Basic Internet Explorer Troubleshooting – Repair or Reinstall

You may have to repair or reinstall Internet explorer due to a number of reasons.

Let’s take a look at some of the common methods to repair / reset Internet Explorer:

Firstly, It is always a good idea to download and use the latest version of Internet Explorer that is available, simply because it would offer more security when you are online and would protect your computer better.

If you are using Internet Explorer 7, 8 or 9, you can repair the damaged files or fix the missing registration information by simply ‘resetting’ it. This is how we do it:

RESET INTERNET EXPLORER: (This applies only to IE7, IE8 and IE9):

  • Startup Internet Explorer
  • Click on the Tools Menu and then click on Internet Options
  • Then, click on the Advanced Tab and then click on the Reset button
  • Finally, click Reset again to confirm in the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box.

IF YOU HAVE TO REINSTALL INTERNET EXPLORER:(This applies only to IE7, IE8 and IE9)

If repairing (resetting) Internet explorer (IE7/IE8/IE9) does not help, you might want to just reinstall it. Before you reinstall Internet explorer go to the control panel and make sure it is removed from Add/Remove Programs. Once you have done that, you can download it from the Microsoft Download Center and install it in your computer again. Remember, this applies only to IE7,IE8 & IE9.

  • If you need more help with uninstalling Internet Explorer 7, click here for the MS KB article.
  • If you need more help with uninstalling Internet Explorer 8, click here for the MS KB article.
  • If you need more help with uninstalling Internet Explorer 9, click here for the MS KB article.

TO REPAIR OR REINSTALL INTERNET EXPLORER 6 (IE6):

For those of you who are having problems with IE6 and do not wish to upgrade it to IE7 or IE8 , firstly make sure that you have at least Windows XP Service Pack 3 installed in your computer. You can do that from the Microsoft Download Center. Having done that, if you are still having problems with your Internet Explorer 6, the following options are available:

Method 1:

Run the System File Checker utility in your computer.

To do that, just click on the Start Button -> Run-> and type in sfc /scannow and hit the Enter key on your keyboard. Now, all you have to do is to follow the on-screen instructions and wait for it to finish its job. You might have to keep your Windows XP Disc handy. Running the System File Checker utility may also help to resolve issues with Outlook Express 6 (OE6).

Method 2:

You can also Reinstall Internet Explorer 6 by using the ie.inf file (if you are using Windows XP with at least Service Pack 2). This is how it is done:

  • Click on the Start button and then click Run
  • In the Run dialog box, type in %systemroot% and then hit the <Enter> key on your keyboard
  • Double click on the inf folder (before that, make sure that the Show Hidden Files and Folders option is selected in My Computer ->Tools -> Folder Options)
  • (%systemroot% is nothing but C:\Windows, so you can also type in C:\windows\inf to access this folder directly.)
  • Now, right-click on the ie.inf and then select Install

Once the process is completed, restart your computer and start using Internet Explorer.

Method 3:

This procedure, to reinstall IE6, involves making changes to the Windows registry.

Caution: This procedure can cause your system to become unstable, if done incorrectly.

  • Click on Start and then select Run
  • Type regedit and click on OK (to start the windows registry editor)
  • Navigate to the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Active Setup\Installed Components\{89820200-ECBD-11cf-8B85-00AA005B4383}
  • Look for an entry called IsInstalled under that key
  • Right-click on that entry and then left click on Modify
  • Change the value from 1 to 0
  • Exit registry editor

Note: By changing the value to 0, we are making Windows believe that Internet Explorer 6 was not installed in the computer.

RE-REGISTER INTERNET EXPLORER DLL FILES:

This is one of the easiest methods to repair Internet Explorer. You can do this to fix a variety of issues with IE, including when it throws up a blank page when you try to open any link or url. and also, when you are not able to access secure websites. (the ones that begin with https:// instead of http://).

To repair Internet Explorer, re-register the following DLL files:

  1. urlmon.dll
  2. actxprxy.dll
  3. shdocvw.dll
  4. mshtml.dll
  5. browseui.dll
  6. jscript.dll
  7. vbscript.dll
  8. oleaut32.dll

To do that, click on Start -> Run and type in regsvr32 <DLL file name> and click OK. Wait for the message: DllRegisterServer in <DLL file name> succeeded and then repeat the same sequence for the rest of the DLL files, one by one.

(For example: if you wanted to re-register mshtml.dll, you should type regsvr32 mshtml.dll and click OK. Once you see the message: DllRegisterServer in mshtml.dll succeeded, you can repeat the same step for the rest of the DLL files, one by one.)

When you are Not Able to Access Secure Websites (these are websites that begin with https:// instead of just http://), re-register the following DLL files:

  1. softpub.dll
  2. wintrust.dll
  3. initpki.dll
  4. dssenh.dll
  5. rsaenh.dll
  6. gpkcsp.dll
  7. sccbase.dll
  8. slbcsp.dll
  9. cryptdlg.dll

NOTE: Remember this, when you have Full Network Connectivity in a computer but still if you are Unable to Access the Internet and Browse Websites, it is an indication of Corruption of Winsock. This issue will be resolved if you Reset Winsock. (The command to reset the winsock catalog in your computer is netsh winsock reset catalog c:\123.txt)

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