Internet Explorer Freezes: Causes and Solution
Internet Explorer Freezes: Possible Causes
Your copy of Internet Explorer freezes because one or more of its components are not compatible or may be clashing with others. Another reason why Internet Explorer freezes is because some malware may be causing it to stop accessing particular websites.
Mostly Internet Explorer add-ons and incompatible components are to blame when it freezes or when it fails to start. In some cases, the Internet Explorer freezes when you type in a URL or click on a link (or bookmark). In other cases, the Internet Explorer won’t start, which also falls into the category of freezing.
If the Internet Explorer can’t access a particular type of websites, it may be a malware. For example, if you are trying to access Windows Update website or any other website that is related to anti malware, it may be Conficker virus, due to which, Internet Explorer freezes.
In other cases, the Internet Explorer opens and keeps on trying to access your homepage. If it freezes at this point, showing you an hourglass, it may be your LAN Settings.
The following paragraphs explain what to do when Internet Explorer freezes.
Internet Explorer Freezes: Fixing the Problem
Let us start from the virus case. Your copy of Internet Explorer freezes while trying to access a particular type of websites. Install and use another browser to download Malwarebytes, and scan to fix the problem. If you are not able to use other browsers as well, use another computer to download Malwarebytes and transfer it to the infected computer. I am referring to Malwarebytes because not all antimalware are capable of removing virus of type Conficker. You can also use some other antivirus such as Microsoft Security Essentials.
If Internet Explorer freezes when you click on the icon and fails to load, follow these steps:
- Open Internet Explorer from Control Panel.
- Click on Connections tab.
- Click on LAN Settings.
- Select Automatically Detect Settings.
- Click OK and close the Internet Options dialog. This should fix the problem.
If your Internet Explorer still freezes or if your Internet Explorer freezes while you are browsing, follow these steps:
- Open Internet Options from Control Panel
- Go to the Advanced Tab.
- Click on the last button that is labeled RESET. This will reset all IE settings to default to remove additional components.
- Click OK and reboot.
This should fix the problem. If it does not, you need to reinstall the browser.
To reinstall the Internet Explorer in Windows XP, please refer to our article How to reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows XP.
To reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows Vista and Windows 7, please refer to our article How to reinstall Internet Explorer in Windows Vista and Windows 7.
Please note that you should turn off your antivirus while reinstalling Internet Explorer while reinstalling it. Some of the antivirus programs delete the temporary installation files while Internet Explorer is installing or uninstalling on computer, creating further problems.
The above should fix the problem where your copy of Internet Explorer freezes. If it still freezes, please drop us a note using the comments section (including the IE version and operating system) so that we can isolate the problem and assist you in troubleshooting.
Note: If you are using Windows 7 + Internet Explorer 8 and if Internet Explorer freezes when you click a link or won’t open at all, you may want to try this ready to use code.
This post is part of the series: Troubleshooting IE - More on Internet Explorer Problems
This series is a follow up to How to Repair Internet Explorer 8 When it Hangs. It includes articles containing general information on Internet Explorer and troubleshooting IE for certain problems.
