About browsing the Web

You can browse the Web — or visit Web pages — in several ways. You can visit a Web page by typing its address, also called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator), in the Address box. You can also go to a Web page by clicking a link — special text or a picture that lets you jump to another Web page or another place on the same page. (When you move your pointer over a link, your pointer changes to Link cursor.) To move between Web pages, click Back or Forward on the Button Bar.

If you visit one Web page more than others, you can make it your home page. Your home page is the Web page that appears each time you start Microsoft Internet Explorer and when you click Home on the Button Bar.

Visiting a Web page

Following a link

Returning to a Web page you just visited

Returning to your home page

About Internet addresses

About searching the Web

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Visit a Web page


Tip When you type a Web page address in the Address box, you do not have to type http:// before the address.
Tip If a page is taking too long to appear, click Stop.
Tip If you receive a message that a Web page cannot be displayed, or if you want to make sure you’re viewing the latest version of the page, click Refresh.

Following a link

About Internet addresses

Returning to a Web page you just visited

Opening a Web page in a new window

About favorite pages

About searching the Web

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Follow a link

  1. Point to the link you want to follow.
  2. When your pointer changes to Link cursor, click the link.

Tip To return to the previous Web page, click Back.
Tip To open a linked Web page in a new window, point to the link, hold down the mouse button, and then click Open Link in New Window on the contextual menu.

Visiting a Web page

Returning to a Web page you just visited

About Page Holder

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Return to a Web page you just visited

About the History list

Returning to your home page

About favorite pages

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Return to your home page

Adding a button to the Button Bar

Changing your home page

Returning to a Web page you just visited

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Change your home page

  1. On the Edit menu, click Preferences.
  2. Under Web Browser, click Browser Display.
  3. In the Home Page area, do one of the following:
  4. To display your home page each time you open a new window, select the Automatically go to this Home Page when opening a new window check box.

Returning to your home page

About favorite pages

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Send a Web page address in an e-mail message

  1. Go to the Web page whose address you want to send.
  2. On the Button Bar, point to Mail, hold down the mouse button, and then click Send Link on the pop-up menu.

Note To send and receive e-mail messages, you need an e-mail account.

Adding a button to the Button Bar

Copying a Web page address

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Open a Web page in a new window


Tip To open the destination of a link in a new window, point to the link, hold down the mouse button, and then click Open Link in New Window on the contextual menu.
Tip To open the contents of a frame in a new window, click anywhere in the frame, hold down the mouse button, and then click Open Frame in New Window on the contextual menu.

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About Internet addresses

Each file on the Internet has a unique address, also called a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). You go to a file on the Internet, such as a Web page, by entering or following a link to one of these unique addresses. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you can see a file’s Internet address in the Address box. For example, if you’re viewing the Microsoft home page, the address http://www.microsoft.com/ appears in the Address box.

An Internet address typically includes four elements:

Because many Internet addresses include these parts, you can often tell a lot about a Web site from the site’s address. For example, the address http://www.microsoft.com/ provides the following information:

http:// The address uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
www. The address points to a server on the World Wide Web.
microsoft The Web server is maintained by Microsoft Corporation.
.com The site is maintained by a commercial institution.

In addition to “http://”, you might see other common protocols as you browse the Web. Some of these protocols are: “https://” for Web pages on secure Web sites; “ftp://” (File Transfer Protocol) for files on FTP servers; “mailto:” for e-mail addresses; “news:” for newsgroup addresses; and “file:” for files on local or shared hard disks.

About browsing the Web

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