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My normal Internet Explorer has abandoned me. How do I get it back?

Internet Explorer Icon is Missing

First, let’s determine if the program itself is missing or its icon. Normally, your desktop will have an icon for Internet Explorer as well as your Start menu. Let’s test both to see if either works. Click the desktop icon for Internet Explorer, if present. Does it work? If not, delete it. We’ll replace it later.

Now, click the Start button and test the Internet Explorer icon there. Any luck? Not there?

Finding the iexplore.exe File

Now, let’s go into Windows Explorer and see if we can launch Internet Explorer directly from its iexplore.exe file. This file is located in: C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

Double click the file and see if Internet Explorer launches. If so, we simply need to create new shortcuts. If not, you may need to reinstall Internet Explorer.

Recreating IE Shortcuts      

To create new shortcuts, simply right-click the iexplore.exe file and choose Send To > Desktop. This will place a new shortcut on your Desktop, replacing the icon that you earlier deleted. You may need to “refresh” the Desktop by right-clicking a blank area and choosing Refresh. If you want to place a shortcut in your Start menu, right-click iexplore.exe and choose Pin to Start Menu.

Internet Explorer and Windows 7

If you’ve recently upgraded to Windows 7, you may notice that the Desktop doesn’t have an Internet Explorer icon. This is due to compliance issues. No worries, you can manually add an icon as discussed above.

Other Possibilities

Another thing to try is to make sure that Show Desktop Icons is turned on. Right-click a blank area and choose View (Vista) or Arrange Icons by (XP) and make sure that Show Desktop Icons is enabled.

You can also check to make sure that Internet Explorer is enabled. Go to Start > Default Programs (Vista) or Set Program Access and Defaults (XP). Look for Choose a Configuration and then click Custom. Look for Internet Explorer and place a check mark in the “Enable access to this program” box.

Reinstall Internet Explorer

Finally, you may need to download and reinstall Internet Explorer. The latest version is IE8, however, if you want an earlier version, you can also download IE6 or IE7 on the same download page.

How do I delete browser history after completing a task?

Why Delete Browser Histories?

There are a number of reasons why someone would want to clear the browser history file ranging from not wanting others to see what was recently searched for as well as keeping the computer free of clutter. For example, if you share a computer with a roommate, you might not want your roommate to see that you’ve been visiting websites that discuss “roommates from Hell” or how to evict a roommate.

In addition, as your Web surfing adventures continue, you may find that your computer’s hard drive is loaded with temporary files and performance is suffering. In either case, deleting your browser history files can help you save face and keep your computer from being overloaded with junk.

Deleting Web History

Most Web browsers have a mechanism in place for deleting the browser’s history, temporary Internet files, and cookies. In Internet Explorer 8.0, this option is found in Tools > Internet Options (the steps are similar for earlier versions of Internet Explorer). On the General tab of Internet Options, find the Browsing History section and click Delete. Choose the items that you want to delete (temporary Internet files, cookies, history, form data, passwords, and InPrivate filtering data) and then click the Delete button.

Depending on your Web surfing habits and preferences, you can opt to have Internet Explorer automatically delete your history each time you exit the browser. Simply place a checkmark in the box that says, “Delete browsing history on exit” which is found on the General tab just under the Browsing History section.

Internet Explorer 8.0’s InPrivate Browsing

Internet Explorer 8.0 introduced a new feature called InPrivate Browsing. You can use this feature by going to Tools > InPrivate Browsing. This opens a new Internet Explorer window that you can use to surf the Internet without worrying about cookies, history files, and temporary files being stored on your computer. When using this feature, you won’t have access to your toolbars or extensions.

Other Concerns

Deleting Web history is fairly easy and it’s a good maintenance step that will keep your temporary files from becoming too large. However, your computer still keeps track of your deleted histories in hidden system files. For most users, this isn’t a big deal, but for users with sensitive, confidential concerns, stronger solutions exist. If you need a stronger solution, consider Privacy Controls software which is designed to give you better control over how your computer stores data that you want to keep to yourself.

Upon opening IE7 the Yahoo home page is shown. No matter what URL I enter the only site that is shown is Yahoo. No matter what I change my default home page in the Internet Options dialog box, Yahoo is all that is shown. I simply can’t use IE. How do I cure this ill? Should I just forgo IE and go with another browser?

