IE8 Problems

The perfect browser and the perfect operating system or a perfect software program is a myth. Every software including web browsers have certain problems that render them useless or downgrade their efficiency substantially. While some problems may be inherent, most arise due to external factors influencing the browser's functioning. If you are facing IE8 problems, then this article is a short guide on how you could troubleshoot them.

If you are a devout Internet Explorer user, you will want to know about how to deal with problems with its latest version. Before we talk about the common Internet Explorer 8 problems, let us have a look at what are the new features added by Microsoft in the latest version of its flagship browser program.

About Internet Explorer 8 (IE8)

Internet Explorer 8 was officially launched by Microsoft in March 19, 2009 after its development cycle concluded. This version was in development for more than 3 years and not surprisingly it has many new features included. The browser which has about 27% of market share currently has several new features including improved support for Ajax, RSS and cascading style sheets. This version is operational on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7. While it has already been superseded by Internet Explorer 9, it is still used by many as the default web browser, as IE9 is not available on Windows XP. Automatic crash tab recovery, autocomplete function, privacy mode browsing, smartscreen filters and substantial more improvement in overall performance, as well as stability, are just some of the prime features of IE8. Let us now have a look at the prime IE8 problems with XP and other operating systems.

How to Solve IE8 problems

There are a range of reported problems with IE8 that trouble users. Most of the problems do not have their roots in IE8 internal programming, but arise due to problem with added components or incompatibility of the operating system environment.

Dealing With Connection Problems
One of the common IE8 problems is that it does not connect to the Internet at times. This is typified by the Internet Explorer Cannot Display the Webpage message. The reason for this problem is probably the installation of an antivirus software that is blocking its access to the Internet. You may have to disable the antivirus program and then see if IE8 runs properly. If it does, then the problem has been created because of the antivirus program firewall. Change the settings of the antivirus program firewall to restore normality. Other reason for a connection problem with IE8 may be a malware program that may have been installed from some site. These programs can mess up the IE8 settings. Scan your computer for malware and get rid of malicious software. This may restore the working of IE8 back to normality.

Solving PDF Issues
Some users have reported problems with the opening of PDF files in IE8. This probably happens due to corruption of the PDF add-on program installed as a part of the IE8 browser. A removal of the corrupted add on and re-installation of the same should take care of the problem.

Solving Javascript Problems
If you are facing Javascript problems with IE8, which are rare, I recommend a complete re-installation of the program. It is possible that some malware programs might have messed up or corrupted the browser, leading to javascript problems. It may be that the site you are visiting has some javascript coding problems which is not letting it display contents properly. In the latter case, there is nothing that you can do since the problem is with the web page coding.

Dealing With IE8 Slow Loading Problems
You can deal with IE8 slow loading problems most effectively by removing all the unnecessary add-ons that you might have installed. You could also reset the browser and clear cookies, as well as stored web history from its cache. This will load your web pages faster, as the browser is not slowed down by the add-ons anymore.

Hope the suggestions made in this article solve most of your IE8 problems. Keep Internet Explorer as light weight as possible. As I said before, avoid installing add-ons and other such software constructs which may affect its functioning. Have the best antivirus software installed on your machine. If you follow some of the suggestions above, IE8 problems will rarely crop up on your machine!