MS IE 5
LAST UPDATED:
08 November 2007 18:27:06 -0600
Changes to this page are IN PROGRESS
SHORT AND SWEET
In our last tip, we talked about adding a site to the Links toolbar
(click Favorites, Add To Favorites from the toolbar, and under Create
In, double-click Links, then click OK.) Sometimes the link you add may
have a name that's a bit on the verbose side. To shorten the name,
right-click that Favorite in the Links toolbar and select Rename. Type
a shorter name in the text box marked New Name, then click OK.
FAST ON THE DRAW
The Links toolbar lets you click a button above the main browsing
window to jump to one of your bookmarked sites. Here's an even quicker
way to jump to one of your Links. First right-click the button you
want to change on the Links toolbar. Now choose Properties from the
menu that appears. Click the Web Document tab, then click in the Web
Shortcut text box. Type a letter that will serve as a shortcut you'll
remember. For instance, to jump to the TipWorld site, type T Internet
Explorer 5 adds Ctrl-Alt before the key you've selected. By typing
Ctrl-Alt-T in Explorer, you'll jump straight to the TipWorld site (or
whatever site you've modified).
LET IE5 DO THE TYPING
The flat-out coolest new feature in Internet Explorer 5 is the
AutoComplete feature for forms. When you run into a form on the Web
(say, a password field, or a form for filling in your address or user
name on a site), Explorer 5 asks if you want to save the entry. If you
click Yes, the next time you visit the site Explorer automatically
fills in the entry for you. Say you're entering the password on your
Web-based e-mail account. The next time you visit, begin typing the
password. IE5 offers a pop-up list of possible matches. Click the
match you want to enter. Our next tip describes how to make
AutoComplete even more efficient.
FASTER AUTOCOMPLETE
Yesterday, we talked about AutoComplete, a new feature in Internet
Explorer 5 that can save you the trouble of typing user names,
addresses, and passwords in forms that you use every day. For example,
when you type a new password, Internet Explorer 5 asks if you want to
save the entry (in an encrypted file on your hard drive). When you
return to the site and start typing the password, Explorer offers a
list of possible matches. Click the one you want to select it. To save
even more time, just click in the form and press the down arrow on
your keyboard. The list of matches appears. Press Enter when you reach
the one you want. You won't need to use the mouse to select the right
entry, and you don't even need to start typing the first letters of
the entry.
FIND A RELATION
Borrowing a page from Netscape Communicator, Internet Explorer 5
adds a feature that shows you links related to the one you're viewing.
Once you're at a site, click Tools, Show Related Links. The Related
Links pane opens on the left side of the browser window. Click any of
the links to jump to a related site.
JUMP AROUND
Here's a quick way to jump from link to link on a Web page without
using your mouse. Just press the Tab button. When you want to open a
link, click your Enter key. Want to jump to the previous link? Just
press Shift-Tab.
AUTOMATIC BROWSING
Need to jump to a Web site fast? If you've been to the page before,
try Internet Explorer 5's new AutoComplete feature. Earlier versions
filled in the URL as you typed. However, the latest version offers a
series of choices through a pop-up menu as soon as you begin typing.
Begin to type in the Address bar, and the menu launches. Use the down
arrow on your keyboard to jump to the page you want to visit. This
saves you the trouble of clicking through a site you've already
visited. Press Enter to jump to the site.
WAIT UNTIL YOU NEED IT
When installing Internet Explorer 5, you don't need to install all
the components available. Say you pass on installing the Java Virtual
Machine. Making this choice saves you disk space, and when you
encounter a Java applet on a Web page, Internet Explorer asks if you
want to install the JVM. It's your choice. Choose Yes at that time,
and the installation begins.
GO STRAIGHT HOME
Want to jump to your home page? You can do so without leaving the
keyboard. Just select Alt-Home. If you press Home all by itself,
you'll jump directly to the beginning of the page you're viewing.
STOP IN THE NAME OF IE
When you're browsing the Web, you'll often run across a page that
loads slowly. If the page hangs indefinitely, it's often better to
stop the process and resubmit your request for the page. Just press
the Esc key to halt a page load (or click the Stop button on the
toolbar). Now click in the Address bar and press Return to send the
call for the page again.
EXPAND YOUR CACHE FLOW
Pulling pages from your cache (which stores pages you've launched
before) can save you quite a bit of time when you're browsing. You can
improve performance by increasing the size of your cache, which saves
your browser from making another trip to the Web to load the page.
Select Tools, Internet Options. Click the General tab and choose
Settings. Move the slider to the right to increase the cache. When
you're done, click OK to close the Settings dialog box, then click OK
to close the Internet Options dialog box.
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RADIO RADIO
You may not have noticed an important new feature of IE5: The
browser now plays streaming audio through a toolbar, which doesn't
launch by default. To display the Radio toolbar, select View,
Toolbars, Radio. To find an audio file, click the Radio Stations
button and select Radio Station Guide. IE5 takes you to an online
guide of available broadcasts. Just click a link to begin listening.
RADIO, STAY--GOOD RADIO
Last time we discussed IE5's radio toolbar. (To play streaming
audio with IE5, try the new Radio toolbar. Choose View, Toolbars,
Radio.) Since the toolbar isn't persistent, you'll need to start it
this way each time you want to play a file. Alternatively, you can
change IE5's settings to make the toolbar stay put: Select Tools,
Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab. Under Multimedia, select
"Always show Internet Explorer radio bar."
WHAT AM I LISTENING TO?
With IE5's new Radio toolbar (choose View, Toolbars, Radio) you can
listen to files in Windows Media format as well as RealAudio files
(version 4 or lower). But don't trash your G2 Real Player (the most
up-to-date version), since the most recent streaming audio files from
Real Networks require it. Yep, it's a hassle.
HISTORY OF RADIO
While listening to audio files using IE5's Radio toolbar (choose
View, Toolbars, Radio), the program keeps a history of the most recent
ones you've loaded so you can jump back without having to search for
them. You can access your recently heard files by clicking the Radio
Stations button, then selecting a file from the menu that appears.
A RADIO FAVORITE
With IE5's new Radio toolbar (choose View, Toolbars, Radio) you can
view a history of the audio files you've listened to by clicking the
Radio Stations button, then selecting a file from the menu that
appears. Want to bookmark an audio file? Just click the Radio Stations
button on the toolbar and select Add Station To Favorites. You can
jump to your bookmarks by choosing Favorites, Radio, then choosing the
site you want from the list that appears.
SHOW ME THE WAY
As you search the Web, IE5 can offer suggestions for sites related
to the one you're viewing. Once you've found a page in which you're
interested, click Tools, Show Related Links. The browser opens up an
Explorer bar down the left side of your browser, which displays the
results of a database of related links, based on user input (more on
this next time). Helpful, no?
GET MORE INFO
While you're surfing the Web, IE5 can offer you suggestions for
sites related to the one you're viewing (choose Tools, Show Related
Links). A database of user input from the Alexa online service
provides this information. To get even more info as you browse, check
out the full download of Alexa for IE5. Just hustle over to
http://www.alexa.com
and follow the instructions for downloading the add-on. The
software is quite small (just 65KB) and installs automatically after
downloading. Among other factoids, Alexa for IE5 displays user
rankings for each site you visit (if votes have been cast), as well as
rankings of the site's download speed and the freshness of content.
Tomorrow, checking out Alexa's Insider's Page for more fun facts.
INSIDER INFORMATION
The Alexa add-on for IE5 tells you much about the pages you browse.
Among other information it displays while you're browsing, Alexa shows
you user rankings for each site you visit (if votes have been cast),
as well as user input on download speed and the freshness of content.
The 65KB download is available at
http://www.alexa.com
Once you install the utility, click the Alexa logo, which takes you
to the service's Insider's Page. You'll see daily Web-related trivia,
such as the most frequently accessed page on the Web, the most
frequently typed address for a site that doesn't exist, and the top 10
most frequently visited (nonadult) sites on the Internet and the top 5
portals.
MORE INSIDER INFORMATION
The Alexa add-on for IE5 can tell you much about the pages you
view. Among other information it displays while you're browsing, Alexa
shows you user rankings for each site you visit (if votes have been
cast), as well as user input on download speed and the freshness of
content. The 65KB download is available at
http://www.alexa.com
In addition to interesting trivia about sites you're browsing,
Alexa can display financial data about the folks behind the site. Once
you've installed Alexa, launch it by choosing Tools, Explorer Bars,
Alexa Vertical. Scroll down the Alexa pane to News and click the plus
sign to expand the News listings. The links take you to important
information such as key executives, competitors, stock quotes, and
price history.
ALEXA, BE GONE
The Alexa add-on for IE5 can tell you much about the pages you
view. Among other information it displays while you're browsing, Alexa
shows you user rankings for each site you visit (if votes have been
cast), as well as user input on download speed and the freshness of
content. The 65KB download is available at
http://www.alexa.com
By default, Alexa opens in a pane on the left side of your IE
window (aka the Explorer bar). You can turn this feature off, however,
by scrolling down the Alexa Explorer bar, then clicking Off under
Help. To bring back Alexa, just select Tools, Explorer Bars, Alexa
Vertical (or Alexa Horizontal, your choice). What's the difference?
The horizontal bar shows slightly less info and takes up less space.
IT WORKED JUST YESTERDAY
This week we've been checking out the Alexa add-on for IE5, which
can offer all kinds of cool factoids about the pages you browse. The
65KB download is available at
http://www.alexa.com
One of the coolest aspects of Alexa is its Archive feature. Say you
try to launch a site, but you receive an error message and it won't
display. Usually you're stuck and you'll just have to try later. But
Alexa has been archiving sites at breakneck pace, and now offers about
13 terabytes of backed-up Web pages. Now you can check out your
favorite site even when the server is down. Just browse to the site as
usual. Should you encounter an error, click the Archive link in the
Alexa toolbar. (If Alexa isn't displaying after you've installed it,
select Tools, Explorer Bars, Alexa Vertical). The information held in
the archive may not be the most up-to-date, but it can save you
trouble if you're trying to pull up info you've found before.
JUMPIN' JPEGS (AND GIFS)
When you install new graphic-editing software, sometimes the new
application takes over the file associations for JPEGs, GIFs, and
other image types you may want to preview quickly. Since the editing
program may take longer to load than IE5, try this trick for quickly
opening the files in your browser.
First hold down the Shift key, then right-click the file you want
to open. From the pop-up menu that appears, choose Open With and
scroll down to Iexplore. (Note: You can get there faster by clicking
the I key on your keyboard and using the cursor keys to jump further
down, if necessary). If you always want to open a GIF or JPEG file
with Internet Explorer, click the check box marked "Always use this
program to open files of this type." Then click OK. This is a pretty
powerful trick whenever any application takes over the program
association of a file type you open frequently. Use it only for good,
never for evil.
AUTO NOT SO COMPLETE
One of our faithful readers is having a bit of trouble with the
AutoComplete feature in IE5, and poses this question:
"I am currently using IE5 at home and at work. At work the
application automatically drops down selection lists for fields as you
type, listing those entries previously made that start with the
letter(s) entered. I like this feature, but my IE5 at home doesn't do
this and I can't find where the option is enabled and disabled. Can
you help?"
No sweat. Select Tools, Internet Options. In the Internet Options
dialog box, click the Advanced tab. In the section marked Browsing,
check the box marked "Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses." Then
click OK. That should do the trick.
LET'S EXPLORE
Organizing Favorites with IE5 can sometimes be a hassle. You can
only see a small number of your Favorites, and dragging files into
folders can sometimes be awkward. Thankfully, there's another way.
Right-click the Start menu and select Explore from the pop-up window
that appears. The Windows folder automatically expands. Open the
Favorites menu. Now you can move, delete, and rename your bookmarks
(aka Favorites) just as you would any other file on your system.
NO DISCONNECT
When you exit IE5, do you get a message asking if you want to close
your dial-up networking connection? You're not the only one. Postings
about this very problem fill newsgroups. We've tried everything,
including changing the settings under Tools, Internet Options,
Connections, and hacking the Registry. Nothing seems to work, so for
now unfortunately you'll have to consider this a known issue. But we
feel your pain. We're in contact with Microsoft about a fix, but so
far we've had no luck there either. As soon as we find a solution,
you'll be the first to know.
TIPS FOR DOUBLE AGENTS
If you use both Netscape Navigator and IE5, here's a good way to
synchronize your bookmarks in IE5. Select File, Import and Export.
When the Import/Export Wizard appears, click the Next button. Select
Import Favorites and click Next. The program may autodetect Navigator;
if so, click Next.
If not, click the Browse button to find the bookmark file you want
to import, then click Save. Click Next.
The wizard asks where to import the bookmarks (by default they'll
go in your current IE5 Favorites Folder--choose a subfolder if you
wish). Click Next, then Finish, and click OK when IE5 tells you it has
successfully imported the bookmarks.
ADD TO FAVORITES QUICKLY
Want to add a favorite site to your, uh, Favorites? You likely do
so by clicking Favorites, Add To Favorites, OK. That's all fine and
dandy, but there's a faster way--just click Ctrl-D.
MULTIWINDOW BROWSING
When you're searching the Web, you'll often find a list of sites
you want to check out. Instead of jumping back and forth between the
sites and the links that got you there, try this: Hold down the Shift
key when clicking the link. This launches the link in a new window,
and you can repeat the step as often as you need.
WHAT, NO RADIO?
In a few recent tips, we offered advice on using Internet Explorer
5's new Radio toolbar, which lets you listen to streaming audio files.
(To see the toolbar, choose View, Toolbars, Radio). This feature
appeared in the final version of IE5, so if you're using a beta
version, you won't see it. Also, if you downloaded a custom version,
and you don't have the Windows Media Player on your system, you need
to install it to use the radio. You can download the Media Player at
http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,6372,00.html
WHERE DID IT GO?
As you surf the Web, you may find a great site that, alas, you
forget to bookmark. No problem. As long as you haven't cleared your
history, try running a search for it. First click the History button.
The History pane launches in a pane on the left side of your browser.
Click the Search button. Type a word from the page title or domain.
For example, to find a site you browsed on the subject of cats, type
cats
or
cats.com
Then select a site from the returns that appear in the History
pane. The page appears in the right pane.
A TIP ABOUT TIPS
Not satisfied with the daily tips yours truly offers? Try setting
Internet Explorer 5 to display a tip as you start each day. Select
Help, Tip of the Day. A new pane appears at the bottom of the browser.
To see more, click the Next Tip link. Close the window by clicking the
Close button--marked with an X at the top left of the pane.
SAY GOODBYE TO FORMS NOW
We've received several e-mails from folks who want to edit the
Forms AutoComplete list. This feature stores entries from forms you
type on the Web. When you return to the form, Internet Explorer 5
prompts you to use one of the entries you put in previously. One
problem: It stores incorrect entries too, and the list gets crowded
fast.
We don't know of a way to edit individual entries, but there is a
way to clear the list entirely. Choose Tools, Internet Options, and
select the Content tab. Then click the AutoComplete button and select
the Clear Forms button. If you want to delete your password list as
well, click the Clear Passwords button. When a message box appears
asking if you want to go ahead, click OK.
SHORTER SHORTCUTS
If you find a link on a site you'd like to bookmark, you don't need
to visit the site first. Right-click the link and choose Add To
Favorites. You'll be prompted to name the bookmark. Choose a name (or
leave the default as it is) and click OK.
A FAVORITE TRICK
To save yourself a few steps when bookmarking a site, try this
quick trick: Click the icon to the right of the word Address, and drag
it to the Favorites menu, which opens. Drag the icon where you want to
place it on the menu, then release the mouse. You won't get a prompt
to name the file, but you can do that later. Just select the Favorites
menu, scroll to the favorite you want to rename, and right-click it.
Choose Rename from the menu that appears, type a name, and click OK.
HEY, WHERE'D MY BUTTONS GO?
When you shrink your screen, you may not see buttons you could have
sworn were there a minute ago. No sweat--they're still there. Just
click the button at the far right of the toolbar. (Two arrows mark the
button.) Then select the particular button you seek.
ADDRESS-BAR SHORTCUTS--PART 1 OF 3
If you surf a lot, you'll type "www" and "com" more times than you
care to remember. To cut down on typing, enter the domain you want
(that is, "cnn" rather than "www.cnn.com") and click Ctrl-Enter.
Internet Explorer 5 adds the rest for you. Your fingers will thank
you.
ADDRESS-BAR SHORTCUTS--PART 2 OF 3
To highlight all the text in the Address bar, just press Alt-D. You
can then begin typing immediately to jump to the next site.
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ADDRESS-BAR SHORTCUTS--PART 2 OF 3
Most of your heavy lifting happens in the Address bar. When you're
editing a URL in the Address bar, why not speed up the process by
using a smart shortcut? You can jump to the next period (.) or slash
(/) by pressing Ctrl followed by the left or right arrow. Surfing was
never so quick and easy. OK, maybe that's an overstatement. But it's
slightly better than it used to be--and isn't that what really counts?
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CHECK MAIL AUTOMATICALLY
Fabulous TipWorld subscriber Paul R. poses this Outlook Express
question: "Is there a way to tell if you have mail waiting in Internet
Explorer 5, without clicking on Mail, Read Mail?"
Sure thing. Just set OE to download mail at intervals you choose.
First, open Outlook Express (by selecting Start, Programs, Outlook
Express). Select the Tools menu and click Options. Under Send/Receive
Messages, select Check For New Messages Every X Minutes, where X is a
number you fill in. A number greater than 10 is generally appreciated
by the folks who run your mail server.
Click the OK button to save your changes. You're all set. Just make
sure you're connected to the Internet via a Dial-Up Networking
connection, and the mail will roll in every X minutes.
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IE5 AND ACTIVE DESKTOP
TipWorld subscriber Jim M. asks why he no longer sees the Active
Desktop since he installed Internet Explorer 5. Here's the deal. With
the release of IE5, Microsoft decided to let Windows 98 handle Active
Desktop duties. It gets a little confusing, so bear with us.
If you install IE5 on a Windows 95 machine (without IE4 installed),
you won't see the Active Desktop. The only way to get Active Desktop
on a Windows 95 machine is to first install IE4 (or Windows 98), then
install IE5. Note that IE5 won't uninstall Active Desktop if you
already have it.
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SET HOME PAGE TO BLANK PAGE
Does Internet Explorer 5 try to connect to the Internet each time
you launch the program? Here's a quick way to save yourself a little
time at startup: Change your home page to a blank page. Begin by
selecting Tools, Internet Options. The Internet Options dialog box
will open with the General tab selected. Under Home Page, click the
Use Blank button. You're set.
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TURNING OFF GIF ANIMATIONS
Animated images are great--the first 1,000 times they loop. To rid
yourself of animated images, make a quick change in Internet Explorer
5's program options. First, select Tools, Internet Options. Then,
press the Advanced tab. Under Multimedia, deselect Play Animations.
Click OK to save your changes.
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SETTING LINKS STYLE
Do you find Internet Explorer 5 looks too busy with hyperlinks
underlined? It's simple to adjust the display of links to suit you.
First, select Tools, Internet Options. Then click the Advanced tab. In
the Underline Links area, select Hover. From now on, links will appear
underlined only when you point at them. You can also choose Never, if
you find underlined links unnecessary.
Click OK to save your changes.
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SEARCHING FROM THE ADDRESS BAR
For fast Web searches, try entering your query in the Address bar.
It's a heck of a timesaver. Just enter the words you want to search
for (where you normally would type a Web address) and click Enter. If
you're searching for just one word, precede the word with a question
mark.
For example, if you enter
? combs
Internet Explorer 5 will run a Web search for sites that offer
information on combs.
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BROWSE IN FULL-SCREEN MODE
Reader Bill K. likes to live large and wants his browser to follow
suit. He writes, "I recently installed Internet Explorer 5. How do you
get Web pages to open in a full screen window?"
No sweat, Bill; just press F11 on your keyboard, or select View,
Full Screen.
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CREATING NEW FAVORITES
The Links toolbar is a great way to quickly access bookmarks (aka
"Favorites"). Just drag the icon from a page you're viewing into the
Links area, release the mouse, and the site name will appear on the
toolbar. Even better, try adding a folder to the Links toolbar.
You can drag a folder from your hard drive for faster access to
documents. Open a Windows Explorer menu, then click and drag the
folder to the Links toolbar until the cursor changes to a vertical
line. Release the mouse, and your folder will appear. Click the folder
name to open it.
You can also move a folder from your Favorites onto the Links
toolbar for faster access. Select the Favorites menu and click to
select a folder. Continue to hold down the mouse button while dragging
the folder to your Links toolbar. Again, wait until the pointer turns
to a vertical bar, then release the mouse. When you click the Folder
name, the list of links inside it opens. Click to jump to the site you
want.
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BACKWARD AND FORWARD SHORTCUTS
To quickly jump forward and backward to pages you visit, don't
reach for the Back and Forward buttons on the toolbar. With hands
placed firmly on the keyboard, press the Alt key and then press the
left arrow key to jump back (or just press the Backspace key.) To go
forward, press Alt and press the right arrow key.
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SAVING COMPLETE WEB PAGES
Previous versions of Internet Explorer made it difficult to save
Web pages (and the associated graphics) for viewing later. Now you can
easily save a page you're viewing. Just select File, Save As. Notice
that the Save As Type box says Web Page, Complete. The HTML page and
its graphics will be stored on your hard drive. Navigate to the
location where you would like the page copied, then click the Save
button. To open the page later, just double-click it.
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OPENING A NEW WINDOW
TipWorld subscriber Klaus Hein asks this niggling Internet Explorer
5 question: "Ich habe IE5. Wie offne ich mehrfache Webseiten?"
Boy, we can't tell you how often we get that question! Here's the
answer: You can open another window while you browse by clicking
Ctrl-N. While surfing in one window, you can download files or surf to
another page in the other windows. No more traffic jam.
Next time, more reader mail from the international bureaus! Auf
Wiedersehen!
CLEAR AUTOCOMPLETE FORM ENTRIES
We recently ran a tip for folks who want to remove entries stored
in the forms AutoComplete list. This feature keeps track of words you
enter in forms as you traverse the Web. When you return to the form,
Internet Explorer 5 prompts you to use one of the entries you entered
previously. However, the list eventually gets filled with incorrect or
unwanted entries. We mentioned how to clear the entire list:
Choose Tools, Internet Options, and select the Content tab. Then,
click the AutoComplete button and select the Clear Forms button.
However, we didn't know how to clear individual entries. Many right
good TipWorld readers did, and they wrote in to tell us about it. I
think it was TipWorld reader Arno who put it best:
"On an AutoComplete-activated form field, if you see an entry you
don't like, hover with your mouse pointer over the entry and tap the
Delete key. Voila."
