Firefox Connects to the Internet, but IE8 Does Not
While alternative browsers such as Firefox share some essential connection-related resources that Internet Explorer uses, alternative browsers use their own engines and configuration settings. If Firefox is connecting to the Internet but Internet Explorer doesn't, you've narrowed down several possible problems. In this case, you need to troubleshoot Internet Explorer directly to tell whether there's a problem with its connection or configuration settings or if you have a faulty add-on installed.
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Instructions
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Connection Settings
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1
Click the Windows orb. Type “Inetcpl.cpl” in the Search Programs box and press “Enter.” This opens Internet Properties.
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2
Click the “Connections” tab. Look in the Dial-up and Virtual Private Network Settings box. Unless you have a dial-up connection or connect to a VPN, this box should be empty. Click to highlight anything in this box, and click the “Remove” button.
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3
Click the “LAN Settings” button. Click to place a check in the selection box next to “Automatically detect settings.” Click to deselect the “Use automatic configuration script” box.
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4
Look at the Proxy Server section. Click to deselect the “Use a proxy" check box, and then click the “OK” button at the bottom.
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5
Test Internet Explorer to see if it can connect to the Internet.
Checking Faulty Add-ons
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6
Click the Windows orb and type “iexplore –extoff” in the Search Programs box.
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7
Double-click the “iexplorer –extoff” search result. This opens Internet Explorer without any add-ons.
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8
Click in the address bar at the top. Type in a Web address and press the “Enter” key. If the Web address loads, there's a problem with one of your add-ons.
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9
Click “Tools,” and then click “Manage Add-ons.” This opens a window containing your installed add-ons. The add-ons are grouped by their names and types on the center of the screen.
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10
Right-click an add-on and click “Disabled,” and then test the connection again. Repeat until you find which add-on is causing the problem.
Reset Internet Explorer
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11
Close Internet Explorer.
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12
Click the Windows orb. Type “Inetcpl.cpl” in the Search Programs box and press “Enter.” This opens Internet Properties.
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13
Click the “Advanced” tab, and then click the “Reset” button at the bottom. This expands a Reset Internet Explorer Settings window. Click to select the “Delete Personal Settings” dialog, and then click the “Reset” button at the bottom. This restores your browser settings to the default.
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