http://malektips.com/web_browsers_help_and_tips.html Tips, tricks, and technical support for a variety of web browsers. Topics include browser customization and optimization, increasing security, adjusting default search engines, keyboard shortcuts, and more. en-us Thu, 4 Dec 2008 21:02:06 GMT Thu, 4 Dec 2008 21:02:06 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Custom webmaster@envprogramming.com (Andrew Malek) webmaster@envprogramming.com (Andrew Malek) http://malektips.com/graphics/logo_88x30.gif http://malektips.com/web_browsers_help_and_tips.html 88 30 http://malektips.com/firefox_0016.html If security restrictions require accessing the Internet through a proxy server, here's how to configure Mozilla Firefox to do so.

For security reasons, if you access the Internet through a proxy server, you need to configure Mozilla Firefox with the correct settings, else you may not be able to access web sites, FTP servers, and the like through your web browser.

1. Click "Tools" - "Options"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 4 Dec 2008 21:02:06 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0016.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0021.html Force Mozilla Firefox to save downloaded files to a folder of your choosing.

Normally, Mozilla Firefox will attempt to save files downloaded from the Internet to the Desktop. If you'd rather store files in a folder of your choosing, perform the following tip:

1. First, either find or create the folder where you want downloads to be stored....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 3 Dec 2008 21:10:53 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0021.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0047.html Use the "IE Tab" add-on to see webpages rendered via Internet Explorer.

Do you access online banking and other applications that were not written to support Mozilla Firefox? Or, are you a website designer and tired of switching between Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox to see how webpages look in the different browsers? Wouldn't it be convenient if you could view your websites inside one browser, yet have tabs that show how the same page renders differently, one in Firefox and one in Internet Explorer?

(Note that most extensions are from third party developers. Installation and use of extensions are solely at your own risk.)...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 2 Dec 2008 16:10:11 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0047.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0006.html Search Yahoo, Ask, Technorati, or other search engines directly from Mozilla Firefox.

In Mozilla Firefox, if you type in a search query in the textbox next to the "G" (near the top of the browser window) and press ENTER, Firefox will query the Google search engine for your search terms. You can either click on this textbox or press Ctrl + K to switch the cursor to this box.

However, you can change this option to search other engines, including:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:53:20 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0006.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-prevent-automatic-image-resizing.html Keep Internet Explorer 7 from automatically resizing large images.

By default, when viewing large images in Internet Explorer 7, the browser will attempt to resize the images down so they fit in your browser window. This way you can view an entire image without having to use the scroll bar.

Though many people appreciate this automatic feature, others would rather see images, such as photos, in full detail. Thus, this setting can be disabled....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:57:48 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-prevent-automatic-image-resizing.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0025.html For privacy reasons, clear the list of files you download in Mozilla Firefox, or prevent it from recording this list altogether.

As you download files in Mozilla Firefox, the Download Manager (accessible via "Tools" - "Downloads") records a list of these files. This way, you can easily find and open files recently downloaded from websites, especially useful if you download files to multiple folders and forget where you place them.

For privacy reasons, especially if you share your computer with others, you may want to clear this list. Or, you may not ever want to keep a record of these files in the browser. ...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:49:46 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0025.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0013.html Disable Java support in Firefox if you are concerned about applet security.

Java Applets are used in many webpages to display charts and graphs, navigational elements, games, or other interactive features. While Java applets are supposedly safer than ActiveX Controls due to a "sandboxing" mechanism that keeps applets from running trusted code or damaging the system, it is possible that this sandbox may have exploitable holes. See Secunia's 7/9/08 Sun Java JDK/JRE Advisory for an example of this.

Because of possible security violations, you may choose to turn off Java support in Mozilla Firefox at the expense of accessing features on certain websites....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:14:21 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0013.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0029.html For privacy reasons, prevent Mozilla Firefox from remembering text entered into web page forms and search queries.

Depending on your Mozilla Firefox configuration, information you key in certain web page forms and the Search Bar may be stored. When you perform searches, Firefox can remind you of these previous searches and let you re-perform the same queries. Also, when you access webpage forms with similar form element names such as "First Name" or "City", Firefox can display the information you typed on the same or similar forms, possibly saving some typing.

While these features may be convenient, they may cause privacy concerns, especially if more than one person uses your computer. Thus, if you want to disable storing form and Search Bar information:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:27:02 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0029.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-prevent-storing-passwords.html Prevent Internet Explorer 7 from storing user names and passwords entered into webpages, and delete passwords already stored.

Internet Explorer 7, depending on how it is configured, may automatically store user names and passwords you enter in web pages, or it may prompt to do so. This way you don't have to remember such information if you frequently revisit the same sites.

Unfortunately, this storage of usernames and passwords is a potential privacy and security risk. Thus, if you are comfortable remembering your passwords, you may wish to disable this feature....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:03:11 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-prevent-storing-passwords.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0014.html To enhance your privacy, you may wish to disable Mozilla Firefox's website history.

