Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) is light years ahead of its predecessors, but by no means does that proclamation mean that the browser is perfect. You are still going to encounter issues with IE from time to time.

Here are some of the concise guides that deliver some troubleshooting steps that will clear up the majority of issues we encountered with IE7.

Issues with Internet Explorer 7.0 with solutions

Problem: Crashes or hangs

If IE crashes, the most likely problem is that there’s a buggy add-on (Toolbar or Browser Helper Object). In order to verify and isolate the buggy add-on, follow these steps:

1. Start IE in No Add-ons mode, either by right-clicking the Desktop icon, or clicking START | RUN and typing: iexplore.exe -extoff
2. Determine if IE fails.
3. If not, use Tools | Manage Add-ons to disable all browser extensions and toolbars.
4. Restart IE and re-enable browser extensions one-by-one.
5. Once you’ve found a broken extension, contact the manufacturer and ask for an update.

(Reference: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=928426)

If IE still crashes often, even when browser add-ons are disabled:

• Please ensure that you are running the very latest version of your anti-virus, anti-malware, and/or firewall programs.
• Please ensure that the drivers for your graphics card are up to date.
• If you have Google Desktop installed, please ensure that you update to the latest version of Google Desktop.
• If you have 7-Zip or other Windows Explorer extensions installed, please ensure that you update to the latest.

Problem: Cannot connect to Internet using IE after updates installed

If you see the “Page Cannot be Displayed” error after installing Internet Explorer updates from Windows Updates, it’s possible that you have a 3rd party firewall installed that is blocking
access because the IE files have been updated. Please see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942818/en-us for more information.

Problem: IE always starts in “No Add-ons” mode

The problem is that you’re launching Internet Explorer using a shortcut icon that has the “-extoff”
command line parameter. That parameter causes IE to start without add-ons. Thus, every time you use that shortcut icon, IE will start in No Add-ons Mode.

1. How do you normally start Internet Explorer? Right-click whatever icon you’re using to start IE, choose “Properties” and remove the -extoff part of the shortcut.
2. If you click the green START button, click Run, type iexplore.exe in the RUN box, then hit the ENTER key, IE will start with Addons enabled.

Problem: IE opens small windows

IE opens new windows at the size of the last closed window. If you find that IE is opening small windows, do this:

• Close all IE windows.
• Open one new IE window.
• Adjust that window to the size you prefer. Do this by dragging the window borders. Do not use the maximize button:
• Close the IE window.

New IE windows will open at the size you chose.

Problem: ClearType Text appears fuzzy

IE7 turns on a text-smoothing technology called “ClearType” by default. ClearType is scientifically proven to make text easier to read, particularly on LCD flat panel monitors.

If ClearType looks fuzzy on your monitor, you might want to try the ClearType
tuning wizard, which can help you adjust the display of ClearType.

If you still don’t like the appearance of ClearType, you can turn it off by unchecking the checkbox: Tools | Internet Options | Advanced | Multimedia | Always use ClearType for HTML.

Problem: IE Startup takes a long time (>3 seconds)

1. IE may start very slowly if you have a huge number of sites listed in your Restricted or Trusted sites zone. Some tools, like “SpyBot Search & Destroy” will place thousands of sites in these zones if you use their “immunize” feature.

2. Follow the “Crashing on startup” steps above to see if starting in No Add-ons mode starts much faster3. If you’re not using a proxy, uncheck IE’s “Automatically detect settings” option on the Tools |
Internet Options | Connections | LAN Settings dialog.

Problem: Slow Page rendering

1. Increase the connection limit. This tweak allows IE to make up to 16 connections per server.

2. Ensure that both “HTTP1.1″ checkboxes in Tools | Internet Options | Advanced are checked.

Problem: IE7 Setup fails to install Internet Explorer

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917925

Problem: My address bar won’t turn green?

IE7 includes a cool new feature that turns the address bar green when a secure site presents an Extended Validation certificate:

• 

If you’re having trouble with this feature, on a site you know has an EV certificate:

1. Ensure that you either have the Phishing Filter set to “Automatic” mode or Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Security > Check for Server Certificate revocation checked.
2. If that doesn’t work, install this: Windows Root Certificate Update and restart.

Problem: After installing, IE7 starts then vanishes

It’s possible that one of IE’s DLLs isn’t installed correctly

1. Click START | RUN and type cmd
2. In the command prompt, type cd\
3. In the command prompt, type cd Program Files
4. In the command prompt, type cd Internet Explorer
5. In the command prompt, type regsvr32 IEPROXY.DLL

(Reference: http://support.microsoft.com/?id=928427)

Problem: Error message about PSAPI.DLL

If you install IE7 and the following error message begins to show:

The procedure entry point GetProcessImageFileNameW could not be located in the dynamic link library PSAPI.DLL

1. Search your hard disk for PSAPI.dll.
2. Any copies of this DLL that are found outside of the Windows or Windows\System32 folder should be renamed to PSAPI.bak.

