Installing Microsoft Internet Explorer 5

Users install Internet Explorer by running Windows Update Setup for Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools, IE5Setup.exe. Be sure to provide written instructions to guide users through the installation process.

Running Setup from Download Sites on the Internet or Intranet

From download sites on the Internet or intranet, you can provide IE5Setup.exe directly to your users as an e-mail attachment, if your network can support sending multiple copies of the setup file. Or you can direct users to an Internet or intranet site from which they can choose to run IE5Setup.exe directly or download the file to their hard drive. This file is located in the Download folder within a unique subfolder for each language and platform version - for example, \Download\Win32\En or \Download\Unix\En.

Running Setup from a Flat Network Share

You should direct users to the designated directory on your local area network where IE5Setup.exe and the other setup files are located. Users can then run the setup program directly from this location.

Running Setup from CD-ROMs or Floppy Disks

If you distribute the custom package from CD-ROMs or floppy disks, IE5Setup.exe is included on the distribution media. Users install Internet Explorer by running IE5Setup.exe from the AutoRun splash screen of the CD-ROM or from Disk 1 of the floppy disk set. Windows Update Setup offers users the choice of installing the custom package or viewing more information. If the current version of Internet Explorer is already installed, the AutoRun program detects it.

Note If you selected Single disk branding as your media option during Stage 1 of the Internet Explorer Customization wizard, the floppy disk that you create will customize an existing installation of Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 (which is part of Windows 98) or higher. It does not install Internet Explorer 5, and you cannot include any custom components with this media type.

Running Windows Update Setup

When users run IE5Setup.exe, Windows Update Setup carries out the following steps to install the browser and any custom components you have designated:

• IE5Setup.exe extracts the setup files into a temporary directory.
• IESetup.inf checks the [String] section for the URL location of the IE5Sites.dat file.
• Windows Update Setup finds the IE5Sites.dat file, which points to the location of the download .cab files, and then displays the download options to the user.
• Windows Update Setup downloads the .cab files, which are placed in the specified directory - for example, C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer.
• Windows Update Setup extracts the .cab files.
• Windows Update Setup installs the browser and each component for the custom package.

After the browser is installed, Windows Update Setup prompts the user to restart the computer. After the computer restarts, Windows Update Setup configures the user's desktop and opens the Welcome splash screen to introduce the user to Internet Explorer 5.

Troubleshooting the Setup Process

To troubleshoot Windows Update Setup:

• Review the Internet Explorer Active Setup Log.txt file in the Windows folder. Each installation creates a log file, which collects information about that particular installation. If there is already an existing Internet Explorer Active Setup Log.txt file, Windows Update Setup renames the existing log as a .bak file and creates a new log file.
• Make sure that the download URLs that you specify during setup are the same as the URLs for the download server.
• See Appendix B, "Troubleshooting," which includes information about commonly reported problems and useful tools, such as Internet Explorer Repair, which helps you identify and resolve problems caused by out-of-date, deleted, or corrupted files.