So you had your computer for a while now, programs and files are starting to stack up, especially those free and shareware programs that do everything you needed from those the expensive programs.
However you’re Internet Explorer if filled with search bars and the occasional pop-up that shares the same name as that tool bar, and you don’t remember installing them. Well here is the downside to the great free programs. They are free for a reason. People sponsor these programs by having them included their toolbars and search engines in their program so while your clicking away at the next button in the install you miss that page that as if you want to install X Toolbar or X search engine.
On top of that you may have dabbled with your browser settings, or maybe you worked with a company that modified the settings on your browser for work purposes and now at home nothing works right. Well now you can easily reset Internet Explorer back to its default settings.
Preparing
Now when you do the reset, it will put EVERYTHING back to default meaning bookmarks, history, passwords stored ect will no longer be there but I shall show you how to keep some of them.
Back Up
- Now if there are any bookmarks you would like to keep here is what you do;
- Click on file. (if you don’t see file try pressing the “Alt” key on the keyboard)
- Click on “Import/Export.”
- Select “Export to a file” then click next.
- Select “ Favorites” click next and next again.
- Specify where you would like to save and then hit “Export.”
- Also before you restore if you had any add-ons you may want to make a list of the ones you want to install later. You can do this by going to the tools menu and clicking on “Mange Add-ons” and go through and decide on what you will get after.
Time to reset Internet Explorer
- Time to reset Internet Explorer, just follow these steps and all will go well;
- Open your Internet Explorer and click on tools (Remember if you don’t see it try pressing “Alt” on your keyboard.) then click on “Internet Options”.
- Go to the “Advanced” tab
- Here you will see a section saying “Reset Internet Explorer settings” with the button saying “Reset…” you guessed it, click on “Reset…”
- A pop up window will come up you can select the “Delete Personal Settings” option if you like, I would recommended it but it is at your digression as there may be something in those settings that may be causing you problems. Now just click on reset and when it is done it will request that you restart Internet Explorer, just hit OK when that comes up.
- After you close Internet Explorer and reopen.
- Now it’s time to bring back your bookmarks. Go to “File” (Remember “Alt”) and then click on “Import/Export.”
- This time select “Import” and click next. Choose “ Favorites” then click next.
- Now point to where you saved the back up of your favorites.
And you’re done! All that’s left is to find the add-ons you use to use and re-install them but other than that everything should be back to how it was the day your first doubled click Internet Explorer. If after adding back your add-ons your browser starts going slowly again then you need to go through you add-on list to find out which one it was.