How to download Internet Explorer 8 for Windows 7 E without any Web browser?

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 10:44:28 AM

Windows 7 RTM will be available in the next days and for all European users there will be no Internet Explorer 8. I’m not sure if there will be an option to install Internet Explorer from the setup DVD or if we can simple add this as a Windows feature in control panel.

Following command line batch file will download Internet Explorer 8 setup:

@echo off

if exist download-IE8.cs del download-IE8.cs

echo using System; > download-IE8.cs
echo using System.Net; >> download-IE8.cs
echo using System.IO; >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo namespace Download_IE8 >> download-IE8.cs
echo { >> download-IE8.cs
echo     class Program >> download-IE8.cs
echo     { >> download-IE8.cs
echo         static void Main(string[] args) >> download-IE8.cs
echo         { >> download-IE8.cs
echo             if (File.Exists("IE8-WindowsVista-x86-DEU.exe")) >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 File.Delete("IE8-WindowsVista-x86-DEU.exe"); >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo             try >> download-IE8.cs
echo             { >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 HttpWebRequest request = (HttpWebRequest)WebRequest.Create("http://download.microsoft.com/download/3/D/C/3DC5DC1B-2B60-487A-BAE2-732662BC0886/IE8-WindowsVista-x86-DEU.exe"); >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 request.UserAgent = "Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 6.1;)"; >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 request.AllowWriteStreamBuffering = false; >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 request.Timeout = 10000; >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 using (Stream s = request.GetResponse().GetResponseStream()) >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 { >> download-IE8.cs
echo                     FileStream fs = new FileStream("IE8-WindowsVista-x86-DEU.exe", FileMode.Create); >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo                     byte[] read = new byte[1024]; >> download-IE8.cs
echo                     int count = s.Read(read, 0, read.Length); >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo                     while (count != 0) >> download-IE8.cs
echo                     { >> download-IE8.cs
echo                         fs.Write(read, 0, count); >> download-IE8.cs
echo                         count = s.Read(read, 0, read.Length); >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo                         Console.Write("."); >> download-IE8.cs
echo                     } >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 } >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 Console.WriteLine(); >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 Console.WriteLine("Done."); >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(5000); >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("IE8-WindowsVista-x86-DEU.exe"); >> download-IE8.cs
echo             } >> download-IE8.cs
echo             catch (Exception ex) >> download-IE8.cs
echo             { >> download-IE8.cs
echo                 Console.WriteLine("Error: " + ex.Message); >> download-IE8.cs
echo             } >> download-IE8.cs
echo         } >> download-IE8.cs
echo     } >> download-IE8.cs
echo } >> download-IE8.cs
echo. >> download-IE8.cs

if not exist download-IE8.cs goto ERROR1

"%WINDIR%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\csc.exe" download-IE8.cs

download-IE8.exe

if not exists download-IE8.exe goto ERROR2

:ERROR1

echo Could not create C# source file.

goto END

:ERROR2

echo Could not create executable to download IE8.

goto END

:END

Note: this is a first version of my script that will download Internet Explorer 8 German for Windows Vista (x86) only. If it is working I will modify it to have an option to choose the correct version you need. Well, if Microsoft is adding a checkbox to the Windows features in control panel we don’t need it.

11 Comments

  • IE 8 fan said

    Probably you could download the IE 8 distributive beforehand for the windows 7 version you are planning to use (or for all at once). But the idea is great! :)

  • Michael Schwarz said

    Yes, of course, you could download any Web browser or any other file with this simple to use script file. I know that you could have Powershell installed, but this is also working on Vista or XP.

  • Nope said

    Isn't it easier to just download the IE on another PC instead of trying to remember all those commands? ;-) I mean ... if it is intended to save this script from this page and use it whenever I install Win7E, I can straightway download the IE installation, save it somewhere and then install it on new Win7E system, or not? It is like killing moth using little explosive ball - you hold moth in one hand and with the other hand you put explosive ball in his mouth. The ball explodes and kills the moth. It doesn't matter that while I hold the moth I can directly swat him, but this procedure works.

  • Hunnter said

    Well since it was just announced that the EU version will be clean install only, you'd probably need to store this off the main drive/partition. But to be perfectly honest, if you already have the ability to do the above, you should just download IE8 / Firefox / Chrome / Opera / others to said drive/partition and install after OS has been installed. Nice code though.

  • Brian said

    very good, but the Vista version of IE8 will not install on Windows 7E (at least not with the W7E build I'm using). It will likely require the "internet pack" from MS. Try this: copy iexplore.exe from Vista's Program Files/Internet Explorer folder (and Program Files (x86)/Internet Explorer if running 64-bit Vista). Install Win7E, then copy the file back into the relevent folder. Voila! IE8 will appear and be useable, although it's not actually installed you could then download another browser (or indeed IE8 for Win7). Yes, that's right, a simple copy of iexplore will allow Win7E to access the internet!

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