# Help! I can't view source code under internet explorer!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 26, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183 "2004-05-26T15:03:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/1 "2004-05-26T15:03:45Z")
All of a sudden I can no longer use the “view source” function under IE. When I click on that option nothing happens at all! I am running Windows 2000 SP4, and I am using the latest version of IE 6. In addition, there are at least 4 copies of the Notepad application in various of my WINNT folders. Does anyone have any idea whats going on here?
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### Author:  [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/2 "2004-05-26T15:07:21Z")
Strange. It’s not working for me either (windows xp, ie 6).
Try doing it on the google page. It works for me there. (Maybe it won’t work on vbulletin 3 pages)
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### Author:  [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/3 "2004-05-26T15:36:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Maybe it won’t work on vbulletin 3 pages
It doesn’t work on a lot of dynamicaly generated content. But in my case it doesn’t work, period, even on simple HTML documents.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/4 "2004-05-26T15:51:52Z")
Have you tried deleting the temporary internet files cache?
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### Author:  [@micco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/micco)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/5 "2004-05-26T16:22:33Z")
I don’t have anything to contribute (aside from suggesting you dump IE and use Opera), but is anyone else worried to find Emilio Lizardo and yoyodyne collaborating? Don’t make me call in a blue blazer strike team.
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### Author:  [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/6 "2004-05-26T16:27:50Z")
For some reason, it works if you open the page in a new window, using CTRL-N (IE only), then do View Source on the new window.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/7 "2004-05-26T16:30:46Z")
Definitely clear your cache as **yoyodyne** suggested. This happened to me last week and that’s what cleared it up.
Go to Tools - Internet Options - General (tab) and click the “Delete Files…” button to clear cache.
This might take a while. Don’t get impatient and try to stop it.
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/8 "2004-05-26T17:11:39Z")
> [@micco](#):
>
> I don’t have anything to contribute (aside from suggesting you dump IE and use Opera), but is anyone else worried to find Emilio Lizardo and yoyodyne collaborating? Don’t make me call in a blue blazer strike team.
Don’t make us hunt you down, monkey-boy!
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### Author:  [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/9 "2004-05-26T18:34:26Z")
I would also do Step 3 in this Microsoft KB article:
[http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=810978](http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=810978)
The article refers to only being able to save pictures as bmps, but the same time I had the “view source” issue, I also had the saving picture issue listed in the article. Deleting the temporary internet files did nothing, but when I did step 3 (basically removing unknown/damaged ActiveX controls), I was not only able to save my pictures properly, but I could also view source again. It happened again a few months later, and without deleting the Temp. Internet Files, just removing the damaged ActiveX controls, I was again able to view source again.
critter42
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### Author:  [@av8rmike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/av8rmike)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/10 "2004-05-26T20:06:47Z")
Note that **critter42** ’s solution won’t work if you don’t have administrator access to the PC, which I don’t on mine.
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### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/11 "2004-05-26T22:48:30Z")
Removing my unknown ActiveX controls didn’t let me view source on this thread (Win98, IE6). Sorry,\*\* critter42\*\*. Another article said notepad.exe might be damaged, but then why would it work with **Q.E.D.**'s work-around? (And thanks, **Q.E.D**. That’s much easier than saving the page locally and then editing it.)
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### Author:  [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/12 "2004-05-27T00:10:42Z")
Try deleting all copies of notepad.exe except for the one in your system folder, and delete any shortcuts to notepad on your desktop.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2004, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/13 "2004-05-27T07:36:43Z")
It’s that damned new windows ☹ security update
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### Author:  [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/14 "2004-06-04T14:17:31Z")
And the winner is … **yoyodyne**! Deleting the cache (which took almost 20 minutes :eek: ) took care of the problem.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [June 4, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-i-cant-view-source-code-under-internet-explorer/247183/15 "2004-06-04T16:15:32Z")
20 minutes to clear the cache? How huge is it?
Ever since I had a PC whose disk was slower than the DSL feeding it, I’ve kept a pretty small cache. I’m not at my home PC with its 6 megabit connection, but IIRC, the cache is 20 meg. Enough to store cookies, but not get clogged with crud.