We were so close, and yet so far away. Thanks to everybody who
wrote in to point out this oversight.
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NEWSGROUPS A GO-GO
Internet newsgroups are loaded with sickos making weird threats,
lonely people crying out in the dark, braggarts trying to seem
important, and pornographers trying to corrupt you and your family,
right? Wrong! It's all that, PLUS the occasional helpful forum, such
as tips and workarounds for Internet Explorer 5. One helpful newsgroup
is
microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie5.browser
You are sure to find generous people in this group who can help you
troubleshoot problems. Next tip: accessing newsgroups if you don't use
a newsreader.
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NEWSGROUP READER, NO THANKS
In our previous tip, we recommended searching an Internet Explorer
5 Internet newsgroup when trouble arrives. It's likely that other
users have run across the same problems you see, and newsgroup posters
are generally generous with tips. If you haven't configured your
newsgroup reader (oh, like say, Outlook Express), try using a
Web-based newsgroup site. Two you may find helpful are
http://www.deja.com
and
http://www.remarq.com
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SAY HELLO, WITH A WEB PAGE
When you see a page you like in Internet Explorer 5, you can
quickly mail it off to a friend, co-worker, or perhaps even a very
smart Internet-capable pet. Just select File, Send, Page By E-mail. Or
choose File, Send, Link By E-mail (better for those on slower
connections or who don't use HTML-capable e-mail clients). Doing so
launches your default e-mail client. Address and send when ready.
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SHRINK THE LINKS TOOLBAR
The Links toolbar (just below the Address bar) is a great way to
access sites in one click. After a while, though, the toolbar gets
pretty crowded. Try slimming it down a bit. To fit more sites on the
Links toolbar, rename the links you have on there to something shorter
than the page's title (the default). Right-click and select Rename
from the shortcut menu. Type a new, shorter name in the New Name text
box and click OK. Rinse and repeat as necessary. (Note: Rinsing is, in
fact, simply a bad joke, and is not necessary.)
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UNZIP IF YOU PLEASE
As you download files from the Internet, you may find your hard
drive filling up with ZIP files. What to do with them? These are
compressed files, which make downloading quick and (relatively)
painless. However, you first need to decompress your "zipped"
downloads with a ZIP utility. You can use a stand-alone program to do
this, such as WinZip, a shareware program that you can download from
http://www.winzip.com
You can also download a browser add-on that automates the process
of opening and decompressing files (or "unzipping" them). However, to
use this program, you first need to download WinZip 7. The add-on,
called, aptly enough, the WinZip Internet Browser Support Add-On, can
be found at
http://www.winzip.com/ibrowser.htm
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VIEW PAGES OFFLINE--PART 1 OF 2
Offline viewing can save you time and bandwidth. You tell Internet
Explorer 5 what pages to save to your hard drive, and the program does
the rest. You can even specify how many pages to download and when,
all through a handy wizard. Here's how:
To mark the page you're currently browsing for offline viewing,
select Favorites, Add To Favorites. Then, select Make Available
Offline. To set options for offline viewing, click the Customize
button and follow the instructions presented by the Offline Favorite
Wizard. When you're done, click the Finish button. To update the page,
select Tools, Synchronize.
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VIEW PAGES OFFLINE--PART 2 OF 2
Last time, we walked through setting up a page for viewing offline.
Here's a recap:
Select Favorites, Add To Favorites. Select Make Available Offline.
To set options for offline viewing, click the Customize button and
follow the instructions presented by the Offline Favorite Wizard. When
you're done, click the Finish button.
To view the page offline, first choose Tools, Synchronize. Then
choose File, Work Offline (you can now disconnect your Dial-Up
Networking connection, if you like). Open the page by selecting it
from the Favorites menu. That's it.
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COOKIE MUNCHING
Cookies are generally harmless sets of data that Web servers store
on your hard drive. They keep track of your preferences, order
history, and other information that saves you the trouble of
re-entering your vitals each time you visit the site (and provides Web
sites with data about their visitors). To really freak yourself out,
take a peek at the cookies stored on your hard drive and see who's
been tracking you. Open the folder Windows\Cookies on your hard drive.
An eye-opening experience, eh?
In our next tip, we look at software for managing cookies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AD MUNCHER
OK, so who loves Web banner ads? What's that? Nobody? Perhaps it's
time to try a tool for blocking these Internet annoyances.
Consider @Guard, a shareware file you can download and try for free
(there's a $30 registration fee if you decide to keep it). In addition
to banner ads, the software can block cookies and background music,
among other potential bandwidth wasters. It can even act as a
firewall, which lets you restrict access to your PC by intruders when
connected to the Net. You can get it at the following address:
http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,6049,00.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COOKIE MONSTER
The easiest way to speed your browsing is to cut out unnecessary
downloads. Yesterday we mentioned @Guard, a shareware tool for
blocking Web banner ads, cookies, and other unwanted downloads.
Another fine tool for the job is interMute.
Like @Guard, you can try interMute for free. If you decide to keep
it, the cost is $20 (this price is $10 cheaper than @Guard). Potential
downside: interMute has no firewall feature (@Guard does). You can
download interMute at
http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,5483,00.html
or try @Guard:
http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,6049,00.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANOTHER IE5 NEWSGROUP
In previous tips, we've mentioned newsgroups where you can discuss
various hang-ups with IE5. If you don't have a newsgroup reader
configured, try Remarq, an online service that requires no download
for accessing newsgroups:
http://www.remarq.com
Here's another newsgroup, one that specializes in troubles with
Outlook Express 5:
microsoft.public.windows.inetexplorer.ie5.outlookexpress
Just enter the above address into the Find box on the Remarq site
and click the Find button to read the discussions or--better yet--join
in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAVE A GRAPHIC YOU LIKE
As you zip around the Web, you may come across images you'd like to
store on your hard drive for later viewing. Just right-click the image
and choose Save Picture As. Navigate to the folder where you want to
save the file. Then click Save.
Here's how to view the image later in your browser. Select the
image with your mouse and drag it into an open IE5 window.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAVE SCREEN REAL ESTATE--PART 1 OF 3
If you browse on a small monitor, every bit of screen real estate
counts. To get more useable space, try removing text labels from the
buttons on the Standard Buttons toolbar. Select View, Toolbars,
Customize. Under Text Options, select No Text Labels. Then click the
Close button.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAVE SCREEN REAL ESTATE--PART 2 OF 3
One of the more noticeable and less useful new features in IE5 is
the Go button. Save a little wrist pain each day by simply pressing
Enter (on your keyboard) after typing in a Web address, rather than
clicking the Go button. You can remove the button by right-clicking
it, then deselecting Go Button.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAVE SCREEN REAL ESTATE--PART 3 OF 3
Over the last few tips, we've discussed reorganizing the interface
to make more room for browsing. To reduce the size of your icons,
choose View, Toolbars, Customize. Under Icon options, choose Small
Icons. When you finish, click the Close button.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STOP A PAGE FROM LOADING
Often a page that normally downloads quickly hangs up for no
apparent reason. The Web server could be under an unusually heavy
load. Or network traffic might gum up the works. In either case, it's
often faster to stop the download and then click the link again. Just
hit the Esc button to stop a download, or click the Stop button on the
Standard Buttons toolbar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUICKLY OPEN SEARCH
Want to start a search without picking up the mouse? Press Crtl-E
to open the Search Explorer bar.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HISTORY SHORTCUT
You probably open the History bar (down the left side of the
browser) by clicking the History button on the Standard Buttons
toolbar. There's a faster way. Click Ctrl-H and the History bar pops
open.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CUSTOMIZE YOUR SEARCHING
The Search bar in IE5 is a peculiar animal. To see the bar in
action, click the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar (if
you don't see the toolbar, click View, Toolbars, Standard buttons to
display it). You can select whether you are searching for a Web page,
business, or map (among other options). Enter a word in the search
form, and click the Search button.
To adjust the Search bar to your liking, click the Customize
button. The Customize Search Settings dialog box appears. From here,
you can select which providers to search within a category. For
example, under the Find A Web Page section, you can choose which
providers you want to use for Web searches.
You can also choose to remove a search category. Say you no longer
want to see the Map Searching feature in the Search bar. Scroll down
to the blue bar marked Find A Map. Deselect its check box. Or you may
want to make one search service more prominent within its category.
Just select the service you want to reposition and click the little up
or down triangle. (Note that all categories may not appear when you
run a search. If you don't see the one you're looking for, click the
More link.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SET AUTOSEARCH
You probably know that you can run Web searches right from the
Address bar, thanks to IE5's Autosearch feature. Just enter the words
you want to search for in the bar and click Enter. Or, if you are
searching for only one word, precede it with a question mark, as in
? bunnies
You can also customize Autosearch by choosing the search engine you
want to query when you enter words in the Address bar. First open the
Search bar by clicking the Search button on the Standard Buttons
toolbar. When the bar opens, click the Customize button. Then click
the Autosearch Settings button. Select the provider you want from the
list that appears. Click OK twice to close the open dialog boxes, and
you're done.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHOOSE DEFAULT SEARCH SETTINGS
Over the last few tips, we've shown you how to make changes to the
Search bar in IE5. To recap: Open the Search bar by clicking the
Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. When the bar opens,
click the Customize button. IE5 will present you with a Customize
Search Settings dialog box, in which you can go crazy customizing your
searching preferences.
If you've made a number of changes only to find that you like the
way IE5 searched better before (it happens), click the Reset button.
Before you do, remember that all of your changes will be lost. Say
goodbye to customization, make any other changes you wish, and click
OK to save them.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCH FOR A WORD
If you haven't explored the features on the Search bar in awhile,
you should give it another looksee. The Search bar is actually a Web
page, so features can be added and refined over time without having to
wait for a software upgrade.
In addition to being able to search for an encyclopedia entry, you
can now look up words in a dictionary or thesaurus. Open the Search
bar by clicking the Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar.
Select the radio button marked Look Up A Word (if you don't see it,
click the More link). From the pop-up menu that appears, choose
Encyclopedia, Dictionary, or Thesaurus. Enter the word or words you
are looking for, and click Search.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RUN PREVIOUS SEARCHES
Do you run the same Web searches over and over? If you use the
Search bar feature in IE5, you can retrieve a list of your last ten
searches and re-run them with a click. To check this out, click the
Search button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. When the Search bar
opens, select the Previous Searches radio button. A list of your
previous searches appears. Click one to run it again. The results may
vary, since new pages may have been listed since you last searched.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HOVER TO SEE MORE
Here's a way to make your searching even more efficient. First,
open the Search bar by clicking the Search button on the Standard
Buttons toolbar. Select Find A Web Page, enter the word or words
you're looking for, and click the Search button.
When the results appear, you can get a bit more information about
them by pointing with your mouse at a result (but not clicking it).
When you "hover" over a result in this way, a short paragraph appears
describing the search result. Neat, eh?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SEARCHING THROUGH MULTIPLE WINDOWS
The Search bar is a quick way to find all sorts of things on the
Web, but here's a way to make it even faster. You can take the results
of your search and launch each page found in a new window. That way,
while you're reading the page containing the first result, IE5 is
busily loading the other pages in the background.
To use the Search bar, click the Search button on the Standard
Buttons toolbar. Select Find A Web Page, enter the word or words
you're looking for, and click the Search button. When the results
appear, right-click each result and select Open In New Window. Repeat
as necessary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIND AN EASTER EGG
Since we've been discussing search tips for the last couple weeks,
we thought it would be appropriate to end on a Search-related IE5
Easter egg. Here's how to see this hidden feature (added by the IE5
development team). But first, a word of warning: This will change the
way your browser displays. If you do not want this to happen, even
though you can change it back, do not follow these steps. Still with
us? OK.
