Photoshop Elements installation error "requires MS Internet Explorer 4.0"

[James Douris]

The information on the support page was not correct for the installation of Photo Elements 2.0. The error occured wile installing the software (on windows XP Professional) when setup.exe was starting up an error dialog reading "This version of Photoshop Elements requires MS Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher to be installed". Your website only gave a part of the answer to this problem and thus does not work (please reference Top Support issue # 328517 ). The correct answer to this problem is:

Navigate to registry key: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \Software \Microsoft \Windows \CurrentVersion \App Paths \IEXPLORE.EXE.

If this key does not exist, create a new key in App Paths named IEXPLORE.EXE

Within the IEXPLORE.EXE key please make two changes:

1. Open the default string and enter “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” (please note this path is for Windows Xp only)

2. Create a new string called "Path" then double click on the new string and enter the following path "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer:". Make sure you have the ":" at the end.

When finished you can close regedit and start with the installation.

• Please note: quotes “” are used to give exact entries.

[melani...@googlemail.com]

Thank you for taking the time to load this solution.

I think this is what I need to do to load my old photoshop but unfortunately I am not computer literate enough to understand the steps you have written above. Can you please explain in layman's terms how to do this. I don't even know where I'm supposed to navigate from or how to open a default string...

Many thanks,
Melanie

[thema...@gmail.com]

I tried the changes to REGEDIT on my new Windows 8 laptop and
still could not install Photoshop Elements 2. Bummer

[arand...@gmail.com]

On my Windows 7 notebook I had no problem installing direct from CD, but have struck this IE error when trying to install on a Windows 7 netbook. Registry setting are identical. I didn't really want to install Elements 10 on the netbook, but looks like I may have no choice :-(

[henrik....@gmail.com]

This is how I did it.
I'm on Windows 7 (64bit), IE11 installed.
When I checked the registry all the paths were already there.
I took a copy of iexplore.exe from a computer running XP and IE8.
I created the following path "C:\Program Files\Internet\" and put the IE8 iexplore.exe there.
Then I temporarily changed the default string in the registry to "C:\Program Files\Internet\iexplore.exe" and the path string to "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer: "
I had to use a different path because I couldn't change the name on the current iexplore.exe to temporarily use the old one.

I then ran the setup without any problem. After the installation was completed I changed back to the original values in the registry.

I think the problem is that Photoshop Elements doesn't read the version of IE correct.
I know this requires access to a copy of and older version of iexplore.exe, but a thought I'll let you know how I did it.

I hope this helps!

[keit...@thompsonschools.org]

Henrik's Answer works! With one correction.
The path string needs to be "C:\Program Files\Internet " because that's where the old version of IE was placed.

Thanks a lot, Henrik. A very sweet solution.

[graham.c...@gmail.com]

Just thought I would add that I have performed the Henrik solution on a Windows 10 device and it solved my installation problem as well.
I had an old xp machine to copy the files from.

Many thanks to this post

[kch...@sonic.net]

Hi, Henrik et al-

This from "Herrick", 6/29/16. Very glad your solution works & now I want to try it in my Win 10 computer. I've got the old iexplore.exe in the new ...\Internet folder (no ending back-slash, as noted by keit...) but I hope you or someone else will guide me to the proper locations in the registry for making the two temporary changes. I intend to be careful!

Ken Herrick
Oakland, CA USA

[carltr...@gmail.com]

Ken Herrick,
the registry is
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE
(same as original poster).

[Cobie Odendaal]

Thank you for the amazing solution
Was a bit of a scramble to find an old IE - but it worked!!!
SOOOOO much appreciated

[kc4...@gmail.com]

Here is an easier way to modify the registry and install on Win10 64bit:
1. Copy IEXPLORER.EXE to C:\Program Files\internet
2. Create a text file called ie8path.reg with the following:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet\\IEXPLORE.EXE"
"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet;"

3. Save and double click on ie8path.reg and agree to the prompts
4. Start the Photoshop install
5. Create a text file called iepath.reg with the following:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\IEXPLORE.EXE"
"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer;"

6. Douple click iepath.reg and agree to the prompts.
7. Done

[fredsmi...@gmail.com]

I am not too computer smart, so I need a bit more direction. Under my Windows 10 C directory, I have two "program files" directories, the second one having "(x86)". Both have a folder called "internet explorer" but not "internet" Do I need to rename?

