Internet Explorer 8 Is Not Displaying Pages or Opening Links
(Captured from the threads Links in will not open a new window or tab in Windows 7 IE8 and Internet Explorer 8 not displaying pages or not opening up links, squirrel mail etc. on the Microsoft Answers Internet Explorer forum.)
Problem
Internet Explorer 8 fails to display Web pages, even though other Internet applications and Web browsers work fine.
Symptoms include:
- Seeing a blank page in Internet Explorer and "Done" displayed in the Internet Explorer status bar (in the lower left corner of the window).
In some instances, copying the URL and pasting it into another browser tab or window results in the page loading properly. - Clicking links in a web page have no effect.
In some instances, right-clicking the link and then clicking Open in New Tab results in the link loading properly.
Possible Resolutions
There are a large number of reasons Internet Explorer or other browsers can have problems. Below is a growing list of resolutions that have worked for some people (please add more as you find them!):
- Internet Explorer 8: Web sites do not display or work correctly (Troubleshooter)
- How to optimize Internet Explorer
- Reset Internet Explorer settings (Windows 7 Help) or Reset Internet Explorer settings (Knowledge Base article)
- Use the Repair IE8 (IE7) script from Internet Explorer FAQ (external site run by a Microsoft MVP)
- See this thread for more suggestions: http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/InternetExplorer/thread/c8a0b157-820a-4a14-80f3-806ab51717fa
If none of these solutions work, check the Microsoft Answers Internet Explorer forum for more suggestions, or contact Microsoft Customer Support.
Other Possible Resolutions
These resolutions have been reported by at least one person on the forums to work - if they work for you, please move them to the "Possible Resolutions" heading:
Deselect the Automatically Detect Settings Checkbox
To do so, use the following procedure:
- From the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
- Click the Connections tab.
- Click the LAN Settings button.
- Clear the Automatically detect settings checkbox and then click OK.