Remove IE8 from systems that slow down

Since Internet Explorer 8 has come out, I've noticed that it has slowed down some systems - particularly Windows XP systems. On some of these systems it seems to cause long boot times, IE8 is slow itself, and other programs seem to run much slower. I've noticed this happening on some Windows XP systems, but not all Windows XP systems.

If this has happened to you, removing IE8 may speed things up, but maybe not all the way back to as fast as it was before.

To Remove IE8:
Open Control Panel, Add or Remove Programs, check off Show Updates
Look for Windows Internet Explorer 8. Look for Updates and Security Updates for IE8. Remove the updates first, then, finally Internet Explorer 8. Restart the computer as requested throughout the removal process.

To Block IE8:
Go here and download and run the blocker tool from Microsoft.

Maybe Microsoft will come out with something to patch this. Until then, hopefully removing IE8 will help.

Windows XP and 2000 Security Update Conflicts with Zone Alarm and disconnects you from the Internet

Recent Windows XP and 2000 security patch KB951748 causes a problem with Zone Alarm so that you cannot connect to the Internet.
To fix the problem
Update Zone Alarm - they have fixed things on their end. Link at end of this post

Temporary fixes:
1) easy fix: Open Zone Alarm, click on Firewall, chose the Main Tab, and change the slider setting for Internet Security from High to Medium. Fixed.
2) If that didn't work, go to Add or Remove Programs, check of the Show Updates box. Scroll to the bottom and find KB951748 and remove it. Restart the computer. It should be fixed now

When you get time, if you have only done a temporary fix (in step 1 or 2 above), download the latest update for your version of Zone Alarm here
If you use the Free version, choose the link for Zone Alarm Basic Firewall. Download the file and then follow my latest instructions on updating Zone Alarm (in one of my previous posts).