I don't use internet explorer, but isn't version 8 outdated now? I thought it was up to around 11. In fact I think Russ at one time said this site would have problems trying to function on older versions and everyone needed to upgrade.
I also use firefox, but two pages I visit don't work properly in it so I also have an active Internet Explorer, currently up to about IE 11, I think. You should be able to upgrade your IE without any problems on the current Microsoft download site. Just google Internet Explorer download.
If you're using Windows XP, I think IE8 is the latest compatible version of IE. But it's more secure to switch to Safari, Firefox or Chrome, even though the latest versions of these browsers too may possibly not be compatible with XP.
You may still need to use IE8 occasionally for certain Microsoft websites (they annoyingly insist on this, or the services these sites offer won't work). But you should really upgrade to Windows 7, or Linux, or buy a Mac.