Microsoft rolls out 'reliability' patch for Internet Explorer 11

The new update improves the reliability of IE 11 in Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2, says Microsoft.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer

Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.

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Lance Whitney

Oct. 25, 2013 6:20 a.m. PT

Running Internet Explorer 11 in Windows 8.1? Microsoft has a new patch that promises to improve its reliability.

The patch is available through Windows Update for Windows 8.1, Windows RT 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 and through Microsoft's support site for 8.1 and Server 2012 R2. The description of the patch doesn't reveal what it does to improve reliability.

A Microsoft spokesman didn't add much to the description, telling CNET simply that "the update released today improves the performance and reliability of IE11 for our customers."

But Internet Explorer 11 has triggered complaints over compatibility issues.

For many users, certain Web sites don't display properly. One solution offered by Microsoft is to turn on Compatibility View to see if the sites in question render correctly. A Microsoft page called "Problems after installing Internet Explorer 11" offers other options to fix specific issues in IE 11.