I usually never have any trouble opening PDF files. Whether I’m using Google Chrome, Firefox, or the new Microsoft Edge, everything loads smoothly regardless of the file size.
But Internet Explorer is a completely different story. Nearly every time I try to open a PDF in IE, I’m stuck staring at a frustrating grey or white screen. Even worse, it often causes the entire browser to freeze or crash. When that happens, I can’t even close it the normal way—I have to pull up the Task Manager just to force it to shut down.
I’ve already tried the obvious fixes, like making sure the Adobe PDF add-on was enabled and giving both the browser and my computer a full restart, but the problem always finds its way back. In case you want to try it for yourself, here is how to find those settings:
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Cog icon beside the smiley emoji located at the right end part of the address bar and search bar. Click on Manage add-ons.
- Select Toolbars and Extensions under Add-on Type (this should be automatically selected) and In the Show menu drop-down, select All Add-ons.
- Click Adobe PDF and click Enable. Adobe PDF systems status will now be enabled.
I even went as far as uninstalling and then reinstalling Internet Explorer, and resetting all its settings. But, despite all that, I'm still running into the same problem. If you want to give it a shot, here's how I reset my Internet Explorer settings:
- Open Internet Explorer and click the Cog icon beside the smiley emoji located at the right end part of the address bar and search bar. Click on Internet options.
- Click on the Advanced tab and click the Reset button to Reset Internet Explorer's settings to their default condition under the Reset Internet Explorer settings section. Click the Ok button after.
- Click the Ok button after.
- Restart your browser.
So, to finally get rid of those PDF opening problems in Internet Explorer, try these solutions:
- Save your PDF document and open it using other browsers with advanced features like Google Chrome and Firefox; or
- Install the new browser recommended by Microsoft which is the new Microsoft Edge.
Internet Explorer is an old browser that the company no longer actively develops. Due to a lack of modern features and an aging configuration, Internet Explorer 11 is increasingly insufficient for today's web. —MakeUseOf - Technology, Simplified
Microsoft will end support for Internet Explorer 11 across its Microsoft 365 apps and services next year. In exactly a year, on August 17th, 2021, Internet Explorer 11 will no longer be supported for Microsoft’s online services like Office 365, OneDrive, Outlook, and more. Microsoft is also ending support for Internet Explorer 11 with the Microsoft Teams web app later this year, with support ending on November 30th. Alongside the support changes, Microsoft is also planning to drop support for its existing legacy version of Microsoft Edge on March 9th, 2021. After the end of support date, the legacy version of Edge will no longer receive security updates. Microsoft has been moving existing Windows 10 users over to new its Chromium-based Edge browser, and the company says new devices and future Windows feature updates will all include the new Edge browser. —The Verge
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