Internet Explorer Tips resources directory for programmer and webmasters

First find out if you can connect to the Internet. Just trying to use a web browser is not the best test.
Try pinging a site by both IP and NAME

If pinging by IP works, then you have a connection to the Internet and the Winsock registry entries are probably ok.
If pinging by IP works but by NAME doesn't, then likely you have DNS problem.

If you can't ping by either one, then you may have corrupted Winsock registry entires.

The basic steps are to:

Delete the corrupted Winsock registry entries
Import clean ones
Reboot the computer

For All Operating Systems - Remove the old registry entries

Import the clean registry file for your particular operating system

Hyperlinks Not Working

There have been several instances where the previous tip using regsrv32 does not solve the problem with hyperlinks not working.
In this case try:

Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Programs tab
Click on the Reset Web Settings button

If you click on a hyperlink in a web page and only a blank window appears,

Go to Start / Run
Then enter regsvr32 urlmon.dll
Click Ok when finished
If that single change does not resolve the problem, repeat the process by running the following additional entries:

regsvr32 Shdocvw.dll
regsvr32 Msjava.dll
regsvr32 Actxprxy.dll
regsvr32 Oleaut32.dll
regsvr32 Mshtml.dll
regsvr32 Browseui.dll
regsvr32 Shell32.dll (Windows XP and Windows 2000 only)

Organizing the Links Toolbar with Folders

Normally, the only items that can be displayed in the Links toolbar are links to web sites.
For me, I have so many it stretches across the entire screen and adding more doesn't work too well.
But there is a way you can create folders for different categories of sites on the toolbar.
Then you can put many pages into each one.
Also, pages with long NAMEs don't take up all that extra room.

With Internet Explorer running press Ctrl-B
Scroll down to the Links folder
Click the Create Folder button
Give it whatever NAME you want for a particular category
You can drag any current pages into the appropriate directories at this time as well

Re-Setting Internet Explorer to Save rather than Open Files Downloaded

You might also try opening up the Windows Explorer

Go to Tools / Folder Options / File Types
Scroll down to the file Extension want to change
Click on the Advanced button
Check Confirm after download

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

Removing Unwanted Toolbar Items

If you have items in your Internet Explorer toolbar you would like to remove:

Run Regedit

Delete keys in these possible locations are:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Toolbar
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\MenuExt

Deleting the INDEX.DAT file (Windows2000, XP)

The INDEX.DAT file keeps a record of all the web sites you have visited.
Normally you can't simply delete this file since it is protected by the operating system.
However, there is a way:

Close all running applications
Open a command window (CMD.EXE)
Go to to C:\Documents and Settings\userNAME\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\CONTENT.IE5 (where userNAME is the replaced by your current login NAME)
Start the Task Manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc)
Click on the Processes tab
Select EXPLORER.EXE and click on End Process
The screen will be blank except for the command window
Delete the INDEX.DAT file
Go back to the Task Manager
Do File / Run / Explorer and the desktop will be back

With a Batch File

Since it would be cumbersome to manually change directories each time,
it would be very simple to create a two line batch file to do this automatically.
For the example it will be the C:\index.bat file

CD C:\Documents and Settings\%userNAME%\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\CONTENT.IE5
Del index.dat

Open up a CMD window to the C:\ directory
Start the Task Manager (Ctrl-Shift-Esc)
Click on the Processes tab
Select EXPLORER.EXE and click on End Process
Run INDEX.BAT
Go back to the Task Manager
Do File / Run / Explorer and the desktop will be back

Once you learn how do this, it only takes about 30 seconds to delete the file.

Automatically Clearing the Temporary Internet Files

You can have Internet Explorer automatically clear your Temporary Internet Cache files every time you close the program.

Go to Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Advanced button
Scroll down almost to the bottom and check Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed

Seeing When a Web Page Was Last Updated

You can easily determine when a web page was last updated.

Open up the page you want.
Enter javascript:alert(document.lastModified) in the Address bar

Note: You only need a java capable browser

This can be done with a single click by adding it to the Links toolbar.

While javascript:alert(document.lastModified) is in the Address bar, click on the "E" logo next to the page TITLEin the address bar and drag and drop it onto the Links bar.
To reNAME it just right-click on the TITLEin the Links toolbar.

