If the Internet Explorer setup process fails, you can troubleshoot setup errors using the Active Setup Log.txt file. The Active Setup Log.txt file is a log of the entire Setup process from the moment IE5Setup.exe is executed until the download of the last .cab file is complete.
When IE5Setup.exe is executed, Active Setup Log.txt is created in the folder where Windows is installed (typically, the C:\Windows folder). If an Active Setup Log.txt from a previous Internet Explorer Setup session exists, it is renamed to Active Setup Log.bak.
The log begins with the date and time Setup was launched and ends with the date and time it successfully downloads the last .cab file. As you go through the Setup wizard, logging entries are continually written to this file. It is the most informative log file for determining what caused a download failure and when the failure occurred. Most entries logged in this file are also written to the registry; this data is recorded to assist with safe recovery.
The error codes can help you determine what Setup was doing when it failed and also help you determine the cause of the failure. For information about the error codes, see Error Log Information for Active Setup Log.txt.
When the uninstall process fails, the most important tool for troubleshooting an uninstallation is the uninstall log, IE5 Uninstall Log.txt, which is located in the \Windows folder. This log covers the entire uninstallation process sequentially, including every file addition or removal; every registry addition, change, or removal; and any dialog boxes shown to the user.
The log is divided into Passes, which denote the different phases of an uninstall. Entries in the log also have an Object number that corresponds to the line entry in Setup.stf. Lines without an Object number result from custom actions specific to Internet Explorer 5 and are contained in the IE5.inf file or in an .inf file from an external component uninstallation.
If you cannot use Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel to uninstall Internet Explorer, uninstall information may have been deleted from the computer. The following are the key uninstall files:
The Internet Explorer Advanced Uninstall dialog box offers the option of uninstalling this backup information, but doing so prevents you from uninstalling Internet Explorer in the future.