Internet Explorer toolbar

Displaying toolbar components

Resizing toolbar components

Rearranging toolbar components

Web Pages

Changing the page and link colors

Changing the settings for sound, video, and pictures

Changing the font size used to display text

Changing the fonts used to display text

Viewing pages with frames

Using Internet ratings

Using Style Sheets

Home and Search Page

Changing the home page

Changing the search page

Internet connections

Configuring your computer for Internet access by using a proxy server

Using multiple connections

Handling Files

Starting an application when you open a particular file type

Using plug-ins

Cache and History list

Changing the size and location of the cache

Updating a Web page

Updating a page when images are downloaded

Maintaining a list of previously viewed pages

To display toolbar components

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Browser Display tab.
3. Select the check boxes that correspond to the toolbar components (Button, Favorites, and Address bars) you want to be displayed.
4. If you want to see an animated icon that indicates when the browser is downloading a page, select the Show Icon Animation check box and choose the animation you want to see from the pop-up menu.

Tips

• These settings affect all pages you view. If you want to show or hide the Button, Address, Favorite, or Status bars for a particular window only, use the View menu.
• To change which buttons appear on the toolbar, make sure Show Button Bar is selected, and then choose a toolbar configuration from the pop-up menu.

To resize toolbar components

1. Move the mouse pointer to the cross-hatched pattern on the bar you want to resize. Note that the mouse pointer turns into a hand.
2. Drag the bar. When you reduce the size of a bar, some buttons are hidden.

• You cannot drag the left-most bars to resize them. You must resize the adjacent bar.

To rearrange toolbar components

1. Move the mouse pointer to the cross-hatched pattern on the bar you want to move. Note that the mouse pointer turns into a hand.
2. Drag the bar to its new location on the toolbar. You can only move the toolbar components (the Favorites, Button, and Address Bars) within the toolbar. A blue highlighting box indicates the size and placement of the bar in its new location.

Related Topics
Displaying toolbar components
Resizing toolbar components

To change the page and link colors on a page

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Browser Display tab.
3. In the Page & Link section, click the Color Picker that corresponds to the item you want to change.
4. Change the Page and Link settings as needed.

• The Allow Page to Specify Fonts and the Allow Page to Specify Color check boxes override the Style Sheet check box. For example, if you have cleared the Allow Page to Specify Colors check box, but have selected the Style Sheet check box, Internet Explorer will ignore the style sheet settings and display the page using the colors you specify.

Related Topics
Changing video, sound, and picture settings

To change video, sound, and picture settings

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Web Content tab.
3. In the Multimedia area, select the check box for each multimedia element you want displayed.

To change the font size used to display text on a page

1. From the View menu, point to Text Size.
2. Choose the font size you want.

To change the default font size for all pages

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Browser Display tab.
3. Choose a default font size from the pull-down menu.

Tips

• Some pages will use their own font sizes instead of the size you specify.

Related Topic
Changing the fonts used to display text on a page

To change the fonts used to display text on a page

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Font tab.
3. Choose a character set from the Font Encoding pull-down menu. The language kit for the specified character set must be installed.
4. On the Proportional Font and Fixed-Width Font pull-down menus, choose the fonts you want.

Tips

• If you want to change the character set for the page your are currently viewing only, on the View menu, point to Font Encoding, and then choose the character set you want.
• Some pages will use their own fonts instead of the ones you specify. You can prevent this by deselecting Allow Page To Specify Fonts on the Web Content tab in the Preferences dialog box.
• Some Internet sites send different pages depending on what language your browser is set to. If you are accessing one of these sites, set the Language pull-down menu to the language you would like to see.

Related Topic
Changing the font size used to display text on a page

To view pages with frames

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Web Content tab.
3. Make sure the Show Frames check box is selected.
4. From the View menu, choose Refresh.

Tips

• Some pages do not allow you to view them unless you have frames turned on.
• When you refresh a page with frames, the page reverts to its original state.
• To print the contents of a frame, click inside the frame and then choose Print from File menu.
• To refresh the contents of a frame, click inside the frame, hold down the mouse button, and then choose Refresh from the context menu.

Related Topics
Creating a collection of your favorite pages
New features: Refreshing with the context menu
Organizing your favorite pages

To use the Internet Ratings system

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Ratings tab.
3. Make sure the Enabled button is selected.
4. If you have never set Internet ratings, click Change Password.
5. Type a new password. By default, no password is provided.
6. Confirm your new password by typing it again.
7. Choose a violence, sex, nudity, and language rating level from the corresponding pop-up menu. A description of the selected level is provided.

Tips

• Remember your password. You will need to type it any time you change the Ratings settings.
• By default, Internet Explorer uses the rating system provided by the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC). For more information on RSAC visit, http://www.rsac.org/. (Please note that this link points to a site that is not under the control of Microsoft. Please read our disclaimer.
• The Option button provides additional Internet rating controls. For example, you can determine whether unrated sites can be viewed.
• You can download other rating services and use them instead of RSAC. To do so, click the Add Service button and locate the new service.

