Managing Add-ons in Internet Explorer on Windows XP SP2
Most of us install add-ons and toolbars to Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) without even knowing it – as they often come along with softwares and programs that we download. However, one fine day, you realize that your IE browser is extremely slow because of having to carry the load of many add-ons and extra features that you don’t really need.
This might even hog up on the virtual memory – resulting in freezing of the PC. This article will show you a simple way of managing the add-ons that are installed in your IE browser, so that you can retain only the ones you actually need – and discard the rest. The only thing is that this is especially for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2). If you are not sure of the version you have, you can easily check it – detailed steps are given at this link.
Provided that you have Windows XP SP2, follow the instructions given below.
- Launch IE.
- Navigate to Tools -> Internet Options.
- In the Internet Options dialog that comes up, select the Programs tab.
- Click on the Manage Add-ons button to the bottom of this tab.
- A new window opens up that contains a list of the various add-ons that are being used by the system (categorized under separate headings in IE 8). Select an add-on that you feel you do not need, and then click on Disable.
- In this way, browse through the entire list of add-ons and weed out the ones you don’t need one-by-one.
At the end of the day, you will find that your IE browser has become lighter, faster, and more efficient in terms of memory usage. This simple trick will go a long way in creating a better browsing experience for you in the long run.