Did you by any chance install SP2
after installing IE8 beta?
There is no beta 3 version of IE8. Beta 2 causes blank McAfee windows and other problems, but the next version which is RC1 doesn't apparently, although it isn't advisable to use beta IE versions anyway as McAfee relies upon IE.
In XP IE8 should be listed as a separate item in Control Panel/Uninstall a Program.
If it isn't for any reason then try the following, I quote from Microsoft's website.
Alternative steps for Windows XP or for Windows Server 2003
To uninstall Internet Explorer 8 in Windows XP or in Windows Server 2003, follow these steps:
- Carefully select and then copy the following command: %windir%\ie8\spuninst\spuninst.exe
- Click Start, click Run, type Cmd.exe, and then press ENTER.
- Right-click inside the Cmd.exe window, and then click Paste to paste the command that you copied in step 1.
- Press ENTER to uninstall Internet Explorer 8. When the uninstall program is finished, restart your computer. Then follow the next steps to verify that your previous version of Internet Explorer is restored or to contact support if you experience any problems.
Next steps
- After you restart your computer, open Internet Explorer. Then click About Internet Explorer on the Help menu. If Internet Explorer 6 or 7 appears in the About Internet Explorer dialog box, then you are finished.
- If Internet Explorer 8 is not removed, or you cannot open Internet Explorer 6 or 7, you might want to contact Microsoft Support.
Eventually you should be installing Service Pack 3 (SP3) but warning, uninstall any beta browsers first.
There is help for SP3 on the web and here:
http://community.mcafee.com/showthread.php?t=220807By the way, the most frequent cause of uninstallers not working is the use of registry cleaners. If you have any, stop using them as they cause more problems than they solve.
Other than the above, the only other way would be to use System Restore to return to a point before you installed IE8 beta. This may mess up your McAfee installation so after doing it you will have to right-click the taskbar icon and select "Updates" which hopefully will stop any errors.
Failing that I recommend
Microsoft Support, or you may be faced with completely formatting the drive and reinstalling Windows and hundreds of updates. If it comes to that please note that SP3 contains all updates for XP right up to approximately April of last year, including SP2 of course.