# Repair Internet Explorer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 6, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996 "2004-01-06T13:55:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996/1 "2004-01-06T13:55:29Z")
Does anyone here know if there is a repair function for Internet Explorer 6.0 for XP? I know that there used to be one for 95 and possibly 98, but I don’t see one for XP. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996/2 "2004-01-06T14:36:14Z")
There’s not a repair _per se_ other than to repair XP itself, but there have been updates to IE 6 since XP came out - if you run the most recent IE 6 Service Pack for XP, the results should still be the same as a repair. critter42 ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996/3 "2004-01-06T14:40:14Z")
You can edit the registry and then reinstall IE using Method 2 from Microsoft KB article [318378](http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;318378). This has the same effect as a repair. ---
**Author:** ![Uncommon\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Uncommon\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncommon_Sense)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996/4 "2004-01-06T15:54:09Z")
Something to consider; In Win 98, if you upgrade to a newer version of IE than that which came with the original install, you can`t repair it. Once you upgrade IE it`s locked in and fixing it is out of the question. This is what I was told by a comp tech at the local shop and I even started a thread on it about a year ago and didn`t get much help from the boards. I had to re-format and re-install 98. I hope, in your case that XP is different and that a fix can be performed without a re-install. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996/5 "2004-01-07T00:44:10Z")
Thanks Number. I downloaded IE 6 SP1 to install after I use method 2 in the link that you gave. It should work fine for me. I will update this post later in the week after I read and understand completely this method. ---
**Author:** ![robcaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@robcaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robcaro)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2004, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repair-internet-explorer/222996/6 "2004-01-19T21:09:53Z")
Well, so far nothing works short of reinstalling Windows XP. I really don’t want to do that because there are so many other things that I would have to reinstall too. Sometimes I love Windows XP and sometimes I hate it. But that is life. Thanks to all of you for your help. I guess I will reinstall XP only when it becomes absolutely necessary. Ughhhhhhh.