You cannot view, access, or load some Web pages when you use Internet Explorer 8

When using Windows Internet Explorer 8 to view a Web page, that Web page may not be displayed as expected. For example, you may be presented with an error message, the page may take a very long time to load, or the page may appear blank. More advanced users may want to review the following methods to resolve the problem.

Method 1: Run Windows Network Diagnostics

When a network problem occurs in Windows Vista, Network Diagnostics helps diagnose and repair the problem. To run Network Diagnostics, follow these steps:

1. Locate the network icon in the lower-right corner of the computer screen. (It resembles two linked computers.)
2. Right-click the network icon, and then click Diagnose and Repair.

Alternative for Windows 7 - Troubleshooters

Windows 7 has improved upon the previous Network Diagnostics found in Windows XP and Windows Vista. By default, there are now two Internet Explorer troubleshooters found in Windows 7. These should help identify and resolve most frequently occurring issues that could cause your Web sites to load incorrectly. To run Internet Explorer Troubleshooter, follow these steps:

1. Close all programs.
2. Click Start
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   , and then click Control Panel.
3. Under System and Security, click Find and fix problems.
4. On the task pane on the left, click View All.
5. Click Internet Explorer Performance. This opens a new window.
6. Click Next.
7. The troubleshooter will run and fix all identified issues automatically. Click Close.

After the troubleshooter has successfully run, follow the steps to run Internet Explorer Safety troubleshooter.

Method 2: Delete the browsing history

To reduce the time that is required to open Web sites that you have visited previously, your computer saves copies of files from those Web sites. This is known as the browsing history. However, eventually these files can use too much space on your computer. To delete these files, follow these steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Click Tools, and then click Delete Browsing History.
3. In the Delete Browsing History window, click Delete All.
4. Click to select the Also delete files and settings stored by add-ons check box, and then click OK.

Method 3: Run Internet Explorer in No Add-ons mode

Browser add-ons can sometimes interfere with or conflict with other software on your computer. Start Internet Explorer without add-ons to see whether the problem is resolved. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   , and then type Internet Explorer in the Start Search box.
2. Click Internet Explorer (No Add-Ons). Internet Explorer opens without add-ons, toolbars, or plug-ins.
3. Test Internet Explorer to verify that it works correctly.

If disabling all add-ons resolves the problem, you might want to use Add-on Manager to disable all add-ons, and then turn on add-ons only as you want them. This lets you determine which add-on is causing the problem. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   , and then click Internet Explorer.
2. Click Tools.
3. Click Manage Add-ons, and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons.
4. For each add-on, select the add-on, and then click Disable. When you want to enable an add-on, click Enable.
5. Click OK.

Method 4: Reset Internet Explorer settings

Reset Internet Explorer to its default settings. This removes all changes that were made to Internet Explorer since it was installed, but it does not delete your favorites or feeds. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Close all Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer windows.
2. Click Start
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   , and then click Internet Explorer.
3. In Internet Explorer, click the Tools menu, and then click Internet Options.
4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Reset.
5. In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, click Reset.
6. When Internet Explorer finishes restoring the default settings, click Close, and then click OK two times.
7. Close Internet Explorer, and then reopen it. The changes take effect the next time that you open Internet Explorer.

Method 5: Perform a System Restore

If you can identify a time when your Internet Explorer was working correctly, you can restore your system files and settings to that earlier point in time to see whether the problem is resolved. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start
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   .
2. Click All Programs, and then click Accessories.
3. In Accessories, click System Tools, and then click System Restore.
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     If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.
4. Follow the instructions in System Restore.
5. Try to use Internet Explorer again to see whether it works correctly.

Method 6: Compatibility View

If there is a Web site which you can view in an earlier version of the browser, but that is not loading correctly in Internet Explorer 8, you can try to view the Web site in compatibility mode. When a Web site cannot load correctly, Internet Explorer 8 will automatically prompt for viewing the site in compatibility mode. You can also manually configure Internet Explorer to view a Web site in compatibility mode. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Close all except one Internet Explorer window.
2. Click Tools, and then click Compatibility View.
3. If Compatibility View is not enabled, click Compatibility View Settings.
4. Under Add this website, type the Web site that you are trying to visit and then click Add.
5. Click Close.
6. Restart Internet Explorer.
7. Try to browse to the Web site.