IE 6 Will not install

I suppose this has been posted before(Or I'm a monkey's uncle!!,but I can't find It?!) Trying to install IE 6. All I am getting is a message that a previous version has failed (It has!) and that I should close all programs, re-boot and follow instructions. I have, it seems to be on a "Ground-hog day" loop!!
I have installed Win me and as an aside, am also getting a LOT of pages loading in (5.5) which have "Characters" all over the page, these are completely random and sometimes I will get the message on the bottom bar saying "Error on page" BUT! Not allways?
It has been suggested that I un-install 5.5 first? but am a bit reticent to do this as I have a lot of saved items in 5.5! (Or am I being a bit wimpy??)
Hope someone out there can help..... Never failed before!!!!

Thanks In Advance!!!
Chris

 

If all that's holding you back from uninstalling 5.5 is not wanting to risk losing your Favorites list, just make a copy of the Favorites folder in your My Documents folder...or anywhere else you like.

Then after the install, you can either move that folder back, letting it overwrite the one the new install creates or import its contents through IE's import feature.

 

Chris Goddard--Did you try to Repair IE (version 5.5)? Control Panel|Add/Remove Programs|scroll to Microsoft Internet Explorer|highlight|click Add/Remove. You may get a panel offering three choices. One is Repair Internet Explorer. Check the box, and click OK.
(If you got that panel, and Repair IE does not work, you could try going back to the panel and check the box "Restore the previous Windows configuration ", click OK. This suggestion assumes that you had a version of IE before 5.5 on your PC. So you will be uninstalling IE5.5 and reinstalling the earlier version, which hopefully not corrupt. Then you could install IE6 over the older version.)

 

This'll help you fix it, Uncle Chris!

 

Thanks cousin Brett!! But that's how I ended up here!! Bogged down comes to mind?!!?
Losing my favourites etc. Miz is not high on my list. I do know how to save settings etc. But not withholding that would like to thank you for taking the time to reply!!
Welsh! You come closest! But I do not have 5.5 in my list as you intimate. The setup is from my isp which is obviously "tweaked" to allow me to download there version of start page etc., but everything I do seems to fail!! I must be honest and say that I installed IE 6 some time ago, but It has apparently reverted back to the original version somehow?? Now this I would have thought impossible?? But of course it is in colour (color) and if in colour it must be real..... right??
Keep 'em coming please chaps (and chappesses!!)

Chris

 

Did you rename Wininit.ini as suggested in that article to which I linked?

 

LOL! In your original post you said, "It has been suggested that I un-install 5.5 first? but am a bit reticent to do this as I have a lot of saved items in 5.5!" and your profile says "beginner." I logically concluded starting with the basics was not out of line.

My mistake.

 

"But I do not have 5.5 in my list as you intimate" So what version of IE do you have at present? (click Help|About Internet Explorer. Then look here to get the "simple" version number
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q164539 )
What is your present IE not doing that you want it to? ( "a previous version has failed ")
Do you have any version of IE (either under Internet Explorer or Microsoft Internet Explorer, etc.) shown in Add/Remove Programs? Did you look for Repair Internet Explorer as suggested?
P.S. People often think they have installed IE6 when they have not.
BTW-- Most ISP's do not install a custom browser although they do set the Home Page to their's. So our suggestions concerning IE have a good chance of working regardless of ISP. (You are not using AOL, are you?) Which brings up the possibility that you might call your ISP for their help.