Also, how do I create this ie8path.reg text file? With Notepad? And where do I save it?

Lastly, your directions have two text files created with slightly different names and content. The second one is to be created after trying the install, but when you install, you get to the error message, and the only option is to quit.

Please advise...thank you!

[kc4...@gmail.com]

This process puts the XP version of internet explorer that the Photo Shop installer is looking for in a new directory called C:\Program Files\internet. Then the registry path that the installer uses to find the internet explorer file is temporarily change to the back level file by executing the ie8path.reg file. Once the installation is done change the IE path back to the original program by executing the iepath.reg file.
1. Create directory C:\Program Files\internet
2. Copy version 4 to 8 IEXPLORER.EXE file to C:\Program Files\internet
3. Using notepad, create a text file called ie8path.reg on your desktop with the following (you may need to force the file ending from .txt to .reg):

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet\\IEXPLORE.EXE"
"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet;"

4. Using notepad, create a text file called iepath.reg on your desktop with the following:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer\\IEXPLORE.EXE"
"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet Explorer;"

5. Save and double click on ie8path.reg and agree to the prompts
6. Start the Photoshop install
7. Double click iepath.reg and agree to the prompts.
8. Done

[fredsmi...@gmail.com]

I am sorry to have to ask for one more clarification. Specifically, I do not understand step 2. Where would I find the file I am supposed to put in the newly created directory C:\Program Files\internet? Also, is this file called "IEXPLORER.EXE" or "8 IEXPLORER.EXE" ? Lastly I don't follow 'Copy version 4 to 8'.

Any amplifying information you could provide on step 2 would be most appreciated.

Thank you!!

[kc4...@gmail.com]

1. the C:\Program Files\internet\IEXPLORER.EXE file is version 4 to 8. Anything before version 4 or after version 8 will not work.
2. The current version of C:\Program Files\internet explorer\iexplorere.exe installed on your Windows 10 OS is probably 11 which is why you can not install PSE.
3. I copied iexplorere.exe from a windows XP CD that I had laying around.

[kc4...@gmail.com]

On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 8:51:51 AM UTC-4, fredsmi...@gmail.com wrote:

Making the rededit files:
1. Left click on your desktop and select New>Text Document from the pop up menu.
2. Name the new file ie8path.reg. Make sure you change the .txt ending to .reg.
3. Type notepad in your cortona search bar and open notepad.
4. Drag and drop ie8path.reg from your desktop into notepad.
5. Copy and past the following text into notepad:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\IEXPLORE.EXE]
@="C:\\Program Files\\Internet\\IEXPLORE.EXE"
"Path"="C:\\Program Files\\Internet;"

6. Save the notepad file.

Repeat for iepath.reg with this text:

[graham.c...@gmail.com]

Here I am again 4 years on reading the same post to allow me to install Photoshop Elements onto a windows 7 machine 64 bit. I had forgotten how to do it. My machine has no IE installed. Put my old xp iexpore.exe file in the appropriate directory and used the regedit method. All worked a treat.
Great post
Happy to keep using old versions until they die!!!

[raymond...@gmail.com]

actually no need to bring back the old iexpore.exe, what i did is to
1) copy any file with date stamp before year 2004 into c:\temp\
2) rename the file to iexpore.exe
3) change the register to point to
c:\temp\iexpore.exe
c:\temp;
4) install the PSE (it works!! the setup only check as long as the folder contains the files call iexpore.exe and date stamp is old enough)
5) after all, remember to change the register back to original folder.

Cheers

[John Biggs]

Thanks all (raymond and kc4 specifically) I appreciate it a lot. I got away with a file date stamped from 12/2/2006 because I could not find something from 2004 on the PC, but the date did matter, just not the content. I copied in and renamed some .dll file I found. You can not just create a file named iexplorer.exe, or copy a significantly newer version. See also this article: https://www.winhelponline.com/blog/change-accessed-modified-created-file-date-timestamp-windows/ If you want to manipulate file dates.

[Danny Ruttle]

Please could someone recommend a reliable source from which to download IE. I've just got a new laptop and I don't want to risk getting some malware on it. Thanks...