Control Internet Explorer Add-ons with Add-on Manager
Published: August 4, 2004
Web browser add-ons give different functionality to your Web browser to make browsing a little more fun or effective. Extra toolbars, animated mouse pointers, and stock tickers are all examples of browser add-ons.
Some add-ons are installed with Microsoft Windows. Many add-ons come from the Internet. Most add-ons from the Internet require that you give your consent before they're downloaded to your computer. Some, however, might be downloaded without your knowledge. This can happen if you previously gave permission for all downloads from a particular Web site or because the add-on was part of another program that you installed. Some add-ons don't ask for your consent at all.
Add-ons are typically fine to use, but sometimes they slow down your computer or force Internet Explorer to shut down unexpectedly. This can happen if the add-on was poorly built or created for an earlier version of Internet Explorer. In some cases, an add-on may be tracking your Web surfing habits. For more information on this, read Protect Your Computer from Spyware and Adware.
If you're running Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) you can use the new Internet Explorer Add-on Manager to help make the add-ons that you do want function properly and to easily get rid of the ones you don't want.
Using the Add-on Manager
Since some add-ons get installed without your knowledge, it's a good idea to first take stock of what add-ons your version of Internet Explorer currently contains. The Add-on Manager allows you to see a list of all the add-ons for Internet Explorer. The list is divided into two categories:
| • | Add-ons that have been used by Internet Explorer: a complete list of the add-ons that reside on your computer. |
| • | Add-ons currently loaded in Internet Explorer: the add-ons that were needed for the current Web page or a recently viewed Web page. |
To see a list of all add-ons used by Internet Explorer
1. | Open Internet Explorer. |
2. | On the Tools menu, click Manage Add-ons.  Tools menu |
3. | In the Show box, click the set of add-ons that you want to see.  Add-on Manager |
The Add-on Manager can do the following:
| • | Update: If the add-on is making your computer unstable, but you don't want to get rid of it, an updated version might be what you need to solve those problems. If the add-on is an ActiveX control, you can check to see if the item has been updated. |
| • | Disable: If an add-on causes repeated problems or if you didn't want it in the first place, you can disable the add-on. Disabling an add-on does not remove it, it just keeps Internet Explorer from using it. |
| • | Enable: If you can determine which add-ons are causing you problems and which aren't, you can re-enable only the add-ons you want. |
| • | Report: When prompted, please allow the problem to be reported to Microsoft. This is completely anonymous and requires nothing from you but permission. These reports are used to improve our products and to encourage other companies to update and improve theirs. |
Note Some Web pages might not display properly if an add-on is disabled. We recommend that you only disable an add-on if it repeatedly causes Internet Explorer to close.
