Fixing Most (Not All) IE11 Compatibility Problems

With today's release of IE11 for Windows 7 I think many who install the latest Microsoft browser could be in for a shock as to how many web sites may not display or work correctly. When I first moved to IE11 from IE10 during my Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 upgrade, I had quite a bit of trouble. You may have read about my woes, which led me to install an alternate web browser (Opera) to continue to function normally. If not, you can read that HERE.

I've heard from others who have had similar issues, so I'm not alone. I had been running Windows 8 with IE10 for over a year and never had issues. Only when I updated to Windows 8.1 and IE11 did the trouble start. There were obvious, significant changes between IE10 and IE11 and I don't believe Microsoft prepared us for them.

It took me a couple weeks, but I finally ironed most of my issues out – and really, most of those issues were due to compatibility of web sites and IE11. So, if you're installing IE11 soon, you may want to also understand that the Compatibility View location has changed.

In earlier Internet Explorer versions, Microsoft smartly placed the Compatibility View icon directly at the end of the Address bar, as shown, allowing you to quickly alter how IE displayed the web site.

But, in IE11 there is no longer a convenient button to switch modes. Instead, you'll need to pull up the Compatibility View Settings list and add the offending site. Funny enough, Google.com is one of the sites I had to add to the list, just so I can view Google+ correctly.

To get to the Compatibility View Settings list, do this:

1. At the top-right of IE11, click or tap the cog wheel to drop-down the Tools menu.

2. Choose Compatibility View settings from the menu. This brings up the Change Compatibility View Settings options.

3. Add the poorly displaying or seemingly broken web site to the list.

After you add the web site to the list, Internet Explorer will refresh the page you are visiting and you'll then be able to test if the compatibility problem is fixed.

I still experience some sites that don't work correctly and others that work mostly but with one or two issues, but the Compatibility View management has fixed most of my original issues.