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Q: When I surf the web using windows Explorer 11 I keep getting a message that says explorer not responding and I have to keep clicking on restore secession. It happens quite often and it’s bugging me. There has got to be some setting I can adjust to help with this problem.

– Charles M.
Shalimar, Florida

A: It appears that you have a malfunctioning add-on, or one that is simply malware. Since the symptoms are so generic, it will be tough to narrow it down to just one, and I certainly can’t do it never having laid eyes or hands on your system.

You can display the loaded browser add-ons by opening IE, clicking the little gear icon in the upper-right corner, and selecting “Manage Add-ons”. Any or all of them can be disabled by highlighting them with your mouse cursor then clicking the “Disable” button in the lower right. Go through the list and disable anything you don’t recognize, or that comes from a publisher listed as “Unknown” or “Not Available”. There are two ways to go about this. You can use finesse and disable the add-ons one at a time until the problem goes away; or you can use the strong-arm approach and simply disable them all at once. Remember you are disabling them, not deleting them, so you can always go back in and re-enable anything you decide is not causing a problem.

Keep in mind that except for outright malware, each of these add-ons is there because it supposedly provides some service. In many cases the usefulness of these services is questionable, and some serve the interests of the software vendor instead of you, the PC owner. If in doubt about something, remember you can always get more information by Googling it or visiting the manufacturer’s website.

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Tech News You Can Use: This week Microsoft announced the release schedule and pricing structure for Windows 10. Looks like good news for owners of genuine copies of Windows 7, 8, and 8.1 – the upgrade will be FREE. Depending on your version of Windows you could be saving nearly $200! Anyone running bootleg copies will have to fork-over $119 for the Win 10 Home version, or $199 for Win 10 Professional. If you’re running a Home version and want to upgrade to Pro, the Windows 10 “Pro Pack” will take you there for $99, assuming your Home version is genuine. The new software is scheduled to be available on July 29^th. If you’re ready that soon, you’ll be able to download it; or that is the date that new PCs loaded with Windows 10 will be available from retailers.

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