Upgrading from IE8 to IE9

Question

Question

Upgrading from IE8 to IE9

by raduzhok Dec 4, 2012 6:42AM PST

I have an eMachines VISTA OS, and use IE8 to go online. This afternoon, my browser wouldn't open - basically it froze and since the options given when the browser is not responding, and seeking to 'end program' is to either go to my home page, or restore my last session, which, in this case, was my home page.

How can I diagnose the problem with my browser, and how can I resolve the problem. It's not the 'home page, since using Chrome (here) I can easily see there is nothing wrong with that site.

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4 Posts

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Will let you know how it goes

by raduzhok Dec 4, 2012 9:20PM PST

Thank you, Wpgwpg for the above information. I'll be working on the each point in turn.
Since I am able to use Chrome, and Foxfire, as well, is it safe to think that it is an IE specific problem? I wondered if I upgraded to IE9, would that carry over all of the previous browser's problems, or if the problem was that IE8 just stopped working?

I'll let you know how it all works out when I'm finished.

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Complications

by raduzhok Dec 6, 2012 12:13AM PST

In your list of things to do, this is where I've gotten so far. I'd already rebooted. But it made no difference. I updated my AV and went into safe mode, set it to scan, but the scan never finished. I got a bit sidetracked when I was coming back out of safe mode, trying to restore my theme, which, it seems, disappeared off my system. I got some help restoring it, but IE didn't work still, except for one time when I was still in the antiquated looking 'windows classic theme' to which everything defaulted. But that didn't last, though it might be added information to help when all is said and done.

This morning, I tried to go back into safe mode, started the scan again, and only got 31% through, when the scan window said it was finished, but showed no 'infections.' Oddly, the program didn't show that I'd scanned today, but did show that the last scan done was yesterday, with no infections found.

I probably shouldn't have tried the next step (my own idea, misguided as it may have been), and headed into WINDOWS updates, and finally ran the update from IE8, to IE9. However, it made no difference. The browser comes up, but freezes, as usual, but without showing, now, any of the detail it originally shows (Menu, ICON, at etc). I always have to go to task manager to get it do 'end.'

I'll continue working thru you list. But wanted to let you know some of the specific complications which have cropped up along the way. It might give further clues to what has gone wrong. I don't quite understand, if or how, the loss of ability to change my 'theme' back. The 'Aero.theme is not found. Also, one further thing I noted, in safe mode, was that I got a 'security' pop up in the tray saying that the 'security center' was not working.

Any thoughts about these further situations?

Thanks.... back to working through your list.

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Resolution Solution

by raduzhok Dec 6, 2012 1:22AM PST

Okay, here's the weirder part. I wrote above in my 'how it's going so far' response to your help, that at one point I was actually able to get IE8 to work when the resolution was changed from my traditional 1024x768. My screen is actually way wider, but TOO wide for my taste, so I've kept it on a lower res. I just went back to the higher resolution, and oddly, when I opened IE (now 9) it loaded, finished installing and is now working.

I don't quite get what the problem was. But now I'm stuck in WINDOWS Classic theme (that really dull off white color scheme).

Please direct me to which part of the computer help forum will help me to recover my Vista themes.

Thank you for your help. I still on't know if there is a virus, but I did recently do a WINDOWS update prior to all of this happening. Could that have some (don't let IE use lower resolution) thing about it?

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wpgwpg · Answer 1 · Dec 4, 2012 8:01AM PST

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Answer

Have you tried rebooting?

by wpgwpg Dec 4, 2012 8:01AM PST

The first thing I'd do would be to reboot and see if the problem is still there. If it is, then here're some things you can check out.
It sounds like you could have a virus or other malware. Get your antivirus program up to date and boot into Safe Mode. Note that some viruses can hide themselves from your antivirus program in normal mode, so you really need to scan in Safe Mode. To get into Safe Mode when you first power up, hit F8 about once a second until you get the menu and select Safe Mode. Then run a full system scan.
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Microsoft has suggestions and offerings at
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/how-do-I-remove-a-computer-virus
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MS forum moderator Keith has some suggestions along this line at
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-performance/windows-explorer-has-stopped-working/6ab02526-5071-4dcc-895f-d90202bad8b3
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If that fixes it, fine. If not, use System Restore to go back to a date prior to the beginning of the problem. To run System Restore, click Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore. Click the box that says Show more restore points.
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You can check for corrupted system files. Open an administrator command prompt and run SFC if the above doesn't help. Click START, then type CMD in the search box, right-click CMD.EXE and click Run as administrator. Then from the command prompt type sfc /scannow.
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Finally if all else fails, you can check the rather cryptic system event log. To do that click Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer. Once in Event Viewer click on the system log and scroll through the entries looking for those flagged "error" to see if you can find hints as to where the problem could be.
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When you get your system back in good working order, I urge you to back your system up to an external hard drive and make regular periodic updates to it.
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I hope this helps. Good luck.

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