It’s going to take a bit of troubleshooting to find the right fix for this problem as it’s uncertain whether you have a browser hijacker or a problem with your Internet Explorer. A fact to note as well is whether or not you elected to set your home page to Yahoo at one point or another using a link from Yahoo. You should try some or all of the following suggestions to try and fix the problem that you are having.

Troubleshooting Internet Explorer: Possible Browser Hijack

Browser hijackers will take control of Internet Explorer and set the home page to a particular website, refusing to allow the user to change it. In some cases, this change comes as the result of a worm or infection received through an instant messaging service, a website visit, or an e-mail attachment. Your best strategy to remove it is to make use of a good anti-virus/anti-spyware application. If you already have such a program, check for available updates for it first so that you improve the chances of removing any infections. If you don’t have an application to remove malware, I can recommend Anti-Virus PLUS for you.

How to Reset/Repair Internet Explorer

Since it is possible that your Internet Explorer is experiencing a minor malfunction, resetting it could do away with the problem. In order to reset Internet Explorer, you can follow these steps:

• Open “Internet Explorer.”
• Select the option for “Tools.”
• Select “Internet Options.”
• Select the option for “Restore Advanced Settings.”
• Select the option for “Reset.”

Troubleshooting Internet Explorer: No Add-ons

If you have recently included any add-ons to your Internet Explorer browser, they could be interfering with your use of it. Try running it without the add-ons by going to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Internet Explorer No Add-ons. If it works properly and lets you use it to access other web pages, then try use one add-on at a time until you find the one that is creating the problem.

Changing Internet Explorer Home Page

The first strategy that should be used to change the home page in Internet Explorer is to use these directions:

• Open “Internet Explorer.”
• If you can select a website that you wish to use for your home page, do it at this point.
• Open “Tools”
• Select “Internet Options.”
• Select “General.”
• Select “Use Current Page.”

IE Browser vs. Mozilla Firefox Browser

You can certainly use another web browser if you prefer over Internet Explorer. I personally use Mozilla Firefox and have been very happy with it. I have been exposed to a lower incidence of spyware applications/viruses since I have started to use it as my primary browser. You can get more information on downloading and customizing it from the link above.

I can’t access the full features of the Internet. For example, I cannot check e-mail on Yahoo, Hotmail, or AOL, but I can on Gmail. My Adobe Flash Player and Java won’t let me upgrade. I keep deleting files and programs such as games and instant messengers. I use the disk cleanup utility right after and it still eats away at my memory. I use defrag about once a month as well as Registry Repair Pro and that still doesn’t fix the problem. I delete my browsing history and nothing works. I don’t know what to do. I can barely do anything on my computer anymore. What do I do?

First Things First - Virus Scans

It sounds as though you’re doing many of the right things: defragging, cleaning the registry, and removing unwanted programs. You didn’t mention running virus and spyware scans, so I’m a little concerned there. Have you ruled out malware? Many of the major software developers (such as Symantec, McAfee, and Microsoft) now offer free online scans which are a good first step in ruling out computer viruses and spyware.

In addition, you can download a free scanner from ParetoLogic (Antivirus Plus) to see if anything’s lurking on your PC that shouldn’t be there. If malware’s found, you’ll need to upgrade to the commercial product in order to remove it which is recommended if you don’t already have a good antimalware product actively blocking threats.

Limit Startup Programs

Your computer may be running low on memory which can cause numerous problems. It’s not a bad idea to go into the System Configuration utility (Start > Run > type: msconfig) and remove unnecessary programs from the Startup list.

Java and Adobe Flash Player Upgrades

Many users have trouble upgrading Java and Adobe products. Before you can upgrade your Flash Player, you must first uninstall the old version using Adobe’s uninstall program. Once uninstalled, you should be able to download the new version of Flash Player. Java is also tricky. This Filetonic article addresses Java installation issues. At the end of this post, I’ve listed a couple more related articles.

E-mail Access Problems

It’s odd that you can’t access your e-mail at these different sites. However, many of these sites require the newer versions of Java and Flash Player in which case, solving the Java and Flash Player problems should solve your email access problem. For example, Yahoo Mail requires that Javascript be enabled and the latest version of the Java Runtime installed.

Related Articles:

Turning on Javascript

Flash Player Installation Errors

I am having trouble accessing the website www.bebo.com - every time I go onto the site, it starts to load, then comes up with an error message and error report - it then shuts Internet Explorer down. It’s driving me mad as I am living in Australia just now, and this is one of the ways I keep in touch with family and friends back home - HELP!

