As every Windows user know from (sometimes painful) experience, too much customization can lead to problems, and troubleshooting is often a hit-or-miss process. Internet Explorer 7 lets you bypass the hassle and start over with a clean slate by resetting Internet Explorer to its default settings. This option has the following effects:
@ Disables all toolbars, browser helper objects, and browser extensions
@ Resets all ActiveX controls except those on the pre-approved list to their default (opt-in) settings
@ Resets all security zones and the Phishing Filter to default settings
@ Erases the browser history, the list of typed URLs, Windows Explorer’s list of most recently used files, and the complete contents of the Temporary Internet Files folder
@ Deletes all saved cookies and restores privacy options to their default settings
@ Deletes all saved AutoComplete data, including data from web forms and stored passwords, and resets AutoComplete preferences to default settings
@ Removes all defined exceptions on the Pop-up Blocker list, and restores the default Pop-Up Blocker settings
@ Restores all customizations to their default settings, including your home page, custom search providers, tabbed browsing settings, colors, fonts, and text sizes
Resetting Internet Explorer options does not change your saved Favorites, feeds (except custom retrieval schedules), Content Advisor settings, or installed certificates. It also leaves your internet connection settings alone, including any proxy servers you’ve defined.
We don’t recommend this radical option unless you’re experiencing persistent browser problems and troubleshooting hasn’t been successful. If that’s the case, the solution is relatively straightforward. Start by closing all open Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer windows. Then, from Control Panel, open Internet Options, click the Advanced tab, and click Reset. You’ll see the following stern warning.
Click Reset to make the changes. A dialog box informs you as each step completes. When the reset is complete, click Close and reopen Internet Explorer.