To use this without all the typing each time:

Open C:\Windows\Favorites folder in Explorer
Copy (you must copy, NOT make a new shortcut) any existing shortcut in that folder.
Paste it back to the same (C:\windows\favorites) directory
Right click it, click properties, in the URL: box put in your tip javascript:alert(document.lastModified)
Then reNAME it, I NAMEd it Date Info.
That's it, it's always there in Favorites when you want it.

Repairing/Adding Components to IE6

Added 11/23/02

To repair (or add features to IE6)

Make sure you have the source files from the same location they were installed
Do a Start / Run / rundll32 setupwbv.dll,IE6Maintenance
You will then be given the options to Add a Component or Repair

View Source Code Not Working

If when you try to view the source of any web page, notepad does not start,
try removing any shortcuts to the program on the desktop.

IE Toolbar Restrictions

To create restriction on the ability to edit the toolbar

Start Regedit

Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\Explorer

Create a DWORD key of SpecifyDefaultButtons and give it a value of 1

To remove a button from the toolbar,
create additional DWORD keys with a value noted below

Key	Value	Effect
Btn_Back	2	Back button and menu item.
Btn_Forward	2	Forward button and menu item.
Btn_Stop	2	Stop button and menu item.
Btn_Refresh	2	Refresh button and menu item.
Btn_Home	2	Home button and menu item.
Btn_Search	2	Search button and menu item.
Btn_History	2	History button and menu item.
Btn_Favorites	2	Favorites button and menu item.
Btn_Media	2	Media button and menu item. [Only available with IE 6]
NoBandCustomize	1	No adding or removing menu or toolbars.
NoToolbarCustomize	1	Customizing the toolbar.

IE Restrictions

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Restrictions
Add a DWORD with a NAME of:

NoBrowserBars	Disable changes to browsers bars.
NoBrowserClose	Disable the option of closing Internet Explorer.
NoBrowserContextMenu	Disable right-click context menu.
NoBrowserOptions	Disable the Tools / Internet Options menu.
NoBrowserSaveAs	Disable the ability to Save As
NoFavorites	Disable the Favorites.
NoFileNew	Disable the File / New
NoFileOpen	Disable the File / Open
NoFindFiles	Disable the Find Files
NoSelectDownloadDir	Disable the option to change download directory
NoTheaterMode	Disable the Full Screen view
NoOpeninNewWnd	Disable Open in New Window
NoViewSource	Disable the ability to view the page source HTML.
NoNavButtons	Disables the Forward and Back buttons
NoPrinting	Remove Print and Print Preview from the File menu.
AlwaysPromptWhenDownload	Always prompt user when downloading files.

Give it a value of 1 to turn on the restriction
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Toolbars \ Restrictions
Create a DWORD with a NAME of :

	NoToolbarOptions       Disables adding, removing, or moving toolbars.

Give it a value of 1 to enable this restriction.

Closing Multiple Windows

If you go to web sites that open up multiple windows,
Pressing the Ctrl-W keys seems to work better than Alt-F4

View Favorites on the Desktop

You can create a window on your desktop that will display your Internet Explorer Favorites

Start / Run / iexplore -channelband

Internet Explorer Keyboard Shortcuts

Viewing and exploring Web pages

F1	Display the Internet Explorer Help, or when in a dialog box, display context help on an item
F11	Toggle between Full Screen and regular view of the browser window
TAB	Move forward through the items on a Web page, the Address bar, and the Links bar
SHIFT+TAB	Move back through the items on a Web page, the Address bar, and the Links bar
ALT+HOME	Go to your Home page
ALT+RIGHT ARROW	Go to the next page
ALT+LEFT ARROW or BACKSPACE	Go to the previous page
SHIFT+F10	Display a shortcut menu for a link
CTRL+TAB or F6	Move forward between frames
SHIFT+CTRL+TAB	Move back between frames
UP ARROW	Scroll toward the beginning of a document
DOWN ARROW	Scroll toward the end of a document
PAGE UP	Scroll toward the beginning of a document in larger increments
PAGE DOWN	Scroll toward the end of a document in larger increments
HOME	Move to the beginning of a document
END	Move to the end of a document
CTRL+F	Find on this page
F5 or CTRL+R	Refresh the current Web page only if the time stamp for the Web version and your locally stored version are different
CTRL+F5	Refresh the current Web page, even if the time stamp for the Web version and your locally stored version are the same
ESC	Stop downloading a page
CTRL+O or CTRL+L	Go to a new location
CTRL+N	Open a new window
CTRL+W	Close the current window
CTRL+S	Save the current page
CTRL+P	Print the current page or active frame
ENTER	Activate a selected link
CTRL+E	Open Search in Explorer bar
CTRL+I	Open Favorites in Explorer bar
CTRL+H	Open History in Explorer bar
CTRL+click	In History or Favorites bars, open multiple folders

