Something to try if Internet Explorer won't surf anymore

Being the geek I am, people assume I am good for technical support and I have to admit that on occasion I have the knack.  I don't have a sweet UK Hinglish accent that you get with many technical support interactions.  My accent leans more toward a Southern drawl every day.  I am hopeful very soon no one will be able to understand me.  It may be time to throw some chew into the mix.  Anyway, I thought I would share a tech. support call I had this past weekend in the hopes that it may helpful to some and prevent a future call.


Something to try if Internet Explorer won't surf anymore:
First, why are you using Internet Explorer?  Why would anyone want to wait for Internet Explorer if they didn't have to?


Sure there are some sites that you just can't get to work with other browsers, but that number is less every day.  Life's too short to waste on Internet Explorer.  I recommend Chrome or at least FireFox.  Oh, you don't want google to know everything about you?  News flash from 1998, it's too late.


OK, so let's say you were helping your daughter 'search the internet for information on a school project about saints'.  I don't spin in the hip crowd, but apparently this is new code speak for visiting sites you don't want to admit you did.  Oh, before I forget some advice shared by the tech. support caller: don't 'search for information on saints' while your daughter is watching.  We did two things and it may have been one of two things or both that made the difference.


First item to try although I believe this one is less likely to have resolved the issue:
- Click on Tools --> Internet Options
- Under the General tab, Browsing history, click Delete.
- Un-check 'Preserve favorite web site data' (yes, this will delete any saved data from your 'sites about saints')
- Click Delete (this may take a while)


Second item to try:
- Click on Tools --> Internet Options
- Under the Advanced tab, click Reset (yes this will undo any customization you may have done, but it will also undo the customization your 'sites about saints' have done as well)


Hope this helps someone else...and prevents my phone from ringing...