Click Tools, Internet Options, and select the General tab (if it
isn't already selected). Press the Languages button. Click Add, and in
the User defined text box, type
ie-ee
and click OK. The Language Preferences dialog box appears. Select the
entry you just made, and click the Move Up button. Click OK twice to
close the open dialog boxes. Now click the Search bar to see Easter
Egg links. To see an animation, click the Customize button. .
To make everything go back to normal, click the Previous Searches
button in the Search bar, then click the Reset Your Language Settings
link. Select English under the Language list, and click Move Up. Then
click OK.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAB SHORTCUTS AHOY
To jump more quickly through the IE5 interface, look no further
than the Tab button. To jump through links on a Web page, the Address
bar, and the items on the Links bar, click Tab. Go too far? To jump
backward, click Shift-Tab.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADD WEB ACCESSORIES
IE5 offers a way to add new features to the browser; these
accessories are provided by Microsoft developers as well as by
third-party types like Alexa (a recommended IE5 utility that provides
contact, rating, and review information about the sites you visit). To
see a listing of available Web accessories, browse on over to
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/webaccess/default.asp
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITES ICONS
When adding a site to your Favorites, you may have noticed that the
site displays its own icon. As an example, you could bookmark the
following site:
http://www.nlsearch.com
Just surf to the site, then press Ctrl-D to add it to your
Favorites. You'll see a sailboat icon (the Northern Light Search logo)
in your Favorites menu. What gives?
This new feature of Internet Explorer 5 displays the site's icon
when you download an ICO file from the Web site you are viewing to a
folder on your hard drive.
If you object to this small bit of advertising on your browser,
here's a way to remove it. Right-click the icon and choose Properties.
Select the Web Document tab, then the Change Icon button from the
dialog box that appears. Select a new icon and click OK twice to save
your changes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMARTER BACK AND FORWARD
Before you click the Back and Forward buttons several times to
revisit a site, try this instead: Click the downward-pointing arrow
next to the Back and Forward buttons. You'll see a list of all the
sites you've opened since launching the browser. Choose a site to jump
to it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESCAPE FROM INTERNET EXPLORER 5
No matter how slow your connection, when you accidentally start to
open a page (say, when you've entered the Web address incorrectly),
it's always just fast enough to start loading before you can click the
stop button. OK, maybe it's not groundbreaking news, but many folks
don't realize how important the Esc button is--it does the same thing
as the Stop button on the Standard toolbar.
Here's another example: When a page is loading but appears to
stall, the first thing you should do is halt the page transfer and try
the page again. Click the Esc button, then reload the page.
Oftentimes, restarting the transfer downloads the page more quickly.
In some cases, the problem may result from network traffic or a slow
or overburdened Web server. In these cases, there's not much you can
do. But restarting the transfer will often get you where you're going
more quickly.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FTP VIEW
A new feature in Internet Explorer 5 allows you to view FTP sites
as you would view any folder on your computer. FTP stands for File
Transfer Protocol, and it's a way of copying files from one computer
to another over the Internet. You might download shareware, for
example, or program updates and patches. To make sure you can use this
feature, select Tools, Internet Options. When the Internet Options
dialog box launches, click the Advanced tab to bring it forward.
Scroll down to the Browsing section, and make sure the box marked Use
Web Based FTP is unchecked. To open an FTP site, enter its location in
the Address bar, preceded by
ftp://
For example:
ftp://ftp.download.com
Good luck!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RADIO MYSTERY
Some users have noticed that their Radio toolbar has mysteriously
disappeared. The Radio toolbar is a handy way to play streaming media
files, including RealAudio files (version 5.0 and earlier). If for
some reason you no longer see the bar, select View, Toolbars, Radio.
If that doesn't work, you may need to reinstall the Windows Media
Player, which you can download at the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRINT A BOOKMARK
Want to print a bookmark without loading the page in your browser?
Here's a cool trick. Open your Favorites menu. Right-click a favorite,
then choose Print from the pop-up menu that appears. This retrieves
the page and sends it to your printer without disrupting the page you
are viewing. Simple enough?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAKE URLS MORE FRIENDLY
As you surf the Web, you can point to a hyperlink on the page and
see the link address displayed in the status bar (it's the bottom bar
in the browser window, and it usually says Done, showing that a page
has finished downloading). Often the URL you wish to view is too long
to fit into the Status bar. As an option, you can choose to view
"friendly" addresses, which are shortened versions of the URLs. Here's
how to check it out (you can always change back by reversing these
steps).
First, select Tools, Internet Options, and click the Advanced tab.
Scroll down to the Browsing section. Select Show Friendly URLs. Click
OK twice to save your changes. Now surf to a site, and point to (but
don't click) the link. You'll see quite a change from what you're used
to. Pages within the site show the file name. Pages outside the site
display the domain name, and in some cases the file name. Not a
perfect fix, but more useful in many instances.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIND A PAGE YOU RECENTLY VISITED
Internet Explorer 5 gives you a handful of ways to organize your
History list. If you accidentally close a window and you want to
reopen the page, give this a shot:
First, open a new window by clicking Ctrl-N. Click the History
button on the Standard toolbar. A pane opens on the left side of your
browser. In this pane, click the downward-pointing arrow next to the
View menu, and choose By Order Visited Today. You should see your page
listed at top (or thereabouts, depending on how many sites you visited
after viewing the page you are looking for).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SMOOTH SAILING
If your pages appear to scroll in a jerky way--especially with long
pages--Internet Explorer 5 offers a way to reduce this effect. Choose
Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab to bring it forward.
Choose Use Smooth Scrolling. Click OK to save your changes. Some users
report problems with images and text overlapping each other when this
box is selected. Deselect this option if you experience these
problems. If not, enjoy the smoothness--oooooh.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SET CACHE TO SMALLER SIZE
Internet Explorer 5's disk cache stores pages you visit for faster
retrieval later. It's a great feature, but it can really eat up your
disk space. To take back some disk space, try setting the cache to a
smaller size:
Choose Tools, Internet Options. From the Internet Options dialog
box that launches, click the Settings button. You'll see a slider
marked Amount Of Disk Space To Use. Adjust the slider to the left to
reduce the amount of disk space the cache can use, or simply enter a
figure (in megabytes) next to the MB box.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CHANGING PRINTOUTS IN INTERNET EXPLORER 5
Ever notice the information Internet Explorer 5 adds to your
printouts? At the top and bottom of your page, you'll see information
including the date and page address. You can change the info printed
at the header and footer to suit yourself.
Select File, Page Setup. In the Header And Footer box, you can add
or delete the variables displayed here to change what prints on the
page. In addition, you can mix these with text. Here are a few
variables and what the mean:
* Window title: &w
* Page address: &u
* Current page number: &p
* Centered text (following &b): &b
* Total number of pages: &P
* Date in short format: &d
* Date in long format: &D
When you finish, print the page by clicking Ctrl-P. Alternatively,
choose File, Print, and click the OK button.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCONNECT IF IDLE
You can tell Internet Explorer 5 to disconnect your Dial-Up
Networking
connection if you are not using it. It's saved many a marriage--and
phone bill. Choose Tools, Internet Options. Click the Connections tab
to bring it forward. Then click the Settings button. A dialog box
opens named My Connection Settings (where My Connection is the name of
your dial-up connection). In the Dial-Up Settings area, click the
Advanced button. Select the Disconnect If Idle For box and enter the
number of minutes in the adjacent text box. Click the OK button three
times to close the open dialog boxes.
----------------------------------------------
SET TEXT FONTS
By default, Internet Explorer uses the font Times New Roman to
display
text on Web pages. Page designers can easily override this setting by
defining the fonts they want to appear when you view their pages. If a
page does not specify which fonts should appear, you can select your
own fonts, should you object to Times (a very readable font, but a
little boring).
Select Tools, Internet Options. Click the Fonts button. From the
Web
Page Font list, choose the font you want to display as your default.
Click OK twice to close the open dialog boxes. Go ahead, throw
caution to the winds and pick a wacky font!
----------------------------------------------
TRY THE REPAIR INTERNET EXPLORER TOOL
If you begin to notice strange things happening with IE5, the
program's repair tool may help. For instance, if a menu command
suddenly goes missing or the program crashes more often than usual,
you may get some relief by following these steps.
To use the repair tool, choose Start, Settings, Control Panel.
Double-click Add/Remove Programs. Click the Install/Uninstall tab (if
it's not already selected). From the list of programs you see, choose
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 (the name may vary slightly based on
your installation). Click the Add/Remove button. Choose the Repair
Internet Explorer option. Click the OK button. Click OK once more when
a confirmation box appears.
If you're still having problems, you may need to reinstall the
program. Good luck!
----------------------------------------------
ALPHABETIZE FAVORITES
TipWorld reader Joshua Snow writes in to ask how to alphabetize
favorites:
"All new Favorites appear at the end of the list. Is there a way to
alphabetize them without doing it manually in the Windows Explorer?"
No sweat, Josh. Just select Favorites from the menu bar, then
right-click and choose Sort By Name from the menu that appears.
Pretty simple, huh?
----------------------------------------------
RESTORE THE ANIMATED INTERNET EXPLORER LOGO
TipWorld reader David Ortega poses this puzzling IE5 question:
"When I signed up with my previous ISP, I used a 'cobranded'
version
of Internet Explorer. I no longer use this ISP and have uninstalled
its software. However, I still see the previous ISP's name in my
browser's title and its logo where IE's spinning globe and Windows
logo normally appear. How do I eliminate this and return to the 'pure'
form of Microsoft IE 5.0?"
I'm afraid, David, that we've got just half the answer--and it
requires a Registry edit. Messing with the Registry can cause bad
mojo, so follow this step only if you're desperate to unload the old
spinning logo. If you decide to edit the Registry, make sure to back
up the system.dat and user.dat files in your Windows folder,
preferably to a floppy or another folder on your hard drive. Here
goes.
Launch the Registry Editor by clicking Start, and selecting Run.
Type
regedit
in the Run dialog box that appears. Navigate to the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
In the right pane, select BrandBitmap and SmBrandBitmap. Delete
these
entries. Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Perhaps some savvy reader will send in the other half of the answer
to
your question. In the meantime, we'll keep a lookout for info on how
to remove the ISP's name from your title bar.
----------------------------------------------
CHANGE YOUR HOME PAGE
Every now and then it's fun to switch home pages. Lycos and Yahoo--as
well as many others--have customizable start pages, which track stock
quotes and news, among other offerings. Here's how to make the switch.
Choose Tools, Internet Options. Click the General tab (if it's not
already selected). Enter an address in the Home Page area. You can
also click Use Blank Page or Use Default.
The default page may vary depending on which version of IE5 you
use.
In my case, the default is the Microsoft Network. Some cobranded
versions may send you to the page of the company that provides it--for
example, your ISP.
----------------------------------------------
USE FAVORITES AS HOME PAGE
Faithful TipWorld subscriber Jack Decker writes in with this fancy
bookmark question:
"I have my bookmark folder set as the home page in Netscape. When
Netscape starts, it displays all my bookmarks as clickable links. Is
there any way to do this with Internet Explorer 5? I know I can make
the Favorites folder the home page, but I would like all the favorites
displayed the same way as in Netscape."
Here's a way to make a Favorites page you can use as your home
page.
