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Disable Add-Ons when Internet Explorer Won’t Start

If you can’t start Internet Explorer, the problem is probably caused by an add-on. You can verify this by launching Internet Explorer with add-ons disabled:

  1. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Internet Explorer (No Add-Ons).

If Internet Explorer does start this way but doesn’t start using the standard shortcut, add-ons are definitely causing your problems. Close Internet Explorer, and then follow these steps to disable any add-ons that you have recently installed:

  1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Click Network and Internet.
  3. Under Internet Options, click Manage browser add-ons.
  4. Click Manage Add-Ons.
  5. At the Manage Add-Ons dialog, click the most recently installed add-on. Then, click Disable to prevent the add-on from automatically loading.

Now, start Internet Explorer using the normal shortcut. If it starts ok, then you successfully disabled the problematic add-on. If it still doesn’t start, disable the next most recently installed add on, and try opening it again.

For more information, read the Windows Vista Resource Kit (co-authored by your very own Tony Northrup). Got a question for Tony? Send an e-mail to qa@vistaclues.com.

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Posted: February 6th, 2007 under Internet Explorer.
Comments: 4

Comments

Comment from New vista user….
Time: May 10, 2007, 6:21 am

What to do if Internet Explorer won’t start without Add-Ons in Vista ??
IE crashed once and after that it won’t start even if tried from Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Internet Explorer (No Add-Ons).

Comment from liz
Time: October 31, 2007, 3:50 pm

thank you! this fixed my problem (in XP actually) after a zillion other sites told me i had a spyware problem.

Comment from Chuck Gregory
Time: November 22, 2007, 11:41 am

THANK YOU!

For 2 or 3 months I have not been able to run IE on my VISTA Home Professional computer. Of course, as it happens, I really prefer Firefox anyway, so I didn’t spend a lot of time trying to fix it. But it irks me when things don’t work, especially when they are so much a part of the Operating System (even if they supposedly have been completely separated from it).

So this morning I went looking for a solution, and ended up here. I ran into a couple of things you didn’t mention, so I opted for a modified procedure. Some notes:

1. You can get to the add-on manager from within IE. Pick Tools, Internet Options, Programs, Add-On Manager
2. In order to do much of anything on Vista, you need to be in administrator mode. In order to test whether you’ve fixed your IE problems, you need to run (No Add-Ons) quite often. Since I tend to try out a lot of stuff this will be a recurring problem for me. So I went to Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and right-clicked Internet Explorer (No Add-Ons), and placed a shortcut in my Quick Launch bar. Then I right-clicked the new shortcut and set it to run in Administrator mode, along with changing the Icon so I wouldn’t confuse it with regular IE.
3. Now I went into an iterative procedure to find my problem. From my Administrator No Add-On Internet Explorer (ANAOIE) I disabled lots of add-ons, then exited and attempted regular IE. If it ran, I enabled one or more of the add-ons I just disabled; if not, I ran ANOIE again, and disabled some more. This procedure will identify a problem; it is always in one of the add-ons you just re-enabled. It’s entirely possible that more than one of your add-ons is giving trouble, especially if you’re like me and download stuff all the time to try it out. Use the same procedure to test any that you think you need.

I eventually found that I was having a problem with Google Toolbar. I imagine that’s been fixed, ’cause it’s too useful and too common for it to be stopping lots of people from running IE. So I’m going to look for a new version and see what’s what. Then I’ll go back and see if there’s anythine elsg I disabled that I think I want back.

Thanks again!

Chuck

Comment from Duke
Time: March 4, 2008, 5:49 am

This was very helpful, thanks.

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