How to Fix Crashes for Internet Explorer

Authored by: Support.com Tech Pro Team

1. Introduction

We all rely on our web browsers to get us through the day, so serious problems with your browser of choice can have a serious impact on your productivity, peace of mind, or even less important things like Netflix binge watches. This guide will take you through troubleshooting steps to get Microsoft Edge working properly on your machine.

Internet Explorer

2. Restart Your PC

Before your restart or shut down your PC, make sure to save all necessary work to prevent data loss.

  • Using the Mouse
  • Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start button

  • By default it is in the lower left corner of your screen.
  • Select Power, then select Restart.
Start menu with Power and Restart highlighted.
  • Using the Keyboard
  • Press the Windows and X keys at the same time. This minimizes any open windows you may have.
Keyboard with Windows and X keys highlighted.
  • Press the Alt and F4 keys at the same time. This tells Windows to close the desktop.
Keyboard with Alt and F4 keys highlighted.
  • Select Restart, then OK.
Shut Down dialog with Restart and OK highlighted.

3. Test Site

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

4. Clear Browser History

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Click on the gear icon in the upper right hand corner.
Browser with Settings highlighted.
  1. Click on Internet options.
Settings menu with Internet Options highlighted.
  1. Click on (1) General. Then click on (2) Delete.
Internet options with general and delete highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Make sure the (1) first four checkboxes are checked. Then click (2) Delete.
Delete browsing history with first four checkboxes and delete highlighted. Screenshot
  1. To make sure Internet Explorer has cleared everything, close the browser. Select the X in the upper-right corner.
Browser window with close button highlighted.

5. Test Site

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

6. Disable Extensions

Extensions provide extra features to Internet Explorer. Sometimes, these Extensions are not coded well, break after an update, or because they change the way Internet Explorer works in a malicious way to show you advertisements.

Disabling Extensions can help resolve these problems.

It is recommended to disable all Extensions. Then enable your wanted extensions one by one, testing each time to find the extension that's causing problems.

  1. Open Internet Explorer, then select the gear icon in the upper right hand corner.
Internet Explorer.

Browser with Settings highlighted.
  1. Click on Internet options.
Settings menu with Internet Options highlighted.
  1. Click on Programs (1). Click on Manage add-ons (2).
Internet Options with Programs tab and Manage add-ons button highlighted.
  1. The following steps can be repeated to disable multiple browser extensions.
  2. This is the addons menu, you need to perform the next step in all sections (All add-ons, Currently loaded add-ons, Run without permission, Downloaded controls).
Add-ons menu with different sections highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Disable any add-on that was not published by Microsoft Corporation. The add-on you want to disable, if its active, it will say Enabled. Click on the add-on.
Add-ons list with Enabled highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Click on Disable.
Add-on screen with disable highlighted. Screenshot

7. Test Site

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

8. Troubleshoot Extensions

One of the Extensions being used in Internet Explorer is causing problems.

You can use Internet Explorer with extensions disabled, it will function perfectly fine.

If you wish, return to Extensions and enable each extension one by one, testing after each, to determine which one is causing you problems, then remove just that extension.

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Click on the gear icon in the upper right hand corner.
Browser with Settings highlighted.
  1. Click on Internet options.
Settings menu with Internet Options highlighted.
  1. Click on Programs. Click on Manage add-ons.
Internet Options with Programs tab and Manage add-ons button highlighted.
  1. Repeat these steps till Internet Explorer no longer works to find the Extension giving you problems, then leave that extension disabled.
  2. This is the addons menu, you need to perform the next step in all sections (All add-ons, Currently loaded add-ons, Run without permission, Downloaded controls).
Add-ons menu with different sections highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Enable your addons, one at a time, by clicking Enable. After enabling one, then close then reopen Internet Explorer and test websites. If it works, enable another and repeat.
addon window with Enable highlighted. Screenshot

9. Uninstall Check

Our next step is to uninstall Internet Explorer.

