I have Windows 7 and have removed IE8 from my computer by deleting the Internet Explorer file in programs on c drive,or hard drive. I did this with the help of a tool called unlocker.If you delete the IE8 file you remove the program. Now IE8 is permanently off of my computer, but it has not effected it in the least. And there is nothing about Internet Explorer that I miss.So yes you can do it this way. Andrea.