Maybe your Internet Explorer (IE) freezes or crashes at random intervals. It's a common occurrence, and extremely frustrating as you may never find out why it's happening. One of the most common reasons is because IE has become infected with malware (short for malicious software) from one of the sites you have been browsing.
Malware attacks on IE appear frequently in the news, leading many users to believe it is more susceptible to viruses than other browsers. However, according to the IT site Ars Technica, it only appears that IE is so susceptible because it has a much larger market share than other browsers and so it is more targeted by virus writers.
IE version 8, Ars Technica states, is in fact one of the safest browsers out there. If you are having problems with IE, there's lots of free software to help you, and some of the best is listed in this article.
Clean Up Your Registry
Before you try an IE repair tool, it's important to first clean your Windows Registry. Your Windows operating system, which runs your computer, keeps a database of all software and hardware installed on your computer called the Registry. Unfortunately, the Registry can become corrupted by malware or legitimately installed software that has not fully erased itself when de-installed. The Registry contains all the settings and commands to run Internet Explorer, and so when it is corrupted, it can no longer communicate properly with your browser, causing the problems you see on screen.
To clean your Registry, IT site Ezine Articles recommends the free download Registry Clean Up. Registry Clean Up will scan your Registry and repair errors. This in turn should clear up the problem with IE and make your computer run a whole lot faster.
If IE crashes on a specific page you need--for example, a form you were filling out--you can recover it with IE Rescuer. IE Rescuer will reboot the last pages visited or allow you to close the page to open a blank tab. If you had typed information onto a page, this will be restored also. The program is present as a small icon on your toolbar, and provides a useful backup should you encounter problems.
Microsoft Recommended Checks
On their website, Microsoft points out that not all problems with IE are caused by malware. Many page errors can actually be solved by emptying your browser's cache, changing your default browser settings, and using other commands found in your IE Toolbar. For a full list of IE browser problems not connected to malware and how to fix them, visit Microsoft's website (see Reference section).
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