Problem: IE always goes to http://runonce.msn.com/runonce2.aspx instead of my homepage

If IE7 always goes to the RunOnce page on startup, even after you’ve tried to save the first run settings, it’s possible that the mechanism that IE is using to save the settings
does not work for some reason.

You can prevent IE from going to the RunOnce page and cause it to go directly to your homepage by running this script.

For more info, check out this Knowledge Base article.]

Problem: IE always goes to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/ie/getitnow.mspx instead of my homepage

If Internet Explorer always goes to this page on startup, it’s likely that you have an anti-spyware package (like “SpyBot”) that prevented IE from correctly modifying your
registry.

Try running this script. Note: you may need to disable your anti-spyware tool temporarily for the script
to work.

Problem: On startup, IE always shows an error message about the AOL toolbar

If you see the following error message every time IE starts:

“Cannot find ‘file:///C:/Program%20Files/AOL%20Toolbar/welcome.html’.
Make sure the path or Internet address is correct.”

…then you’ve hit a bug in the AOL Toolbar.

Try running this script. Note: you may need to disable your anti-spyware tool temporarily for the script
to work.

Problem: I installed a “branded” version of IE7, but I’d prefer a “plain” copy without toolbars and customizations.

An article on this topic can be found here: How to remove branding in Internet Explorer 7.

Problem: Malware / Adware

If Internet Explorer is behaving strangely (crashing, visiting unwanted sites, etc), it’s possible that there is malicious software installed on your computer.

As a first step, you should allow your antivirus software to scan and attempt to repair your computer. Additionally, you may want to try the following Microsoft tools:

• Windows
• Defender
• Windows
• Live OneCare
• Windows
• Live Safety Center
• Malicious
• Software Removal Tool

You should also ensure your computer has all the security updates available at Microsoft Update.

Problem: My searches are redirected to unrelated sites and I cannot connect to WindowsUpdate or antivirus websites

If Internet Explorer searches are redirected to unrelated sites or search engines, it’s possible that your computer was infected with malware (see the previous tip). However, if your computer is not currently infected with malware, it’s possible that at some time in the past, malicious software altered your computer’s DNS settings.
DNS works like an “internet phonebook” that maps URLs (like “windowsupdate.microsoft.com“) to internet protocol addresses (like “207.46.225.221″).

To determine if a malicious DNS server is configured:

• - Go to Start -> Control Panel ->Network Connections.
• - Right click your default connection, usually Local Area Connection
  or Dial-up Connection, if you are using Dial-up, and left click on Properties.
• - Double-click on the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) item

Check to see if you’re set to something other than “Obtain DNS servers automatically“. If so, contact your ISP to ensure that the address specified is correct, or set the “Obtain DNS servers automatically” checkbox. Then restart your computer.

Problem: After opening many tabs, Windows and IE paint abnormally.

See http://blogs.msdn.com/tonyschr/archive/2005/05/25/desktop-heap-limitations.aspx

Problem: A remote user is having networking

problems with Internet Explorer. How can I collect information about his system to help me to troubleshoot?

Have the user run Netcheck and send you the log file.

Problem: Overlong headers result in HTTP/4xx or HTTP/5xx errors, particularly on devices like routers or webcams

Problems of this nature are usually caused by one of the two request headers in yellow being longer than the device expects.

GET / HTTP/1.1

Accept: image/gif, image/jpeg, image/pjpeg, application/x-ms-application,
application/vnd.ms-xpsdocument, application/xaml+xml, application/x-ms-xbap,application/vnd.ms-excel, application/vnd.ms-powerpoint, application/msword,application/x-shockwave-flash, application/x-silverlight, application/x-silverlight-2-b2,*/*

Accept-Language: en-us

User-Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64;
Trident/4.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.2;

.NET CLR 3.5.30729; .NET CLR 3.0.30618; OfficeLiveConnector.1.3; OfficeLivePatch.1.3;MS-RTC LM 8 )

Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate

Connection: Keep-Alive

Host: 192.168.10.1

These headers are dynamically generated out of registry keys. They can usually be trimmed by editing the registry without any important side-effects.

To trim the list in the Accept header,
click START > RUN > REGEDIT.EXE. Using RegEdit, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet
Settings\Accepted Documents

…and remove elements from the “Name/Type/Value” list
to remove values that aren’t strictly required. Elements in red are

of lower importance than those in black:

image/gif, image/jpeg, image/pjpeg, application/x-ms-application, application/vnd.ms-xpsdocument,application/xaml+xml, application/x-ms-xbap, application/vnd.ms-excel,
application/vnd.ms-powerpoint, application/msword, application/x-shockwave-flash,
application/x-silverlight, application/x-silverlight-2-b2,*/*

A similar problem can occur with the User-Agent header.

