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Two weeks ago, my Internet Explorer 9 started behaving badly. It shows some images as colored boxes, drop down menus and check boxes on the webpage don't show at all. I uninstalled IE9 (via the Feature option) and reinstalled from scratch, but the behavior is the same. I have checked all the Microsoft sites for information and followed their advice. Web searches for information don't seem to record this problem.

I am running Win7 on Parallels 7 on Mac OS 5.8 and the combination has worked fine for years.
I hope DaniWeb can help. I am not a developer, but I am tech savvy.

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A concise expert note for future readers: the symptoms described here (colored boxes instead of images, missing dropdowns/checkboxes) are a classic Internet Explorer 9 rendering artifact caused when IE9's GPU-accelerated rendering path runs into an incompatible or incomplete graphics driver/virtual GPU implementation. 's quick test (forcing IE into software rendering) and 's follow‑up (updating the virtualization/host stack, then re-enabling GPU) exactly match the known cause-and-fix for these artifacts. See Microsoft’s guidance on IE hardware acceleration and the rendering changes introduced around IE9. How to enable or disable software rendering in Internet Explorer (background on hardware acceleration).

Practical troubleshooting checklist (apply in order until the problem is resolved):

  • Confirm the GPU path is the culprit by repeating the software-rendering test that worked for (this isolates driver/virtual-GPU issues).
  • Update virtualization guests/tools: reinstall or update Parallels Tools and the Parallels Desktop build so the Windows VM has up-to-date guest drivers. Parallels Tools instructions and notes.
  • Inside Windows, update the display adapter driver (Windows Update or vendor site). A buggy or generic driver commonly triggers IE GPU artifacts.
  • Run IE with add‑ons disabled and, if needed, reset IE settings to rule out extensions or corrupted settings. Microsoft documents disabling third‑party toolbars/BHOs for troubleshooting. Disable third‑party tool bands/BHO guidance.

If updating Parallels Tools and the guest driver fixes the bug, re-enable hardware acceleration; if not, leave software rendering enabled or use a modern browser. Note: Internet Explorer (legacy) is retired and unsupported; for security and compatibility, migrate to a modern browser (Edge has an IE Mode for legacy sites). Microsoft’s IE retirement announcement clarifies long‑term guidance. IE retirement / Edge guidance.

Summary: provided the correct diagnostic test; follow the checklist above to permanently fix the root cause (update Parallels Tools + the VM display driver), or keep software rendering as a stable workaround.

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Member Avatar for Member #949455

Internet Explorer 9 does not display images, icons

I have IE9 on Window 7 and there's no issue with that.

Try changing the GPU rendering.

Start Internet Explorer 9.
Click Internet Options on the Tools menu. Note If the Tools menu is not displayed, press ALT to display the Tools menu.
Click the Advanced tab, and then browse to the Accelerated graphics section.
Click to select the Use software rendering instead of GPU rendering check box.
Click Apply, and then click OK.
Close all open Internet Explorer 9 windows, and then restart Internet Explorer 9.
View the webpage in Internet Explorer 9.

and read this for more details:

Edited by Member #949455 because: grammer
Member Avatar for redjay

That fixed it immediately. Many thanks Mitch. Great information to have. No-one on our tech staff in a very large company had thought of your solution.

I then upgraded the Mac to Mountain Lion, Parallels 7 to the latest build, and switched back to GPU rendering. I assume the upgrades added newer drivers. Thanks again.

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