Fix: Cannot open particular website in Internet Explorer

[javajolt]

You have your work set up for the day but find the bank website you want to access fails to open. You are at a loss to understand what has turned the website hostile. Clueless about the problem, you keep trying and with every try you come close in realizing the utter futility of your attempts in finding the possible solution to the problem. If you have proper knowledge, may be you can resolve such issues and save both, time and effort.

Here’s a list of troubleshooting steps you may try if you find that you are unable to open or display a particular website or webpage. I have ported this post from WinVistaClub and updated it here to make it exhaustive. I hope something here helps you.

Cannot open particular website

1] Delete your browser cache

First I suggest you clear your cache and try again. Best to use freeware CCleaner to do the cleaning job. Reboot and try again. Else you may start Internet Explorer from the desktop. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options. Under Browsing history – viz. Temporary Internet Files and Cookies - click Delete. Select all the applicable check boxes, and then click Delete. Now try and see if this helps.

2] Run antivirus scan

Scan your computer with your antivirus software, as it is quite possible that it could be a malware wanting to prevent opening of a particular site/s. Please also ensure that none of your security software or firewall is not blocking the site.

3] Reset Hosts file

Next have a look at your Hosts file. The Hosts file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. It is situated at C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\DRIVERS\ETC. Open it with Notepad or better still get freeware small utility Hostsman to have a look at it. Check if the site you want to open is mentioned there. If its is present there and if it has the numerals 127.0.0.1 your web page probably wont open as it is the most commonly utilized address for localhost. If you feel that your Hosts file has been hijacked, you can download and reset Hosts file.

4] Add to Trusted Sites zone

Add the particular website to the Trusted Sites list, and see if it helps. To do so > Open IE > Tools > Internet Options > Security Tab > Trusted Sites > Click Sites > Uncheck ‘Require server verification’ check box. Now, in the ‘Add this website to the zone’ box, type the url of the site as, say : http://www.thewindowsclub.com and click Add. Then click OK.

5] Check Restricted Sites

You may also want to check if the particular site is blocked by Internet Explorer. Check Internet Options > Security Tab > Restricted Sites > Sites. Here you can see the Restricted Sites. I suggest you use ZonedOut utility to Add, Delete, Import, Export, sites to this zone and generally manage Internet Explorer Security Zones.

6] Reset IE Zones to default

Open Internet Options from the Tools tab of IE. In Security click ‘Reset all zones to defaultlevel‘. Click OK. Restart IE and try.

7] Use Proxy

From the affected system, see if you can visit the particular site from a proxy site, like kproxy.com, etc.

8] Flush DNS cache

Check if you are able to visit the particular site with its numerical IP addresses. Incidentally, microsoft.com is the most commonly blocked site, by malware. So for example if it is microsoft.com, see if you can visit it with any of these:

• http://207.46.19.190

• http://207.46.193.254

• http://207.46.19.254

• http://207.46.192.254

If you are able to access it via the IP’s, I suggest you flush your DNS cache.

9] Disable Addons

Sometimes, some incompatible IE add-ons could bereason for the conflict.  Disable these add-ons in the first place. To disable add-ons manually and to run IE in no addons mode, open Internet Options and under Programs tab look for ‘Manage Add-ons’ button. Click the button.



In the Manage add-ons window, click ‘All add-ons’ option.



Click each add-on individually, hit the Disable button. When you are finished, tap or click OK. You can manage the following types of add-ons

1. Browser helper objects

2. ActiveX controls

3. Toolbar extensions

4. Explorer bars,

5. Browser extensions

6. Search providers

7. Accelerators, and tracking protection settings.

Modern Internet Explorer in Windows 8, is designed to provide an addon free experience. The browser plays HTML5 and many Adobe Flash Player videos without having to install a separate add-on. So, Add-ons and toolbars work only indesktop version of Internet Explorer.

10] Clear the SLL state

If you are connecting to a secure website, Internet Explorer uses an encrypted channel equipped with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology to encrypt transactions. If the information in the SSL gets corrupted at any point of time, the website may fail to load correctly.

As a corrective measure, clear the SLL state as follows:

• Press Windows logo key+C key, and then click Search. Enter Internet Options in the search box, and then choose Settings.

• In the search results, click Internet Options. Hit the Content tab, and then click ClearSSL state.



11] Check system date and time

At times, Incorrect date and time settings on your PC can cause problems accessing webmail servers. So, make sure that the date and time settings are correct on your PC. Do the following:

• Type Date and Time in the search box of the Charms bar, and then click Settings.

• Choose Date and Time from the search results, and click Change date and time.

• In the Date and Time Setting window, set the current date and time.



12] Disable Enhanced Protected Mode

Enhanced Protected Mode is a new feature in Internet Explorer 10. To disable it, if it prevents you from opening web pages in the Internet Explorer do the following, If some webpages are not displayed In Internet Explorer, even if the computer is connected to Internet, try the following:

• Open ‘Internet Options’ and switch to the ‘Advanced’ tab.

• Next, locate the check box ‘Enable Enhanced Protected Mode’.



• Uncheck the box. Hit the Apply button and then click OK. Restart Internet Explorer and check to see if the issue is resolved. Please note disabling the Protected Mode may enhance the performance in Internet Explorer but could leave your computer at risk for possible attacks.

13] Check Proxy and DNS Settings

Proxies provide you with more privacy if you are simply connecting directly to the internet. By default, Internet Explorer automatically detects proxy settings. However, if this setting has been tampered with you may experience problem in connecting to a desired network. To verify if all is well with the proxy settings, follow these steps.

Open ‘Internet Options’ > Connections tab, and then the LAN settings.



Click 'Automatically detect settings' and check if there is check mark against it in the box.



14] Reset Internet Explorer

If the problem persists, it is likely that some unwanted changes were made to your installation of Internet Explorer and therefore stopping you from viewing some websites. Reset Internet Explorer to its original settings.

15] Start Windows in Clean Boot State

To start Windows in Clean Boot State, type MSConfig in the Search box of the charms bar and then click open the System Configuration screen.

Tap or click the Services tab and select the Hide all Microsoft services check box, and then click Disable all.



Now, click the Startup tab. Open the Task Manager to manage Start Up items. Then, click Disable all in the bottom right corner, and then click OK.

After following the above procedure, you will be prompted to restart the computer. Do it, and test Internet Explorer for an online connection.

If you find that its is now working, it means some program is creating problems. To identify the conflicting service or program, select half of the listed items, and then click OK. Restart the computer, and then test Internet Explorer again.

Repeat steps until you identify the service that is conflicting with Internet Explorer. If you find a service conflicting with IE and not using it, remove it or configure settings so that it doesn’t start when the computer is turned on.

I hope something here helps you. I know this post is pretty exhaustive – you don’t need to try all – just glance through the posts and see what you think could potentially resolve your issue.

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