# Internet Explorer help? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 29, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520 "2015-07-29T21:33:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520/1 "2015-07-29T21:33:24Z")
Recently got Windows 8 and started using Windows Explorer 11 instead of Firefox; it did seem easier than it used to be. Now I can’t open it at all. I get a message that my homepage ([www.npr.org](http://www.npr.org)) is causing a problem and it keeps trying to re-load the page. I can’t do anything, I can’t get to the settings to change my homepage, I can’t click on any other links, it is just locked in this loop. I re-started the PC and that didn’t help. Suggestions? ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520/2 "2015-07-29T23:07:32Z")
Open\*\* Control Panel\*\*,\*\* Internet Options\*\*, and change your homepage to something else to see if that’s the issue. You can also start Internet Explorer in ‘safe mode’ with all add-ons disabled. To do this open a command window or ‘dos box’ (type cmd in the search box in the start menu) and then enter the following: “C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe” -extoff Note that you \*\*MUST \*\*enter the quotation marks. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520/3 "2015-07-30T00:48:34Z")
Thank you, o wise one of the computer thingies. I will try those steps. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520/4 "2015-07-30T00:56:23Z")
OK, changing the home page did not help, so that is not the problem. I was able to open in safe mode, following your instructions. Does this mean that one of the add-ons is at fault? If that is the case, how do I test them to find out which one? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520/5 "2015-07-30T01:09:52Z")
Figured it out by trial and error, the offending add-on is Ghostery. It is now disabled, and things are back to normal. **Hail Ants** , I owe you one, if there’s ever anything I can do. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/internet-explorer-help/726520/6 "2015-07-30T01:40:42Z")
Glad you found it\*!\* (trial and error in disabling the add-ons one at a time is what I would have suggested next anyway… :D)