By pressing Ctrl + H or selecting the "History" menu, Mozilla Firefox displays a list of your most recently visited websites. While many find this useful in that they can quickly go back to a recently-viewed website if they forgot its URL, others may be concerned about privacy.

If you want to disable browser history altogether, first prevent Firefox from recording new history items, then clear its list of previously-recorded browser history. To do so:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:28:50 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0014.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-default-browser.html Configure your computer to run Internet Explorer when applications need to access webpages.

If you have installed other web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari for Windows, you may have set one of these browsers to be the default browser Windows opens when applications access webpages.

Whether this was done deliberately or accidentally, you may later decide to make Internet Explorer 7 the default browser. This may be useful if you often visit websites that do not display correctly on other browsers....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 10 Nov 2008 16:03:30 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-default-browser.html http://malektips.com/safari-open-new-window-configure.html Configure what Safari displays when opening a new window.

By default, when opening new browser windows from within Safari for Windows, your home page is reloaded in the new windows. Depending on your preferences, you might rather have a blank page, the same page, or your bookmarks loaded instead of redisplaying the same information.

1. Choose "Edit" - "Preferences"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 5 Nov 2008 21:14:17 GMT http://malektips.com/safari-open-new-window-configure.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-print-background-colors-images.html Toggle whether Internet Explorer 7 should print webpage backgrounds and colors.

Depending on your configuration, when printing webpages from Internet Explorer 7, if webpages contain background colors or images, these colors/images may not be printed. This is to help reduce toner required when printing webpages, as well as to reduce print time.

You may, however, want more realistic-looking printouts with these background colors and images printed. If so, this setting can be toggled:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Wed, 5 Nov 2008 19:31:07 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-print-background-colors-images.html http://malektips.com/safari-open-links-applications.html Determine whether applications open websites in new Safari windows or new tabs.

Depending on your configuration, when applications request to display web pages, Safari for Windows may open these pages in new browser windows or new tabs in the current browser window. You may want a new window opened to grab your attention, or you may wish new tabs to be opened to help keep the Desktop uncluttered.

1. Choose "Edit" - "Preferences"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:28:41 GMT http://malektips.com/safari-open-links-applications.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-move-temporary-internet-files.html Choose a different folder to use when storing Internet Explorer 7's Temporary Internet Files.

By default, Internet Explorer 7 stores Temporary Internet (cache) Files in a "Temporary Internet Files" folder inside the user's settings folder. For various reasons you may wish to use a different folder for such files. For example, you may have multiple hard drives or hard drive partitions and want to separate program data from programs files.

1. Click on the "Tools" button in the toolbar, selecting "Internet Options"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2008 15:47:22 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-move-temporary-internet-files.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-smooth-scrolling.html Turn Internet Explorer 7's smooth scrolling on or off.

Depending on your configuration, when you scroll through long webpages in Internet Explorer 7, the scrolling may appear smooth or jerky. Some prefer the look of smooth scrolling; others prefer the slightly faster scrolling speed when this feature is turned off.

1. Click on the "Tools" button in the toolbar, selecting "Internet Options"....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:05:15 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-smooth-scrolling.html http://malektips.com/firefox_0020.html Keep webpages from performing potentially annoying JavaScript tricks when using Mozilla Firefox.

While JavaScript is beneficial for adding interactivity, webpage special effects, form validation, and other features to webpages browsed in Mozilla Firefox, you may find some websites that use JavaScript performing potentially-annoying tasks. These may include animating your status bar text, changing the size of browser windows, or raising and lowering windows.

If you'd like to keep JavaScript enabled but prevent it from performing some of these 'features', try this tip:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2008 19:23:49 GMT http://malektips.com/firefox_0020.html http://malektips.com/google-chrome-keyboard-shortcuts.html Useful keyboard shortcuts for the Google Chrome web browser.

For those who dislike constantly switching from the keyboard to the mouse when browsing and searching the web, Google Chrome supports a wide array of keyboard shortcuts, including some used by other browsers. These include:

Alt + Left Arrow: Previous page ...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:27:12 GMT http://malektips.com/google-chrome-keyboard-shortcuts.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-send-link-email.html Found an interesting website? Let your friends know via e-mail.

Found an entertaining, informative, or useful website while browsing the web with Internet Explorer 7 and wish to share it with your friends, family, or officemates?

If you use client-based e-mail software such as Outlook 2003 or Outlook Express, Internet Explorer makes this easy....

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:47:09 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-send-link-email.html http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-find-text-webpage.html Search for desired text in the current webpage. Also perform case-sensitive and whole word only searches.

When viewing search engine query results, you might come across a webpage that, at first glance, does not seem to contain your desired search term.

If you're unable to find desired text in a particular webpage, Internet Explorer 7 has a "Find" dialog box you can open to search for text. To open it, either:...

Read more at MalekTips.]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:31:53 GMT http://malektips.com/internet-explorer-7-find-text-webpage.html