For some reason a few days ago I lost IE7 which was inconvenient but as I use Firefox I put up with it. A friend suggested installing IE8 but part way through the computer hung indefinitely with the message "Setting up personalised settings for Browser Customization". Using Ctr alt del I could only get to use any program through Task Manager including Firefox. Everything else has disappeared. In safe mode everything seems to be there but System Restore does not work. I have lots of software I want to keep as well as files. Is it possible to repair a problem of this magnitude please? Ray

Installing IE8 was a bad move. It's still a beta & is known to have problems. I wouldn't listen to that friend anymore if I was you. Uninstall IE8 & if you were having problems with IE7, uninstall that too...that will roll you back to IE6. Before reinstalling IE7, do a thorough cleaning of your system (temp files, registry, etc) & reboot.

Thanks for that advice. Are you suggesting removing those programs in safe mode which is the only mode I can get into? I also thought I'd read somewhere you couldn't uninstall IE7. As an aside I tried to repair windows but as it defaults to IE it would not work. I always use programs like crap cleaner and defrags so my system is clean if it ever was infected. Ray

If you originally had IE6 and then upgraded to IE7 it should be listed under Add/remove progams in Control Panel.

I think Service Pack 3 comes into play as to what version you can roll IE back to. If you had 7 installed and then installed SP3 you won't be able to rollback to IE6 if memory serves me. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/950719 I would be sure to create a restore point, uninstall whichever IE is showing in add/remove programs or service pack 3. Silence is golden but duct tape is silver

I do have Windows XP Service Pack 3 installed and I also have Internet Explorer 7 on the add/delete programs list. The issue is the missing Desktop, no icons or anything after having tried to install Internet Explorer8. I've deleted that but still get the same message so I can only start in safe mode as I'm in now. I wondered whether the problem is IE or in fact Windows? Do you think I might try Windows repair with the disk as I understand that the Desktop is part of Windows? Ray

I do have Windows XP Service Pack 3 installed ... I really hate to be the bearer of a very bad news. QUOTED from a blog posted by the team responsible for the development & release of IE8 RC1: Windows XP SP3 and IE8 RC1 will become permanent. You will still be able to upgrade to later IE8 builds as they become available, but you won’t be able to uninstall them. The only way to undo this mess is to format & reinstall XP. Curious, where did you get IE8 RC1? You won't have been able to download it from M$ site because the option is very OS-specific. i_Xp/VistaUser