The computer runs fine on Firefox? No fatal crashes?

Yes, firefox runs fine. I had just started using firefox when explorer began to bog down more and more. I think I actually had been using IE7 and recently (weeks or 2 months) accidentely upgraded to ie8.

One concern was that while attempting to uninstall ie8, it warned about the massive list of programs that might not run if it wasn't there. Also, I am used to explorer and I don't know how to do some simple stuff with firefox yet.

it warned about the massive list of programs that might not run if it wasn't there

I have never seen that warning before, when you uninstall IE8,Your computer should revert back to IE 7.

Lets try these steps to uninstall IE8;

To uninstall Internet Explorer 8, follow these steps:

Carefully copy the following command below in bold:

%windir%\ie8\spuninst\spuninst.exe

NEXT

Click Start, and then click Run.

In the Open run box, type Cmd.exe, and then press Enter.

NOW

Right-click inside the Cmd.exe window the "blackbox" that's on your desktop that's the command window, and then click Paste to paste the command that you copied in step 1. Then Press Enter on the keyboard to uninstall Internet Explorer 8.
After the program is removed, restart your computer.

See how that goes for you.

Joe

I did not watch the uninstall with your approach as closely as I should but was only away from the computer for ~45 seconds after perhaps 45 or less seconds of running your routine. When I returned the computer was restarting after the fatal error as explained above. By the way, your routine also gave the warning list although now I realize it isn't all that massive and is just upgrades or patches since explorer8 was setup. Maybe 20 patches.
The error report that microsoft wants is below:

BCCode : c2 BCP1 : 00000040 BCP2 : 00000000 BCP3 : 80000000
BCP4 : 00000000 OSVer : 5_1_2600 SP : 3_0 Product : 256_1

Hi,
When you get time can you run this, It will supply a wealth of information, Hopefully...:)

Download WhoCrashed See link below for whocrashed.
This program checks for any drivers which may have been causing your computer to crash....

Click on the file you just downloaded and run it.

1 Put a tick in Accept then click on Next.

2 Put a tick in the Don't create a start menu folder then click Next

3 Put a tick in Create a Desktop Icon. then click on Install and make sure there is a tick in Launch Whocrashed before clicking Finish.
Click Analyze
It will want to download the Debugger and install it Say Yes

WhoCrashed will create report but you have to scroll down to see it.
Copy and paste it into your next reply.

I'd like to see the report, System Restore maybe an option here too, we need to remember we are dealing with an old computer too, with little RAM (Memory)

Joe

Here is a link that might be useful: WhoCrashed

Here is the listing from whocrashed. I see that it refers to avast antivirus. When I initially tried to install my new IE* I believe that I had disabled Avast for 10 minutes. But I admit that I have forgotten to disingage it in all of my other actions. I will send this and perhaps I will have time to use your routine above to try uninstalling ie8 again with avast disabled and get back again.

If I had any sense, I would have tried system restore. I haven't really done that much with this computer and it likely would have done the trick in the first place.

System Information (local)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

computer name: I4000
windows version: Windows XP Service Pack 3, 5.1, build: 2600
windows dir: C:\WINDOWS
CPU: GenuineIntel Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 - M CPU 2.00GHz Intel586, level: 15
1 logical processors, active mask: 1
RAM: 1073143808 total
VM: 2147352576, free: 2027573248

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crash Dump Analysis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Crash dump directory: C:\WINDOWS\Minidump

Crash dumps are enabled on your computer.

On Wed 8/29/2012 1:32:48 AM GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\WINDOWS\Minidump\Mini082812-05.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: aswsp.sys (aswSP+0x18654)
Bugcheck code: 0xC2 (0x40, 0x0, 0xFFFFFFFF80000000, 0x0)
Error: BAD_POOL_CALLER
file path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\aswsp.sys
product: avast! Antivirus
company: AVAST Software
description: avast! self protection module
Bug check description: This indicates that the current thread is making a bad pool request.
This appears to be a typical software driver bug and is not likely to be caused by a hardware problem.
A third party driver was identified as the probable root cause of this system error. It is suggested you look for an update for the following driver: aswsp.sys (avast! self protection module, AVAST Software).
Google query: aswsp.sys AVAST Software BAD_POOL_CALLER

Well, that didn't take long. I set avast off until restart (avast warned me that it was not protecting me) and ran your uninstall routine and it crashed out within 30 seconds. I ran whocrashed and it again says avast. It looks the same but I didn't look closely, here is the dump anyway.

