Why Is There No Scroll Bar In Internet Explorer?

Why Is There No Scroll Bar In Internet Explorer?
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Internet Explorer Scollbar Explained

Internet Explorer – as with other Windows programs – comes equipped with scrollbars to enable you to view the full contents of the webpage. Often only the vertical scrollbars will be used in order for you to read the webpage from top to bottom – but on occasion the horizontal scrollbars might be required.

Scrollbars are employed for occasions when the webpage is “larger” than your monitor, and while it is not uncommon for a webpage to be “longer” than your monitor display, it should almost always never be wider.

Usually browsing to a different web page or resetting your display options will resolve this – but what happens if the scrollbars themselves have vanished?

Why Are Internet Explorer Scrollbars Missing?

Internet Explorer scrollbars can be missing for two reasons:

The scrollbars have been disabled by the owner of the webpage you are viewing. This might be due to various factors, such as the webpage being designed as an advertising popup or web-based dialogue box.

Alternatively, a bug or configuration error has resulted in the Internet Explorer window from “losing” the scrollbars. Often restarting either Internet Explorer or your computer can resolve this – but there is also the possibility that your missing scrollbars are down to a more malicious cause.

Viruses and worms as well as frustrating adware can cause the scrollbars to go missing – as such, if the following steps don’t work, you will need to run a scan of your anti-virus application.

Restoring Internet Explorer Scrollbars

Reset Internet Explorer settings to resolve many issues with your Microsoft browser

Restoring the scrollbars can in most occasions be done quickly and easily, returning your copy of Internet Explorer to full working order.

  • To proceed, go to your Internet Explorer Tools menu, and select Internet Options
  • Next, click on the Advanced tab.
  • Depending on your version of Internet Explorer, you will have two options:
  • Internet Explorer 6 and earlier:
  • Click on the Restore Defaults button and follow the on-screen instructions
  • Internet Explorer 7 and 8:
  • Click on the Reset… button and follow the subsequent instructions

Various security settings, privacy options, pop-up settings and toolbars and add-ons will all be reset with this option, while information such as home pages, web forms, passwords, history, cookies and temporary Internet files can be removed in the Reset Internet Explorer Settings confirmation dialogue box.

Confirming this command should resolve your scrollbars issue, but note that information can be lost – resort to this option only when your browser is in an unusable state.