Microsoft Internet Explorer continues to be a strong competitor for other Internet browsers and today is still the most widely used browser on the Internet. To the right is a picture of what Internet Explorer 7.0 looks like with the Computer Hope home page on it.
Basic Microsoft Internet Explorer troubleshooting.
Issue
Basic Microsoft Internet Explorer troubleshooting.Additional information
This document was created as a location to find basic steps to perform when attempting to troubleshoot problems in Microsoft Internet Explorer. Before following the recommendations in Solutions, make sure you have reviewed each of the issues listed on our Internet Explorer page to make sure they do not apply to your issue.
Solutions
Internet Explorer 8.0 usersIf you're running Microsoft Internet Explorer 8.0 or later, and see the Compatibility View that looks like a broken page next to the URL bar, as shown in the below example with the red arrow next to it, click this icon. Some pages may not work properly unless compatibility mode is enabled.
Note: Users running Internet Explorer 7.0 and later will need to press the Alt key in order to access the file menu easily to get access to options such as File, Tools, etc.
- Try pressing F5 key to refresh the problem page.
- Close all but one Internet Explorer window.
- Clear your Internet browser history.
- Clear any "Unknown" or "Damaged" downloaded programs by clicking the Tools menu, Internet Options, click the Settings button, click the View Objects... button, and selecting each of the programs that are damaged or unknown and pressing the delete key. If you're unable to delete an object, it may be part of an add-on. Step 6 gives additional information about disabling and deleting add-ons.
- Verify that your Security settings under Tools menu, Internet Options are set to medium at the most. Some web pages may not function properly if the security settings are set too high.
- Restore defaults for advanced Internet options by opening theTools menu, Internet Options, click the Advanced tab, and clicking the Restore Defaults button.
- Disable or uninstall all Internet Explorer Add-ons. To do this Click Tools, Internet Options, clicking the Programs tab, and then click the Manage add-ons button. In the Manage add-ons window, highlight each of the add-ons and then select Disable. Or if this is something you wish to delete click the Delete button. Not all programs will have the option to delete, if this add-on is a toolbar, toolbars and many other add-ons are usually deleted through the Add/Remove programs.
- Close Internet Explorer.
- Open one Internet Explorer window and try again.
- If the issue persists make sure your Internet Explorer has not been hi-jacked.
- Make sure you have all the latest updates from Microsoft's Windows update page.
- If you have any third-party popup blockers installed on the computer, try disabling the popup blocker or uninstalling the popup blocker. Some popup blocker programs can cause additional issues with the browser.
- Make sure you have all the latest versions of plug-ins installed in Internet Explorer.
- If all the above recommendations do not resolve your issue, this issue has recently started occurring, and you are running Microsoft Windows XP, you can also recover Windows back to an earlier date.
- Finally, if you continue to have issues, consider trying an alternate browser to make sure the issue is not with the web page. Our suggestion would be to try Firefox or Google Chrome.
How do I stop pop-up or pop-under Internet ads?
Issue
How do I stop pop-up or pop-under Internet ads?Solution
There are hundreds of different software programs that are designed to help stop, block, or prevent pop-up, pop-under, and other Internet intrusive and annoying advertising on the Internet. Below is a listing of some of the more popular and widely used programs we would recommend trying.Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 users
Users who are using Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 can be thankful that Microsoft has decided to include a popup blocker in the browser. By default this option should be enabled if you wish to change the settings of how this feature works or want to verify if it is enabled or not you can follow the below steps.
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click Tools
- Click Options
- Click the Privacy tab
- At the bottom of the Privacy tab you should have a Pop-up Blocker section. If you wish pop-ups to be blocked check the "Block pop-ups" option. You can also set additional settings such as disabling the sound when a pop-up is blocked or disable the information bar displayed when a pop-up is blocked by clicking the Settings button.
Users who are running earlier versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer also have options to block pop-ups in their version of Microsoft Internet Explorer. Below are a few recommendations.
Google ToolbarIf you are using Microsoft Windows and Internet Explorer, it is highly recommended that you try the Google Toolbar, which includes a free popup blocker.
Third-party programsThere are numerous third-party programs that can be downloaded that also help prevent pop-ups from occurring. Below is a short list of some of the more popular solutions.
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If you're running Mozilla Firefox and with to adjust or change how Firefox handles pop-up follow the below steps.
- Open Mozilla Firefox
- Click Tools
- Click Options
- Click the Web features button on the left hand side of the Options window.
