Fix ‘Internet Explorer Cannot Display The Webpage’ Error

The following error message may be displayed when you try to access a Web site, using Internet Explorer 7:

"Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage"

There can be many causes of this problem. This article covers some basic troubleshooting methods that you can follow to resolve this issue.

Method 1: Check to see if you can open other Web pages

A likely cause of the error message is problems with the Web page you are trying to access. To see if this is the problem, try to open some other Web pages in your Internet Explorer. If everything else is fine, these Web pages will open normally, and if they do, there might be some problem with the Web page you were initially trying to access. The site could be experiencing problems or may have been taken down for some reason.

You may just wait for a while and try to access the Web page again. If the site was taken down for maintenance activity, it should start working once the maintenance activity is complete.

Method 2: Check for Internet Explorer errors using the Network Diagnostics tool

You may use the built-in Network Diagnostics tool to diagnose and resolve any problems with your Internet Explorer 7. To use the tool, perform the following steps:

Open Internet Explorer and then try to access the Web page that is displaying the error.

1. To run the Network Diagnostics tool on this error page in Internet Explorer, click the Diagnose Connection Problems link.
2. If the tool finds any problem with your Internet Explorer, it will try to provide you with the methods that you can use to resolve the error. Follow the steps given in the proposed solution to resolve your problem.

If the tool fails to detect any problems, proceed to the next troubleshooting step.

Method 3: Reset your modem, router or both

If you connect to the Internet using a modem or a router, you may need to restart it to resolve the ‘Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage’ error. To do this, perform the following steps:

1. Remove the cable that connects your modem or router to the computer.
2. Turn off the modem or router-some devices may not have a power on/off switch, in this case, disconnect the devices from the AC power point.
3. Restart your PC and then turn on your modem or router.
4. Reconnect the modem/router cables and then restart the PC again.
5. After the above steps are done, restart your Internet Explorer and try to access your Web page again.

If the error is still there, proceed to the next step.

Method 4: Clear the Browsing History of your Internet Explorer

To clear the browsing history, perform the following steps:

1. Open Internet Explorer and then on the Tools menu, select the Delete Browsing History command.
2. Here, either click the individual buttons to clear specific browsing history or just hit the Delete allbutton given at the bottom to clean everything in one go.
3. Restart your Internet Explorer and then try to open your Web page again.

If the error is still there, proceed to the next step.

Method 5: Try to open the Web page in the Internet Explorer (No Add-ons) mode

At times, you may encounter the error message if an Internet Explorer Add-on is interfering with the process. When you start Internet Explorer in no Add-on mode, it loads without any add-ons, such as third-party toolbars and ActiveX controls. If your Web page displays in this mode, then it is likely that an Internet Explorer Add-on is interfering with your Web page and preventing the page from displaying in normal mode.

To start your Internet Explorer in no Add-ons mode, select Start >> All Programs >>Accessories >>System Tools >> Internet Explorer (No Add-ons).

If you are able to access your Web page in this mode, then perform the following steps to identify the Internet Explorer Add-on that is behind the problem:

1. Open Internet Explorer and then on the Tools menu, point to the Manage add-ons command and select the Enable or Disable Add-ons command.
2. Now, in the Manage Add-ons dialog box, first disable all add-ons and then enable them one by one.
3. After enabling each add on, try to open your Web page. If your Web page fails to open after you enable a particular add-on, then this add-on is the cause behind your problem.
4. After you have identified the problem add-on you may either leave it disabled or search for a solution regarding problems associated with the add-on.

Posted in: Tricks