How To Fix The Common Problems In Internet Explorer 8

Internet Explorer may not be the favorite browser among geeks, but sadly, it is still the most widely used browser in the World. In this article, let us take a look at the common problems in Internet Explorer (IE8 specifically) and its fixes.

Some of the common problems seen in IE8 include:

• You have more toolbars that you desire. Some of them are uninstallable.
• The browser does not go to the website you want it to go. You type a web name, press Enter. It brings you to another site that is full of ads.
• Your searches doesn’t look normal. You are being redirected to another search provider.
• The home page changes without our knowledge.

If you are experiencing one of the above, don’t be alarmed. Here are the ways to fix them.

1. Remove Uninstallable Toolbars

Occasionally, when you install a new program and you didn’t read the fine print, it will automatically install toolbar(s) in your IE. These toolbars are often annoying, disruptive and take up valuable screen estate. In most cases, you can uninstall them via the Add/Remove Program panel, but there are times when they are very persistent and refuse to disappear from your browser.

In this example, we are going to uninstall the Alexa toolbar (this is only for illustration purpose. in no way did I mean that Alexa toolbar is not useful). The tool we are going to use is Autoruns.

Autoruns is a tool designed by Mark Russinovich and Bryce Cogswell, you can download the program using this link: Autoruns for Windows

This tool can configure what programs run during startup. It can also be used to find out what plugins are installed in Internet Explorer.

To use the utility, run the application as Administrator:

Autoruns classify the objects, basically dynamic link libraries and programs, using different tabs. Just go to “Internet Explorer” tab:

In the screenshot above, we can see that the tab is split into three groups.

• First group contains the browser helper objects. They are plugins designed to provide a new functionality.
• Second group is a list of the toolbar in the browser
• Third group are extensions.

In this case, we are going to remove the Alexa toolbar. Highlight the entry, right click and select “Delete”.

Done. You have just removed an uninstallable toolbar.

2. Remove Search Providers

If you see an unwanted search provider (as shown in the image below),

Click on the button and select “Manage Search Providers“.

Internet Explorer doesn’t allow you to remove the default provider, so before you can remove it, you have to set another search provider as the default.

Now you can remove “Alexa Web Search“.

3. Reset Internet Explorer Settings

If all the tricks don’t work, the ultimatum is to reset your Internet Explorer to its default settings.

Using the search function in Windows 7, search for “internet options“. Alternatively, you can also access the Internet Options from the browser File menu.

Now go to the “Advanced Tab” and select “Reset“:

You need to quit all browser windows before using this function. You will see a popup window explaining the stuff that are going to be reseted:

This should restore your IE back to its original state.

Do you use any other ways to solve Internet Explorer 8 issues?