Sounds like the security controls are set too high. Try adjusting them down and making other adjustments via the Internet Options selection.
As for searches, that is the search engine and its controls/adjustments. Reset those at the search engine website.
Also, Firefox is both free and eminently more functional than the execrable IE, imho.
Yes, I adjusted the security settings. It helped, but no fix.
I hate IE. Have not installed Firefox on her machine. If I mess with the knobs she will fuss. If I leave it alone and it breaks she will have me fix it.
If she simply understood that if I intalled Xubuntu on it, none of that crap would be necessary. It is very stable and fast.
My conclusion is that MS is self inducing frustration to encourage upgrades to newer platforms. That is why that Windows installs seldom last more than about 3 years. Planned obsolescence and induced malfunction. It is the way of the money machine.