- By default this feature should be enabled if you wish to disable the feature, uncheck "Block Popup Windows." If you have allowed popups on a site you wish to now block you can also click "Allowed sites" in this window and remove any sites you wish to block any popup on.
- Open Mozilla Firefox
- In the URL field type "about:config" and press enter.
- This should open the Firefox config window.
- Right-click on a black portion of the window and click "New" and then "Integer"
- For the preference name type "privacy.popups.disable_from_plugins" and click Ok.
- For the value type "2"
If you are using Netscape 7.1 or higher, the browser already has its own pop-up stopper that is enabled by default and can be adjusted or changed by following the below steps.
- Open Netscape
- Click Tools
- Click Popup Manager
- Within the Popup Manager you can adjust the settings of how you want popups to be blocked.
The latest version of Opera also includes its own popup blocker and has it enabled by default. You can adjust how popups are blocked or allowed by following the below steps.
- Open Opera
- Click Tools
- Click Quick preferences
- Within the Quick preferences menu you will have options to "Open all pup-ups", "Open pop-ups in background", "Block unwanted pop-ups", and "Block all pop-ups."
How do I download a file from the Internet?
Question
How do I download a file from the Internet?Answer
In the below example we're using Microsoft Internet Explorer as the example because it is the most commonly used browser today. Although not all browsers use the same steps, following these steps should help answer many of your questions about downloading a file.- To download a file through a website, first click on the link for the file you wish to download, in some cases the website may automatically start the download process after waiting a few seconds.
- Next, the browser should prompt you on what to do with the file. Unless you immediately wish to run the program, it is recommended you select the option to save the file and place the file somewhere you're going to remember. For Windows users we suggest saving the file to the desktop.
- After the file has been downloaded, if the file is an executable file, double-click the file to start the setup of the program. Many times, however, the file is a compressed file and requires another program be run to extract the file's contentsbefore the setup for the program can be run.
- Finally, it is important to realize that files on the Internet may contain computer viruses; the best method in protecting yourself from computer viruses is to make sure your virus scanner is up to date. Additional information and help about computer viruses can be found on our virus help page.
Try Now
Below is a link that allows you to practice downloading a file calledfile.com. This file is an executable file that opens a window and prints a message indicating that it was successfully downloaded. Unfortunately because of how this file was made it will only work on computers running Microsoft Windows.How can I protect myself while online?
Question
How can I protect myself while online?Answer
Verify data is encryptedWhen sending confidential information over the Internet such as usernames, passwords, or credit card numbers only send it securely. To verify this look for a small lock (
) in the bottom right corner of your browserwindow or next to the address bar (as shown below). If visible, this lock should also be in the locked position and not unlocked.
) in the bottom right corner of your browserwindow or next to the address bar (as shown below). If visible, this lock should also be in the locked position and not unlocked.
Internet Explorer 7 secure address bar
While the lock is in the lock position, data is encrypted, which helps anyone from understanding the data if it's intercepted. When no lock is visible or in the unlocked position all information is plaintext and if intercepted could be read. If a webpage is not secure, such as an online forum, use a password you wouldn't use with protected sites such as your online banking website.
E-mail is not encryptedWebsites should not transmit confidential data over e-mail, such as passwords, credit card information, etc. E-mail is not encrypted and if intercepted by a third-party could be easily read.
Be aware of phishing scamsFamiliarized yourself with phishing scams and techniques, which are used to trick you into divulging your account information. Online banking sites, Paypal, EBay, Amazon, and other popular sites that require logins are popular targets.
Use a safe passwordWebsites that store confidential data, such as an online bank site need to use strong passwords. Also, it is highly recommended that you use a different password for each website that requires a login.
Use caution when accepting or agreeing to promptsWhen prompted to install any program or add-on make sure to read and understand the agreement before clicking on the Ok button. If you do not understand the agreement or feel it is not necessary to install the program cancel or close the window.
Additionally, when installing any program watch for any check box that asks if it's ok to install a third-party program, toolbar, etc. These are never required and often cause more issues than good. Leave these boxes unchecked.
Be cautious where you're logging in fromBusiness
Your place of work can easily install key loggers or use other methods of monitoring the computer while online. Someone who has access to this information could read these logs and gather usernames and passwords. Also, do not store any passwords in your browser if your computer is shared with other coworkers.
Wireless network
When on a wireless network realize that all information being sent to and from your computer can be intercepted and read by someone nearby. Prevent this from happening by only logging into a secure network using WEP or WPA. If this is a home wireless network, make sure it is secure.
Friends houseBe concerned when logging into an account from a friends computer. A computer or network you are not familiar with could intentionally or unintentionally log usernames and passwords. Finally, when logging into any site on a friends computer never save the password information on their browser.
Be aware of those around youWhile at work, school, library, or anywhere that has people around who could look at the monitor be cautious of anyoneshoulder surfing. Someone could watch you type in your password, which would give them access to your account.
If you need everything displayed on the screen to remain private, consider a privacy filter for the display.
Update Internet browser pluginsOften many attackers find security vulnerabilities through browser plugins such as Adobe Flash. Make sure all installedInternet plug-ins are up-to-date.
Secure saved passwordsMake sure to store passwords and login information in a secure area. Never write login information on a sticky note or in a text file that is not encrypted.
To save your passwords we recommend using a password manager, which stores all login information and securely encrypts and password protects that information.
When saving password information in a browser, it may be visible by anyone who has access to your Internet browser. For example, without a master password setup in Firefox anyone can see all stored passwords.
Use a third-party service to confirm the safety and security of a pageWe recommend the free Web of Trust (WOT) tool to verify the safety of all websites on the Internet.
How do I enable or disable or delete Internet cookies?
Question
How do I enable or disable or delete Internet cookies?Answers
Realize after cookies have been disabled some web pages will not work properly or allow you access.Deleting cookies
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x users can delete cookies by clicking the "View" menu, "Internet Options" and clicking the button "Delete Cookies."
Viewing cookies on your hard drive
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x and 6.x users running Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000 can delete or view cookies on the hard disk drive by opening the "C:\Document and Settings\<user>\cookies" folder, where <user> is the name of your account used to log onto the computer.
Other Internet Explorer users may locate the cookies in one of the below directories.
- Windows 95 / 98 users - C:\Windows\Cookies
- Windows NT users - C:\WinNT\Administrator\Cookies
Disabling cookies
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x users can disable or manage their cookie settings by clicking the "View" menu, "Internet Options", and selecting the "Privacy" tab.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x users can disable cookies by clicking the "View" menu, "Internet Options", "Advanced" and select "Never accept cookies" or "Warn me before accepting cookies."
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x users can disable or warn for cookies by clicking the "View" menu, "Options", "Advanced" and select "Never accept cookies" or "Warn me before accepting cookies."
Enabling cookies
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x and above users can enable or manage their cookie settings by clicking the "View" menu, "Internet Options", and selecting the "Privacy" tab.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x users can enable cookies by clicking the "View" menu, "Internet Options", Advanced" and unselecting "Never accept cookies" or "Warn me before accepting cookies."
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.x users can enable cookies by clicking the "View" menu, "Options", "Advanced", and unselecting "Never accept cookies" or "Warn me before accepting cookies."
Deleting cookies on your hard drive
Mozilla Firefox 1.0 users can delete the cookies on their hard disk drive by clicking the "Tools" menu, "Options", clicking the "Privacy" button, and under "Cookies" click the Clear button.
Disabling cookies
To disable Mozilla Firefox 1.0 cookies, click the "Tools" menu, "Options", clicking the "Privacy" button, and under "Cookies" uncheck the "Allow sites to set cookies" option.
Enabling cookies
To enable Mozilla Firefox 1.0 cookies, click the "Tools" menu, "Options", clicking the "Privacy" button, under "Cookies" check the "Allow sites to set cookies" option.
Deleting cookies on your hard drive
Netscape 7.x users can manage and delete cookies by clicking the "Tools" menu and then "Cookie Manager."
Disabling cookies
- Netscape 4.x users can disable cookies by clicking the "Edit" menu, "Preferences", "Advanced", and select "Warn before accepting cookies."
- Netscape 7.x users can disable cookies by clicking the "Tools" menu and then opening the "Cookie Manager."
Enabling cookies
- Netscape 4.x users can enable cookies by clicking the "Edit" menu, "Preferences", "Advanced", and unselect "Warn before accepting cookies."
- Netscape 7.x users can enable cookies by clicking the "Tools" menu and then opening the "Cookie Manager"
Opera users can manage, disable, and enable their cookies by clicking the "File" menu, "Preferences", and selecting "Privacy."
How do I clear my Internet browser history?
Question
How do I clear my Internet browser history?Answers
As you browse the Internet, each of the items you view are saved locally on your hard disk drive. This helps web pages you visit frequently load faster by loading the files from you hard disk driveinstead of having to downloading the web page again. To conserve hard disk drive space or to help keep their Internet browsing private, users may find it necessary to delete their Internet History, below is how to do this.Note: Users running Internet Explorer 7.0 and above will need to press the Alt key in order to access the file menu easily to get access to options such as File, Tools, etc.
Viewing History
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and above users can view their history files by clicking the "Tools" menu, "Internet Options", clicking the "Settings" button under the Browsing history, and then clicking the "View Files" button.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x users can view their history files by clicking the "Tools" menu, "Internet Options", clicking the "Settings" button, and then clicking the "View Files" button.
- Microsoft Windows users running Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x and 7.x can delete their history files by clicking the "Tools" menu, "Internet Options", and clicking the "Delete Files" or "Delete" button. Users also have the option of automatically deleting files each time the close the browser window by clicking the "Advanced" tab and checking "Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed" under the "Security" section.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x users on an Apple Macintosh can delete the history by clicking the "Hard Drive" icon, "System", "Preferences", "Explorer", and moving the history file into the trash.
- Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 and lower users can delete their history by clicking the "View" menu, "Options", open the tab "Advanced", click the "Settings" tab, and click the "Empty Folder" button.
Press Ctrl + H to open the left-side history bar.
or
Click History at the top of the window.
or
Users using earlier versions of Mozilla Firefox can also view their history by clicking "Go" and clicking "History."
Deleting HistoryMozilla Firefox users can clear their history by clicking the "Tools" menu, "Options", clicking the "Privacy" button, and under "History" click the "Clear" or "Clear Now" button.
or
Press CTRL + Shift + DEL to open the Clear Data Window.
Viewing History- Microsoft Windows users can view history by first opening Netscape and click the "Edit" menu, "Preferences", "History", and view the location where Netscape is storing your files. Next, open this folder within Explorer.
- Netscape users can delete their history files by clicking the "Edit" menu, "Preferences", "History", and click the "Clear History" button.
Click Help and then About. Within the About Opera window you'll see the full path to where the cached files are stored. Browse to that file path to view cached files.
Deleting HistoryOpera users can delete their history by clicking the "File" menu, "Preferences", "History", and click "Empty now" button. In addition, users can check "Empty on exit" if they wish for this task to occur each time they exit the browser.
How do I clear my address bar history?
Question
How do I clear my address bar history?Answer
This document explains how to clear the Internet browser's address bar history and not how to clear your form or AutoComplete information.Microsoft Internet Explorer users
Mozilla Firefox users
Google Chrome users
Netscape users
Opera users
Viewing address bar historyMozilla Firefox users
Google Chrome users
Netscape users
Opera users
Internet Explorer users can view the address bar history by clicking the down arrow on the far right side of the text box.
Deleting address bar historyUsers can delete the address bar history by clearing their history on their browser.
Viewing address bar historyMozilla Firefox users can view the location bar history by clicking the down arrow on the far right side of the text box or press Ctrl + H to view the History pane.
Deleting address bar history Press the shortcut key Ctrl + Shift + Del while in Firefox to open the Clear recent history window.- Click Tools from the drop down menu.
- Click Options
- In the Options window click the Privacy button
- Under History click the Clear button or Clear your recent history link.
Google Chrome users can view the location bar history by clicking the down arrow on the far right side of the text box or press Ctrl + H to view the history tab.
Deleting address bar history- Click the wrench icon in the top-right corner of the window.
- Click Options
- In the Options window click the Under the Hood tab.
- Finally, click the Clear browsing data button.
Netscape users can view the location bar history by clicking the down arrow on the far right side of the text box.
Deleting location bar historyNetscape users can delete their history files by clicking the "Edit" menu, "Preferences", "History", and click the "Clear Location Bar" button.
Viewing address bar historyOpera users can view the location bar history by clicking the down arrow on the far right side of the text box.
Deleting address bar historyOpera users can delete their history by clicking the File menu,Preferences, History, and click the clear button next toTyped in.
Stop Internet Explorer from opening Excel files.
Issue
Stop Internet Explorer from opening Excel files.Cause
By default, Microsoft Internet Explorer will open Microsoft Excel pages within the browser window. Some users may find this unnecessary or may not wish to open the file and instead save the file to the hard drive and later open it with Excel.
Solutions
Microsoft Windows 2000 / Windows XP- Open Control Panel
- Open Folder Options
- Click File Types
- Locate "XLS Microsoft Excel Worksheet" --
- Click the Advanced button.
- Highlight the default action (often Open), which is bold.
- Check the box that says "Confirm open after download" and if "Browse in the same window" is checked, uncheck it.
- Click Ok.