Using the Address bar

Press this	To do this
ALT+D	Select the text in the Address bar
F4	Display the Address bar history
CTRL+LEFT ARROW	When in the Address bar, move the cursor left to the next logical break (. or /)
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW	When in the Address bar, move the cursor right to the next logical break (. or /)
CTRL+ENTER	Add "www." to the beginning and ".com" to the end of the text typed in the Address bar
UP ARROW	Move forward through the list of AutoComplete matches
DOWN ARROW	Move back through the list of AutoComplete matches

Working with favorites

Press this	To do this
CTRL+D	Add the current page to your favorites
CTRL+B	Open the Organize Favorites dialog box
ALT+UP ARROW	Move selected item up in the Favorites list in the Organize Favorites dialog box
ALT+DOWN ARROW	Move selected item down in the Favorites list in the Organize Favorites dialog box

Editing

Press this	To do this
CTRL+X	Remove the selected items and copy them to the Clipboard
CTRL+C	Copy the selected items to the Clipboard
CTRL+V	Insert the CONTENTs of the Clipboard at the selected location
CTRL+A	Select all items on the current Web page

Restoring Ability to Save Graphics as JPGs

If your Internet Explorer no longer allows you to save graphics as JPGs

Go to Tools / Options
Click on the Advanced tab
In the Security section at the bottom, uncheck Do not save encrypted pages to disk

Another solution may be to delete all your Temporary Internet files as well

Quickly Access the Address Bar

To quickly get to the Address Bar, simply press the Alt-D key

Removing IE Menu Items

If you want to remove items on the Tools Menu, possibly those left over by uninstalled applications:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions
Delete any of the keys you don't want to show

Download Source Files for All Operating System Versions of IE6

Normally when you install IE6, you only download the source files for the particular Operating System on that particular computer.
If you would like to download the source for all versions of Windows (Win98, ME, NT4, Windows2000 and WindowsXP),

Download just the setup file: http://cws.internet.com/redir/http://download.microsoft.com/download/IE60/fnlrtw/ ie6/W98NT42KMe/EN-US/ie6setup.exe to a directory.
For example C:\IE6_FULL
Then do a Start / Run
Enter in the following command (with the quotes):
"C:\IE6_FULL\ie6setup.exe" /c:"ie6wzd.exe /d /s:""#E"
You will then get a dialog box with what operating systems you want to download and the folder where you want them to go.

Changing Cookies Settings

To change how the Internet Explorer deals with cookies:

Start Internet Explorer
Go to Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Privacy tab
Click on the Advanced button
From here you can select your cookie settings.

Changing the Internet Explorer Start Page

To change your start page:

Go to a web page that you want to have as your initial page when you start IE
Select Tools / Internet Options
In the Home page section, simply click on the Use Current button

If your home page keeps getting reset to some other site, likely there is a program running when you first turn on your computer.

Run MSCONFIG to see what programs are starting automatically and uncheck any that look suspicious.
You can also see my section on Stopping Applications from Starting Automatically

Automatically Empty Temporary Internet Files

To have the Internet Explorer automatically delete files in the Temporary Internet Files folder:

To go Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Advanced tab
Scroll down to the Security section
Check Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed

Speeding Up IE If No Proxy Server is Installed

If you don't have a proxy server on your computer, you can speed up how long Internet Explorer takes to load.

