What to do if Browser Won't See Internet Yet Outlook Works?

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If Outlook is managing to send and receive emails but your browser refuses to get online, either your Internet connection isn't strong or stable enough to load full websites or something is blocking your browser while allowing Outlook to operate -- this blockage could be anything from an incorrectly configured firewall to a malfunctioning browser add-on.

 

Check Your Internet Connection

 

·         Emails, particularly if they are plain text messages without attachments or images, are small files that can be uploaded or downloaded very quickly. If you have a sluggish Web connection or a connection that keeps dropping, you might find you can send and receive emails while being unable to load websites (which contain much more data). Running an alternative browser and running an online speed test (such as the one at Speedtest.net) can help determine if there are issues with your connection.

 

Check Your Browser's Add-on

 

·         A faulty add-on or plugin running on top of your Web browser can prevent it from viewing websites normally. Accessing the Web through an alternative browser or launching your existing browser in its safe mode without extensions or plugins can help determine if this is indeed the case. Use the add-on manager built-in to your browser to disable the extensions and plugins one by one to locate the problematic utility. Uninstalling and reinstalling the browser using the latest available version may also help to resolve the issue by resetting the browser's settings and clearing its cache of temporary data. Checking the browser's connection and proxy settings can also help troubleshoot issues with getting online.

 

Check Your Security Tools

 

·         It's possible that an anti-virus, anti-spyware or firewall program is blocking your attempts to get online through your Web browser, while allowing Outlook to work without problems; temporarily disabling the security tools installed on your system is a quick way of checking if this is indeed the case. Check the help documentation supplied with your security software for details on how to make sure your Web browser is registered as a safe and trusted program. You may need to disable certain real-time protection features -- such as automatic site scanning -- in order to use the Web without interference.

 

Check for Malware

 

·         Malware applications can block your access to the Web, while your email client remains unaffected. Download and install the latest updates for your anti-spyware, anti-malware and firewall programs and run a thorough scan of your system to look for problems. If you find yourself unable to update your security tools, download the most recent updates from the developer's website on an alternative computer and then transfer the new definitions via USB drive.