Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Turn Off Switch Missing in Windows 7

One piece of Internet Explorer evolution which was introduced with Windows 7 and IE8 has gone missing now that the first public taste of IE9 is available for download.

Essentially, the IE9 turn off switch is missing from the “Turn Windows features on or off” dialog box in Windows 7 after the installation of Internet Explorer 9 Beta, as you can see in the screenshot accompanying this article.

I was messing about with IE9 Beta in Windows 7 and came across this detail earlier today. I then checked to see whether it was happening on multiple computers, and it is. Microsoft does offer a few details of this, but what I can’t figure out is if this is temporary, or a permanent change.

There is a mention of IE9 and “Turn Windows features on or off” options that I managed to find.

“On Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, after you install Internet Explorer 9, Internet Explorer 8 will no longer appear under Turn Windows features on or off. To turn off Internet Explorer 8, uninstall Internet Explorer 9 first,” Microsoft recommends.

Some users might be familiar with the fact that although IE8 cannot be uninstalled from Windows 7, it can only be turned off.

Customers can simply check a box in “Turn Windows features on or off” to have IE8 all but removed from their machines, and recheck the same box to bring it back to life. It’s the closest thing to a veritable uninstall possible.

Deploying IE9 Beta on Windows 7 replaces IE8 entirely, although the Platform Previews of Internet Explorer 9 installed side by side with its predecessor.

And apparently, there’s no way for testers to turn off Internet Explorer 9 Beta once deployed. The Beta Build can certainly be uninstalled, with Windows 7 reverting back to IE8, but the turn off switch is no longer there as long as IE9 is on the machine.

I do tend to think that this is an exception of some sort, seeing how Praseetha K, Microsoft Support, Moderator talks in a September 21st post of turning off IE9 Beta, and option that is no longer available.

The question is, could have Microsoft changed its mind, and no longer allow customers to turn off IE9 in Windows 7?

Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Beta is available for download here.

Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Platform Preview 7 (PP7) is available for download here.