Internet Explorer

As you visit different Web sites, entries are made to your history list. History lists can be cleared if you are worried about privacy. History lists help you find sites you didn't bookmark. You can click on an entry in the history list to quickly access it.

The back and forward buttons help you move through history. The arrows allow you to move back and forth more than one site at a time.

When you click the reload or refresh button, the browser contacts the Web server to see if any of the information on the page has changed. If not, the page is loaded from the cache, a storage area on your hard drive. If you want to force a reload, hit the shift key when reloading.  In Internet Explorer, all of your cached files are stored in Windows-->temporary internet files.

You can hit stop while a page is loading if it is loading slowly, you didn't mean to click on a hyperlink, or you don't need to view all the page's graphics. Sometimes if you hit stop and click a link again, the page will load faster the second time.

Toolbar functions--Page 2.17

You can set the security level by clicking the globe on the status bar.  The security level you set dictates what rights site designers have to download files to your machine while you are visiting.

Also on the status bar you will see a closed lock if you visit a Web site that uses encryption to encode any information you submit. These pages begin with https: instead of http: and are usually found when you are asked to enter sensitive data such as credit card numbers.

You can hide/show different toolbars by selecting view-->toolbars and selecting or deselecting a check mark. If there is a check mark next to a toolbar, it is visible. If there is none, it is not.

If you want to view in full screen mode, select view-->full screen. To restore back to regular viewing, select the restore down button on the title bar.

Clicking a link is not the only way to move from Web site to Web site. You can also type a URL into the address bar. It's not necessary to type http:// and sometimes it's not even necessary to type 'www' You hit enter after you're finished typing and the new page will be loaded. URLs entered into the address bar manually are visible by hitting the drop down arrow next to the address bar.

To add a Web page to your favorites list, select favorites-->add to favorites. You can add the favorite to a new folder or an existing one. (Web 2.23-Web 2.25) This way you can categorize your favorites. A favorite is simply a stored URL. When you add a favorite, you're not saving a Web page, just the address.

Favorites can be deleted or edited by choosing favorites-->organize favorites. (Web 2.25)

If you click the favorites button on the toolbar, your favorites will be available down the left hand side of the browser window. Although they are easier to access this way, they take up valuable screen real estate.

The same is true for the history button on the desktop.

Clicking the home button returns you to your browser's home page. This can be changed by using the 'Internet Options' dialog box. (Web 2.29)

When you want to print a Web page that's part of a framed Web site, it's important that you click inside the frame you want to print before clicking the print button on the toolbar. If you select "print selected frame" only the selected frame will print. If you click in the wrong frame, none of the information that you need will be printed.

You can also choose which pages should be printed, and if you highlight a selection of text, that just the selection should be printed.

When you save a Web page in newer versions of Internet Explorer, you can also choose to save the page's graphics by choosing 'Web Page, Complete' as the file type. The graphics are stored in a folder and will be visible on the page when you view it offline. This contradicts the text. You can also choose just to save the HTML. No images will be available when you view the page offline.

To view a page offline, all you have to do is choose file-->open-->browse and find the file on the hard drive. The page will be loaded into the browser. If you are not online and you click on a link, you will get an error message. If you are online, the new page will load into the browser.

Web page text can be copied and pasted into a Word document. This is a blessing and a curse. Be careful of copyright violations and plagiarism.

If you just want to save a Web graphic to disk, and not the entire page, right mouse click over the image and choose 'save picture as' You can choose where to save the file, and rename it as well.

You can also right click and make the image your desktop wallpaper.