My Toshiba laptop was bought in January with Windows 7 & IE9 installed,
but the IE9 has never worked. I’ve rolled back to IE8 and that’s fine (except
now Gmail doesn’t support IE8). Windows Updates demands that I install IE9. The
problem with IE9 is that the tabs load and show properly across the top, but
the screens below are blank. Some windows show a couple of pics from the
website in the tab, but then these won’t go away even if you change the
tab… it’s just a frozen blank screen. I can’t do searches or view anything.
I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling; I’ve also tried resetting to
default settings – no luck.
It is possible to tell Windows to stop bugging
you about the IE9 update.
The problem with that is that it’s not really solving anything, just
delaying it. It might be a fine interim solution, but sooner or later, you’re
going to want to update to IE9 or one of its successors.
The symptoms remind me that IE9 added some functionality that – when
working properly – would make it faster. Perhaps it’s not working
properly.
The good news is that we can turn it off.
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In the resulting Internet Options dialog, click the Advanced tab:
At the top of the advanced list of options in a section labeled Accelerated graphics is a checkbox: “Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering”.
Make sure that checkbox is checked, to force IE9 to do things in software rather than using the GPU.
After changing it, the asterisk means that you’ll have to restart IE9 for the change to take effect.
See if that doesn’t help things.
The Result
I don’t always hear back from folks, but I asked this particular person to let me know because I wasn’t 100% sure that this was the actual solution.
The response:
It worked!
Thank you soooooo much!
Now I can use IE9 for the first time and stop Windows from hassling me about updating my IE.
Put simply, IE9 wasn’t compatible with the graphics card (or vice versa, depending on how you want to look at these things). Simply disabling the accelerated graphics returned IE9 to the older way of doing things.
I have an issue with IE9 too. When I try to open a new tab, I receive a script error message all the time. The weird thing about this is that it only happens on one of two user profiles (both are administrators). My profile runs IE9 without any problems but running IE9 in my wife’s user profile causes the script errors. For this reason I still am running IE8 on my Dell Inspiron 15R laptop running Win 2007 64-bit. Could this solution re: hardware acceleration be causing the problem with my computer too?
10-Nov-2011
When you have problems with Microsoft software it’s worth visiting the Microsoft Fix it Solution Center. There are downloads or information to fix common problems.
http://support.microsoft.com/fixit/#tab0
Shouldn’t that be “make sure box is checked” concerning turning “off” hardware acceleration ??
10-Nov-2011
help – all the time, IE8 pops up and wants to install – its already on and being used – how do I stop it popping up?
Quite frankly, Internet Explorer is NOT the best browser out there. If I had this problem, i would have done my best to disable IE, after getting a different browser. It may be good for less-tech savvy users who just want things to “Just Work”, but it has problems with even that.
The best browser for speed and ease of use is chromium, or Google chrome. Firefox is the runner up, but only because its less user friendly. If you depend on one browser to access the internet, (IE or not), then you are asking for trouble.
I was glad to see this issue addressed as I have had the same problem with IE9; unfortunately, the solution from Leo doesn’t work because the “use software rendering instead…” is checked AND grayed out so I can’t uncheck it. I loved Firefox until the new version rendered my Google Toolbar unuseable (and I do use it) so I’m left with IE9. Don’t like Chrome and Opera much either.
This is for Doug, who asked:
Doug, examine the graphic of that Internet Options dialog again — carefully, this time.
Under Accelerated graphics is the line Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering. Right?
Well, to stop using this, you have to uncheck that option.
I know, it can be really confusing… but do you understand it better now?
Glenn… I did look at it carefully. And I tried (just to make sure before I sent the message to Leo) it checked and unchecked. I stand by my remark, and I noticed that Leo has changed it now. Yes, it can be confusing, evidently…
Google Chrome is good and fast, except if you want to print something. Then it is not very good. It does not have any way to set print parameters. Whenever I have something to print I copy the link and past it into IE9, then set the print parameters as I need and print.
I do not know why Google does not improve Chrome printing?
To Doug (and to Leo as well!):
You’re BOTH right! Aaarrrggghhh! I misread — not a common occurrence. Yes, it can get confusing. I freely admit that! And I got it wrong! Ugh! 🙁
If I may be permitted a (slightly relevant) digression upon my favorite topic, parliamentary procedure, this is precisely why parliamentary motions are not allowed to be worded negatively: because they can cause terrible confusion when voted on. For example — “I move that we do not attend next month’s protest rally.” — “All in favor, say ‘aye’.” Is a “yes” vote FOR going to the rally or AGAINST it…? It’s exactly the sort of binary confusion that can arise when propositions are negatively worded. Instead, the wording should be (for example) “to boycott” the rally, which is an affirmative wording.
The actual problem with the Internet Options dialog above isn’t any actual negative wording, but rather an implied negative wording, which is inherent in the words “instead of GPU rendering”.
As long as you’re thinking in terms of “Starting software rendering”, everthing is fine; but think in terms of “Stopping GPU rendering”, and things quickly start to get weird. To “stop GPU rendering” is a negative action, which is why checking the box is so darned confusing.
It might, I think, have helped to emphasize the separateness of these actions by setting them off — by, for example, putting the second one in parenthesis:
“Use software rendering (instead of GPU rendering)”
That, I think, might have made things slightly clearer…
13-Nov-2011
A Radio Button! Yeah, that’d do it. But then, one seldom sees one of those things in Internet Options; there, the paradigm seems to be “checkboxes all the way…” 🙁
14-Nov-2011
@Ken,
Try ctrl-shift-p in Chrome. That should bring up the familiar box.
To Glenn P.
The thing of it is, the check box thing did not confuse me at all. I spotted right away that it was a simple mistake. Nothing complicated at all. I really see no need in changing anything…. If it isn’t broken, don’t mess with it.