Browser issues are usually cache, extension, or profile related. A few minutes fixes most of them.

1. Hard refresh

When a page looks broken (missing CSS, old content, wrong layout):

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + R or Ctrl + F5
  • macOS: Cmd + Shift + R

This bypasses the cache and reloads from the server.

2. Clear cache for a specific site

If hard refresh doesn't help, the cache for that site needs clearing:

  • F12 → DevTools opens
  • Right-click the refresh button → Empty Cache and Hard Reload

Or in browser settings:

  • Chrome/Edge: Settings → Privacy → Cookies → See all site data → search the site → delete
  • Firefox: Settings → Privacy → Cookies → Manage Data

3. Try Incognito / Private mode

Open the site in an incognito window:

  • Ctrl + Shift + N (Chrome/Edge)
  • Ctrl + Shift + P (Firefox)

If it works in incognito but not normally, the issue is one of:

  • A cached cookie/login causing trouble
  • An extension blocking or interfering
  • A profile corruption

4. Disable extensions

Many login and rendering issues are caused by ad blockers, password managers, or "privacy" extensions:

  • Open the extensions page (chrome://extensions/ or equivalent)
  • Toggle off all extensions
  • Try the site again

If it works, re-enable one at a time to find the culprit. The most common offenders: Privacy Badger, uBlock Origin (with default lists), Ghostery, screen-recording or scraping tools.

5. Sign-in failures

If you can't sign in to a site even with the right password:

  • Clear cookies for that domain
  • Try a different browser as a sanity check
  • Reset your password if the site supports it

6. Slow browsing

If everything is sluggish:

  • Open Task Manager (Shift + Esc in Chrome) — see which tabs use the most resources
  • Close tabs you've been keeping open for weeks
  • Restart the browser
  • Disable extensions you don't actively need

7. Reset browser settings

Last resort before reinstall:

  • Chrome/Edge: Settings → Reset settings → Restore settings to original defaults
  • Firefox: Help → More troubleshooting information → Refresh Firefox

Bookmarks and saved passwords survive; everything else resets.

8. Reinstall

If reset doesn't help:

  • Sign in to your browser sync account first (Chrome/Edge/Firefox accounts all preserve bookmarks)
  • Uninstall the browser
  • Download fresh from the official site (NOT search results — use the vendor URL directly)
  • Install and sign in

9. Multiple profiles

For people who switch between work and personal accounts:

  • Chrome / Edge support multiple profiles in separate windows
  • Click your avatar → Add profile
  • Sign each into its own work/personal account
  • Saves the "wrong account" confusion

10. Browser-specific gotchas

  • Chrome: heavy on RAM; sleep tabs feature is your friend (Settings → Performance)
  • Edge: shares Chromium engine with Chrome; switching between them rarely fixes anything
  • Firefox: uses a different rendering engine; some sites built for Chromium look broken in Firefox

When to ticket

Raise a ticket if:

  • A specific work site fails for everyone, not just you
  • An internal SSO provider isn't working
  • A browser update was forced that broke critical features

Include the URL, the browser and version (Help → About), and a screenshot of the failure.