Fix the problem of IE8 process delay shutdown fully release resources

As we all know, Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 browser just opened in "Windows Task Manager" will form a two iexplorer.exe process, where one is the IE8 window process (occupy the memory of the larger one), the other is the label process ( occupy the smaller memory. If you look closely, you will find a phenomenon, when you open multiple tabs or IE8 windows, the corresponding process is also added to Windows Task Manager, which is normal. However, when we close one or more of these tags or windows, the corresponding process does not disappear, but still occupies your system resources, which will be the problem we need to solve today.

Download: Internet Explorer 8.0 (IE8) Chinese version RC1 for Windows XP

This has been demonstrated through hands-on testing in Windows XP (ie 8 RC) and Windows 7 build 7057 (ie 8 build 7057). This is a phenomenon because it is not a bug, but the system defaults to the time that the process automatically shuts down when the IE8 tab or window is closed. As a result, we can easily solve this problem by simply setting a time value. The following is a case of observing this phenomenon based on Windows 7 build 7057, and then fixing the problem by modifying the registry.

See how the IE8 process is delayed shutdown

First, open a IE8 window in the Windows 7 build 7057 system and see the new two Iexplorer.exe processes clearly from Windows Task Manager. Then, with the new four blank tabs open in this IE8 window, the corresponding process is also rendered in Windows Task Manager. Then close the four blank tabs and look back at the Windows Task Manager, where the four blank tags correspond to the process.

To open a IE8 window

The picture is: New open four blank label

Image: The process still exists after closing the label

In front of a IE8 window to open more than one tab, let's see what happens when you open multiple IE8 windows? At the same time, open 3 IE8 windows, four process items appear in Windows Task Manager, where the least memory is the label item, The remaining three memory footprint is equivalent to the 3 IE8 window processes we open (the label process is overlapping). After closing two of the IE8 windows, look at Windows Task Manager, the process item does not increase or decrease, and the problem persists.

: Open 3 IE8 windows at the same time

Figure: Close two of the IE8 windows

In this period, we visually close the IE8 label and the IE8 window after the corresponding process automatically closed the time of the visual, the delay time of about 62-64 seconds, should be the system default time value.

Image: Time when the process is delayed closing after visual closure of the IE8 label

Image: The time when the process is delayed shutting down by visually closing the IE8 window

Fix IE8 process delay shutdown with registry

While the problem persists, it's still not a hassle to fix, just adding a key value to the registry fixes the behavior. The following is a specific step to fix the delayed shutdown of the IE8 process:

1. Locate and open the Registry Editor from the Start menu;

Figure: Locate and open the Registry Editor

2. Positioning to hkey_current_usersoftwaremicrosoftinternet Explorermain;

To locate the registry

3. In the right column, search for items with the name Tabshutdowndelay, if not (usually not), create a Tabshutdowndelay item with a key value type of DWORD;

Select the key value type is DWORD

Figure: Create an item named Tabshutdowndelay

4. Double-click the Tabshutdowndelay entry to set a key value that determines how long it will take to close a IE8 label or window to turn off the process item, and the value is in seconds. (If the value is set to 0, close the corresponding process item immediately after closing the label or window)

Figure: Set key value for Tabshutdowndelay

The repair process is so simple, but it frees up more system resources for us in the invisible. Windows 7 build 7057 is similar to Windows XP and is not tested under Windows Vista. Also, it's important to note that if you close all the IE8 windows, all the IE8 processes (tags and windows) will disappear immediately.