Common Internet Explorer Settings

Most of the configuration options for Internet Explorer are accessed by start- ing Internet Explorer, clicking the Tools button and selecting Internet Options. You can also access them from the Internet Options applet in the Control Panel. The Internet Options dialog box has several tabs, including General, Security, Privacy, Content, Connections, Programs, and Advanced, as shown in Figure 13.1.

FIGURE 13.1 Internet Explorer Options dialog box.

At the top of the General tab, you can configure the home page or the default page that is loaded when you start Internet Explorer. This enables you to have your favorite search engine, news, website, portal, or an organization’s internal website load automatically when you start Internet Explorer. By going to a webpage and then clicking the Use Current button, you make the page that is currently being displayed your home page. You can also configure it to show a blank page. Of course, to make the change take effect, you have to click the Apply or OK button.

Some organizations might configure the organization’s home page as the default home page so that users cannot make changes to Internet Explorer using group policies. Other times, if you are experiencing an unexpected change in the home page, it was most likely caused by visiting a particular website (usually you have to click on Yes to change the website, but that is not always the case), installing a program that changes the Internet Explorer home page, or being infected by a virus or spyware.

Below the home page, you find the section to configure browsing history including how Internet Explorer uses temporary Internet files, which is used as

a disk cache for Internet browsing. When you visit a website, parts of the webpage (such as pictures, sound, and video files) are copied on the system as a temporary Internet file so that on future visits to that site, it loads faster. If you click on the Settings button, you can configure the browser to check for newer versions of the saved page on every visit, every time you start Internet Explorer, automatically, or never. If you need to force Internet Explorer to reload a fresh webpage, you can hold down the Shift key while you click Refresh, or press Shift+F5. You can also click the View Files button to view the temporary Internet files.

You can determine how much disk space you want to use as a cache and where the folder is located that stores the temporary files. If you click on View Files, you open the folder that stores the temporary files so that you can inspect them directly.

History specifies the number of days that Internet Explorer should keep track of your viewed pages in the History list. IE creates shortcuts to pages you viewed in this and previous browsing sessions. If you are low on disk space, you might want to decrease the number. You can also clear your history from here.

The AutoComplete feature remembers previous entries that you made for web addresses, forms, and passwords. When you type information in one of these fields, AutoComplete suggests possible matches. These matches can include folder and program names you type into the Address bar, as well as search queries, stock quotes, or other information that you type in forms on webpages.

CHAPTER 13: Working with Internet Explorer 8.0

Features of Internet Explorer 8.0

To use AutoComplete, start typing the information in the Address bar, in a field on a webpage, or in a box for a user name or password. If you have typed

a similar entry before, AutoComplete lists possible matches as you type. If a suggestion in the list matches what you want to enter in that field, click the suggestion. If no suggestion matches what you are typing, continue typing.

To select AutoComplete settings in Internet Explorer, click Tools and then click Internet Options. On the Content tab, click Settings in the AutoComplete section. You can specify whether you want to use AutoComplete for web addresses, forms, user names, and passwords. You can also clear the history of previous AutoComplete entries. When typing information in web forms, and when typing passwords, you can remove an item from the list of suggestions by clicking the item and then pressing the Delete key.

As shown in Figure 13.2, if you click the Advanced tab, you can configure a wide range of configuration options, including disabling script debugging, enabling folder view for FTP sites, enabling a personalized favorites menu, enabling notification when downloads are complete, enabling automatic image resizing, and playing sounds and videos in webpages. It also has several security features, such as emptying temporary Internet Files when the browser is closed, enabling Profile Assisting, using SSL 2.0 or 3.0 (needed to connect to secure webpages as indicated by https://), warning about invalid site certifi- cates, and warning if a form is being redirected.

FIGURE 13.2 Advanced settings in Internet Explorer.

CHAPTER 13: Working with Internet Explorer 8.0

Common Internet Explorer Settings