Why Does IE7 Keep Crashing?

Internet Explorer 7 can crash for a variety of reasons.

While you can troubleshoot general Internet Explorer browser problems via the Microsoft website, there are a number of problems specific to IE7. In most cases, updating to the latest version of the browser will fix any persistent problems.

Incompatible Add-Ons

Incompatible or corrupt plug-ins are the most common cause of IE7 crashes. To test whether this is the problem, you can run a "safe" (plug-in free) version of the program. Open the Start menu, go to "Programs," "Accessories" and "System Tools" and click on "Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)." You can then re-enable add-ons one at a time from the IE7 Options dialog.

Failed Updates

If an IE7 installation update was interrupted while in progress, it may prevent the program from loading or running correctly. Try uninstalling the latest updates via Control Panel, and then running Windows Update again to download and apply the new patches from scratch.

Damaged Registry

Damaged or incomplete registry entries can also cause IE7 to stop working. To fix the problem, you'll need to run a third-party registry cleaner (see the Resources section for some links). You can also attempt a System Restore, which will roll back the registry to a previous version.

References

• Microsoft: Internet Explorer troubleshooting
• Microsoft: Windows System Restore

Resources

• Eusing Software: Free Registry Cleaner
• PC Tools: Registry Mechanic