Internet Explorer Toolbar

Displaying toolbar components

Resizing toolbar components

Rearranging toolbar components

Using the favorites and history lists to complete Address bar entries

Web Pages

Changing page and link colors

Changing sound, video, and picture settings

Changing the default font size for all pages

Changing the default fonts for all pages

Viewing pictures

Viewing animated pictures

Viewing pages with frames

Using the Internet ratings system

Changing or deleting a Web site password or user name

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

Viewing server messages

Handling Files and Protocols

Changing Download Manager settings

Starting an application when you open a particular file type

Starting an application when you open a particular protocol

Using plug-ins

Cache and History List

Changing the size and location of the cache

Updating a Web page

Updating a page when pictures are downloaded

Changing the number of previously viewed pages stored in the history list

Mail

Setting up a connection to send information to a Web site

To display toolbar components

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Browser Display.
3. Select the check boxes next to the toolbar components (Button, Favorites, and Address bars) you want to display.
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 then choose the animation you want to see.

Tips

• These settings affect all pages you view. If you want to show or hide the Button, Address, Favorites, or status bars for a particular window only, use the commands on the View menu.
• To change which buttons appear on the toolbar, make sure the Show Button Bar check box is selected, and then choose a toolbar configuration from the 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 use the favorites and history lists to complete Address bar entries

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Browser Display.
3. Select the Auto-Complete Address check box.

• Internet Explorer first reviews the names and addresses in your favorites list. If it doesn't find a match, it reviews the names and addresses in your history list.

Related Topics
Changing the number of previously viewed pages stored in the history list
Glossary (Address bar)
Typing ahead in the Address bar

To change page and link colors

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Browser Display.
3. In the Page & Link area, click the Color Picker that corresponds to the item you want to change.

Related Topic
Changing video, sound, and picture settings

To change video, sound, and picture settings

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. In the Page Content area, select the check box for each multimedia element you want displayed.

• Web pages may download faster if the multimedia check boxes are cleared.

To change the default font size for all pages

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Browser Display.
3. Choose a default font size from the Text Size menu.

Tip

• Some pages will use their own fonts instead of the ones you specify. To prevent this, open the Preferences dialog box, and under Web Browser, click Web Content. Then, clear the Allow Page To Specify Fonts check box.

Related Topics
Changing the font size of the current page
Changing the fonts used to display text on a page

To change the default fonts for all pages

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Language/Fonts.
3. Choose a character set from the Character Set menu.
   The language kit for the specified character set must be installed.
4. On the Proportional Font and Fixed-Width Font menus, choose the fonts you want.

Tips

• Some pages will use their own fonts instead of the ones you specify. To prevent this, open the Preferences dialog box, and under Web Browser, click Web Content. Then, clear the Allow Page To Specify Fonts check box.
• Some Internet sites send different pages depending on what language your browser is set to. If you are viewing one of these sites, set the Language menu to the language you would like to see.

Related Topics
Changing the default font size for all pages
Changing the font for the current page

To view pictures

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. Select the Show Pictures check box.

To view animated pictures

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. Select the Animated GIFs check box.
4. If you want the GIF to animate continuously, select the Looping check box.

To view pages with frames

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. Make sure the Show Frames check box is selected.
4. On the View menu, choose Refresh.

Tips

• You cannot view some pages unless you have frames turned on.
• When you refresh a page that has frames, the page reverts to its original state.
• To print the contents of a frame, click inside the frame, and then choose Print from the File menu.
• To refresh the contents of a frame, click inside the frame, hold down the mouse button, and then choose Refresh on the menu that appears.

Related Topics
Creating a collection of favorite pages
Glossary (frame)
New features: Refreshing a Web page with the context menu
Organizing your favorites list

To use the Internet Ratings system

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Ratings.
3. Click Enabled.
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 rating levels for violence, sex, nudity, and language rating. 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 about RSAC, see http://www.rsac.org/. (Note that this link points to a site that is not under the control of Microsoft. Please read our disclaimer).
• The Options 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 Add Service and locate the new service.

Related Topics
Exporting ratings setting to applications that support PICS rules
Using a ratings bureau

To change or delete a Web site password or user name

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Network, click Site Passwords.
3. Do one of the following:
   • To delete a password, click Delete. Once you have removed a password setting, the next time you visit the site, you will have to provide a new user name and password.
   • To change a site password setting, click Change, and then complete the information requested in the dialog box that appears.

To use style sheets

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. Select the Show Style Sheets check box.

Related Topic
Glossary (style sheets)

To change the home page

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Home/Search.
3. In the Address box, type the new home page address.

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 (http://home.microsoft.com), 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
Glossary (home page)
Button bar shortcuts (Home button)
Visiting the home page

To change the search page

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Home/Search.
3. In the Address box type a new search page address.

