Warning: IE8 and Windows XP Forever

Microsoft warned that if users don’t install Internet Explorer 8 and Windows XP SP3 in the right order, both could be locked on your system forever.

Microsoft Corp. issued a similar warning in May of this year at the release of Windows XP’s service pack 3 that users would not be able to downgrade back to Internet Explorer 6 from IE7 without uninstalling SP3 first. Again Microsoft is issuing a similar warning.

If you have downloaded and installed Internet Explorer 8 beta and then have installed service pack 3 for Windows XP, and then update your IE8 to beta 2 that was released today, you could be stuck with SP3 and IE8 permanently. The only way out of that situation would be a reformat of your hard drive.

Instead, Microsoft is recommending that users uninstall the IE8 beta, and then install SP3. Then you can safely reinstall Internet Explorer 8 without locking up both on your system. If you have not followed these steps, users will see a warning when attempting to install the IE8 Beta 2 stating that “If you continue, Windows SP3 and IE8 Beta2 will become permanent.”

It is yet unclear just how many users have been affected by this situation but regardless, Microsoft is focusing on catching the problem become it becomes a more serious problem.

Windows Vista users will not see the IE8 Beta 2 update because the update cannot identify if the IE8 Beta 1 is installed. Those users must remove Beta 1 manually. Then Vista users must install several updates prior to installing IE8 Beta 2. If the updates are not installed, the IE8 install will be blocked entirely.