Article ID: 299907
Article Last Modified on 10/30/2006
APPLIES TO
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 1
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition
This article was previously published under Q299907
SYMPTOMS
After you upgrade Microsoft Internet Explorer, you may not be able to remove (uninstall) the upgrade. The option to restore the previous Windows configuration may not be available in the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel.
CAUSE
This issue may occur if all the following conditions are true:
- You installed a later version of Internet Explorer than version 5.01.
- You installed a Windows 2000 service pack.
- You selected the option to save the uninstall information when you installed the service pack.
The issue occurs because when you install a Windows 2000 service pack and choose to save the uninstall information, the service pack backs up and removes the uninstall registry key for Internet Explorer.
WORKAROUND
To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.
Method 1
Remove the Windows 2000 service pack. After you do this, the option to remove Internet Explorer appears in the Add/Remove Programs tool.
Method 2
If you cannot remove the service pack or if the option to remove Internet Explorer does not appear in the Add/Remove Programs tool, perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 2000, and then reinstall the latest Windows 2000 service pack and the latest version of Internet Explorer.
To perform an in-place upgrade, follow these steps:
- Insert the Windows 2000 CD into your computer's CD-ROM drive or DVD-ROM drive.
- In the CD Autorun dialog box, click Install Windows 2000.
- In the Windows 2000 Setup dialog box, click Upgrade to Windows 2000 (Recommended), and then follow the instructions on the screen to reinstall Windows 2000.
For additional information about how to perform an in-place upgrade of Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
292175 How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows 2000
MORE INFORMATION
For additional information about the latest service pack for Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
260910 How to Obtain the Latest Windows 2000 Service Pack
For additional information about a similar issue with a similar cause, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
303485 Option to Restore the Previous Windows Configuration Is Not Available in Add/Remove Programs
For additional information, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
277624 Updated Versions of Internet Explorer Not Listed in Add/Remove Programs
296822 Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 Does Not Appear in Add/Remove Programs List
Keywords: kbprb KB299907
