I am using IE8. When I initially open it, I get 2 open windows. Also, if I have more than one IE window open, both windows will respond to the action I perform on the window in the foreground. Why is this and how do I stop it from happening?
Thanks for the question Christa. This is not a well-known issue with Internet Explorer 8, but it has happened. In most cases, resetting the Internet Explorer settings fixes this problem. If it doesn’t, we have more troubleshooting tips for you.
Let’s check how you are opening Internet Explorer. Try opening it from the Start menu, if you generally use a desktop shortcut. If it opens fine this way, we need to fix your shortcut. Go to your desktop and right-click on the Internet Explorer icon and select Delete. Now click on Start then All Programs, right-click on the Internet Explorer icon and select Send to – Desktop. Go to your desktop and click on the Internet Explorer icon.
Reset IE settings
Resetting Internet Explorer can fix many problems. When you do a reset, the settings, add-ons and any customizations you have done will be deleted. It will then start with a default version.
Close all windows, including Internet Explorer. Click the Start button, type inetcpl.cpl in the Search box, and press Enter. The Internet Options dialog box will open. Click the Advanced tab and click the Reset button in the Reset Internet Explorer settings section.
Click Reset again, in the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, then click Close.
Open Internet Explorer and see if only one window opens. If it does, then your problem is fixed! If it doesn’t, read on and let’s try some other things.
Start Internet Explorer with no Add-ons
If you started having this problem after adding a new add-on, you can start Internet Explorer with no add-ons. To do this click Start, All Programs, Accessories, System Tools then select Internet Explorer (no Add-ons). Open Internet Explorer, and let’s see if only one window opens. If it does, then we need to determine which add-on is causing the problem. To do this, enable the add-ons one at a time. Click Tools and Manage Addons. Click on the first add-on to select it, then click the Enable button. Close Internet Explorer and re-open it. Does it work? If it doesn’t, great! You know which add-on is causing the problem. If it does work, enable the other add-ons one at a time, closing and reopening Internet Explorer after each one. Whichever one causes the problem when it’s enabled, is the culprit.
If you are still having problems, let’s check your homepage settings.
Open Internet Explorer and Click Tools then Internet Options. Click the General tab and click the Use blank button in the Home page section. You will notice the homepage is set to about:blank. Click Apply then click Allow Change. Click Close. Close Internet Explorer and reopen it. It will open to a completely blank page. If this did not fix your problem, go back and set your homepage back to what it was. You can also reset it back to what it was, if it does fix your problem.
~Rita Wood