Go to Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Connections tab
Click on the LAN Settings button
Uncheck Automatically detect settings

Disabling Script Debugging

If you want to disable Internet Explorer's displaying windows when there is a script error on a page,

Start Internet Explorer
Go to Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Advanced tab
Under the Browsing section, check Disable script debugging and uncheck Display notification about every script error

Restoring the Default Window Size in Internet Explorer

If the default size of Internet Explorer is not what you want,

Start Regedit
Go to HKey_Current_User / Software / Microsoft / Internet Explorer / Main
Delete or reNAME the key Window_Placement
Restart IE

Changing the Default Sound in Internet Explorer

You can change the default sound heard when opening new pages in the Internet Explorer.

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ AppEvents \ Schemes \ Apps\ Explorer \ Navigating\ .current
Change the default value to the wav file you want to use.
Leaving it blank will turn off the sound.
This also changes the default sound when navigating to folders in the Explorer.

Removing a Branded Logo from IE

If a vendor has replaced the normal Internet Explorer spinning logo with their own,
it is very easy to set it back to the default without editing the registry directly.

Go to Start / Run
Enter in rundll32 iedkcs32.dll,Clear
Now start up your browser and the spinning logo will be back to the default.
If the logo keeps getting replaced, see the Tips / Application tips section on Stopping Applications from Starting Automatically

Using Your Own Style Sheet for All Web Pages

If you want Internet Explorer to use your own style sheet for formatting:

Select Tools / Internet Options
Click on the Accessibility button
Check Format documents using my style sheet
Browse to the location of the style sheet you want to use

Internet Explorer Control Panel Restrictions

Start Regedit
Create the following key if it is not already there:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Control Panel
Under this key create any of the following strings to enable the restrictions you want.
A value of 1 will enable the restriction
Remove the string to disable it

Accessibility = Accessibility settings
Advanced = Advanced settings
AdvancedTab = Advanced tab
Autoconfig = Autoconfig settings
Cache = Cache settings
CalendarContact = Contact settings
Check_If_Default = Check if IE default browser setting
Connection Settings = Change Connection Type
Certificates = Certificates settings
CertifPers = Personal Certificates settings
CertifSite = Certificates Publishers settings
Colors = Colors settings
Connection Wizard = Ability to run the Connection Wizard
ConnectionsTab = Connections tab
Connwiz Admin Lock = Connection Wizard administrative lockout
CONTENTTab = CONTENT tab
Fonts = Fonts settings
FormSuggest = Forms suggest setting
FormSuggest Passwords = Passwords suggest setting
GeneralTab = General tab
History = History settings
HomePage = Home Page settings
Languages = Languages settings
Links = Links settings
Messaging = MS Messaging settings
Profiles = Profiles settings
ProgramsTab = Programs tab
Proxy = Proxy settings
Ratings = Ratings settings
ResetWebSettings = Reset web settings
SecAddSites = Security Add sites settings
SecChangeSettings = Security changes
SecurityTab = Security tab
Settings = Settings boxes
Wallet = MS Wallet settings (IE 5.xx and newer)

Not Being Prompted for Download Folder

If you are not being prompted for a location to download a particular file type,
this is typically due to the Always ask before opening this type of file check box being cleared.

To reset it again:

Start the Explorer (Not Internet Explorer)
Select Tools / Folder Options
Click on the File Types tab
Go to the extension you want to change (zip, exe etc.)
Click on the Edit button (W2K click on the Advanced button)
Make sure the Confirm Open After Download box is checked

Displaying the Internet Connection Wizar

If you want Internet Explorer to display the Internet Connection Wizard again:

Open Regedit
Go to this key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Connection Wizard\Completed
Set the value to 0

Moving Backward or Forward with the Wheel Mouse

You can rapidly go Backward or Forward in your IE Browser by holding down the Shift key while moving the mouse wheel.
This saves moving your mouse up and clicking on the Back or Forward buttons.

Most folks already know the keyboard shortcuts by holding down the Alt key and hitting the left and right cursor keys to effect the same thing.

Automatic Entry of WWW and COM

Internet Explorer can automatically fill in the www and com part of a url. Just type in middle part and CTRL+Enter

Forgotten the CONTENT Advisor Password

If you set a password for the CONTENT Advisor and can't remember it,
the following steps will help you remove it:

Start Regedit
Go to H_KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Policies/Ratings
Delete the entry called Key

Downloading More than Four Files at a Time

Normally you can only download four files at a time with Internet Explorer.
To increase that to as many as you want:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion \Internet Settings
Change the MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server to whatever number you want
Change the MaxConnectionsPerServer to whatever number you want

Getting and Explorer View of Your Internet Favorites

If you want to see an Explorer type of window of your Internet Favorites,
hold the Shift key down will selecting Favorites / Organize Favorites.

