Keeping Control of URL Bookmarks
Change Font Size
In IE4, hold down CTRL and use the mouse wheel to increase/decrease font size
quickly.
Opening Temporary Internet Files
Normally when you try to open a file in the Temporary Internet Folders
directory, you get a warning:
Running a system command on this item may be unsafe. Do you wish to continue?
To remove this warning:
- Start the Internet Explorer
- Go to View / Internet Options
- Click on the Security tab
- Select Custom
- Go to Launching applications and files in an IFRAME
- Check Enable
Now you can click on a file in that directory and open it without the
warning.
Quickly Opening a Newsgroup from your Browser
This is a tip for quickly reading a newsgroup without having to download the
whole news file which can take quite some time and be rather large.
If you know the name of the newsgroup you want to read:
- Within your browser window (either IE4.X or Netscape 4.X) hit Ctrl+O which
will bring up the open page window.
- Type the following: news:"newsgroup name", (e.g. news:alt.invest)
then hit Enter
- The newsreader for the application will download the headers for that
particular newsgroup.
Internet Explorer in Full Screen Mode
Press F11 to resize windows to a full screen in Internet Explorer 4.0
Setting Internet Explorer Window Size
When you click on a hyperlink in Outlook or Outlook Express, it will
automatically open Internet Explorer
Sometimes this may be in a small window.
To increase or change the size, click on the Restore button, the middle
one in the upper right hand corner of the toolbar.
Resize the window and then close the Internet Explorer
The next time you click on a hyperlink, it will open to the size you set.
Organizing Your Favorites
With IE4 or Win98, a shortcut to an easy way to organizing
your favorites is to press Ctrl-B while the Internet
Explorer is running.
This brings up a box where you can create or delete new folders, re-order
folders, sort folders, as well as import and export your favorites.
Reordering Your Links (IE 4)
- You can change the order of the links in your IE4 toolbar.
- Simply click and hold down the left mouse button over the link you want to
move
- Then drag it to the new location on the links toolbar
- The cursor will change to an I-bar when you have it set correctly
Changing the Links Icon (IE 4)
To change the little icon that appears next to a link:
- Right-click on the link
- Click on the Internet Shortcut tab
- Click on the Change icon button
- Select the icon you want to use
Changing the Search Pages Used by Internet
Explorer 4.0
Changing the Search icon Engine
When you click on the Search icon in IE4, you go to the default page of http://home.microsoft.com/search/search.asp
To change this setting:
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
- Change the value for Search Bar to the URL of the search engine
you want to use
Changing the Go / Search the Web Engine
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
- Change the value for Search Page to the URL of the search engine
you want to use
Having IE Load a Default Page Other Than BLANK.HTM
Normally, if a web site can't be found, IE will load the file
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\BLANK.HTM
To have it load another file:
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software\ Microsoft\ Internet Explorer\ Main
- Double click on Local Page
- Enter the file you want to use
Changing the IE and Outlook Title Bars
To change the IE Title Bar:
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main
- Add or edit the string value Window Title (there is a space
between the words)
- Add the text you want to appear
To Change the Outlook Title Bar
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express
- Add or edit the string value WindowTitle (there is no space)
- Add the text you want to appear
Changing the Information Boxes in IE 4
With IE4, when you place the mouse over My Computer, Network
Neighborhood, and the Recycle Bin icons, etc.
a small window opens with some information.
For example, over the My Computer icon, it starts with Use My Computer to
view the contents of your computer.
To change this text:
- Start Regedit
- Search for InfoTip
- Enter the text you want to appear for each icon
Items you can change are:
- Network Neighborhood
- My Computer
- Control Panel
- Printers
- The Internet
- My Documents
- Recycle Bin
- Briefcase
- Internet Explorer
- Dial-Up Networking
Opening Links in a New Window
Hold down Shift and point with the mouse on a link.
A new IE opens automatically with the new page.
Accessing your best Favorites
If you have many favorites that you frequently access, but their names areat
the end of the alphabet. I rename my "favorite" favorites with a
letter and space like this:
A Microsoft Knowledge Base
B Microsft Home Page
This way they are at the top of the list of favorites for easy access.
Keeping Track of Bookmarks
Bookmark Tip:
For Netscape users; To better keep track of what you found where simply add a
"note" to your bookmark.