The problem is that it won't be updated as you add new Favorites. But
it will display your Favorites, the way Netscape does.
>From IE5, choose File, Import And Export. The Import/Export wizard
appears. Click the Next button. The Import/Export Selection screen
opens. Select Export Favorites from the list of options. Click Next.
The Export Favorites Source Folder page appears. Select the topmost
Favorites folder (if it's not already selected). Click Next. In the
following screen, choose the Export To A File Or Address option. Then
enter a path and file name in the corresponding textbox--for instance,
we chose:
C:\windows\desktop\bookmark.htm
Click Next, and in the following screen click Finish. The Favorites
file appears on your system (in this example, on the desktop).
Now choose Tools, Internet Options. Click the General tab, and in
the
Address textbox, enter the path and file name to which you exported
your bookmark.htm file. Again, it looks like this:
C:\windows\desktop\bookmark.htm
Click OK. Now when you start your browser or click the Home button
on
the toolbar, your bookmark.htm file will appear, with your favorites
listed as clickable links. Tomorrow, we look at the exciting world of
setting the Favorites folder as your home page.
----------------------------------------------
SET FAVORITES FOLDER AS HOME PAGE
Yesterday we told you how to create an HTML page consisting of your
Favorites and set it as the home page. The problem with this tip is
that the page won't update as you add new Favorites. You can, however,
set the Favorites folder as your home page, which is less convenient
for your browser, but stays more current. Here's how to set it up.
Choose Tools, Internet Options. Click the General tab and in the
Address textbox, enter the following:
C:/windows/favorites
where C: is your root drive. Click OK and you're set. Restart your
browser or click the Home button on the toolbar to check it out.
----------------------------------------------
TURN OFF AUTOCOMPLETE
Reader John E. LeHew Sr. lets us know that he finds the
AutoComplete
feature "very maddening" and hasn't succeeded in turning it off, after
several attempts.
John correctly tried turning AutoComplete off by selecting Tools,
Internet Options, selecting the Advanced tab, and deselecting 'Use
inline AutoCompete for Web addresses' and 'Use inline AutoComplete in
Windows Explorer'.
Here's something else to try. Select Tools, Internet Options, and
select the General tab. Then click the Clear History button. Hang in
there, John--it's bound to get better.
----------------------------------------------
SET SMART SEARCHING
Based on your settings, you may see various things when you click
the
Search button in Internet Explorer 5. Over the next couple of days
we'll look at how to make visible more options (such as searching for
a person's address or a map) when using the IE5 Search tool.
Thomas A. Chipps lets us know that you may need to click the Search
button on the toolbar, then click the Customize button and check the
option marked 'Use the Search Assistant for smart searching'. Finally,
click OK to finish up.
You should now see a series of categories in the Search pane.
Select
one (such as Find A Business) to run that type of search.
Thanks for the tip, Mr. Chipps.
----------------------------------------------
REMOVE GO BUTTON
With some frequency, we receive letters asking how to remove the Go
button from the Internet Explorer toolbar. To use the Go button, type
a URL in the Address box, then click the Go button to jump to the Web
address you entered. The button serves little purpose, since clicking
the Enter key does the same thing. To remove the button, right-click
it and deselect Go Button. Repeat these steps if you'd like to return
the button to the toolbar.
----------------------------------------------
DUMP CACHE
>From TipWorld reader Bob Bruce comes this straightforward request:
"How do you get rid of the cache in Internet Explorer 5?"
Good question. The cache stores pages you have visited on your hard
drive so IE5 can retrieve them more quickly and speed up your
browsing. Here's how to clear it and take back some disk space.
Click Tools, Internet Options. The Internet Options dialog box
appears. Select the General tab (if it's not already selected). Click
the Delete files button to get back a good bit of disk space. Then
click OK to finish up. Empty disk space awaits you.
----------------------------------------------
REMOVE AUTOCOMPLETE LIST
Another question regarding AutoComplete, a love-it-or-hate-it
feature
in Internet Explorer 5.
"I am a subscriber and I would like to know how to remove addresses
from the drop-down address bar, either singularly or completely," says
reader Steve Tumasian.
To remove them altogether, choose Tools, Internet Options. Select
the
Advanced tab and deselect 'Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses'.
To remove individual entries, click the History button on the
toolbar.
Find the entry, highlight it, and click the Delete key. Click the Yes
button when the confirmation box appears. If you don't see the entry
you want to remove, click the Search button in the History pane. Enter
the name of address you want to remove and click Search Now. Then
follow the directions above for deleting the entry.
----------------------------------------------
LOSE THE CLICK
Here's a good question from TipWorld subscriber Tom Kelley: "Is
there
any way to get rid of the ANNOYING click that comes through your
speakers when you change pages in the latest release of Internet
Explorer 5?"
Give this a shot: Select Start, Settings, Control Panel.
Double-click
the Sounds icon. In the Windows Explorer area of the list that
appears, click the sound you want to affect (likely Start Navigation
and Complete Navigation). Under Name, click None. Click OK to finish
up. This should help you keep your auditory wits when working with
IE5!
----------------------------------------------
TURN OFF GIF ANIMATION
Ah, GIF animations. They're great the first 1000 times they loop.
Don't like 'em? Here's how to turn off the jumping, flashing, spinning
images. Select Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab. Under
Multimedia, deselect Play animations. Click OK to save your changes.
That's all there is to it!
----------------------------------------------
HIDE LINKS FOLDER
Every now and then we get a letter from a reader who is doing some
housekeeping and wants to remove the Links folder from the Favorites
list in Internet Explorer 5 (click Favorites on the menu bar to see
it).
This can get a little confusing, so don't attempt this tip if
you're
not comfortable working with system files in Windows. Seriously.
OK, you're still with me. Find your links folder, likely in
C:\Windows\Favorites\Links. Right-click the Links folder and choose
Properties. Select Hidden in the Attributes area. Click OK. When you
next start IE5, the Links folder will be missing.
So how do you get it back?
>From Windows Explorer, open the Windows/Favorites folder. Choose
View,
Folder Options. Click the View Tab. Select Show All Files. Click the
OK button. Now right-click the Links folder and choose Properties.
Deselect Hidden in the Attributes area. Click OK.
----------------------------------------------
HOME PAGE SHORTCUT
Want to jump to your home page quickly? No need to pick up the
mouse.
Click Alt-Home to zip over to your home page.
The Alt key is pretty handy for all types of keyboard shortcuts.
Try
Alt-left arrow to jump to the page you just visited. Press Alt-right
arrow to jump to the next page (this is the same as clicking the
Forward button).
----------------------------------------------
ORGANIZE FAVORITES
Here's a way to alphabetize your Favorites list quickly. Select
Favorites, then right-click and choose Sort By Name. What if you want
to move a particular favorite to the top of the list? Click the
Favorites button on the toolbar. The Favorites pane opens. Select the
favorite you want to affect from the list. Click Alt-up arrow to move
the item up in the list. Click Alt-down arrow to push the favorite
down in the list.
----------------------------------------------
BROWSE WITHOUT IMAGES
Slow connection? Try browsing without images. It won't be nearly as
exciting, but when you need to do some seriously fast browsing, it
does the trick. Click Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab.
Under Multimedia, deselect Show Pictures. Click OK.
----------------------------------------------
SET LINK UNDERLINE OPTIONS
As you browse Web pages, you'll see that text hyperlinks appear
underlined by default. You have several options regarding how linked
text appears. Click Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab.
In the Underline Links area, choose Always, Hover, or Never. Click OK
to save your changes. Always and Never are pretty self-explanatory.
Hover displays the underline only when you point at links with the
mouse (without clicking).
----------------------------------------------
PRINT JUST ONE PAGE
Here's a puzzling printing problem from TipWorld reader MaryAnn B.:
"When I print pages in Internet Explorer 5, I am never given the
option to print only one page. I always end up printing extra pages of
advertising."
Give this a shot. Try selecting File, Print, but don't click the OK
button yet. In the Print Range section, select the Pages radio button.
Then type 1 in the From and To boxes. Now click OK, and only the first
page will print. Also, you could try first selecting the text you want
to print. Then choose File, Print (or click Ctrl-P) and click the
Selection button. Click the OK button, and only the selected text will
print.
Note that the Selection, uh, selection isn't available unless some
text is first, er, selected.
----------------------------------------------
TRY A NEW SKIN
Tired of your boring old Internet Explorer 5 interface? NeoPlanet,
an
MSIE 5 add-on, provides "skins" or multimedia add-ons that immediately
affect the program's look. You can choose from hundreds of skins, with
themes ranging from sports to movies. Each skin consists of a few
hundred kilobytes of graphics and sound files that enhance the look of
your browser. Check out NeoPlanet at this address:
http://www.neoplanet.com
----------------------------------------------
EXPLORE EXPLORER BARS
Internet Explorer 5 allows the use of customizable Explorer bars.
You
can choose these add-ons from content providers such as Alexa (site
reviews and stats), the New York Times (perhaps you've heard of it),
or CNN. You'll find a collection of Explorer bars at the following
address:
http://www.microsoft.com/Windows/IE/WebAccess
----------------------------------------------
FLYSWAT
In our last tip we told you about Explorer bars, which allow you to
customize your browser through small downloads. Explorer bars appear
as a new pane in your browser, and provide updated content from a
specific provider, such as the New York Times or CNN.
In addition, Explorer bars can add new features to your browser. A
notable add-on is Flyswat, a new utility that adds its own links to
words on a page as you browse. Flyswat recognizes names and places on
a page, for example, and can link those words to online biographies,
travel, and historical information. When Flyswat recognizes an
existing link on a page, it adds a small icon. When you click the
icon, more information appears from a pop-up menu.
Check out Flyswat at the following address:
http://www.flyswat.com
----------------------------------------------
LOSE THE FTP CLOSE DIALOG BOX
When you download files, are you miffed by a box that tells you the
download is complete? You can lose this box by making a quick change
to your Internet Explorer 5 settings.
Select Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab to bring it
forward. Deselect Notify When Downloads Complete and click OK to save
your changes.
----------------------------------------------
PICK A NEW MAIL CLIENT
We all know that IE5 comes with Microsoft's free e-mail client,
Outlook Express. But what if you prefer, say Eudora Light? It's easy
to associate your program of choice with Internet Explorer 5. Select
Tools, Internet Options.
Click the Programs tab to bring it forward. Under the E-mail area,
click the downward-pointing arrow and select your e-mail client. Click
the OK button to save your changes. Now, when you click a link that
says something like "Click here to send e-mail," your favorite e-mail
client appears, ready to fire off a note.
----------------------------------------------
INTERNET EXPLORER 5.0 BUG
Microsoft recently acknowledged that there is a potential security
hole in Internet Explorer 5.0 that could allow someone to take over
your system. The hole is in Internet Explorer 5.0's
Import/Export/Favorites feature, which you use to import and export
lists of your most often accessed Web addresses. A skilled hacker
operating a Web site can run executable code on the computer of
someone visiting that site. Microsoft recommends that IE 5.0 users
disable Active Scripting to protect themselves until the release of a
patch. To disable Active Scripting in IE, select Tools/Internet
Options, then click the Security tab. Next, select Internet Zone, then
click the Custom Level button. Finally, under Scripting, find the
entry labeled Active Scripting and set it to Disable. Click OK twice
to return to IE, then keep an eye on the Microsoft site for news of
the patch's release.
----------------------------------------------
EUDORA AND INTERNET EXPLORER 5
If you're using Eudora 4.x to handle your Internet mail, you may
experience problems with IE5 and Eudora. In some cases, when you
update from previous versions of Internet Explorer to IE5, Eudora
displays HTML source code for all messages viewed with Eudora 4.x. You
can resolve this problem by downloading and installing the update for
Eudora 4.2. You can get the updater from the Eudora Web site at the
following address:
http://eudora.qualcomm.com/pro_email/updaters.html
----------------------------------------------
QUICK TIP
With your cursor in the Address bar, you can jump from points in
the
address by holding down Ctrl while clicking the left arrow (to go
back) and the right arrow (to jump forward). For instance, if your
Address bar displays http://www.tipworld.com, clicking Ctrl and the
right arrow will jump to the point after the last slash (/) and, if
you click again, after each dot (.). Take this information and run
with it, my friends.
----------------------------------------------
WINDOWS UPDATE
Need to see which security add-on, bug fix, or critical update for
Windows Microsoft recommends? Just pop over to Microsoft's Windows
Update site at:
http://www.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
The site checks your browser to determine which components you have
installed. Or you can just select Tools, Windows Update (make sure
you're connected to the Internet first).
>From there you can select the components you want to add. The
software
downloads and installs on your system automatically. Neat, eh?
----------------------------------------------
AND NOW, THE REST OF THE STORY (ANIMATED LOGOS)
Last month we told you how to remove the animated logo from a
customized version of Internet Explorer 5. For instance, if your ISP
provides your version of IE 5, you may see a logo associated with your
ISP instead of the usual spinning globe. We told you how to get the
default logo back, but we left out part of the story.
If you have a cobranded browser, you may also see the name of the
company in the title bar. Here's how to remove both of these
annoyances. Note: Messing with the Registry can cause all kinds of
weirdness with your PC. If you don't know what you're doing, it's best
to live with these inconveniences.
OK, brave souls, if you decide to edit the Registry, make sure to
back
up your system.dat and user.dat files in your Windows folder,
preferably to a floppy (second choice would be another folder on your
hard drive). Now launch the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run.
Type
regedit
in the Run dialog box that appears. Navigate to the key
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar. In the
right pane, select BrandBitmap and SmBrandBitmap. Delete these
entries.
To get rid of the name in the title bar, navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main\WindowTitle. Select the name in the right pane and
delete the entry. Exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
Thanks to everybody who wrote in with this tip, including D.
Gerstenberger and Danny Niblett.
----------------------------------------------
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
Do you feel that Internet Explorer 5 isn't quite--well, personal
enough? The interface is a bit cold and steely, no? You can shake
things up with IE Personalizer 2.0.
This utility enables you to edit the title menu to whatever you
want,
change the toolbar background to the wallpaper of your choice, or even
add your own logo. It even slices and dices (well, not really). All
this for the very fair price of zero dollars--it's freeware.
You'll find Personalizer at the following address:
http://www.pcworld.com/fileworld/file_description/0,1458,6630,00.html
Thanks to friendly and customization-savyy TipWorld reader Jarrett
Jones for the tip.
----------------------------------------------
SAME OLD STORY
Every month we get two requests: how to change the Favorites list
so
that it sorts alphabetically, and how to clear entries from the
AutoComplete list that appears when you fill out a form on a Web page.
These problems are so prevalent that I'll address them here, albeit in
a new format.
A DUCK walks into a bar.
DUCK: Bartender, how can I sort Favorites Alphabetically?
BARTENDER: Single-click the Favorites button on the menu bar. This
is
not to be confused with the Favorites button--which has an icon--on
the Standard buttons toolbar. They're different.
DUCK: Then what?
BARTENDER: When the menu appears showing your favorites,
right-click
the menu. Choose Sort By Name.
DUCK: Swell. How do I clear entries from the AutoComplete list that
appears when I fill out forms on a Web page?
BARTENDER: Just use the cursor keys to select the entry you no
longer
want, then click the Delete key.
DUCK: (Nodding in agreement) Quack. FADE TO BLACK.
----------------------------------------------
HIDE THE TEXT
Want extra room for browsing? To see more of your favorite Web pages
and less of the Internet Explorer 5 toolbar, hide the text labels for
the buttons on the Standard Buttons toolbar. Right-click the menu bar.
Select View, Toolbars, Customize. Under Text Options, select No Text
Labels.
----------------------------------------------
PRINT ONE FRAME
When you view a frames page, oftentimes you may want to print the
info
in a single, selected frame (especially when you want to skip ads or
other extraneous information). To do so, click Ctrl-P to open the
Print dialog box. Select Only The Selected Frame if it's not already
selected. Then click the OK button. Simple enough for you?
----------------------------------------------
CAN'T REMOVE MSIE5
If you install Window 98 with Internet Explorer already on your
system, you may find yourself unable to remove IE 5. Ideally, you
should uninstall IE5 before installing Windows 98. However, if you
have already installed Windows 98 and want to remove IE5, check out
the following Knowledge Base article:
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q222/5/64.asp
Unfortunately, these steps involve reinstalling Windows 98. And we
all
know how painful installing Windows can be.
----------------------------------------------
EDIT WITH NOTEPAD
If you run your own Web site, you may occasionally want to edit a
page
directly from Internet Explorer 5. This means you can open any
document you want, then check out and edit (aka borrow) somebody
else's source code. Or you can quickly open your own pages, then edit
and save them.
Just click the Edit button on the Standard Buttons toolbar in IE5.
Click the downward-pointing arrow and you can choose between FrontPage
Express and Windows Notepad (helpful if you like editing your own HTML
tags).
Of course, you shouldn't use copyrighted code. But there's nothing
stopping you from learning from the techniques the pros use.
----------------------------------------------
ADD AN EDITOR
Yesterday we mentioned that you can edit pages you view
online--just
click the Edit button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. You can change
the default editor if you like, and save yourself an extraneous click.
Choose Tools, Internet Options. Click the Programs tab to bring it
forward. Under HTML Editor, click the downward-pointing arrow and
choose from the programs in the pop-up list. Click the OK button to
save your changes.
----------------------------------------------
ADD COMMUNICATOR AS YOUR EDITOR
This week we've been using the Edit button to open pages you are
viewing for editing. Just click the Edit button on the Standard
Buttons toolbar. You can even select the editor of your choice.
Click Tools, Internet Options. Click the Programs tab. From the
HTML
Editor pop-up list, make your selection (for instance, Windows
Notepad). Click OK.
But what if your editor doesn't appear? This tip shows you how to
add
an editor. In this example, we'll use Netscape's Composer. To do so,
we'll need to edit the Registry. Keep in mind that editing the
Registry can cause all kinds of bad craziness on your PC. If you don't
know what you're doing, it's best to avoid this tip altogether.
OK, daredevils, make sure to first back up your system.dat and
user.dat files in your Windows folder, preferably to a floppy (second
choice would be another folder) on your hard drive. Also, if you don't
know how to create new keys in the Registry, don't try now, because
it's beyond the scope of a daily tip. It's just not worth the
potential hassles. Onward...
Launch the Registry Editor by selecting Start, Run. Then type
regedit
in the Run dialog box that appears. Navigate to the key
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.htm\OpenWithList\Netscape
Navigator\shell\edit\command. The Default value should display the
following data value: C:\Program
Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\Netscape.exe -edit %1. If it's not
there you'll need to add it.
Then quit the Registry Editor, restart your computer, and launch
Internet Explorer 5. The choice should now appear in the HTML Editor
pop-up list.
----------------------------------------------
REMOVE FAVORITES ICON
Sometimes when you add a site to your Favorites list, you may
notice
that the site displays its own icon. For instance, if you click Ctrl-D
while viewing the following site, its logo will appear in Favorites:
http://www.altavista.com
To get rid of this icon or any others, you need to clear the cache.
Click Tools, Internet Options. Select the General tab. Click the
Delete Files button. Click the OK button to finish up.
----------------------------------------------
CREATE FAVORITES ICON
In several tips we've mentioned how Internet Explorer 5 can display
custom icons in the Favorites list. This feature allows sites to use
their logo or other graphics, which display when you click the
Favorites button on the menu bar. If you run your own site, you can
easily create one of these icons. Check out this tutorial at the
Microsoft Developer's Network:
http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-ie51123%2C00.html
----------------------------------------------
BROWSE LOCAL FILES
You probably know that Internet Explorer 5 lets you browse the
files
on your computer just as you browse the Web. Here are a few shortcuts
for quickly accessing files.
Just type the following in your Address bar:
C:\
where C is the drive whose contents you want to view. The rest of
the
shortcuts are pretty obvious:
My Computer Desktop
My Documents
If you use AutoComplete for Web addresses, you likely won't need to
type the entire name. Just type the first few letters and the rest of
the name appears. Click the Enter button to select the correct entry.
Use the cursor keys to move up and down the list.
Next time, we'll tell you how to turn on the AutoComplete feature.
----------------------------------------------
BROWSE LOCAL FILES
Last time we mentioned how easy it is to browse local files and
folders through Internet Explorer 5. For instance, you can access the
My Documents folder by typing
My Documents
in the IE 5 Address bar. Of course, if you use AutoComplete for Web
addresses, you'll only need to type the first few letters to make your
directories appear.
To turn on AutoComplete, select Tools, Internet Options, and click
the
Advanced tab. Select Use Inline AutoComplete For Web Addresses and Use
Inline AutoComplete For Windows Explorer. Click OK to save your
changes.
----------------------------------------------
JUMP TO FULL SCREEN
Want to move quickly from your regular viewing mode to full-screen
mode? Keeping your browser open at full screen is especially handy
when you're making presentations. And you can get there quickly: Just
press F11 to toggle from one mode to another. Simple enough for you?
----------------------------------------------
RECONNECT AUTO-DISCONNECT
Friendly TipWorld subscriber Scott Tyler asks this puzzling
Auto-Disconnect question:
"How do you use Auto-Disconnect if you have turned it off previously
and asked not to be asked again?"
Easy enough, Scott. Just choose Tools, Internet Options. Now click
the
Connections tab to bring it forward. Click the Settings button to open
the Settings dialog box. Click the Advanced button. The Advanced
Dial-Up dialog box opens. Select "Disconnect when connection may no
longer be needed."
Click OK three times to close all open dialog boxes.
----------------------------------------------
DISCONNECT WHEN IDLE
Yesterday we responded to a reader message about enabling
Auto-Disconnect (Internet Explorer will prompt you to close your
connection when you close the browser). Today, we look at
disconnecting automatically if you aren't using your browser for a
specified amount of time.
Choose Tools, Internet Options. Now click the Connections tab to
bring
it forward. Click the Settings button to open the Settings dialog box.
Click the Advanced button. The Advanced Dial-Up dialog box opens.
Select "Disconnect if idle for X minutes" (where X is the number of
minutes you enter).
If you like, you can also enable Auto-Disconnect as described in
the
first paragraph. Select the "Disconnect when connection may no longer
be needed" option.
Click OK three times to close all open dialog boxes.
----------------------------------------------
OPEN, LOAD, AND NEW
Trying to get around the Web a little faster? Here are a few
shortcuts
you can use daily. Press Ctrl-O or Ctrl-L to enter the page you want
to visit. Press Ctrl-N to open a brand-new window. You can use a new
window to browse two or more sites simultaneously.
----------------------------------------------
FIND FAVORITES
TipWorld reader Joan More can't locate the Favorites on her system:
"Internet Explorer must store the URLs in my Favorites list
somewhere,
but I can't find the file. What I want to do is copy the URLs I use at
work to my home machine. Help me!"