Does this only happen with Bebo? If so, I wonder if the page is running a script that’s affecting your computer. First, let’s make sure that your browser is in good working order and then we’ll look at the possibility that an add-on might be interfering with Bebo launching.

Web Browser Cleanup Tasks

Clearing out the browser’s cache often clears up problems related to websites not loading. Go to Tools > Internet Options > Browsing History > Delete. At the very least, delete the Temporary Internet files and cookies.

Switch Compatibility Mode

Which browser are you using? Did you recently upgrade it? For example, if you recently upgraded to Internet Explorer 8, it’s possible (though doubtful at this point) that the Bebo.com site isn’t yet compatible with Internet Explorer 8. However, if you are using Internet Explorer 8.0, you can try switching to Compatibility View (Tools > Compatibility).

I run Internet Explorer 8.0 and don’t have any compatibility issues with it. Consider updating your browser if you haven’t recently done so. Microsoft is constantly tweaking, so it’s possible that an update will solve your crashing Web browser problem. Likewise, you might try Mozilla Firefox as an alternative.

Plugins and Bebo Crashes

Many websites, especially sites with games, videos, and interactive elements, require browser add-ons. Browser add-ons can cause Internet Explorer to crash, so try running “Internet Explorer No Add-ons” to rule this out as a cause. Internet Explorer with No Add-ons is a version of Internet Explorer that you can launch by going to Start > Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Internet Explorer No Add-ons.

If you can access the Bebo.com site with add-ons disabled, then you know that one of the add-ons is causing the crash. From there, you would need to go into the regular version of Internet Explorer, click on Tools > Manage Add-ons, disable all add-ons, and then re-enable each one. Test Bebo.com with each new add-on. Once Bebo crashes, you will know which add-on is causing the problem. Disable that add-on and you shouldn’t have any further problems with random Bebo crashes.

Hopefully one of these suggestions will solve the Bebo problem. If not, let us know the exact message Internet Explorer is generating and we may be able to figure it out.

When I go to play a Java game on the net, the Internet deletes itself.java games, enable java, play java games

I have a few questions for you to think about:

• Is this the first time that you are trying to play a Java game?
• Has this happened to you before?
• Do you have protection against viruses and spyware?
• Have you properly installed Java? If you want to play Java games, then you need to have Java installed and enabled.

Read through the suggestions here to try and remedy the situation. Start with the one that makes the most sense based up on your answers to the question above.

Troubleshooting Problems Playing Java Games: Check the Java Program

The first step here is to check and make sure that your application of Java is working properly. Visit Java Test to access the test. If you see the “Dancing Duke Logo,” then your Java is installed properly and it is working. If you don’t see the logo, then you need to reinstall Java.

Troubleshooting Problems Playing Java Games: Browser

Have you recently updated your web browser? If you have, then the solution might be that you need to redo your settings to enable Java on your computer. Sometimes the updates modify the personal settings that we make. Check to make sure that yours have not changed and that Java is enabled. If your web browser is old, visit the website for it and look to see if any newer versions are available that you can download.

Troubleshooting Problems Playing Java Games: Enable Java

In order to play Java games, you need to enable Java once you download it. Just follow these directions here to do so:

1)      Open up Internet Explorer.

2)      Select the option for “Tools.”

3)      Select “Internet Options.”

4)      Select the option for “Advanced.”

5)      Find the option to enable Java. Check off the box in front of this option by clicking on it.

6)      Select “ok.”

7)      Restart Internet Explorer to apply the settings.

Troubleshooting Problems Playing Java Games: Enable Active Scripting

To play Java games, you also need to enable Active Scripting, ActiveX, and Java in Internet Explorer. Just follow these steps:

1)      Open up “Internet Explorer.”

2)      Select the option for “Tools.”

3)      Select “Internet Options.”

4)      Select “Security.” The option for “Internet Zone” should be selected. If it isn’t, select it now.

5)      Select the “Default Level.”

6)      Select “ok” to finalize the enabling of active Scripting, ActiveX, and Java in Internet Explorer.

Troubleshooting Problems Playing Java Games: Scan for Spyware/Viruses

If you do a lot of browsing and your security is low, it is possible that your computer is infected with spyware or a virus. This could account for your Internet giving you problems. Run a reliable application such as Anti-Virus PLUS and check for malware now and have it removed.