If you don’t like Internet Explorer 9, you can uninstall it, which will automatically bring back version 8. (Of course it will. Microsoft would never let you uninstall Internet Explorer entirely.) But the option to remove it isn’t where you’d expect it to be–even if you’re a seasoned Windows user.
The process actually starts like a conventional uninstall. First, close Internet Explorer. Then click Start, type programs and features, and press ENTER. This brings up a list of installed programs that can be removed, but you won’t find Internet Explorer on this list. So much for a conventional uninstall.
Click the View installed updates link in the left pane. Scroll down the resulting list of updates to the Microsoft Windows section. There you will find the option Windows Internet Explorer 9. If you have trouble finding it, click the Name column heading to alphabetize the list. Once you find it, double-click it (or select it and click Uninstall). Then simply follow the prompts.
I’m tempted to suggest that, if you don’t like Internet Explorer, you might consider switching to another browser, such as Firefox or Chrome. But I’m not sure that’s the best idea if you prefer IE8 to IE9. All the new browser versions have a minimalist user interface like the one in IE9.
Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector writes about technology and cinema. Email your tech questions to him at answer@pcworld.com, or post them to a community of helpful folks on the PCW Answer Line forum. Follow Lincoln on Twitter.