No problem. Typically, Favorites are stored in the
Windows/Favorites
folder on your root drive. To export your Favorites, open Internet
Explorer 5. Choose File, Import and Export. The Import/Export wizard
launches. Choose the Next button and select Export Favorites from the
list that appears. Click Next twice. MSIE5 stores your Favorites in a
file called bookmark.htm in the My Documents folder.
Good luck!
----------------------------------------------
ENCRYPTION QUESTION
Here's an anonymous question from a flummoxed TipWorld reader:
"How do I activate 128-bit encryption in Internet Explorer 5? I
have
tried and tried, to no avail."
MSIE5 and secure Web sites typically handle encryption
automatically
to protect the information from snoops as you upload and download
information. Most users won't need 128-bit encryption for day-to-day
tasks such as online shopping, but if you do, check out the Microsoft
site for the latest, most secure version:
http://www.microsoft.com/ie
----------------------------------------------
SORT BY NAME
More letters from the "Sort Favorites Alphabetically" file:
Reader Mary Kerins writes: "I have repeatedly tried to follow your
directions for alphabetizing my Favorites, but after I select them I
don't know where to right-click to get the Sort By Name menu."
Here's a potential hitch we should have mentioned in previous tips.
To
use this feature, you must be using Windows 98 or, if you use Windows
95, you must have Internet Explorer 4 installed before you install IE
5. You won't get Active Desktop features if you install IE 5 on a
Windows 95 machine. To sort by name, click the Favorites menu, then
right-click the menu when it appears and choose Sort By Name. You can
also do this by choosing the Start button in Windows, then selecting
Favorites.
Good luck!
----------------------------------------------
GOT A TIP, LEAVE A TIP
Here at TipWorld, we're always on the lookout for a few good tips.
Got
a special time-saver or a helpful shortcut (say, clicking F5 to
refresh a page)? Is your system crash proof? By all means, drop us a
line. You can contact our crack tip team at
mailto:pheltzel@hardlearner.com
----------------------------------------------
WORK OFFLINE
When you work from a laptop, you can often save time by browsing
pages
(only ones you have recently visited) from your cache. In Internet
Explorer 5, choose File, Work Offline. Click the History button. Then
choose a site. If your cache is large enough, the file will open. If
the file name is grayed out, the page is unavailable.
----------------------------------------------
RESIZE YOUR CACHE
Yesterday we talked about working offline. Today we bring you the
exciting world of how to resize your cache in Internet Explorer 5.
Choose Tools, Internet Options. Select the General tab (if it's not
already selected). Then click the Settings button. To increase the
size of the cache, move the slider to the right or enter a number in
the text box marked "Amount of disk space to use". This will make
browsing faster when you open pages you have seen previously. To
reduce the size of the cache, move the slider to the left or enter a
smaller number in the text box. Click the OK button twice to save your
changes.
----------------------------------------------
SKIP THE CACHE
Sometimes when you view a page you've seen before, you get an older
version of it. What's up? Internet Explorer 5 stores some pages on
your system for faster viewing later.
To make sure you always see the latest version of a page, you can
tell
IE5 to load a fresh version every time--although in doing so you trade
off a bit of speed. Select Tools, Internet Options, and click the
Settings button. Under the section marked "Check for newer versions of
stored pages", select "Every visit to the page". Click the OK button
twice to finish up.
----------------------------------------------
RESORT HISTORY
Say you can't remember the URL of a page you opened recently in
Internet Explorer 5, but you need to retrieve it. No sweat. Click the
History button on the Standard Buttons toolbar. When the History bar
opens down the left side of your browser, choose the site you want
from the list, and it opens. To sort your History list differently,
select View from the History pane, then select one of the following
options: By Date, By Site, By Most Visited, or By Order Visited Today.
Good luck!
----------------------------------------------
CLEAR HISTORY
Sometimes you may want to clear the History list in Internet
Explorer
5 to keep your browsing from prying eyes. Click Tools, Internet
Options. The Internet Options dialog box opens. Under the History
section, click Clear History, then choose OK when the confirmation box
appears. Pow! Your History list magically disappears.
----------------------------------------------
HISTORY HASSLES
Yesterday we told you how to clear your History list in order to
protect your privacy (and save disk space) in Internet Explorer 5.
Click Tools, Internet Options. The Internet Options dialog box opens.
Click the Clear History button and choose OK when the confirmation box
appears.
You can also tell IE 5 how long to make pages available in your
history--this also helps manage disk space. From the Internet Options
dialog box, enter a number in the box marked "Days to keep pages in
history". Click OK twice to save your settings. Now you should be all
set without any History hassles.
----------------------------------------------
MAKE A PAGE AVAILABLE OFFLINE
Hitting the road? Internet Explorer 5 offers a couple of cool
features
for browsing offline. To make the page you're viewing available for
reading offline, try these quick steps. First add the page to your
Favorites: Select Favorites, Add To Favorites. Select the Make
Available Offline box, then click the OK button. Before you take off
for your trip, connect to the Internet as you normally do. Then select
Tools, Synchronize. You should get the latest version of your page
downloaded to your system. Cool, huh?
To view the page later, choose File, Work Offline. Then click the
Favorites menu and choose your page from the list that appears.
----------------------------------------------
NAVIGATION SHORTCUTS
To browse like a pro in Internet Explorer 5, leave your mouse where
it
is and try a few keyboard shortcuts. You can jump quickly around a Web
page by selecting Tab to move from link to link down the page. To
select a link, just click Enter and the page opens.
----------------------------------------------
NEW IE5
Microsoft recently released a new version of Internet Explorer 5.
It
won't wow you with new features, but it does offer a few bug fixes and
better security features. You can download the latest version at
http://www.microsoft.com/ie
Enjoy!
----------------------------------------------
REJECT COOKIES
Cookies personalize your browsing experience, and most are harmless
entries to a text file on your system. If you find them invasive,
however, give them the boot. In Internet Explorer 5, choose Tools,
Internet Options and click the Security tab to bring it forward. Click
the Custom Level button. Scroll down (or type the letter C) to jump to
the Cookies section. To disallow cookies completely, select Disable.
To allow cookies only after getting a prompt that says they will be
downloaded to your system, select Prompt. Warning: This latter option
can get tiresome, since so many sites employ cookies, and you may run
into quite a few in one visit.
Also keep in mind that rejecting cookies may get rid of some
personalization features--for instance, at a shopping site like
Amazon.
----------------------------------------------
MSIE 5 PROGRAMMING BUG
Microsoft recently identified a problem you may experience with
Internet Explorer (Programming) version 5. Internet Explorer reports
an "Invalid character" error when a Unicode .js file is included with
the SCRIPT tag--for example:
<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript" SRC="Sample.JS">
If the script debugger is enabled, it reports that the first two
characters in the .js file (the Unicode Byte Order Mark, or BOM) are
the source of the problem.
Another closely associated problem occurs if the Byte Order Mark is
removed from a Unicode format .js file and the file contains Unicode
characters. When the .js file is included during Internet Explorer
page rendering, Unicode characters in the .js file are interpreted as
simple ASCII and cause either a script error, as above, or the display
of garbage characters. Similarly, removing the BOM from a UTF-8
encoded file containing non-ASCII Unicode characters results in
garbage characters displaying on the rendered Web page.
Note that in the Internet Explorer Advanced dialog box (from the
Tools
menu, select Internet Options), you must clear the option Disable
Script Debugging or select the option Display A Notification About
Every Script Error in order to receive a detailed error message for
this problem. If these two options are not set correctly, the Internet
Explorer status bar indicates there are errors on the page. The page
loads, but the .js file does not.
Microsoft says it is possible to work around the problem in most
cases
by embedding Unicode escape sequences in the .js file saved in ASCII.
For instance, the following JScript statement in an ASCII .js file can
specify the Hiragana character NO:
var s = String("Hiragana NO = \u306E")
When the ASCII .js file loads from the SCRIPT tag, there is no
Unicode
Byte Order Mark, and the \uXXXX escapes convert to proper Unicode
characters that appear on a Web page.
----------------------------------------------
RENAME FAVORITES
Some Favorites in Internet Explorer 5 can have unwieldy names that
may
not accurately describe the page. You don't have to stick with the
original name. To change a Favorites title, select Favorites from the
menu bar. When your Favorites menu appears, right-click the Favorite
you want to rename. Select Rename from the menu. Type a new name in
the text box and click OK.
----------------------------------------------
WHAT'S UNDER THE HOOD
To find out what version of IE 5 you're using, choose Help, and
select About Internet Explorer. You'll see a version number. Here are
some common version numbers and their translations:
5.00.2014.0216 Internet Explorer 5
5.00.2314.1003 Internet Explorer 5 (Office 2000)
5.00.2614.3500 Internet Explorer 5 (Windows 98 Second Edition)
5.00.2919.6307 Internet Explorer 5.01
5.50.3825.1300 Internet Explorer 5.5 Developer Preview (Beta)
5.50.4030.2400 Internet Explorer 5.5 and Internet Tools Beta
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WHAT IS FORTEZZA
You've probably come across a few unclear options in Internet
Explorer 5's Advanced Internet dialog box. Under Security, you'll see
one marked Use Fortezza. What's Fortezza? It's a hardware-based method
of encoding data for secure transmission of information over a
network. Employees of the U.S. Defense Department use this form of
encryption via Fortezza crypto cards in their PCs. If you don't work
for the feds, feel free to turn this option off (it's on by default).
Click OK to finish.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEB-BASED MAIL
Reading your mail on the road is a snap if you use a Web-based mail
account. Plenty of companies provide free accounts, including Yahoo!,
Bigfoot, and Juno. Microsoft's offering, Hotmail, is another solid
choice. You can sign up for a Hotmail account directly through Outlook
Express. Launch Outlook, then choose Tools, New Account Signup,
Hotmail. Follow the instructions in the wizard that appears.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIEW FAVORITES
From within Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, you can open your
Favorites Explorer Bar by clicking the Favorites button on the
toolbar. Here's another way to view your Favorites from within My
Computer or Windows Explorer. Just choose View, Explorer Bar,
Favorites. You may find this helpful when you want to organize or add
Favorites while browsing your system.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VERSION 5.5 FINALLY HERE
Microsoft released the final version of Internet Explorer 5.5 in
July. It's usually a good idea to wait a month or so after a new
release to download it. After a wide public release, a few bugs
appear, and an update will follow. In fact, Microsoft announced an
update soon after the final version of the program debuted.
So what's new? The latest features in 5.5 include better Dynamic
HTML (DHTML) support and print preview controls--not necessarily
compelling to a large number of users, so stick tight if you're happy
with your version of MSIE 5. That said, we've been using version 5.5
for several weeks without any problems. The latest version is
available at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/
Enjoy!
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USE IE 5 TO VIEW HARD DISK SPACE
Want a quick way to see how much space is on your hard drive?
Double-click the My Computer icon on your hard drive, then select
View, As Web Page. Single-click your hard drive (C:). A pie chart
should appear showing you how much space is available.
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UPDATE FOR SECURITY
Readers often ask when they should upgrade their browser. It's an
especially pertinent question after announcement of a new release that
doesn't boast any major feature improvements.
One good reason to upgrade, though--regardless of whether the new
version offers additional features--is that you'll get security
updates produced throughout the life of the PREVIOUS version. Internet
Explorer is currently at version 5.5, but already Microsoft is
planning a security update. You can find more about security updates
at the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/default.htm
Of course, if you stay current with security updates, you may have
no reason to upgrade. And if you rarely buy goods online or feel
confident with your current version, stick with it. Security is
important, but don't worry about it unnecessarily. If it ain't
broke...