- Open My Computer
- Click on the drop down menu View and click on the optionFolder Options
- Check the box in the new window that says "Confirm open after download."
- Click Ok.
Internet Explorer only saving images as BMP files.
Question
Internet Explorer only saving images as BMP files.Answer
This issue is caused when Microsoft Internet Explorer has a damaged or corrupt file. To resolve this issue, follow the below instructions.- Empty your Temporary Internet files.
- Delete any Unknown or Damaged objects by clicking the Tools menu and Internet Options. Within the General tab of Internet Options, click the Settings button. Click the View Objectsbutton and delete any objects that have a status of Unknownor Damaged.
Internet Explorer KERNEL32.DLL or GDI32.DLL at 0137:BFF3191error.
Question
Internet Explorer KERNEL32.DLL or GDI32.DLL at 0137:BFF3191C error.Answer
This issue is can be caused when the computer is running runningMcAfee First Aid 97, build 400. To resolve this issue or similar issues, we highly recommend that you obtain the latest updates from McAfee as well as the latest update of Microsoft Internet Explorer to resolve this issue.Internet Explorer Content Advisor information and help.
Issue
Internet Explorer Content Advisor information and help.Additional information
A feature included in Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02 and higher, Content Advisor enables users restrict different content, approve or disapprove a web page from being viewed, setup rating passwords, and much more.
How to backup and restore my Internet Favorites / Bookmarks.
Issue
How to backup and restore my Internet favorites / Bookmarks.Answers
Although there are several third-party software programs that will enable you to backup, restore, and manage your Internet browserbookmarks or favorites, all modern browsers today include bookmark managers and are capable of backing up and restoring your bookmarks or favorites. Below is a listing of each of the major browsers and how to backup and recover your Internet bookmarks or favorites. If you've considered moving from one browser to another you can often backup your bookmarks in one browser and then follow the below restore tips to import those bookmarks into your new browser.Microsoft Internet Explorer
Note: By default, Microsoft Internet Explorer will save your bookmarks as bookmark.htm.Internet Explorer 5.0 and above users backing up favorites.
- Within Internet Explorer, click the File menu and Import and Export.
- Within the Import and Export window click Next.
- Click Export Favorites and click Next.
- Select the folder you wish to backup; if you wish to backup all favorites, leave the Favorites folder highlighted and click Next.
- Select the destination you wish to save the favorites and click Next.
- Click Finish.
- Within Internet Explorer, click the File menu and Import and Export.
- Within the Import and Export window click Next.
- Click Import Favorites and click Next.
- Select the location that contains your favorites and click Next.
- Select where you wish to save your favorites and click Next.
- Click Finish.
Mozilla Firefox
Recent versions of Firefox backup- Open Mozilla Firefox.
- Click Bookmarks and then Organize Bookmarks.
- Click Export HTML or Click Import and Backup and thenBackup. We suggest Exporting to HTML since all browsers support the ability to easily read these files.
- Type the filename you wish to save the file as and the destination and then click the Save button.
- Open Mozilla Firefox.
- Click Bookmarks and then Organize Bookmarks.
- Click Import and Backup.
- If the file is a JSON file click Restore and choose file. If the file is a .HTM/.HTML file or other browser file click Import HTML and follow the import wizard.
- Open Mozilla Firefox.
- Click Bookmarks and then Manage Bookmarks.
- In the Bookmarks Manager window click File and choose Export.
- By default your bookmarks file will be called bookmarks.html. Choose the location you wish to save the bookmarks file to and click the Save button.
Netscape
Note: By default, Netscape will save your bookmarks as bookmarks.html.Netscape Communicator / Netscape 7.0 and above users backing up bookmarks
- Within Netscape, click Bookmarks and "Manage Bookmarks..." or CTRL+B.
- Within the Bookmark manager click Tools and Export
- Select where you wish to export the file and click ok.
- Within Netscape, click Bookmarks and "Manage Bookmarks..." or CTRL+B.
- Within the Bookmark manager click Tools and Import
- Select the file you wish to Import and click open.
Opera
Note: By default, Opera will save your bookmarks as Opera6.adr. If your version of Opera is not 6, this filename may change.Opera users backing up your bookmarks
- Within Opera, click the File menu and Export.
- Select the destination to where you wish to save the backup of your favorites to and click Save.
- Within Opera, click the File menu and Import.
- Select "Opera bookmarks", "Netscape bookmarks", or "Internet Explorer favorites" depending on what bookmarks or favorites you wish to recover.
- Select the file or folder you wish to recover.
- Click ok.
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