To trim the list in the User-Agent header,

click START > RUN > REGEDIT.EXE. Using RegEdit, navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\5.0\User Agent\Post Platform

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\User Agent\Post Platform

…and remove elements from the “Name/Type/Value” list to remove values that aren’t strictly required. Elements in red are of lower importance than those in black:

User-Agent: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 8.0; Windows NT 6.0; WOW64;
Trident/4.0; SLCC1; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; InfoPath.2; .NET CLR 3.0.30618; .NET CLR 3.5.30729; OfficeLiveConnector.1.3;
OfficeLivePatch.1.3; MS-RTC LM 8)

There will come a time in our life, whether in work or at home that you will be oblige, by choice or because your jobs necessitate it, to move your files and settings from your old computer to a new one. To the expert, this could be a walk in the park but for most of us who are not that information technology savvy, it’s a major undertaking.

Most people spent a lot of time tweaking their system to suit their own need and preference and it is easier said than done to transfer all those colors, fonts, wallpaper and other settings unto the new PC. Finding manually all the data and files you need from your old computer and put them in their proper location in the new PC will be require patience and time.

Microsoft however, has an invaluable tool called the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard which will help you accomplish this task. The wizard just needs to run once on your old computer to collect and backup all your files and personal settings. After the data collection, run the wizard on the new computer and then restore all the information into the new system.

Step-by-step Procedure on How to Run the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard

Note: Before you continue, close any other programs that are currently running on your computer to avoid any problem or error while performing the task.

On the old PC:

1.Insert the Windows XP CD installer on your old PC cd-rom drive. Select Perform additional tasks.


2.Select Transfer files and settings.


3. Select the option Old computer when ask which computer is this?


4.Select a drive or folder where to save your backup. Make sure that you have enough free disk space on the drive where you will save your backup data.


5.Select the option that you prefer. You can choose to backup Settings only, Files only or Both files and settings. Most people will simply select the option Both files and settings and let the wizard do the rest.


6.Files and settings data collection. The wizard will then search the drive and collects your files and settings. This would take some time to complete, depending on the size of your data. Click on Finish to exit, once the wizard completed the files and settings collection from your old computer. Check the file size of the backup for you to have an idea how big it is.


7. Share the folder where you save the files and settings backup for later use. You will point to this shared folder from the new PC to read and restore your files and settings.

On the new PC:

After a successful backup, it is time now to transfer the files and settings from your old PC to the new one. Before running the File and Transfer Wizard on the new PC, make sure that you already installed in your new PC, the same application that is installed and running in your old PC to ensure a successful files and settings transfer.

1.Insert the Windows XP CD install on the new computer with fresh installed Windows XP. Select Perform Additional Task and then click on Transfer files and settings.


2.Choose New computer when ask if this is the new computer or your old one?


3. Do you have a Windows XP CD? Just select I don’t need the Wizard Disk. I have already collected my files and settings from my old computer and click Next.


4.When ask Where are the files and settings? Select Other (for example, a removable drive or network drive). Type the network location of the files and settings backup (or click on Browse to locate it) and then click on Next.


5. Files and settings transfers. After the wizard has been pointed on the location of the files and settings backup, it will then begin to transfer and apply the settings from the old PC unto the new system. This transfer process could take some time to complete depending on the size of the files. Patiently wait for the wizard to complete the task.


6.Complete the Files and Settings Transfer. Click on Finish after successfully transferring your files and settings from your old computer to the new one. It is best practice to log off from the computer and restart your new PC for the changes to take effect. After restarting, check and ensure that all of your files and settings is correct and the same as on the old PC.

A communications endpoint is a user instrument, either a desk phone or a software phone application that runs on a PC. In the IP environment, each phone has an Ethernet connection. IP phones have all of the functions that a telephone provides. They can also have additional features such as the ability to access Websites or to run productivity-enhancing applications.

In a Cisco IP Telephony network, you also have the option of choosing the Cisco IP Communicator, a PC-based phone. When using the Cisco IP Communicator remotely, you take your office extensions with you and also have access to the same familiar phone services and features you have in the office. System administrators can provision Cisco IP Communicator as they would any other Cisco IP Phone, greatly simplifying IP phone management.

Unlike traditional PBX systems, in a Cisco IP Telephony network you can perform virtually instantaneous moves, adds and changes. You simply take the IP phone to your new location, plug it into the Ethernet jack, and the phone registers itself with Cisco CallManager. All user privileges and settings are automatically re-established, eliminating the cost and delay of sending technicians to wiring closets. Another helpful feature is extension mobility, which allows you to log into any Cisco IP phones and receive your own phone number and privilege.