Run Internet Explorer 7 in “No Add-ons” mode to diagnose some of the common Internet Explorer 7 issues.

Internet Explorer 7 allows add-ons to extend the functionality that comes with the basic browser. Add-ons are a good thing to Internet Explorer but it comes with a disadvantage that a bad add-on could bring the whole Internet Explorer reliability down and could lead to a worst browsing experience.

If you encounter issues with Internet Explorer 7 then the first thing to try out was to identify the add-on that most probably would be the cause of the issue. To help diagnose issues with add-ons Internet Explorer 7 comes with a “No Add-ons” mode. Let’s see how we can make use of the Internet Explorer “No Add-ons” mode to identify and disable the add-on that could be the culprit.

Step-1: Internet Explorer (No Add-ons) mode

Type-in Internet Explorer in the Start menu Search Box and you’ll find “Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)” item. Click on the “Internet Explorer (No Add-ons)” link to launch Internet Explorer without add-ons.

Internet Explorer will launch without add-ons. You can confirm this with the page that Internet Explorer 7 displays on startup.

Step-2: Internet Options >> Programs Tab

Click on the “Tools >> Internet Options” menu option to launch Internet Options dialog. Navigate to the Programs tab and click on the Manage Add-ons button.

Step-3: Manage Add-ons Dialog

On the Manage Add-ons dialog select the add-on that you want to disable and make sure to check the Disable option. To identify the add-on that could be the culprit I would start with disabling one add-on at a time and then would try to launch Internet Explorer to see if the problem is resolved.

If the list of add-ons are a bit too much for you to handle you can filter the list of add-ons using the dropdown on the top.

I hope this helps you diagnose Internet Explorer 7 issues that could be caused by add-ons. If you have any questions/comments regarding disabling Internet Explorer 7 add-on please let us know in comments.