Internet Explorer won't run

[Envergure]

Lenovo Thinkpad T520
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit (Build 7601)

I have IE11 installed, but it won't run. No error messages or anything. Not even any console output. None of the exe files in C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer or C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer do anything.

(To learn why I need IE and not another browser, see: http://forums.sketchup.com/t/sketchup-crashes-on-launch/6571)

I tried just downloading and running the IE11 installer, but it says "a more recent version is already installed." Uninstalling IE using Programs and Features>View Installed Updates fails. Only one IE11 update is listed in View Installed Updates, dated April 22, 2014 (the day Windows was installed on this computer). Windows Update says everything is up to date. I tried turning IE on and off in Windows Features, to no effect. I ran Lenovo's update utility for the first time ever, but in vain, and it broke my NVidia drivers Somewhere along the line, IE started showing up in Start Menu searches, whereas it originally wouldn't show. I even tried copying and pasting a known-good IE installation from another, near-identical, up-to-date computer, but still no good, so the problem may be beyond IE itself.

I'm out of ideas.

Thanks,
―Chris

 

[bazz2004]

I've been there and spent a silly amount of time on it. The hard drive was filling up so I bought a larger one for a fresh install of Windows 7 and when fully updated to SP 1, I was running IE 11. I made a hobby of occasionally trying to find what might be wrong with the problem installation. Eventually I found that the Turn Windows features on or off section in Control Panel was empty and I found a Microsoft Fixit that put things right. That's not your problem though and as you've discovered there is no easy solution. I tried loads of recommended solutions on various forums including some Microsoft ones but without success. It can be down to lots of different issues.

As IE 11 is so important to you consider reinstalling Windows or return the laptop to factory condition. Although it will take ages, at least you will have the comfort of knowing that success is highly likely to result. It may well turn out to be the quickest way to get the latest version working. The snag with a laptop is that you may have trouble getting function keys to work after a reinstall so a return to factory settings might be safer. There's likely to be a restore partition on the laptop. My problem related to a desktop.