To restore Internet Explorer, try going to your Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > Add/Remove Windows Components > Check the box next to "Internet Explorer" This will most likely restore it. You will find the exe in C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORER.EXE, if you right-click the file and select "Make Shortcut", you will create a shortcut for you to put on your desktop, quicklaunch panel, or start menu, should you desire.
And if you want to update IE at any time, you'll have to do it through windows update: http://update.microsoft.com/
And lastly, I do recommend that you stick to FireFox. It's all together a much better browser. However, there are times when IE is capable of things firefox is not, specifically when websites are poorly designed. It's your choice, though, so by all means get IE back! Let me know if you still need more help.
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