Reset Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge Settings: If your web browser is slow, crashing, hanging, or throwing errors like "Internet Explorer has encountered a problem and needs to close", resetting the browser back to its default settings can often fix the issue.
Resetting a browser restores it to a clean, fresh state, similar to a new installation. This clears misconfigured settings, disables extensions, and resolves many common performance and stability problems.
Important Note About Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer has been officially retired by Microsoft and replaced by Microsoft Edge. If you are running Windows 10 or Windows 11, you are almost certainly using Edge.
If you are on an older system that still uses Internet Explorer (such as Windows 7 in legacy environments), the Internet Explorer reset steps are included below for reference.
How to Reset Internet Explorer Settings
This method applies only to systems where Internet Explorer is still installed and supported.
- Open Internet Explorer
- Click the Tools menu (gear icon) and select Internet Options
- Click the Advanced tab
- Click the Reset button
- Check Delete personal settings if you want a full reset
- Click Reset, then restart Internet Explorer
How to Reset Microsoft Edge
Microsoft Edge is now the default browser on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Resetting Edge is quick and does not remove bookmarks or saved passwords.
- Open Microsoft Edge
- Click the three dot menu in the top right corner
- Select Settings
- Click Reset settings in the left menu
- Click Restore settings to their default values
- Confirm by clicking Reset
This will:
- Disable extensions
- Reset startup pages and search engine
- Clear temporary data
- Fix crashes and slow performance
What Resetting Your Browser Fixes
- Browser crashes and freezing
- Slow page loading
- Broken add-ons or extensions
- Hijacked homepages or search engines
- Display and rendering issues
Should You Still Use Internet Explorer?
No. Internet Explorer is no longer supported or secure. If you are still using it, switch to:
- Microsoft Edge
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Brave Browser
Final Thoughts
Resetting your browser is one of the fastest and safest ways to resolve common browsing issues. For modern systems, update to use Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Brave instead of Internet Explorer. If problems continue after a reset, check for malware, conflicting extensions, or outdated system files.