How do browser add-ons affect my computer?
This information applies to Windows Internet Explorer 7 and Windows Internet Explorer 8.
Add-ons, also known as ActiveX controls, browser extensions, browser helper objects, or toolbars, can improve your experience on a website by providing multimedia or interactive content, such as animations. However, some add-ons can cause your computer to stop responding or display content that you don't want, such as pop-up ads.
If you suspect that browser add-ons are affecting your computer, you might want to disable all add-ons to see if that solves the problem.
Show all-
Click the
Start button

, click
All Programs, click
Accessories, click
System Tools, and then click
Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).
If disabling all add-ons solves the problem, you might want to use Manage Add-ons to disable all add-ons permanently and then turn on add-ons only as you need them. To disable an add-on, follow the steps below.
-
Open Internet Explorer by clicking the Start button
, and then clicking Internet Explorer.
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Do one of the following:
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In Internet Explorer 8, click the Tools button, and then click Manage Add-ons.
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In Internet Explorer 7, click the Tools button, point to Manage Add-ons, and then click Enable or Disable Add-ons.
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Do one of the following:
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In Internet Explorer 8, under Show, click All Add-ons.
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In Internet Explorer 7, in the Show list, click Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer.
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Click the add-on you want to disable, and then do one of the following:
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In Internet Explorer 8, click Disable.
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In Internet Explorer 7, under Settings, click Disable.
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Repeat step 4 for every add-on you want to disable. When you are finished, click Close in Internet Explorer 8, or click OK in Internet Explorer 7.