[Click here to go where the women who know go.]   [GoWest: The Inside on the Outside]   [Ready to quit? Click here to visit About Work]
Tech tip
Pick a topic:
Arts
Careers
Education
Entertainment
Fashion & beauty
Fix-it
Food & wine
Health & nutrition
Home & garden
Kids' stuff
Mags & 'zines
Money
News & politics
Off the wall
Parenting
Relationships
Shopping
Sports & fitness
Travel
Women & the Net
Women's issues
Your favorite site
The cafe
Ask B

Home
Upgrading your browser

Upgrading your browser is a lot like getting your car's oil changed: It's a bit of a hassle, but you notice the improvements in the long run.

While installing the latest version of Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer won't change your life, it will make the little things that make the web cool -- like moving images and hidden sound files -- work a lot better.

Pick a time to upgrade when you can take a break. The entire process requires about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the time of day and the traffic at the site you choose. Hint: You'll want to print this page before you head to your browser's download site.

Using Netscape Navigator

1. Go to the Navigator download site. Note: Netscape's busiest time for download requests is between 2:30 am and 4:30 pm EST, so you may want to wait until off-peak hours.

2. Select the product you want to download (you'll want "Netscape Navigator 3.01 - Standard"), your operating system (Mac, Windows, etc.), your desired language and your location.

3. Click on the button that displays download sites.

4. Scroll down and click on a download site. Netscape's instructions say to pick the one nearest you, but that's not always the fastest way. If the closest sites are busy, try another. Grab a snack and wait for your computer to download the program. Note: Windows users will have to tell Netscape where to put the file. Your desktop is the easiest place to download Navigator.

5. Open the Netscape 3.01 icon which is now sitting on your desktop. Click on the Continue button, then the Install button, and the new version will land on your desktop, ready to use. Windows users will have a Setup option for saving your bookmarks and style preferences; do not overwrite your existing "netscape.ini" file, or you'll lose that information. Bookmarks are automatically saved for Mac users.

Using Microsoft Internet Explorer

1. Go to the Internet Explorer download site.

2. Select your operating system (Mac, Windows, etc.) and click on the Next button.

3. Select the version you want to download ("Internet Explorer 3.0," or 3.01 if you have Windows 95) and click on the Next button.

4. Select your desired language and click on the Next button.

5. Pick a download location and click on your selection in the Program file column.

6. When the Installer icon appears on your desktop, click on it, then click on the Install button. It will tell you to quit any other applications you may be running, and to restart your computer when installation is complete. (Note: During the installation, it will ask you to choose between Just-in-Time Java, which is faster, and standard Java, which uses less memory.) Get a cup of coffee and wait for your computer to download the program.

7. Restart your computer, and you're ready to go by clicking on the new Internet Explorer icon on your desktop.

Luc Hatlestad is a senior editor at The Red Herring magazine


Women's
Wire and Yahoo!
© 1997 Wire Networks, Inc. and Yahoo, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments