled.
:End
rem DOSYANIN SONU:ENDOFFILE
Then save your autoexec.bat file to
c:\autoexec.bat then run it
(it will always starts when the sistem
rebooted ) You will see that it will
delete iexplorer.exe and it creates a
folder whose name is iexplorer.exe
Because of permitions about folder
xp couldn’t delete that folder in orderto
replace the old one.
The Xp ask you to recover that problem with
its cd only select cancel than it ask you
are you sure to continue
Have a nice FireFOX
! USE LINUX !
Why don’t i use windows instead of Door ?
Knowledge is power! And it will increase
whenever you share it!
January 14th, 2005 at 10:23 pm
15Thanks to all for the above input and advice.
Searched many pages for this sort of info and this page and you guys beat them all.
March 24th, 2005 at 2:09 am
16Just use a linux live cd (INSERT LINUX) that has the captive (NTFS) library and you can delete any file you want. Dont forget to replace (in windows registry)
“C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer:\iexplore.exe” %1
—with mozilla’s (or firefox) command—
C:\PROGRA~1\MOZILL~1\MOZILLA.EXE “%1″
IN HKEY CLASSES ROOT
and then replace the icon links
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe,1
—with—
C:\PROGRA~1\MOZILL~1\MOZILLA.EXE,1
and *iexplore.exe,2 with *MOZILLA,2
I Think the numbers are right it might be 1>>0 and 2>>1 or whatever this is a preference of what icon you want where you figure it out!
–What this does is link an icon to different parts in the windows os (like Internet updates which you can link to microsoft’s download page (i forgot it))
PEACE! LINUX RULES! BSD IS BETTER YET!
March 24th, 2005 at 9:04 pm
17What about getting rid of explorer.exe entirely. I already use litestep as my shell and ExploreXP as my file manager, I now want explorer completly gone. My question is this, will my computer still boot with no explorer? And could I just replace it by renaming ExlporeXP to explorer.exe and putting it in my win dir?
March 28th, 2005 at 11:43 pm
18THE ABOVE CRACK IS TO GET RID OF EXPLORER ENTIRELY ***YOU CAN DELETE ANY FILE ON YOUR HARD DRIVE***(BE CAREFUL) INCLUDING INTERNET EXPLORER…Without M$ FILE PROTECTION!
HENCE IF IE DOES NOT EXIST IT’S PRETTY HARD TO EXECUTE EVEN GIVEN THE CASE THAT A HACKER MAY BE ABLE TO EXECUTE CODE ON YOUR COMPUTER THROUGH ANOTHER WINDOWS FLAW!!!
(When the linux cd opens up find the terminal and type)
mount /mnt/hda1 (enter)
cd /mnt/hda1/Program Files/Internet Explorer (enter)
rm -f IEXPLORE.EXE
http://www.jankratochvil.net/project/captive/
if yer slick you can create yer own linux boot cd that will remove IE automagically (BIG HELP IN SOME IT WITH 100+ SYSTEMS?)
April 1st, 2005 at 8:58 pm
19I’ve been trying to edit various default (and wory) messages in IE 6.0 (actually, in all 3 copies of shdoclc.dll) using HexEdit, but the beast is coming back every time…
Maybe I should leave only one copy on my HD and then try, but after reading this thread, I’m not sure it can be done easily…
z.entropic
April 9th, 2005 at 10:51 am
20I have no prior knowledge of computers all I know is that ie is on my computer and it makes internet explorer pop up 10-20 popups everytime i go online. Is there a more down to earth explanation of this?
April 9th, 2005 at 10:55 am
21I’m like John Doe however all I do is press CTR-ALT-DEL everytime I go online. I have XP so it brings something up saying end process?, with the names of programs in play, whenever i see IEXPLORE.exe i just end process on it. it gets annoying but at least i dont have 30 pop ups come on….
August 28th, 2005 at 1:31 am
22Come on guys. For those of you out there still stuck to Windows like I am, getting RID of iexplore.exe should be SIMPLE. It was for me. Under the control panel, there is a selection for “Add/Remove Programs”. Simply go to the “Add/Remove System Components” and unselect Internet Explorer. Confirm changes and Windows does the deleting for you. PEACE!!
September 8th, 2005 at 1:14 pm
23Hey being this the second time that I have typed this, I used Firefox this morning for a quick surf, I configured everything and saved the bookmarks yada yada yada except I didn’t form Firefox and IE as one. When I was done I quit Firefox and my desktop was clear except for the wallpaper. When I restarted it said Explorer.exe end now? I pressed end now and went on my way. now everytime I start up its still blank what do I do, is there anyway of fixing this? Please help
September 20th, 2005 at 7:01 pm
24Geoff -
Press control-alt-delete, then select:
File >> New Task (Run..)
Type in explorer.exe and press enter.
Hopefully wholla!
In Christ,
Erik Fritsch
November 7th, 2005 at 12:52 am
25my os is xp , my default browser is firefox! even if i dont use internet explorer , it keeps opening 5- 10 times a day! how do i solve this problem? pleez help!
December 7th, 2005 at 5:20 pm
26just go to control panel,
then go to Add or Remove Programs,
click Add/Remove Windows Componets,
uncheck Internet Explorer,
press Next,
and finally press Finish.
January 27th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
27if ie is popping stuff up like some of the previous posts have said. you have an infection of spyware/adware/virus. get hijackthis and ms antispyware beta, should clean that stuff up. if you use the control panel to “uninstall” ie, its still there. it simply removes the shortcuts for it. you can always type the command line iexplore.exe and it will come up. in fact, the windows explorer shell references ie to run html or most any other internet type media, but it will run in a system explorer window shell, but using iexplore to do it.(verified by task manager) the only way to remove iexplore is to load your computer into the recovery console, delete it from its four locations and replace it then(have your renamed copy of mozilla/firefox.exe in an easy to find place) put it in all 4 locations and reboot. this should solve most of those problems.
February 14th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
28This is very easy. Simply click on start, click on set program access and defaults. Click custom. put a dot in use my current web browser. Then take check out of enable access to this program for internet explorer.
Put a check in for Mozila Firefox or What ever browser you use. Done internet explorer disabled.
Now how do you disable Windows explorer from accessing the internet? example: open any folder and type any web address. Blah im trying to restrict internet for children useing parent control in msn web browser. Works great. But there is this stupid get around useing windows explorer. So far im useing zone alarm. But it dont restrict from child to disable zone alarm Can’t password zone alarm. Any Ideas
February 14th, 2006 at 12:26 pm
29oops i forgot to say that last post was for Windows XP home or pro
March 7th, 2006 at 3:08 pm
30To kill IE forever, first disable Windows File Protection (change the SFC..something or other key in Regedit).
Then erase what you want from system32, then the same in the system32/dllcache folder.
Then put it back on.
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