Solved Is there a place to discuss Microsoft Internet Explorer?

[thricipio]

I've been using MSIE more or less exclusively for quite some time now, but since I've been using IE9 on Windows 7, I've been plagued by glitches that I've grown tired of dealing with. I'd like to keep using IE, since I like its functionality and find it the most aesthetically pleasing browser I've seen. But the glitches are getting me down. Seems like these problems should be fixable. I just need to know where to go to get help.

Thanks...

...and apologies if it's bad form to ask this question here. I just don't know where else to look, and the Seven crowd seems to know a lot about all kinds of things related to Windows.

—Thri

 

[Brink]

Hellp Thri,

What type of glitches are you having?

 

[thricipio]

Wow! That was quick: not only did I find out where to get help, my post got moved to show me *where* to get the help... and someone is already responding!

Thank you Brink!

Now, to my problems . . . there are probably just two (or three) . . .

• Video streaming: I think Flash-based. When streaming a (Flash?) video, the top of the "screen" is overlayed with a green color. I think I can see through the green, but it's not fun to look at!

• that's one problem with video streaming, and it's the nicer of the two. The other is that the browser session crashes. IE recovers itself and re-presents the page, but if one tries to play the video again, one gets the same result: CRASH!

• PDF Viewing within the browser - most of the time, PDF's won't come up within the browser as they're supposed to. Rather, they come up within Acrobat Reader, outside of the browser. When I return to the browser window, it's blank. At that point, of course, I can return to the page that had the PDF link in the first place.

On this last (PDF) problem, I asked about this some time ago, somewhere within the Seven Forums world, and was advised to perform the correct set-up with Acrobat (to tell it to open PDF's within a browser when applicable). I did that, but it made no difference.

This condition seems to come and go with no clearly discernable cause either way, particularly, the going. Most of the time the condition exists. However, it does seem that if I access the page containing the PDF link within another browser, say, Mozilla Firefox, then the next time I open an IE session, and repeat the scenario, the PDF will open within IE as it's supposed to. But the cure is always transient.

These are only two real problems, but I have frequent cause to encounter both these glitches, and I'm really getting tired of it... so... if there's help out there to be had, I'm all ears... and eyes.

Before closing, I should emphasize that neither of these problems occur ever, within Firefox.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and for any help you can provide.

—Thri

PS - If these issues with IE9 aren't (somewhat) readily resolvable, is MSIE v10 available? And if so, does it run on Windows 7?

 

[Brink]

IE10 is suppose to be available sometime in mid November through Windows Update for Windows 7.

You might reset IE9 completely first, then check to make sure that the Shockwave Flash Object, Adobe PDF Reader, and Adobe PDF Link Helper add-ons are enabled in IE9.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...able-disable-toolbars-extensions-add-ons.html


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Afterwards, make sure that you have the latest versions of you video drivers, Adobe Flash Player, and Adobe Reader installed.

 

[thricipio]

Well, Brink, obviously it's been some time since you posted your suggestion. I guess I'd gotten a little too used to using Firefox which is nice enough... but I thought I should finally get IE working again ... if possible. And maybe it's not!?

So, I took your suggestions and did a total reset. That didn't work.

Then I thought (then being this morning), "What the heck, I'll try installing IE-10 and hope for the best. And guess what: it worked!

Here's the weird part — it worked at first. Then it stopped working.

I should clarify: I think PDF's are coming up inside the browser okay... so that works. However, the video (Shockwave, Flash) isn't working. Like I said, that worked at first... but no more.

I'm bummed and completely stumped.

I still don't want to walk away from IE, but I'm gonna need some help from some heavy hitters if I'm gonna get this working. So if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all eyes.

Thanks,
—Thri

 

[Anak]

I can think of a couple of things.

If you are using the 64bit version of IE try the 32bit version, Correspondingly, if you are using the 32bit try the 64bit.

and,

Check Internet Options, under Advance Tab right at the top, see if "Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering" is checked, if it is uncheck it.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorial...lorer-gpu-hardware-acceleration-turn-off.html

Again, correspondingly if it is unchecked, then check it. Restart IE and see if that helps.

 

[thricipio]

Anak–

Thanks for the suggestion. I've turned off GPU Acceleration by checking the Use software rendering... checkbox. With limited testing — I'm in a Panera and my WiFi connection's not so great — it seems that the immediate browser-session-crash problem has abated. However, I now (once again) have the problem of the green banding along the top of Youtube videos. Interestingly, this was the initial symptom I had for quite some time before it escalated into the instant crash problem.

