Internet Explorer Help

How to Install Internet Explorer Hotfixes

Software updates are created by Microsoft in two different development environments. Updates such as security vulnerabilities and other more widespread critical issues are known as General Distribution Releases (GDR). These usually include feature packs, drivers, update rollups, and other important security and critical updates.

On the other hand, hotfixes are created and distributed to address a specific problem encountered by a customer. They are produced quickly to provide quick solutions to user problems. This is the reason why, hotfixes are not as thoroughly tested as GDRs. Therefore, it is recommended that you install a hotfix only if you are suffering from the specific problem the hotfix is intended for.

Update packages and cumulative security update packages comprise and distribute both GDR files and hotfix files for Internet Explorer 6 and later. By default, if the existing files on your system are not from the hotfix environment, they will not be installed on your system.

Many Internet Explorer 6 and Internet Explorer 7 errors are resolved by installing hotfixes that are created for rectifying a specific condition that arises on your system. In this section, we are briefly going to discuss the various methods that you can use to install a hotfix from a cumulative security update package or update package.

Methods to Install Hotfixes

You can install hotfix files included in Internet Explorer cumulative security update package or update package, by using one of the methods listed below.

Method 1: Install the hotfix before installing the cumulative security update package or the update package

1. First install a hotfix that updates one or more files in the cumulative security update package or the update package.
2. Next, install the cumulative security update package or the update package for your Internet Explorer.

When you do this, the update installer program of the cumulative security update package or the update package will detect the version of hotfix installed on your system and the install the hotfix version of files on your system.

Method 2: Use the /B switch to force cumulative security update package or the update package to install hotfix files on your system.

Update packages comprise update files in different folders depending on their type. To apply a particular hotfix from an update or cumulative update package, you need to use the /B switch to change to the branch that you need to use to install a package—the package should use Update.exe as the installer.

For example, on Windows XP use the following command to install SP2QFE version of Windows XP files.

Package_Name.exe /b:SP2QFE

If you want to find out the whether the software package you have uses the Update.exe installer, right-click on the package and then select the Properties command. Open the Version tab, and in the Other Version Information section, select Installer Engine. The name of the package should be displayed in the Value field. If the name of the package is not update.exe you need to use Method 1 or follow the steps listed below to install your files.

Method 3: Manually configure the system to force installation of hotfixes

Warning: The following steps require you to modify entries in the registry. It is recommended that you take a backup of the registry before proceeding with the changes. You can do this by exporting the registry information to an external file by using the File > Export command in the Registry Editor window.

To manually configure your computer to install hotfixes that do not use the Update.exe package, perform the steps listed below.

1. Open Start menu, select Run, type regedit, and then select the OK button.
2. In the Registry Editor window that is displayed, navigate to the following registry key:
   
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer
   
3. Right-click in the right-pane of Registry Editor, point to New, select DWORD Value, type the name of the registry entry as QFEInstalled and then press Enter.
4. Right-click on QFEInstalled, select the Modify command, type in Value data as 1, and then select the OK button.
   
   Specifying the value of the registry entry as 1 forces the update or cumulative update package to install the hotfix files included in it.
   
5. Run the installation of the update or cumulative security update package on the system.

Important Information

If one of the following conditions holds true, the cumulative security update installer will not install hotfixes on the system.

• The current version of hotfixes installed on your system where released after MS04-004 and before MS04-038. The installer fails to detect the hotfixes released between these two releases.
• Update rollup 873377 or update rollup 889669 are not installed on your system. These updates create registry entries that cause the installer of the update package to install hotfixes on the system.

If one of these conditions are true, you will have to install the hotfixes using the method described earlier.

• Although no error will be returned, but, when installing a hotfix separately from a cumulative update package, if files you are trying to install are of a version older than the files versions currently on your system, then the files may not be installed on the system. Now, unless the cumulative update you installed contained the hotfix you were trying to install, your system still might not have the particular hotfix on it. In this scenario, you will have to install the hotfix using the method described earlier.