To use Style Sheets

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Web Content tab.
3. Make sure the Use Style Sheets check box is selected.

To change the home page

1. View the page you want to see when you first start Microsoft Internet Explorer.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
3. Click the Home/Search Page tab.
4. On the pull-down menu, choose Home Page.
5. Click Use Current.

Tips

• To quickly set the current page as the home page, point to the page, press and hold down the mouse button, and then choose Set Home Page.
• To use the standard home page, click Use Default.
• To have no home page, click Use None. This will make the Home button on the Button Bar and the Home Page command on the Go menu unavailable.
• If you are familiar with authoring Web pages, try creating your own home page with links to your favorite topics.

Related Topics
Home page shortcut
Visiting the home page

To change the search page

1. View the page you want to use as your search page.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
3. Click the Home/Search Page tab.
4. On the pull-down menu, choose Search Page.
5. Click Use Current.

Tips

• To quickly set the current page as the search page, point to the page, press and hold down the mouse button, and then choose Set Search Page.
• To use the standard search page, click Use Default.
• To have no search page, click Use None. This will make the Search Page button on the Button Bar and the Search The Internet command on the Go menu unavailable.

Related Topics
Searching for a specific place or page

To configure your computer for Internet access by using a proxy server

1. Obtain your proxy server address and server type (normal or tunnel) from your network administrator.
2. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
3. Click the Proxy tab.
4. Select the Enabled button.
5. Choose a protocol from the Protocol pop-up menu.
6. From the Method pop-up, choose the type of proxy server.
7. Specify the proxy server address and port supplied by your system administrator in the Http box.
8. In the text box, type the sites you want to connect to directly, by passing the proxy server.

• The Proxy page should contain information only if you are accessing the Internet at a company that requires you to go through a local server before going out over the Internet. If this is the case, check with your System Administrator for the correct proxy settings. If this is not the case, make sure all the fields in the proxy setting are completely empty by pressing the Tab key on your computer and then pressing the Delete key at each field.
• Proxy servers are typically used in corporate computing environments where the local network is isolated from the Internet by a firewall. If you are in this situation you will need to obtain your proxy server configuration from your network administrator. If you are directly connected to the Internet through an Internet services provider (ISP) then it is likely that you will not need to choose a proxy server.

To use multiple connections

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Select the Support Multiple Connections check box.
4. Change the Max Connections value as needed.

Notes

• Four connections is the default number of connections and will give you optimum performance. You can have as many as eight connections, but more than four connections will only benefit you if you are downloading many different files from many different servers simultaneously.
• The number of connections is per window.

To start an application when you open a particular file type

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Helpers tab.
3. To specify which program to start when you open a file of a new file type, click Add.
4. To change the program that starts when you open a file of an existing type, click the type, and then click Edit.
5. Type a description.
6. Type the MIME type.
7. Type the suffixes.
8. Specify whether the file type uses Binary Data or Plain Text.
9. In the Handling drop-down choose one of the following:

   Option	Result
   Use Explorer as viewer	Opens the file in the browser window if the file type is supported by the browser.
   Use an SDI-enabled Helper	Controls file using the specified external application. The Helper is capable of controlling Internet Explorer. For example, a helper application can instruct the browser to open a new browser window or open a new web page.
   Use a Helper application	Opens the file using the specified external application. When you quit the external application the downloaded file is deleted.
   Save as a file	Displays a dialog box that lets you choose where to save the file.
   Save and use a Helper	Opens a dialog box where you can specify where you want to save the file. Once the file is saved the helper application is launched.

Related Topic
Choosing a helper application or plug-in

To use a plug-in

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Web Content tab.
3. Make sure the Use Plug-Ins check box is selected.

To change the location and size of the cache

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Click Change to define a new name and location for the Cache folder.
4. To create more space in your Cache folder, increase the value in the Maximum Size box or, if you want to start with an empty cache, click Empty

To update a Web page

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. In the Cache area select how often you would like your browser to reload a Web page:
   • Choose Once Per Session if the sites you visit change often. Choosing this option can slow down browsing between viewed pages (pages stored in the Cache folder) because Internet Explorer checks to see if a page has changed when you return to it.
   • Choose Never if the sites you visit do not change often. Choosing this option can speed up browsing because viewed pages (pages stored in the Cache folder) are not updated. If you want to view possible updates when this option is selected, on the View menu, choose Refresh.
   • Choose Always if the sites you visit change often.Choosing this option can slow down browsing between viewed pages (pages stored in the Cache folder) because Internet Explorer checks to see if a page has changed when you return to it.

Related Topic
Seeing where you've been

To update a page when images are downloaded

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Browser Display tab.
3. In the Progressive Formatting area, select the radio button that suites your Internet connection.

To maintain a list of previously viewed pages

1. From the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. In the History section, type a new value in the Remember The Last Places Visited text box.

Related Topic
Seeing where you've been