Reset Web Browser To Default Settings

Resetting your browser to its default state can often fix problems. For example, a program you install may change your search engine, install toolbars, and do other unwelcome things. Or you may have accidentally changed advanced settings on your own.

Google Chrome

Google Chrome has an option that will reset itself to its default settings. To find this option, open Chrome’s menu and select Settings. Perform a search for “reset browser” and you’ll see the Reset browser settings button.

You could also just plug chrome://settings/resetProfileSettings into Chrome’s address bar to pull up this page.

Use this option and Google Chrome will erase almost everything — your extensions, settings, cookies, history, home page, default search engine, and more. Chrome won’t delete your bookmarks or passwords, so your important personal data will be kept.

Mozilla Firefox

Firefox also allows you to return it to its default state. To do so, click the Firefox menu button, point to Help, and select Troubleshooting Information.

Firefox will erase your extensions and themes, browser preferences, search engines, site-specific preferences, and other browser settings. However, Firefox will attempt to preserve your bookmarks, history, passwords, form history, and cookies.

Internet Explorer

The desktop version of Internet Explorer has the ability to reset its settings to the default ones. If you’re using Windows 8, resetting Internet Explorer on the desktop will also reset Modern Internet Explorer’s settings.

To do this, open the Internet Explorer desktop app, click the gear menu, and select Internet options. Click over to the Advanced tab and click the Reset button at the bottom of the Internet Options window. Internet Explorer warns you that “You should only use this if your browser is in an unusable state,” but that’s just to dissuade you from wiping out all your personal settings unless it’s absolutely necessary.

Confirm it again by pressing Reset button. After resetting Internet Explorer, you’ll have to restart your computer for your changes to take effect.

via HowToGeek.com