IE9 does not come pre installed  in Win 7, so you can remove it. Go Control Panel,  Windows Update, View update history, Installed Updates, and uninstall it from there. That will leave you with IE8 on your system.

Systems are starting to be shipped with IE9 loaded on them (in fact, on some, it is a configurable option during the order process).  As Robin stated, IE9 is considered an UPDATE to Windows 7, not an application.  In Control Panel, you will need to show updates and remove the IE9 update.  Also, IE8 cannot be uninstalled from Windows 7 ... only turned on or off, so it also cannot be installed.

Unfortunately with this latest system that we purchased Windows 7 had SP1 and IE9 preinstalled.

To the point that IE9 is listed as the default Windows 7 "Program and Feature".  It is not listed in "installed Programs" or "Program Updates".  It is ONLY listed under "Programs and Features".

You can uncheck it and there is not a browser to "fall back" to.

This is not from a machine with IE9 preinstalled, but I have done that very thing on systems that shipped with IE9.  Microsoft did not create new Windows code for an integrated IE9 version of Windows, and Dell cannot change that, so it has to be there for uninstall:

If there is a way to "Uninstall" IE9 and the Install IE8 I have yet to find a way.  I can "Disable" the "Feature" but there does not appear to be a way to uninstall IE9 once it shows up under the "Windows Feature" section, and this machine came pre-loaded this way.  Also I still cannot find a way to install IE8 in Windows 7.

From a lot of the reading I have done it appears that if you have IE9 installed first, then install Windows 7 SP1, if you want to "roll back" to IE8 you first have to uninstall SP1, then uninstall IE9.  Either way I did not install IE9 or SP1, this machine came loaded this way and there is not an uninstall for either in the "Programs Installed" or in the "Updates" section.

Maybe if there was a way I could uninstall SP1 and then uninstall IE9 it MIGHT roll back to IE8.  I do not see how I can uninstall either at this moment.

These are from the affected machine.

http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Programs.jpg

http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Updates.jpg

http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Features.jpg

Sorry I don't know how to post pictures here.

Yes I can "Turn Off" IE9, but it does not "Roll Back" to IE8, IE9 appears to be the default browser on this machine's Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, bought from Dell at the end of July.

And I still cannot find an installable version of IE8 that will install on Windows 7. Gotta love MS sometimes. (shaking my head)

 Update:

I did managed to get around my problem of linking my database to my Outlook strictly by accident, but I would still like an answer as to how do I get completely rid of IE9 as the default browser and install IE8.  Then if I want to "upgrade" to IE9 I could, and then I would be able to get rid of it again if it still is an issue.

Not sure at this point if this was Dell's doing or MS's doing either.

And I see that the links I provided automatically posted the pictures. :)  Kewl.

Hello Fredfrahm

You need to select the Windows Internet Explorer 9 then you can uninstall it.

 Next to Organize you will see Uninstall after you select it.

Hello Tom,

Ok here is my Windows Features with IE9 re-enabled.

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Features2.jpg

Now since everyone is convinced, not just you Tom, that IE9 is installed as an update, here is my installed Updates screen so that you can see every single update installed on this system.  Also note the item that just says Update is highlighted and you can see at the bottom that it was an AutoCAD 2000i update.  So this is Updates with IE9 enabled in Windows Features.

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Updates2.jpg

And just to make certain here is 2 shots showing all of my installed Programs screen.  And this is with IE9 enabled in Windows Features too.

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Programs2a.jpg

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Programs2b.jpg 

Now if anyone can show me where Windows Internet Explorer 9 is installed on this system some place other than in the Windows Feature screen I would be more than willing to thank them profusely and maybe even give them a kiss. :)

The screen shots from before show when I had IE9 disabled from the Windows Features screen and this set is from having turned it back on.  When I had IE9 disabled in the Windows Feature screen there was not "Windows Internet Explorer 9" installed update or installed program, I did not have the window positioned so that it would clearly show that.

So after making a system image so I can get back to where I am now, and without changing anything else, I have disabled  IE9 in the Windows Features as shown here.

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Features3.jpg

Here is every single installed Updates screen with IE9 disabled in Windows Features.

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Updates3.jpg

And here is 2 shots showing all of the installed Programs screen with IE9 disabled in Windows Features.

 http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Programs3a.jpg
 

http://www.theservicegroup.us/Temp/Programs3b.jpg

So if someone could please show me where it is that I am being blind it would be really helpful.

This is something that appears to be new as far as a new install copy of Windows 7 Pro 32-bit with SP1 preinstalled, I would guess by those wonderful people at Microsoft.  I am suspecting that Microsoft is also who set and installed IE9 as the "default" browser, unlike the pre-SP1 that had IE8 installed as the default browser, like this laptop I am writing from a Dell Vostro 3700.  I came with Windows 7 Pro 32-bit, no SP, IE8 as the default browser.  I had installed IE9 when it came out and had so many problems I uninstalled the IE9 Update without any problems and it rolled back to IE8 that was the default browser as shown in Windows Features.  So to me it appears that Microsoft has changed the new Windows 7 with SP1 installs to automatically include IE9 as the default browser and since they believe that all of their products are wonderful out of the box, they have not provided a way for someone to go back to IE8.  Well yeah there is one way, I could go BUY yet another copy of Windows 7 without SP1 preinstalled.

The issue I kind of have with Dell at the moment is there was no mention at all when the computer was purchased that it would come with SP1 and IE9 installed, just that it was Windows 7 Pro 32-bit with XP Mode.  If I had been informed that it was coming with IE9 installed I would have said give me IE8 or I will not buy it because I already knew I would have problems with IE9.

The machine I am having the problem with is a brand new, end of July, Optiplex 380 Desktop.  Because I have gone through the issue of installing IE9 and uninstalling it this is not my first go around at this.  I've been working with Windows since 2.0 and DOS all the way back to 2.0.  That does not mean I can't be blind or make a mistake, that is why I am here asking for help to see where it is I might possibly be missing something.

Otherwise there is still the other outstanding issue that I have been unable to get an answer to and no one has addressed yet.

Where can you get a copy of Internet Explorer 8 that will directly, or with a work around, install on Windows 7?

Hello Fredfrahm

Not doubting your word, but in this link you only show 2/3 of installed updates.

The slider at the bottom needs to be dragged to the right to show the rest of

the updates in the thrid column.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Actually that is all of the updates.  The reason the slider shows is strictly because of the length of the descriptions of the updates in the right column.  Also notice there is room for 5 more updates in the right column.

Fred.