Regarding the IE-32 vs. IE-64, I'd like to try that too. How do I find the different versions, assuming they're both on my computer? Seems to me I noticed a 64-bit version shortly after I did the initial Win7 install, but have lost track of where it is.

Any hints?

Anyway, thanks for the help thus far.

—Thri

 

[Brink]

Thri,

In 64-bit Windows, the 32-bit IE is located here:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

...and 64-bit IE here:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

 

[thricipio]

…the 32-bit IE is located here:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

...and 64-bit IE here:

"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe"

Thanks, Brink. —Thri

 

[Anak]

If I may expand on Brink's reply.
Since you have the x64 version of the Windows 7 OS, you should also be able to find both IE's in Start Orb >All Programs, look at the top of the list you should see both of them there.

If the change in browser settings to turn off GPU/hardware acceleration is helping, there is one more place to check.

• Go to any Flash video, it doesn't matter if it is playing or not.
• Right click anywhere on the playing area, you will see a context menu appear.
• Third from the bottom you will see Settings, click on that, a small box will appear.
• You should, but if you do not see the Display tab open, click on the small monitor at the bottom, it is the first icon on the left.
• If Enable Hardware Acceleration is checked, uncheck it.
• You may see the green bar disappear immediately, if you don't, stop, and then restart the video. It should be gone.
• If it still isn't, try a new browser tab with a new video, it can be the same video.
• What you are trying to accomplish is a new instance of playback.
• You may have to go so far as restarting your machine.

Go back to the Context menu, you can look in Global Settings, but do not change any settings in there.
And, make sure you have the latest version of Flash, click on About, and it will take you to Adobe's version checker page.
There, it will tell you what version you have, and you can check yours against the list below, if your version is lower/older, update it.

You do have a pretty powerful machine, but changing these settings could indicate that you may need to update your video drivers, ergo, the cause of your crashes.

See: Lenovo Support - Drivers & Software ThinkPad W520 (4270) (US)

You may have to change the location (US), it depends on where you are, and thank you for posting your system specs, they could be expanded upon, but what was there allowed me to find the lenovo support page for you.

 

[thricipio]

If I may expand on Brink's reply.
Since you have the x64 version of the Windows 7 OS, you should also be able to find both IE's in Start Orb > All Programs, look at the top of the list you should see both of them there.
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Thanks again, Anak. Looks like you've given me some good stuff to try and I very much appreciate it. I won't have time to look at this until I return from work... this evening, but I'll dig in when I can and get back to you.

I can tell you that I've already found and renamed the 32/64-bit IE shortcuts and tested them both relative to GPU Acceleration on/off. RESULT: GPU-on crashed the session in both 32/64-bit versions. Turning it off still leaves the green banding at the top under bother versions.

Got to run now. More later... 'Til later, thanks again.

—Thri

 

[Anak]

Came across this today: HTG Explains: What You Need to Know About NVIDIA Optimus, I'm not sure if it will apply to you or not.

More:

Using the NVIDIA Optimus Graphics feature

Some ThinkPad notebooks support NVIDIA Optimus Graphics.
NVIDIA Optimus Graphics enables a dynamic switch, that is, a switch with no need to restart your computer between High Performance and Energy Saving Graphics.

Note: To use the DisplayPort feature or DVI monitor on the docking station, you need to switch to High Performance Graphics.

Switching the Graphics Processing Unit
If your computer supports NVIDIA Optimus Graphics, the Graphics Processing Unit is switched automatically depending on the settings of the power plan you use.

Note: If your computer is running Windows XP, you cannot switch the GPU.

Source: Page 84; User Guide ThinkPad T520, T520i, and W520.pdf

Here are some specs I found for the 520/4270:

Graphic Controller Video chipsets:

• Intel HD Graphics 3000
• NVIDIA® Quadro® 1000M
• NVIDIA® Quadro® 2000M

 

[thricipio]

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• Third from the bottom you will see Settings, click on that, a small box will appear.
• …if you do not see the Display tab open, click on the small monitor at the bottom, it is the first icon on the left.
• If Enable Hardware Acceleration is checked, uncheck it.
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Anak–
You're my new SevenForums hero: I performed the steps you suggested and . . . Voila! . . . no more green band!

I just noticed that you've posted a new message (i.e., subsequent to the one containing the above quote) and it looks like you've found some references I'd do well to explore. And I will.