To do this; highlight a bookmark, select ITEM, select PROPERTIES and in the NAME
box to the bookmark's actual name add your "note".
Such as "Great game software, neat utilities Etc."
Explorer users may be able to do a similar thing.
Changing Internet Explorer's Blank Page
Tired of looking at the page "BLANK.HTM" whenever Internet explorer
can not connect to a site on the internet.
Try this simple trick to make this page remove itself whenever it is
displayed. You will however still receive a error message telling you that you
could not connect to the site.
All you need to do is to edit the file: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\BLANK.HTM
until it looks like this:
<html>
<head>
<title>Microsoft Internet Explorer</title>
</head>
<body>
<script language="JavaScript">
window.close("blank.htm", "Microsoft Internet Explorer")
</script>
</body>
</html>
Increasing Viewing Space
To get more viewing space in for web browsing, just go to Options and uncheck
Text labels and Links.
Click OK then highlight the bottom of the toolbars and shift them up.
Changing the Directory for the Internet Explorer Cache
By default, the Internet Explorer creates four directories Cache1-4
where it places all the HTML pages, graphics, AVI's etc that you view
If you want to move this location or even have only one cache that points to a
directory of your choice:
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion
/ Internet Settings / Cache / Path / Path1-4
- Change the value of the paths to a single location or any location of your
choice
- You can even just have PATH1 and delete the other three
- The next time you start the Internet Explorer, the cache files will only
be placed in the directories of your choice
This can be useful if you want to delete the files often. You can then just
delete the files in the single directory
Changing the Title Bar of the Internet Explorer
By default, the title bar on the Internet Explorer says Microsoft
Corporation Internet Explorer
To change this to the text of your choice:
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Internet Explorer / Main
- Change the value of the string Window Title to be the new text you
want displayed
Changing the Internet Explorer, Mail and News Bitmap
If you want to change the bitmap that is in the upper right hand corner:
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \
Toolbar
- Make a new String Value named BrandBitmap
- Give it a value of the BMP file you want to use
- You can include the full path
- The size should be approximately 32x32 but the tool bar will grow to
accommodate the size
- This will change the bitmap that is used for Internet Explorer, Internet
Mail and Internet News
Using Other Mail Packages with Internet Explorer
To change the Internet Explorer to use another e-mail package than Exchange
when sending mail:
- Open a Folder
- Select View / Options and then File Types
- Go to URL:MailTo Protocol
- Click on the Edit button
- Highlight Open and click on the Edit button again
- Under Application used to perform action: enter the path and
program for your e-mail application
- You may need additional switches depending on your e-mail program
- If you are concerned about going back to Exchange again, copy the existing
setting to a file. You can then paste this back again if needed.
Viewing Drives with IE 3.0
You can go to you hard drive or run applications by typing their path into
the Internet Explorer address bar.
For example try typing C:\ into the address bar and watch what happens. Is this
signs of things to come from IExplorer?
Note from Mihir: - You can also view resources on servers the same way.
For the URL enter a UNC such as \\server\share
Changing your Favorites Location
You might want to change the location where the Internet Explorer looks for your
store Favorite sites.
This can come in useful if you have multiple operating systems (Windows95 and NT
4.0) and want to share
the save set of Favorites or you simply want to have greater control over where
you favorites are stored.
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell
Folders
- Double click on Favorites in the right hand panel
- Enter the new location
- Click on the OK button
- Do the same for the User Shell Folders section a few lines down
- Close Regedit
- Create the directory you just pointed to
- Copy any existing Favorites to that location
- Be sure to include all folders
- Start the Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts
Here are a few IE keyboard shortcuts:
- Alt+Left Arrow - Goes 'Back' to the previous page
- Alt+Right Arrow - Goes 'Forward' to the next page
- Ctrl+D Does immediate 'Add to Favorites' on the current web page
- Ctrl+H - Opens the History folder
- Ctrl+B - Opens the Organize Favorites window
- Ctrl+L - Lets you open a new web page
- Ctrl+N - Opens a new browser window
- Ctrl+R - Reloads the current page
- Ctrl+W - Closes the active Internet Explorer window
Adding IE3.0 Bookmarks to the Start Menu
- Open the taskbar settings menu
- Click advanced.
- Create a new folder named Bookmarks.
- Start Explorer and go to the folder c:\windows\Favorites. This is the
IE3.0 bookmark file.
