Problems with Internet Explorer 9

Web browser troubleshooting commonly involves issues with installation, normal functioning or system compatibility. Scroll below for a look at what such issues are present in the newly released Internet Explorer 9.

The latest Internet Explorer version is IE9, released in March 2011. This version is the first Microsoft web browser released for independent download and not linked to any update or new Windows operating system. Speedier, better UI (user interface) design and thoughtful perks like pinned sites, combined Address and Search bar and smarter tabbing abilities, are just some parts of this web browser’s feature set. But nothing is perfect or at least remains perfect and even its predecessor IE8 had its own little issues and quirks.

Installation Trouble with Internet Explorer 9

While setting up or downloading Internet Explorer 9 on your machine, error messages which can appear are: “Internet Explorer did not finish installing” or “Internet Explorer installation did not complete”. Possible steps to resolve such installation problems are:

I.Make sure your computer’s OS supports IE9. Compatible operating systems that allow IE9 to be installed include:

Windows Vista, x86 and x64 versions with SP2
Windows 7, x86 and x64
Windows Server 2008, x86 and x64 versions with SP2
Windows Server 2008 R2 x64
Windows XP and older Windows OSs will not allow IE9 to be installed
Windows Vista and Server with SP1 need to be upgraded to SP2, to allow IE9 installation

II.Disable your antivirus or antispyware software temporarily, just to allow IE9 to install. But this step should be done at owner’s risk, so please make sure you are downloading the IE9 installer software from the official Microsoft site. Turning off Windows Firewall temporarily can also allow the installation to proceed smoothly.

III.Remove or uninstall any previous IE versions like IE 8, 7 or older.

IV.Certain components or programs need to exist on your system, prior to installing IE9. The exact components differ based on OS and service pack version, but Internet Explorer will automatically download the missing components during installation. You need to visit the official IE9 site to download those components and carry out their installation before you can proceed with the Internet Explorer 9 installation.

V.Sometimes a system update is taking place or a restart is necessary. Unless these operations occur, the installation cannot proceed. To find out what is going on, you need to perform the following:

Click the Start icon on your computer and go to the Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, look for Windows Update.
In Vista, click on Security first and then look for WindowsUpdate.
If an update is already taking place, then do not interrupt. Let it finish and then try installing IE 9 once again.

Page Issues with Internet Explorer 9

While visiting web sites using Internet Explorer 9, your page could freeze up or the page may not be displayed properly. While playing an online game or using an online application, some parts might not work or be displayed at all. Sometimes the message “Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage” may appear. Since IE9 is an updated version of the Internet Explorer browser, older websites or web technologies may not be compatible with the new browser. Steps to resolve such issues are:

I.Try opening another site.

II.Try opening the same site in another browser and see if it opens.

III.Use the Compatibility View ability. Click on Tools in IE, then select the Compatibility View option below. The website is added to the view list and is rendered as it would appear in an older version of IE. Once you add a website, it remains on the view list, there is no need to repeat this step each time. To add multiple websites, click on Tools and then Compatibility View Settings. You can add the URLs of the sites you wish to view in this mode. You can remove sites from the Compatibility View list by selecting the site URL and clicking Remove. Click Close when you are done with adding or removing.

IV.If this fails, try deleting your browsing history. You can even reset your browser to remove any plug-ins or add-ons which could be disrupting your web page viewing. Steps to do so are:

Open the IE 9 browser, click on Tools.
Click Internet Options and then click the Advanced Tab.
Click on the option Reset under the title Reset Internet Explorer settings.
Let the browser reset, then click Close.
Close the browser and after 5 minutes, restart it.

Adobe Flash Problems in Internet Explorer 9

A major annoyance while web browsing, is when the Flash media content on a site cannot be displayed . This problem should not occur, especially if you have installed the latest version of the web browser. Ways to solve Flash issues on IE9 are:

I.Check if the Flash player is enabled. To do so:

Click on Tools and then choose the Manage add-ons option in IE9.
Look for the Show menu (normally at the bottom-left corner of the window).
Select All add-ons from the drop-down list.
All add-ons installed on the browser, will be displayed.
Look for Adobe Flash Player and see if it is enabled.
Restart your browser and try viewing the Flash content.

II.IE9 comes with a built-in security feature known as ActiveX Filtering. This program could be interfering with the Flash Player. To switch it off, click on Tools. Hover your mouse over Safety and from its side-menu, click ActiveX Filtering to turn off the feature.

If everything else fails, you can uninstall IE9 and it will automatically revert to the previous version of IE you had installed. Internet Explorer 9 is a perfect example of Microsoft’s commitment to improving on perfection. Complaints of IE8 were its slow and lagging browsing speed and this feature has been dealt with most effectively in Internet Explorer 9. Plus, the newly improved Download Manager is another feather in this browser’s cap. So, though there are some minor problems with Internet Explorer 9, it remains an impressive competitor in the web browser race.