In most cases, your bookmarks and saved passwords will be saved through uninstalling and reinstalling, but they can be lost during this process.

Any history, frequently used pages, cookies, and Extensions will be lost.

10. Uninstall

  1. Select the (1) Start menu, then type (2) features. Select (3) Turn Windows features on and off.
Start menu with features and turn windows features on highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Uncheck the checkbox for (1) Internet Explorer 11. Then select (2) OK.
Windows features with empty box for Internet Explorer highlighted. Screenshot
  1. You will get a confirmation page. Select Yes.
Confirmation page with Yes highlighted. Screenshot

11. Restart Your PC

Before your restart or shut down your PC, make sure to save all necessary work to prevent data loss.

  • Using the Mouse
  • Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start button

  • By default it is in the lower left corner of your screen.
  • Select Power, then select Restart.
Start menu with Power and Restart highlighted.
  • Using the Keyboard
  • Press the Windows and X keys at the same time. This minimizes any open windows you may have.
Keyboard with Windows and X keys highlighted.
  • Press the Alt and F4 keys at the same time. This tells Windows to close the desktop.
Keyboard with Alt and F4 keys highlighted.
  • Select Restart, then OK.
Shut Down dialog with Restart and OK highlighted.

12. Install

  1. Select the (1) Start menu, then type (2) features. Select (3) Turn Windows features on and off.
Start menu with features and turn windows features on highlighted. Screenshot
  1. Check the checkbox for (1) Internet Explorer 11. Then select (2) OK.
Features window with Check box for Internet Explorer and OK highlighted. Screenshot

13. Restart Your PC

Before your restart or shut down your PC, make sure to save all necessary work to prevent data loss.

  • Using the Mouse
  • Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start button

  • By default it is in the lower left corner of your screen.
  • Select Power, then select Restart.
Start menu with Power and Restart highlighted.
  • Using the Keyboard
  • Press the Windows and X keys at the same time. This minimizes any open windows you may have.
Keyboard with Windows and X keys highlighted.
  • Press the Alt and F4 keys at the same time. This tells Windows to close the desktop.
Keyboard with Alt and F4 keys highlighted.
  • Select Restart, then OK.
Shut Down dialog with Restart and OK highlighted.

14. Test Site

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

15. Guided Path not helpful.

16. Escalate to PTE

If you are a PST, follow the Escalation Process to PTE.

17. What's next?

18. It Can't Happen Here

It Can't Happen Here

19. Terminate

Sometimes Internet Explorer can get stuck as it launches. Forcing it to quit and restarting it usually fixes this problem.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Control, Alt, and Delete keys at the same time.
PC Desktop Keyboard with Ctrl-Alt-Del highlighted.
  1. Select Task Manager.
Ctrl-Alt-Del screen with Task Manager highlighted.
  1. Select any entries named (1) Internet Explorer or iexplore.exe, then select (2) End task.
Task Manager with Internet Explorer and End task highlighted. Screenshot

20. Test Site

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.

21. Restart Your PC

Before your restart or shut down your PC, make sure to save all necessary work to prevent data loss.

  • Using the Mouse
  • Select the Start menu.
Windows 10 Start button

  • By default it is in the lower left corner of your screen.
  • Select Power, then select Restart.
Start menu with Power and Restart highlighted.
  • Using the Keyboard
  • Press the Windows and X keys at the same time. This minimizes any open windows you may have.
Keyboard with Windows and X keys highlighted.
  • Press the Alt and F4 keys at the same time. This tells Windows to close the desktop.
Keyboard with Alt and F4 keys highlighted.
  • Select Restart, then OK.
Shut Down dialog with Restart and OK highlighted.

22. Test Site

  1. Open Internet Explorer, and visit the website you had problems with at the start.
Internet Explorer.
  1. Make sure the page loads properly, and try following a few of the links from the page.