Member Avatar for janda5

I use Windows 98 and have tried and tried to upgrade an old version of Internet Explorer 4 to version 6. I went to the Windows Update web page and discovered that I needed to download 24 critical updates. The download was going fine. considering my slow dial-up connection speed. But with only fifteen minutes to go, this message came on screen: "stopping in 5 seconds." With that, my monitor went dark and the power turned off. I had to turn my PC on again only to find that I still had IE 4 and everything responded slower. Even right-clicking took nearly a minute to respond. No longer could I access any web site. I'm wondering if perhaps I tried to download too many updates at once. Any suggestions? Also, my Windows taskbar has NOT been at the bottom of the screen where it should be. It is on the right side of the screen, with the Start button at the top. Has anyone heard of such a thing? It has been this way for some time so I know my downloading did not cause it. I hope I don't need a new CPU because my financial situation is shaky. But something needs to be done. I know I need to upgrade my Internet Explorer browser but how can I do this when I've already tried this by downloading updates and that only seems to get me nowhere. Help!!
Thank you. janda5

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Good follow-up and a useful nudge from about disk space. The presence of an old “Internet Explorer 4.01” entry in the Start menu is normally just a leftover shortcut or program group left behind by an in-place upgrade; it does not mean the older engine is still running if Help → About in Internet Explorer reports version 6. Leaving the extra entry is harmless, but cleanup is straightforward and safe if done carefully.

Quick checks

  • Confirm the active browser version: open Internet Explorer and view Help → About Internet Explorer.
  • Confirm free space on C: (My Computer → right-click C: → Properties) — low disk space can cause interrupted installs and slow responsiveness.
  • Make a registry backup before any manual registry edits: run scanreg /backup from Start → Run (Windows 98).

Safe cleanup steps

  • Remove the Start‑menu shortcut only: right‑click the Start button → Open (or use Windows Explorer) → Programs → locate any “Internet Explorer 4.01” folder or shortcuts and delete them. This removes only shortcuts, not program files.
  • Check Control Panel → Add/Remove Programs for any leftover “Internet Explorer” entry and use its Remove/Change option if present. If an uninstall option is used, follow on‑screen prompts and reboot when asked.
  • If the Start‑menu entry points to an older executable, use Search to locate iexplore.exe copies before deleting files; do not delete files inside C:\Windows\ or C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer unless sure what they are.

Additional maintenance

  • Clear IE temporary files (Tools → Internet Options → Temporary Internet Files → Delete Files), run ScanDisk and then Defragment to restore performance.
  • If symptoms persist after cleanup, rerunning the IE6 installer in repair mode (or reinstalling) is safer than manually removing system files. Adjusting the taskbar back to the bottom is done by unlocking it (right‑click Taskbar → uncheck Lock the Taskbar) and dragging it to the desired edge.

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Member Avatar for MartyMcFly

You sure it didn't fill your primary partition with downloads?

Check for free room on your C:\ drive

Member Avatar for janda5

Thanks to MartyMcFly for replying to my post. Here's an update: I have since found a way to upgrade my old Internet Explorer 4 to a newer version 6. Using Download.com, I downloaded IE 6 without any problem. I had confused the terms update and upgrade. Windows Update does a terrific job at checking for updates to current versions but has nothing to do with upgrades. So my problem has been solved and I have an upgraded IE browser. One question, however...although my PC seems to recognize the new version of IE, can anyone tell me why IE 4.01 is still listed under Programs when I click on the Start button? Should I delete the old version or just leave well enough alone? Thanks again.

janda

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