What can I do as Internet Explorer doesn't work well with WikiAnswers?

Answer 1

internet explorer is not as "fast, effective and state of the art" as Microsoft claim it is. It's actually the most buggiest, sluggish browser of all time - and it (unnecessarily) uses far much more of your CPU than most other browsers. IE is also one of the weakest browsers in terms of security, failing to block most malware-infected connections trying to come through to your PC.

So, yeah - unfortunately the IE glory days are over. The top browser these days is Chrome, with Firefox in close second and Opera in third.

Anyway, here's some steps you can try of you still wish to keep using IE, in order that they're best followed:

Java

Is your Java up-to-date? Check The first link in the related links below. That link to the official Java website will scan your PC in less than 40 seconds to test your Java version. If it's outdated they'll offer you a new version to download.

Latest Version

Do you have the latest version of IE9? To check this:

- Go to the Start menu

- Click All Programs. Click Windows Update

- In the left-hand side, click Check For Updates

- If any are found, click View Available Updates

- If there is an IE update, check the box then click Install

Add-ons

Disable all of your add-ons. Including any extra toolbars you've added.

Add-ons sometimes collect information about your browsing history (for advertising purposes), when they do this, your connection becomes slightly slow. If the browser works better after disabling them, then one-by-one turn each add-on back on again, until you find the one that makes your browser behave erratically. Uninstall it. Leave it uninstalled.

Virus. Hijackers

When's the last time you actually scanned your PC for threats? And I mean manually started the scan yourself, not left it to the auto-scan? Some malicious little critters like to play around with browsers, for a giggle. Manually run a full virus scan and wait for it to finish. Kill anything malicious the scan finds.

If you lack a virus scan, I recommend downloading Microsoft Security Essentials (free) and AVG (the free version).

Malware

Believe it or not - virus scans, or the majority of them, absolutely suck when it comes to detecting malware. Even the expensive ones. Virus scans specialise in viruses, hence their name. Which is why I tend to laugh when a virus-scan claims to "remove 100% of malware". No. Just no.

Malware can cause browsers to behave erratically. They don't cause as much damage as viruses, their main purpose is to spam-advertise or annoy you. Pretty pointless.

Download the free Malware Bytes (see second link below). Install it then run a scan. It may take a while to scan, but it is really worth it, you'll probably discover exactly what I mean by anti-viruses being sucky.

Conflicting anti-virus

Do you have McAfee or Nortons by any chance? These anti-viruses like to block things that aren't harmful. From webpages, links, buttons and even your entire router(!).

Do a little test - turn off your anti-virus. Don't worry, it won't be off for long and if something tries to attack you, the built-in Windows Defender will kick in.

Try IE with the anti-virus switched off. Does it perform better now? If the issues are caused by the anti-virus, you'll have to contact the support department of your chosen product. They will probably send you a one-use program to download and run which should fix it. Don't forget to turn it back on again.

Explorer Settings

There may be a conflict in your explorer settings. This can be fixed by a quick fix-it scan from Microsoft,

- Go to the third link in the related links below

- Click 'Windows'

- In the box below, click 'Connect to the internet or networks'

- Then below that box, click the green button next to 'Fix Internet Explorer issues to make IE fast, safe and stable'

- Run the thingy that just downloaded. Any problems it detects should be fixed automatically

Check your connection

Some internet service providers are sneaky chappies - they like to undercut you by a few MB/ps (megabytes per second) to save money for themselves - and this is difficult to notice. Unless you know how to notice it.

Pop onto the forth link below. Then click Begin Test. It's free.

Wait for the results (and watch the fancy animations if you like). Compare the results of the test to the specifications of your internet package - if it's under what you're actually paying for, phone your internet provider and call them lots of names. Then tell them to fix it.

If all else fails

Sit in a corner rocking back and forth while muttering gibberish in a high-pitched voice.

Or just click the fifth link below to download (the much better) Chrome browser. You choose.

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