How to Repair Internet Explorer 6 on Windows XP Without an Installation Disk

Internet Explorer 6 is tightly integrated into Windows XP, making it difficult to repair or reinstall. However, there are several methods you can try to get IE6 working again without an installation disk:

Method 1: Use System File Checker

Exit all programs, including Internet Explorer
Press Windows logo key R to open the Run box
Type sfc /scannow and press Enter
You will be prompted for the Windows XP CD. Insert it and follow the prompts
Reboot when System File Checker completes

Method 2: Manually Reinstall IE6 Files

Exit IE and Outlook Express
Open Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs
Uncheck “Internet Explorer” and click Next to uninstall it
To reinstall, reopen Add/Remove Programs, check “Internet Explorer”, and click Next
Alternatively, run this command:
rundll32.exe setupapi, InstallHinfSection DefaultInstall 132 %windir%\inf\ie.inf

Method 3: Edit the Registry

Exit IE and Outlook Express
Set this DWORD registry key to 0 to enable IE reinstall:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}] IsInstalled = 0
Set this key to 0 to enable Outlook Express reinstall:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{44BBA840-CC51-11CF-AAFA-00AA00B6015C}] IsInstalled = 0
Reinstall Internet Explorer

Method 4: Perform a Repair Installation of Windows XP

Uninstall any later version of IE first, like IE7 or IE8
Perform the repair installation of Windows XP
After repair, reinstall the later IE version
If you have Internet Explorer 7 or 8 installed on Windows XP and need to repair XP, you must uninstall the later IE version first before repairing Windows. Otherwise, IE will not work after the repair is complete.