Many people prefer the minimalist architecture of Chrome. Some like the flexibility of Mozilla Firefox. However, there are still users who would choose Internet Explorer over these two browsers. Organizations can take advantage of the customizable group policies of IE to design a web browser that will be most beneficial to their business needs. Meanwhile, Microsoft loyalists prefer using the Windows built-in browser, Edge. After all, it has unique features like page annotations, reading lists, and improved security, among others.

Of course, we all know that browsers designed by Microsoft are riddled with issues. Some users complain that they cannot open particular websites in Microsoft Edge. Others ask, “Why does Internet Explorer say ‘Cannot display the webpage?’”

If you’re in the same predicament, we will show you several ways out. In this article, we’re going to show you what to do when you cannot open particular websites in Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.

Checking for Connectivity Issues

You need to start with the simplest solution—checking whether you’re having connectivity issues. You should assess whether your Internet connection is preventing you from accessing websites on your browser. In this case, there are three things you can do:

  • Restart Your Network Adapter
  • Update Your Network Adapter Driver
  • Disable Your Antivirus

Restart Your Network Adapter

  1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+R to launch the Run dialog box.
  2. Inside the Run dialog box, type “ncpa.pl” (no quotes), then click OK.
  3. Now, right-click your network adapter.
  4. Select Disable.
  5. Finally, right-click your network adapter, then click Enable.

Update Your Network Adapter Driver

You won’t be able to access websites on Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer when your network adapter driver is outdated, corrupt, or missing. So, we suggest that you update it to ensure that you won’t have any network connectivity issue. There are three ways to do this:

  1. Updating Your Network Adapter Driver via the Device Manager
  2. Downloading and Installing the Driver Manually
  3. Using a Reliable Tool Like Auslogics Driver Updater

Updating Your Network Adapter Driver via the Device Manager

  1. Go to your taskbar, then right-click the Windows icon.
  2. Select Device Manager from the list.
  3. Once the Device Manager is up, expand the contents of the Network Adapters category.
  4. Now, right-click your network adapter and select Update Driver.
  5. Select the ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ option.

Let the Device Manager update your network adapter driver for you.

Downloading and Installing the Driver Manually

The Device Manager may make updating your network adapter driver convenient. However, it can still miss the latest version for your operating system and processor. So, you may still need to visit the manufacturer’s website to download the right driver. Remember to be careful when choosing this method because it can be risky. If you install an incompatible driver, you may cause system instability issues.

Using a Reliable Tool Like Auslogics Driver Updater

Of course, there is an easier yet more reliable way to update your network adapter driver. You can use a trusted tool like Auslogics Driver Updater. This software program can recognize your operating system version and processor type automatically. With a click of a button, you will be able to download and install the latest manufacturer-recommended driver for your network adapter.

Disable Your Third-Party Antivirus

Your third-party antivirus may be interfering with your Internet connection. It is possible that your antivirus identified the website you’re trying to visit as a security threat. If you really need to visit that site, you can try disabling your antivirus. Now, if you’re worried about the vulnerability of your PC, you can switch to a different security software program.

There are many antivirus apps out there, but Auslogics Anti-Malware is among the few that can reliably protect your PC. It is also worth noting that a certified Microsoft Silver Application Developer designed it. So, it can detect the most vicious threats on your computer without interfering with your system’s operations. You can have the protection you need while still having access to the websites you need.

After you’ve ensured that there are no connectivity issues, you can try accessing the website again on Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge. If the issue persists, we recommend that you try our solutions below:

Fixes for Internet Explorer

  • Entering the Shortcut Manually
  • Using Compatibility View
  • Adding the Shortcut to the Safe Address List

Entering the Shortcut Manually

  1. Right-click the website URL, then select Copy Shortcut from the context menu.
  2. Now, go to the address bar of Internet Explorer and paste the shortcut.
  3. Hit Enter on your keyboard.

Using Compatibility View

You can also try resetting Internet Explorer’s compatibility view to be able to access the website you need. To do that, follow the instructions below:

  1. Launch Internet Explorer.
  2. On your keyboard, press the F12 key. Doing this will bring up the Developer Tools pane at the bottom of your browser.
  3. Go to the menu bar of the Developer Tools pane, then select Browser Mode: IEx. Do note that ‘IEx” stands for the version of your current browser view setting.
  4. Choose an older version of Internet Explorer from the Browser Mode list.
  5. Close the Developer Tools pane by pressing the F12 key again.

Adding the Shortcut to the Safe Address List

If choosing a different browser view does not resolve the issue, then you can try adding the affected website to the safe address list. Here are the steps:

  1. Open Internet Explorer.
  2. Click Tools, then select Compatibility View Settings.
  3. Once the Compatibility View Settings window is up, go to the Add this Website area, then submit the URL of the affected website.
  4. Click Add.
  5. Click Close to exit the window.

Fixes for Microsoft Edge

Now,

what if Microsoft Edge could not access a certain website

? Don’t worry because we’ve got you covered. Try our solutions below to be able to open the affected website:

  • Clearing Your Browsing History, Cache, and Cookies
  • Resetting Microsoft Edge

Clearing Your Browsing History, Cache, and Cookies

  1. On your keyboard, press Windows Key+S. Doing so will open the Search box.
  2. Inside the Search box, type “Edge” (no quotes), then select Microsoft Edge from the results.
  3. Once Microsoft Edge is up, click the Settings icon. It should be the three horizontally aligned dots in the top-right corner of the browser.
  4. Select History from the menu.
  5. Click the Clear History link.
  6. Select Browsing History, Cookies and Saved Website Data, and Cached Data and Files.
  7. Click Clear.

Resetting Microsoft Edge

  1. Go to your taskbar, then right-click the Windows icon.
  2. Select Apps and Features from the menu. Doing so will take you directly to your list of installed programs.
  3. Go to the right pane, then look for Microsoft Edge.
  4. Select Microsoft Edge, then click the Advanced Options link.
  5. On the next page, click the Reset button below the Reset area.

Let your system bring back Microsoft Edge to its default settings. Once the process is complete, try accessing the affected website again to see if the issue has been resolved.

Are there other solutions you’d like to suggest?

Feel free to share them in the comments below!