On Wed 8/29/2012 2:55:57 AM GMT your computer crashed
crash dump file: C:\WINDOWS\Minidump\Mini082812-06.dmp
This was probably caused by the following module: aswsp.sys (aswSP+0x18654)
Bugcheck code: 0xC2 (0x40, 0x0, 0xFFFFFFFF80000000, 0x0)
Error: BAD_POOL_CALLER
file path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\aswsp.sys
product: avast! Antivirus
company: AVAST Software
description: avast! self protection module
Bug check description: This indicates that the current thread is making a bad pool request.

You can still try a simple system restore to the day before you had the original issues, it won't hurt to try and system restore is reversible.

For xp it is start, all programs, accessories, system tools, system restore, select a date and proceed.

Here is a link that might be useful: System restore

Setting Avast off probably did not matter, the driver aswsp.sys still loads on a restart before windows loads. A system restore may work, if not I'd uninstall Avast and reinstall it following the guide below:

Get free Avast here--> http://www.avast.com/free-antivirus-download

1. Download Avast above first, do not install it, just leave the set up file on the desktop for now, then we will come back and double click it to install it, after step 2 below.

2. Lets use the Avast Uninstall Utility to uninstall Avast from the link below:

http://www.avast.com/uninstall-utility

Once Avast has been uninstalled, go back to step 1 and double click the Avast Set-Up file you downloaded in step 1.

Then
Try to uninstall IE8.

If you experience the same error codes as you did before after reinstalling Avast, once again uninstall Avast using the Avast uninstall utility. With Avast uninstalled, go directly to the exercise of uninstalling IE8 see what that does,

Let us know.

Joe

Joe, I have gotten a little lost in your instructions. I am guessing that you may have either added or deleted something. I understand the point about being prepared in advance with the avast reinstall utility.

I assume the war plan was to try uninstalling ie8 with avast gone. But it seems you were thinking of two ie8 uninstalls or perhaps it was something else. Anyway, the order listed seems odd. In any case, I will try a system restore although I have low expectations for it at this point. I will probably get to some iteration of your uninstall routine and let you know if something responds differently.

Also, while experimentation is always good, I suspect that the tests done so far suggest to me that whocrashed has just been 'brainwashed' into blaming Avast. Yes avast is back on when whocrashed does diagnostics, but avast was likely off when the crash actually occurs. I suppose your point would be that avast is probably only partially off and still involved in some way?

Intermediate update. I did a restore point from last friday. I also disabled (not removed) avast so it wouldn't restart after a crash and reboot. I tried the ie8 uninstall and got the same hard crash. For some reason, I had to reinstall whocrashed even though the installer said it existed, but the desktop icon was gone and programs didn't show it. Odd!

Anyway it still shows the same errors listing Avast as the culprit. I am prepared with the uninstall and reinstall of avast routines and will now remove it and try another ie8 uninstall.

Well, I guess its good to be wrong sometimes. I was able to uninstall ie8 after removing Avast. Thank you!

I had ie8 reinstall in my downloads folder so I perhaps unwisely ran it before reinstalling avast. I was afraid avast might mess up the reinstall like it interfered with the uninstall. I suppose (hope) microsoft only sends to secure sites.

Anyway, avast is reinstalling now. I am on another computer.

I do have a question. I accidently missed the check box (I had seen it before) that by default loads Google Chrome. It is loading now (and taking forever) which is why i'm on the other computer. If it gets in my way, is it easy to get rid of??

Chrome is just another web browser and will cause you no grief nor use any resources. Always good to have at least 2 browsers anyway in case of problems.

OK, I'm back on the reinstalled ie8 computer. Everything looks ok. I don't see that google chrome is problematic. I went to this page in IE8 and it works, but it is still much slower than using firefox. Perhaps it is something about the addware settings. Anyway, I guess for gardenweb, I will just use firefox.

If you try using Chrome as your browser, you will find that it is lots faster than IE8. Give it a whirl!