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UNINSTALL IE 5.01
We've received many complaints from users of Internet Explorer
5.01, and in particular a lot of requests on how to get rid of it. For
those of you who wish to return to the trusy old version 5, read on.
The steps take a little explaining, and you can find more
information at the following URL from the Microsoft Knowledge Base.
http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q246/1/94.asp
Note: If you have not installed Outlook Express before installing
IE 5.01, you'll end up removing OE completely. The uninstall process
reverts back to the last full version of OE, and if it finds no
version, it simply removes OE. Proceed with caution.
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UNDERLINES BE GONE
By default, most Internet Explorer 5 installations underline each
link on a page. It's easy to turn this feature off. Select Tools,
Internet Options. From the dialog box that appears, click the Advanced
tab. Scroll down to the Underline Links area and choose Hover or
Never. Click OK and you're ready to go, without any underlines to get
in your way.
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TWEAK MSIE 5
Hey, nobody likes Internet Explorer more than we do--but it can act
a little odd sometimes. If you'd like to take a bit more control,
check out a handy program called TweakIE at the following address:
http://www.tweakie.com
The software offers a handful of additions to MSIE's features,
including tools that make it easy to view the files in your cache (by
type), completely clear out your page history even when MSIE 5 can't
seem to, and change the text in the title bar--for instance, when you
download a cobranded version and want to change the name on your title
bar.
You can download and use a trial version for 30 days. If you decide
to register the program, the cost is $15.
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TURN OFF UNDERLINE
Do you find underlined hyperlinks distracting? You can change the
way hyperlinks appear by opening the Tools menu, then clicking
Internet Options. Choose the Advanced tab. In the Underline links
section, choose Hover or Never.
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TURN OFF SOUND
If you recently installed Windows 98, you'll find a series of event
sounds associated with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5, which comes
bundled with the operating system. These sounds get annoying fast.
To surf in silence, select Start, Settings, Control Panel.
Double-click the Sounds icon. In the Windows Explorer area of the list
that appears, click the sound you want to affect (likely Start
Navigation and Complete Navigation). From the Name pop-up menu, select
None. Click OK to finish up.
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TRY, TRY AGAIN
Sometimes when you click a link, a page won't open. Among other
reasons, it may be Net congestion or an overtaxed Web server. You may
be able to get around the problem by right-clicking the link and
choosing Open In New Window. Or click the Esc key and reenter the
address. Good luck!
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TOUR AND ONLINE SUPPORT
Got a friend who's new to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5? Here's a
quick way to curry favor. Point out the Tour and Online Support
selections available in MSIE 5's Help menu. In particular, the tour of
the interface found here will familiarize new users to the names and
conventions of the browser. Point your browser (or your friend's
browser) at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/tour/basics/default.htm
The Online Support selection offers a direct link to the Microsoft
Knowledgebase and invaluable resource for solving MSIE-related
problems, and you'll find links to downloads and FAQs. You can access
the Online Support page directly at
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/
Of course, you need to make sure you are connected to the Net
before choosing these selections, since they all appear on the
Microsoft Web site.
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TIPS, PLEASE
We're hardy tip writers here at the old TipWorld ranch, but
sometimes while we're hanging around the rusty server farm, we pine
for more excitement in our lives. Then your e-mails arrive, and we're
content again.
We don't just publish any tip that comes along. But if you have a
great shortcut or time saver, we ask that you kindly send it our way:
pheltzel@hardlearner.com
You'll gain the respect of the staff and tens of our readers.
Thanks!
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TAKE OUT THE CACHE
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 helps you browse more quickly by
storing recent versions of Web pages you've already opened. The
problem is, the cache eats up valuable hard drive space. If you don't
mind a slight delay when you're browsing and want to recover more
space, tell MSIE 5 to empty the cache each time you close the browser.
Select Tools, Internet Options, and click the Advanced tab. Under
Security, check Empty Temporary Internet Files Folder When Browser Is
Closed. Click the OK button to save your changes.
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SURF AD-FREE
Banner ads pay the bills on the Web, but the animated, jumping
beasts can get out of hand. If you'd like to surf in silence, consider
downloading an ad blocker that will work with Internet Explorer 5.
The AdSubtract SE tool, free for personal use, can stop ads from
appearing as you browse and may also speed surfing since banners
consume valuable bandwidth--especially on slow modem connections. You
can find the utility at
http://www.adsubtract.com/pro/features.html
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START WITH A MAXIMIZED WINDOW
We've written several times about launching Internet Explorer 5 in
full-screen mode, but we continue to get questions about it. MSIE 5
cleverly remembers to open up the way you last closed it. So you can
toggle to full-screen mode (press F11), then close the browser (press
Alt-F4 or Ctrl-W). The next time you open up MSIE 5, it will start in
full-screen mode.
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SPEED UP BROWSING
If you use a cable modem or DSL, you can quickly speed up your
browsing by making changes to two Registry settings called MTU
(Maximum Transmission Units). Or you can download a patch that will
change the Registry settings for you. You can find the patches to
download (for Windows 95/98) here:
http://www.speedguide.net/Cable_modems/cable_patches.shtml
The speedup can be pretty impressive. If you aren't seeing the sort
of results you expect from your service, give this a shot.
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SORT FAVORITES
A frequent Favorites request appears once more from a TipWorld
reader named Doneta:
"In one tip, you mention alphabetizing Favorites. I have looked
everywhere and I can't figure out how to do that."
Look no more, Doneta. Click the Favorites menu (not the Favorites
button), then select a favorite link and right-click. From the menu
that appears, choose Sort By Name.
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SKIP THE WWW
Often you can save time when entering an address by skipping the
www part. While it's a widely used convention, the suffix is often
unnecessary. Of course, you'll save more time if you use AutoComplete
(choose Tools, Internet Options, Content, click the AutoComplete
button, and select Web Addresses). If you begin typing the domain of a
Web site you're revisiting (for instance, pcworld.com), Internet
Explorer 5 adds www and com for you.
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SHOW PICTURES
While browsing, you may come across a Web page where the images
won't load. You right-click the image and choose Show Picture, but
nothing happens. What's up? Well, the Show Picture option is meant for
folks who browse with images off. They want control over which
pictures appear, and they can display individual images by
right-clicking their placeholders and choosing Show Picture.
Unfortunately, this option won't do you any good when a Web server
can't display the picture (likely because of an error on the server,
something you can't control).
To browse without images, choose Tools, Internet Options, and click
the Advanced tab. Scroll down the list of options and deselect Show
Pictures.
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SHOW ALEXA LINKS
An often-overlooked capability of Internet Explorer 5 is the Show
Related Links feature. When you finally find the site you're looking
for, you can also quickly find other relevant sites by choosing Tools,
Show Related Links. The selection queries an Alexa database, then
returns sites other surfers have used. Alexa is a free service that
finds and ranks sites, which often leads to better search results than
you might find trudging through the returns of your average search
engine. If you like this feature, consider installing the Alexa
download, a free browser add-on, which lets you view user rankings and
reviews of the sites you visit.
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SHORTCUTS FOR SHORTCUTS
In some instances, you may want to copy a link you've found and
paste it into a document or e-mail, for later use or maybe to send to
a friend. To do so, first right-click a link and choose Copy Shortcut.
Then open the application where you want to paste the link--say, a
word processor or e-mail program. Choose Ctrl-V to paste the link.
There you go!
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SHORTCUTS AHOY
Here at TipWorld, we love shortcuts. Speedy and efficient, they're
a
(human) browser's best friend. Try Ctrl-O or Ctrl-L to open a new
page
in an already open window. Press Ctrl-W or Alt-F4 to close an open
window.
----------------------------------------------
SHORTCUT TO DESKTOP
A reader named Linda has a simple request:
"If I am on a Web site I like, how do I create a shortcut on my
desktop?"
This is a really handy way to make a quick link to a site you often
use, and you can even place a shortcut in your Quick Launch toolbar at
the bottom of your screen (next to the Start button typically). Just
click the page's icon in the Address bar, which--no surprise
here--appears next to the word Address. Drag it to your desktop and
let go. It's that simple!
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SHORTCUT ICONS
Ever wonder why a particular favorite has its own icon? Some Web
sites add a bit of script to their site that downloads an icon file
(*.ico) to your hard drive. If you bookmark the main Yahoo! site, for
example, you'll see a red Y! image. Typically the icons disappear when
you clear your cache (select Tools, Internet Options, then click
Delete Files, OK). However, if you like the icon, you can add it to
your Quick Links toolbar. Here's how.
Surf to a site that uses a Favorites icon (for instance,
NLSearch.com or MSNBC.com). Then bookmark the site (press Alt-D).
Select the Favorites menu. When it opens, right-click the icon for the
page you just bookmarked and drag it to the Quick Links toolbar.
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SHORTCUT HOME
Need to get home in a hurry? You can jump to the beginning of a Web
page by clicking the Home button or, predictably, go to the bottom of
the page by clicking the End key. Lost something in between? Click
Ctrl-F to find text on a page.
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SET IMAGE AS WALLPAPER
See something you like? If it's an image on the Web, you can save
it to your hard drive and display it as wallpaper. Right-click the
image you want to save, then choose Save As Wallpaper. If you need
images to browse, you can find a royalty-free collection of
downloadable art, including animations, at the Microsoft Clip Gallery:
http://microsoft.com/clipgallerylive/
Enjoy!
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SET A BLANK HOME PAGE
There's no need to wait for a slow-loading home page when you start
Internet Explorer 5. Especially for those with 56-kbps modem
connections, try starting with a blank home page.
Click Tools, Internet Options, and in the General tab (selected by
default), click the Use Blank button. Click OK to close the Internet
Options dialog box.
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SEND US YOUR TIRED, YOUR POOR
Over the last week, we've sent you a bunch of tips about removing
Internet Explorer 5.01 and 5.5. If you have a good tip for USING
either of these versions (instead of removing them), drop us a line at
pheltzel@hardlearner.com. Got a question? Send it to
editors@tipworld.com.
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SEND DESKTOP SHORTCUT
You can e-mail Web pages and other documents without even opening
Outlook Express. Right-click the document you want to send. Now select
Send To, Mail Recipient. Enter an address for the recipient and click
Send. You can also send Web pages from within Internet Explorer 5 by
selecting File, Send, Page By E-mail.
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SECURITY OPTIONS
If you share your computer, you may want to tell Internet Explorer
5 not to store encrypted files on your hard drive. Since MSIE 5 saves
some pages to your disk cache to speed browsing, you can tell the
browser to skip secure pages, such as e-commerce sites where you enter
a password, your credit card number, or other sensitive information.
To do so, click Tools, Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab.
Scroll down and check the box marked Do Not Save Encrypted Pages To
Disk. Click OK to finish.
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SEARCH MORE QUICKLY
You probably open the Search, History, and Favorites features in
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 many times a day. To open your Explorer
bars more quickly, try these shortcuts. Open Search by clicking Ctrl-E
and History by pressing Ctrl-H. You can open your Favorites Explorer
bar by pressing Ctrl-I. You can cycle from one to the next without
first closing an open Explorer bar. Neat, huh?
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SAVE PAPER WHEN PRINTING
The average Web page runs longer than just one printed page. Here's
a good way to save some trees when printing from the Web. If the
situation allows, first select the text and im
