Too many choices
That's best left to the experts. (Not me).
IE8 can be a pig. The normal advice from here is to not use IE8!!
We can try.....
First, while you are using IE, click on "Help". In the drop down list, click on "About Internet Explorer". That will tell you which version of IE you have. If it says 8, (8,0,6001 or some such number), then you do have IE8.
If you click on Tools within IE, a drop down list appears. At the bottom of the list is "Internet Options". Click on that. "Internet options" appears. There are a series of tabs along the top. Click on "Programs". At the bottom of the programs tab, there is a button called "manage add-ons" next to "enable or disable add-ons".
You'll then get the place to enable/disable the various add-ons.
The issue from here on is that each individual who contributes to this thread will have their own views on what to enable.
In my view, the fewer the better. I have Adobe, AVG, (a security programme), something called safer networking, and then some MS and Sun stuff enabled. Everything else is disabled.