I think the general upshot of the help both you and Brink have provided, if I'm interpreting things correctly here, is that my problems may very well stem from less-than-current drivers for my NVIDIA GPU; or perhaps some NVIDIA parameter settings that need to be tweaked; or some combination of both.

Put another way: it might be a good idea to use IE's GPU Acceleration feature, as well as Flash's Hardware Acceleration, rather than disabling these features to correct problems that really stem from GPU/NVIDIA-related issues.

So, it looks like more homework for me.

In the meantime, you and Brink have given me some great relief. Now I can resume using IE without having to switch over to Firefox whenever I want to view a video, etc.

Also, you've helped me get PDF's coming up within IE, and that's great too.

So, thank you both.

I'll keep you apprised on how I make out with my GPU/NVIDIA investigations.

Thanks, guys.

The people who participate and help out in SevenForums are the best I've seen anywhere on the 'Net.

Thanks again.
—Thri

 

[Anak]

Your welcome, and thank you for those kind words.

if I'm interpreting things correctly here, is that my problems may very well stem from less-than-current drivers for my NVIDIA GPU; or perhaps some NVIDIA parameter settings that need to be tweaked; or some combination of both.

Put another way: it might be a good idea to use IE's GPU Acceleration feature, as well as Flash's Hardware Acceleration, rather than disabling these features to correct problems that really stem from GPU/NVIDIA-related issues.

So, it looks like more homework for me.

Spot on.

You would have to check the driver version to make sure you need the update and if you do update make sure you create a restore point, and have a plan of action before you update. Sometimes a driver update can make things worse.
Do a search to see if anyone else has run into quadro/optimus problems.

But I would start with the parameter settings first, go with your changes for a few days to see if the display gets better or worse.

All things being equal, it would be the best of both worlds if the browser, and flash settings were returned to their defaults and your nvidia card was running optimus prime (couldn't help myself on the pun).

 

[thricipio]

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Spot on.
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All things being equal, it would be the best of both worlds if the browser, and flash settings were returned to their defaults and your nvidia card was running optimus prime (couldn't help myself on the pun).

Thanks for confirming my general interpretation of what would be the ideal, longer term result to achieve, as well as the more specific guidance on how to proceed.

So much appreciated.

—Thri

 

[Anak]

Your welcome,

If you do decide to update the nvidia drivers, read as much as you can before doing it. I have been seeing problems like this thread:
Nvidia Drivers + Optimus =something stinks here...... - Lenovo Community

 

[thricipio]

Your welcome,

If you do decide to update the nvidia drivers, read as much as you can before doing it. I have been seeing problems like this thread:
Nvidia Drivers + Optimus =something stinks here...... - Lenovo Community

Anak-

Thanks for the extra heads-up. I've read the Lenovo thread you posted a link to and I have to confess to a first reaction of, "Yikes!" And a second reaction of, "If it ain't broke, maybe I shouldn't try to fix it." But I realize, after all, it is broke already, which is why I experienced the problems you and Brink have helped me find a workaround for.

So, when I can get myself into more of a general upgrade and maintenance frame of mind, I'll gear myself up (by revisiting this thread and reading others like it) to do what needs to be done. I may put it off for awhile — until I can put together the money for a DRAM upgrade. I currently have 4GB but plan to max out the capacity on my W520 by bringing it up to 32GB.

Anyway, thanks again for the advisory, without which, I could've gotten myself into a real bind, I think.

Gratefully,
—Thri

PS - I just looked at "My System Specs" and noticed that I list for my Graphics Card, NVIDIA Quadro 1000M. I'm thinking this is not the same thing as an Optimus, in which case, the thread you reference may not be relevant (although others may well be).
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I do remember that when I bought this Thinkpad last spring, I blew through my budget, getting everything I wanted except the most powerful graphics chip. I think that might have been a Quadro 2000M, and I remember it was another $250. Since I'm not a gamer, I figured it would've been overkill. Shortly after I made the purchase, I sort of regretted not getting the better GPU, realizing that I hope to do some video editing at some point down the road, and the extra horsepower might come in handy.
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Anyway, maybe there was a whole other class of GPU's (i.e., the Optimus) that I didn't even bother looking at based on it being way out of my price range and so I've just forgotten about it. Or... maybe the Optimus is another name for the Quadro. I guess I should do some investigating.
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All for now... thanks again. —Thri