Internet, Networking, & Security > Browsers Improving Performance in Internet Explorer 11 Upgrading and managing performance in IE By Mary Landesman Mary Landesman Writer Brevard College Mary Landesman is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and a security expert. She was named as one of the women to watch in IT security. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 19, 2022 Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Reviewed by Jerrick Leger Jerrick Leger is a CompTIA-certified IT Specialist with more than 10 years' experience in technical support and IT fields. He is also a systems administrator for an IT firm in Texas serving small businesses. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Browsers Microsoft Chrome Safari Firefox Although the Microsoft Internet Explorer browser has long been deprecated in favor of the new Microsoft Edge browser, the Redmond-based tech giant maintained IE for years—it was too deeply embedded into most corporate ecosystems to abandon it. Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer and recommends that you update to the newer Edge browser. Head to their site to download the newest version. Shutterstock How to Fix Slow Performance in IE Because many different problems hobble browsers, follow the best-practice sequence of steps to improve browser performance. Delete temporary internet files. Internet Explorer caches the web pages you visit and the cookies coming from those pages. While designed to speed up browsing, if left unchecked, the burgeoning folders can sometimes slow IE to a crawl or prompt other unexpected behavior. In general, the less is more principle works well here—keep the Internet Explorer cache small and clear it often. Disable conflicting add-ons. While legitimate toolbars and other browser helper objects (BHO) are fine, some aren't so legit, or their presence is questionable. Malware often appears in the form of a BHO. Reset the IE settings. Spyware and adware often change the browser Start and Search pages to point to unwanted websites. Even if you remove the infestation responsible, you may still need to reset the web settings. Select the Tools button, and then select Internet options. Select the Advanced tab, then select Reset. In the Reset Internet Explorer Settings dialog box, select Reset. When Internet Explorer finishes applying default settings, select Close and then select OK. Restart your PC to apply the changes. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit