14 DAY TRIAL // Early adopters testing Internet Explorer 9 and running into issues with the starting time of the browser should not rush to blame the next iteration of Internet Explorer. According to Microsoft, some of the add-ons installed for both IE9 and IE8 can negatively impact the starting process of the browser, prolonging it more than normal.
“When launching Internet Explorer, you may notice that Internet Explorer takes longer than expected to start,” the company stated.
While older versions of IE could also be affected by the problem, the software giant informs that the glitch will be most visible in IE8 and IE9.
This is because of the evolution of IE, and how the latest two versions are designed to deal with Internet zones.
“This issue can be caused if there are damaged or incompatibilities with installed Internet Explorer add-ons,” Microsoft explained.
“This issue can also be caused if using Spybot and the Spybot immunization feature is enabled.”
There’s no update or hotfix from Microsoft for the problems described above, especially since third-party code is responsible for poor IE9 and IE8 performance.
The Redmond company advices users to troubleshoot the add-ons installed on their machines, determine which are acting up and either disable or uninstall them completely.
In the specific case of Spybot, Microsoft tells customers to disable the immunization feature, and to wait for the vendor to resolve the issue.
The company recommends that users go through three steps to troubleshoot IE add-ons:
“Step 1: Run Internet Explorer in "No Add-ons" mode to determine if the issue is Add-On related. Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9 add-ons, such as ActiveX controls and browser toolbars, are used by some Web sites to provide an enhanced browsing experience. An error may occur if an add-on is damaged or if an add-on conflicts with Internet Explorer.
To determine whether the error is caused by an add-on, run Internet Explorer in "No Add-ons" mode. To do this, follow these steps:
Click Start, and then type Internet Explorer in the Start Search box.
Click Internet Explorer (No Add-ons). Internet Explorer opens without add-ons, toolbars, or plug-ins.
Test Internet Explorer to verify that it works correctly. If issues still occur, try Step 3.
If no errors occur, the problem is caused by one of the add-ons that typically load together with Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9. In this case, continue to Step 2 to determine what Add-on is causing the issue.
Step 2: Use the Manage Add-ons tool to determine which add-on is causing the issue
Use the Manage Add-ons tool in Internet Explorer 8 and Internet Explorer 9 to individually disable each add-on to determine which add-on is causing errors. To do this, follow these steps:
Open Internet Explorer 8 or Internet Explorer 9.
Click Tools, point to Manage Add-ons , and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons.
In the Show box, select Add-ons that have been used by Internet Explorer to display all add-ons that are installed on the computer.
For each item in this list, select the add-on, and then click Disable under Settings.
When you have disabled all the items in this list, click OK.
Exit and then restart Internet Explorer.
If issues do not occur, repeat steps 1 through 3.
Click Enable for a single add-on.
Repeat steps 6 through 8 until you determine which add-on causes errors to occur.
After you have used this process to determine which add-on is causing errors, you can disable that add-on. Or, you can uninstall the software that installs the add-on. We also recommend that you contact the software vendor that provided the add-on for additional troubleshooting and support.
Step 3: Reset Internet Explorer 8 or Internet Explorer 9 settings
To determine whether a performance issue or an error message is caused by configuration settings, reset Internet Explorer 8 or Internet Explorer 9 to its default configuration.
This step will also disable any add-ons, plug-ins, or toolbars that are installed. Although this solution is quick, it also means that, if you want to use any of those add-ons in the future, they must be reinstalled.
To do this, follow these steps:
Open Internet Explorer 8 or Internet Explorer 9.
Click Tools, and then click Internet Options.
Click the Advanced tab.
Under Reset Internet Explorer Settings, click Reset.”
Internet Explorer 9 (IE9) Build 9.0.7930.16406 is available for download here.