How To Speed Up Internet Explorer 8 in Windows 7
Add-Ons Are Too Much
While the core of Internet Explorer uses one of the best rendering systems available, it still is considered slow by many. The main problem that I have noticed with Internet Explorer is that it allows users to interact with it in synchronous method. This is contrary to Chrome and Firefox where users can start interacting at any point.
What I mean is that Internet Explorer seems to wait till all the components - add ons, extensions and toolbars etc. are loaded into your computer's electronic memory before allowing you to interact with it. That is synchronous method.
On the contrary, Chrome, for example, loads its components in an async method. It loads the base and from this point onward, users can interact with it - like typing the address or entering a search term. As the users interact, it goes ahead with loading other components - add-ons; extensions etc so we get a feeling that that Chrome is faster. And it is - to be true.
Since the sync problem is a major one in IE8, the best method to speed up Internet Explorer in Windows 8 is to remove all the unwanted toolbars, extensions and add-ons.
Addons You Don't Need vs Addons You Never Installed
Almost every program that we download from the Internet adds one or more Internet Explorer helper. If you wish to know what IE8 helpers are being added to your copy of the browser, I recommend installing the free version of WinPatrol. It is a great software from BillPStudios and I prefer it over the Windows 7 UAC. In fact, I've removed UAC after installing and using WinPatrol over a decade. I will write about it in a different hub.
Right now, with programs like WinPatrol, you get to know if a program installer adds any helper to your Internet Explorer 8. You can choose to not allow that. If you are not planning to use Winpatrol, you can use the Control Panel -> Internet Options -> Programs -> Manage Addons to check what all is installed on your IE8.
Also, when you install IE, Microsoft automatically adds some extensions that you would seldom use. Among the ones I always disable are Blog, Email, Translate and similar ones. The more the extensions and add-ons, the more slow your browser is. This applies to all browsers - not only IE.
How Many Of You Use These Extensions?
Remove or Disable Add Ons, Toolbars, Extensions
The best answer to how to speed up Internet Explorer 8 on Windows 7/XP is to remove or disable add-ons, unwanted toolbars, and extensions that are not relevant to us.
To remove add-ons in Internet Explorer 8, open Control Panel. Click on Internet Options. Click the Programs tab and then Manage Add-ons. You will get a separate dialog showing you toolbars, accelerators (extensions), and anything else added to your Internet Explorer by Microsoft and/or third party installations.
The dialog is self explanatory. You just select an add-on or extension and click on disable. Same applies to the toolbars. Sometimes when you disable a toolbar, you get a message that related extensions will be disabled as well. Let it be. Opt to disable them so that you save on speed.