- Select the Bookmarks and Folders you want in the start menu.
- Select copy.
- Switch back to the Taskbar properties menu and paste to the bookmarks
file.
- If you have a dial-up account and have autodial setup, clicking on a
bookmark from the Start menu will start IE, connect to your provider and
load the page.
Adding Custom Links and Applications to Internet Explorer 3.0 Toolbar
Along the toolbar are several default links, Best of the Web, Today's
Links etc.
To change the URL and description to your preference:
- Start Internet Explorer 3.0
- Select View / Options
- Click on the Navigation tab
- Click on the down arrow by Page
- Select Quick Link #1-5
- In the Name box, type the name you would like to see on the toolbar
- In the Address box, enter the URL. If it is the current page, click
on the Use Current button
- To add an application, simply type in the full path and application. To
run it, click on the button, select Open It and then Yes
- If you have more changes, click on the Apply button
- You will see the change to your toolbar immediately
- Click on the OK button when you are finished
i have another
addition u never would have thought of.
Make one of these links point to a hard drive (C:\, D:\)
When you click on it, you get an Explorer type view of that drive.
He uses it to create folders on the fly to download software into.
Adding your HTML Editor to the Internet Explorer 3.0 Toolbar
You can add your favorite HTML Editor, or any other program, to the Internet
Explorer 3.0 toolbar.
- Open up any folder
- Select View / Options
- Select File Types
- Scroll down until you can select Internet Document (HTML)
- Click in the Edit button
- Under the Actions section at the bottom click on the New
button
- For the Action: type the word Edit
- For the Application used to perform action: you can enter the path
for your application or browse
The next time you start the Internet Explorer 3.0, a Edit icon will be
on the toolbar.
If you selected your HTML editor, when you click on that icon, your editor will
be started and will load the current web page.
Organizing Internet Explorer's Favorites
An easy way to organize all your Favorite web sites is to hold the Shift key
down
while selecting Favorites / Organize Favorites.
This will show you all the sites and folders. It makes it easy to move sites and
create new folders.
Changing the Internet Explorer's ToolBar Background
If you want to change the background on your Internet Explorer 3.0 toolbar:
- Start IE 3.0
- Go to View / Options
- Click on the General tab
- Uncheck Background Bitmap
- Exit the Internet Explorer
- Start Regedit
- Go to HKey_Current_User / Software / Microsoft / Internet Explorer /
Toolbar
- Double-click on Back Bitmap
- Enter the path and filename for the BMP file you want to use
- Re-start Internet Explorer 3.0
Re-Setting Internet Explorer to Save rather than Open Files Downloaded
When you try and download a .EXE file with Internet Explorer, you are
prompted to "Always ask before opening this type of file".
If you uncheck this box, the next time a EXE file is about to be downloaded, you
will not be prompted and the file will automatically be opened.
You also do not see the "Always ask..." box again so you can uncheck
it.
To reset Internet Explorer back again:
- Start Regedit
- Go to Hkey_Classes_Root \ exefile
- Change the EditFlags value from d8 07 01 00 to d8 07 00 00
Turning off the underline of hot links in Internet Explorer 3.0
Internet Explorer 3.0 has no setting for turning off underline of hot links.
It can be done in the registry. In HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\Main
change the value of "Anchor Underline" to "no".
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs
has the URLs which appear when you click the arrow in the Address window.
Starting the Internet Explorer with no initial Start Page
By default, the Internet Explorer always loads a startup page.
This can add time starting the program, especially with a modem.
To start with no Startup Page:
- Open the Registry Editor
- Search for The Internet
- This should bring you to {FBF23B42 ...
- Click on the + signs until you get to Shell / Open / Command
- Double-Click on the (Default) in the right panel.
- Add -nohome after the IEXPLORE.EXE.
- For Example: C:\Program Files\Plus!\Microsoft Internet\IEXPLORE.EXE -nohome
- Restart the Internet Explorer and it will come up to a blank URL.
Keeping Control of URL Bookmarks
- Create Folder called Bookmarks
- Rom the Internet Explorer or Netscape, Right click on a Web
page and select "create shortcut"
- Copy these from Desktop location to Bookmarks folder
- Drop Bookmarks Folder onto Start Button (into Start folder)
- Now you can click on Start and then on Bookmarks and you have alphabetical
list of Bookmarks
If you have any additions or comments, please