This will show all your favorites and can make it easier to move them around

Disabling the Ability to Add or Remove IE's Toolbars

Normally you can add or remove IE's Toolbars (Standard Button, Address Bar, Links etc)

To disable the ability to add or remove these toolbars

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_USERS \ .DEFAULT \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Toolbars \ Restrictions
Create a DWORD value called NoToolbarOptions
Give it a value of 1

Now, although you can change what is on the toolbars themselves, you can add or remove any.

Specifying the Default Download Directory in Internet Explorer

To specify the default download directory for the Internet Explorer

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_USERS \ .DEFAULT \ Software \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer
Add a String value called Download Directory
For it's value, enter in the Directory where you want your downloaded files to go

Disabling the Ability to Change the Default Download Directory

If you want user's not to be able to change the Default Download Directory

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_USERS \ .DEFAULT \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft \ Internet Explorer \ Restrictions
Create a DWORD value called NoSelectDownloadDir
Give it a value of 1

Note: On my Win98 with IE5 this also didn't allow me to download any files.
System Administrators might want to include that as part of their configuration.

Clearing Internet Explorer's AutoComplete Entries

If you want to clear all the entries that show up from past searches, web entries etc.

Start IE
Go to Tools / Internet Options / CONTENT / AutoComplete
Click on the Clear Forms button
If you want to disable this in the future, uncheck any of the boxes that apply

Starting Internet Explorer in Full Screen Kiosk Mode

You can create a shortcut that will start the Internet Explorer in Kiosk mode.
There are no menu's and all commands need to be entered though keystrokes (eg Ctrl-O to open)

Right click on an open area of the desktop
Select New / Shortcut
For the Command enter "C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -k
Give it any NAME you want

Creating Hidden URL Shortcuts

If you want to create shortcuts to your favorite URLS but don't want them to show in your Favorites folder:

Start Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES / Software / Microsoft / InternetExplorer / AboutURLs
Add String Values with the shortcut NAME you want to use
Give them the value of the URL you want the shortcut to go to
Then from the Internet Explorer, simply type about:shortcut_NAME

Easy Way to Scroll Through Web Pages

An easy way to scroll through web pages is with the spacebar.

The spacebar will scroll down a page
Shift-spacebar will scroll up a page

Internet Explorer Repair (IE5)

With IE5 there is a way to do a repair in case the installation has gotten corrupted.

Go to the Control Panel
Open up Add/Remove Programs
Select Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 and Internet Tools
Click the Add/Remove button
Check Repair Internet Explorer
Click on the OK button

Quick Way to Change the Security Settings (IE5)

To changing the Security Settings in IE5, simply double-click on the bottom right corner of the status bar.
Your security settings pop-up.

Importing and Exporting Favorites and Cookies with IE5

With IE5 you can now import your Favorites and Cookies
Just select File / Import and Export
The Import/Export Wizard will come up on the screen. Just click on the Next button
Then just select what you want to do.
It will Export or Import from a single file

IE 5 Link Tips

In IE5 you can use the tab key to scroll through links on a page, then hit the Enter key to open the link.
You can also right-click a link, then choose to open it in a new window.
You can also right-click a down-loadable file and select save target to to start the download.

Adding a History Icon to your Desktop (IE5)

Right-click on an open area of the desktop

Select New / Folder.
Type the NAME, as shown: History.{FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}
The icon will be replaced by the History icon.

Changing Internet Explorer 5.0 Settings

You can change some of the default IE5 settings from the Tools / Internet Options / Advanced / menu

Some of the items include:

Enable Page Transitions - Can speed up page display if turned off
Notify when downloads complete
Print background colors and pictures
Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed

Removing Lost IE Supervisor Password

If you forgot your Supervisor Password for the Internet Explorer, you can remove it by:

Starting Regedit
Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ Current Version \ Policies
Delete the Ratings key

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", 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 toorganizing 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 TITLEBars

To change the IE TITLEBar:

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 TITLEBar

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 Mic