PrintMicrosoft Internet Explorer 9 is an upgrade to earlier versions of the web browser. Among its many performance enhancements, it uses hardware-accelerated text, video, and graphics to present web pages and web-based applications with the highest quality and fastest speed possible. Depending on your notebook configuration, you may see dramatic performance improvements while surfing the web with Internet Explorer 9.
Internet Explorer 9 uses one of two methods to display web pages:
- Hardware acceleration - When hardware acceleration is enabled, Internet Explorer 9 relies on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) to display web pages. A dedicated GPU allows for smoother, more responsive graphics while at the same time freeing up the CPU to handle all other computing tasks, such as managing your network connection and downloads. If your notebook's graphics driver supports hardware acceleration, then it is enabled by default in Internet Explorer 9.
- Software rendering - When hardware acceleration is not enabled, Internet Explorer 9 relies on the CPU to display web pages, in addition to all the other tasks the CPU is required to perform. On content-rich web sites, this can degrade the computer's performance. All versions of Internet Explorer prior to version 9 display graphics in this manner. If your notebook's graphics driver does not support hardware acceleration, then Internet Explorer 9 uses software rendering instead.
Because Internet Explorer 9 tries to implement hardware acceleration by default, the problems listed in this document may occur if you install the web browser on a notebook that has an older graphics adapter and/or outdated graphics device drivers. In most cases, you can resolve these problems by updating the graphics drivers and software on your notebook. See
HP Notebook PCs - Locate and Install Updated BIOS, Drivers, and Software
for more information.
If Internet Explorer 9 crashes at launch, it is likely the result of hardware acceleration being enabled and your current graphics driver does not support hardware acceleration.
Also, many Windows Live programs leverage the web browser technology in Internet Explorer 9. If a Windows Live program crashes at launch, it is likely the result of hardware acceleration being enabled in Internet Explorer 9, and your current graphics driver does not support hardware acceleration. To resolve this issue, try one or more of the following troubleshooting options:
- Update your notebook's graphics drivers if new updates from HP are available.
- Turn off hardware acceleration in Internet Explorer 9. Click Start , type internet options in the search field, then select the Internet Options control panel application from the search results list. On the Advanced tab, select the Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering option.
- Uninstall Internet Explorer 9 until updated graphics drivers for your notebook become available. Click Start , type Programs and Features in the search box, and then click View installed updates in the left pane. Under Uninstall an update , scroll down to the Microsoft Windows section. Right-click Windows Internet Explorer 9 , click Uninstall , and when prompted, click Yes . Restart the system.
This issue only applies to HP Mini 210, HP Mini 210, and Compaq CQ10 Series Notebooks.
Web pages may load very slowly in Internet Explorer 9 while hardware acceleration is enabled. To resolve this issue, try one or more of the following troubleshooting options:
- Update your notebook's graphics drivers if new updates from HP are available.
- Turn off hardware acceleration in Internet Explorer 9. Click Start , type internet options in the search field, then select the Internet Options control panel application from the search results list. On the Advanced tab, select the Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering option.
This issue only applies to HP Pavilion dm3 series notebook PCs with Windows 7 installed
Switching between an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU while playing videos in Internet Explorer 9 may result in a Windows Stop Error 0x8E (blue screen). This is likely the result of Windows 7 improperly implementing the notebook's switchable graphics feature. To resolve this issue, download and install Windows 7 SP1.