Tips

• To quickly set the current page as the search page, position the mouse pointer so that it is on the page, press and hold down the mouse button, and then choose Set Search Page.
• To use the standard search page (http://www.microsoft.com/search/default.asp), 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
Button bar shortcuts (Search button)
Glossary (search page)
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. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
3. Under Network, click Proxies.
4. Click Enabled.
5. On the Protocol menu, choose a protocol
6. On the Method menu, choose the type of proxy server.
7. In the Http and Port boxes, specify the proxy server address and port supplied by your system administrator.
8. In the Password and User Name box, specify the information supplied by your system administrator.
9. In the box located at the bottom of the dialog 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 first. If this is the case, check with your system administrator for the correct proxy server settings. If this is not the case, make sure all the fields in the proxy setting area are completely empty by pressing the Tab key on your keyboard 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 need to obtain your proxy server configuration from your network administrator. If you are directly connected to the Internet through an Internet service provider (ISP), then it is likely that you do not need to choose a proxy server.

Related Topics
Glossary (firewall)
Glossary (ISP)
Glossary (proxy)

To use multiple connections

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. Select the Support Multiple Connections check box.
4. Change the Max Connections value as needed.

Note

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

To view server messages

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. Select the Show Server Messages check box.

To change Download Manager settings

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Receiving Files, click Download Options.
3. Click Change Folder, and locate the folder in which downloaded files are stored.
4. On the Maximum Number of Concurrent Downloads menu, choose a value.
5. Click the button that corresponds to the number of downloads you want maintained.
6. Select the Automatically Decode MacBinary Files or the Automatically Decode Binhex Files check boxes as needed.

To start an application when you open a particular file type

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Receiving Files, click File Helpers.
3. To specify which program to start when you open a new type of file, click Add.
4. To change the program that starts when you open an existing file type, click the type, and then click Change.
5. Type a description, extension, and MIME type.
6. Specify whether the file type uses Binary Data or Plain Text.
7. If you want Macintosh files to be served on non-Macintosh platforms, select the Macintosh File check box.
8. If you want the file helper used for downloaded files, select the Use for Incoming check box.
9. If you want the file helper used for outgoing files, select the Use for Outgoing check box
10. On the Handling menu choose one of the following options:

    View With Browser	Opens the file in the browser window if the file type is supported by the browser.
    View With Application	Opens the file using the specified external application. When you quit the application, the downloaded file is deleted.
    View With Plug-in	Uses a specified plug-in to view the file. To locate the plug-in on your system, click Browse.
    Post-Process With Application	Handles the file later with a specified application. For example, you can download a .sit file, but later use Stuffit to decompress the file.
    Save To File	Displays a dialog box that lets you choose where to save the file.

Related Topics
File helpers directory
Glossary (file helpers)

To start an application when you open a particular protocol

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Network, click Protocol Helpers.
3. To add a new protocol that is not in the list, click Add.
   • In the Helper For box, type the protocol for which you are assigning an application.
4. To change the program that starts when you open an existing protocol, click the protocol, and then click Change.
5. Click Choose Helper, and then locate the application you want to use for the protocol.
6. If you want Internet Explorer to always try to use an application in use, instead of the assigned helper, select the Use Current Application If Possible check box. For example, suppose you assign Fetch as your FTP (File Transfer Protocol) helper and have selected the Use Current Application If Possible check box. When you click an FTP link in Internet Explorer, Internet Explorer will be used to download the file, not Fetch.

Related Topics
Glossary (protocol)
Glossary (protocol helpers)

To use plug-ins

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. Select the Enable Plug-Ins check box.

Related Topic
Glossary (plug-in)

To change the size and location of the cache

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. 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 Now.
4. To define a new name and location for the Cache folder, click Change Location.

To update a Web page

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. In the Cache area, select how often you would like your browser to reload a Web page:
   • If the sites you visit change often, click Once Per Session. Selecting this option can slow down browsing between viewed pages (pages stored in the Cache folder) because Internet Explorer checks to see whether a page has changed when you return to it.
   • If the sites you visit do not change often, click Never. Selecting 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, choose Refresh from the View menu.
   • If the sites you visit change often, select Always. Selecting this option can slow down browsing between viewed pages (pages stored in the Cache folder) because Internet Explorer checks to see whether a page has changed when you return to it.

Related Topic
Seeing where you've been

To update a page when pictures are downloaded

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Web Content.
3. In the Progressive Formatting area, click the option you want.

To change the number of previously viewed pages stored in the history list

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under Web Browser, click Advanced.
3. In the History section, type a new value in the Remember The Last Places Visited box.

Related Topics
Seeing where you've been
Exporting the history list

To set up a connection to send information to Web site

1. On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
2. Under E-mail, click General.
3. In the Real Name box, type you first and last name.
4. In the E-mail address box, type your e-mail address.
5. In the Organization box, type your company or group name.
6. In the SMTP Host box, type the name of your outgoing mail server.

Notes

• This information is supplied by your Internet service provider (ISP).
• These settings are used to send information such as form data to a Web site. You still need a separate mail program such as Internet Mail and News for general e-mail use.