Microsoft Internet Explorer

Introduction to using Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 6.0)

This page refers to an older version of Internet Explorer.  Many of the same functions are available in newer versions.

Menu Choices
These are indicated by a ">" character. For example, "File > Print Preview" means to click on the word "File" in the Menu bar, then on the "Print Preview" option.

Connecting to a Website

• Click inside the “Address" box
• Type in an Internet address (called a URL or "Universal Resource Locater")
• Example: http://cma.ca/or just cma.ca

Reading an Internet Address

• Protocol: http:// (can usually be omitted)
• Domain name: cma.ca (name of the host computer)
• High-level domain: ca (may designate a country or type of organization)
• Folders: follow the domain name, separated by slashes (/)
• File Name: the last element in the address – default value is "index.htm" or "default.htm"

Extrapolating Information from an Internet Address (advanced)
http://ruralnet.ab.ca/medinfo/index.htm

• Click on the file name above to open the page in a new window
• Erase "index.htm" from the address and press enter
• The same file will reappear, because "index.htm" is the default page in the directory
• Then erase "medinfo/index.htm"
• This will take you to the Alberta Rural Net home page
• Use this technique to find related files on any website
• On some sites, access to higher-level pages may be denied
• This is a good way to find additional information about a website and it's sponsors

Viewing a Website

Scrolling

• Arrow Keys: move one line up or down
• Scroll bars: the size of the elevator bar is a clue to the size of the current page
• Page Up, Page Down (recommended for novices)
• Control-Page Up: jump to the top of a page
• Control-Page Down: jump to the bottom of a page

Viewing in a New Window

• Right click on a link (instead of the usual left click)
• Useful for returning to a page that is slow to load
• Some links may be pre-set to open in a new window
• Return to the previous page by selecting the icon on the windows task bar (bottom of screen)

Menu Bar

The Menu Bar is located at the top of the program display. It contains the words "File", "Edit", "View" and "Help", plus other program-specific options. Click on "Help" to display the related pull-down menu.

Help Menu

Contents & Index

• This is the program's built-in user manual

About Internet Explorer

• Provides the version number of the program

Keyboard Shortcuts (advanced)
Enter "keyboard shortcuts" as a search term in the Contents Search Window. Right-click on the text, then select "Print" from the pop-up menu. This reference page may save you hours of Internet browsing.

Explore the Help Files (advanced)

• Search for topics of interest while the instructors are helping the novices.
• Read the "Tip of the Day" hints

File Menu

Print

• Advanced print controls not available from the Toolbar Print button.
• Print selected pages of a document
• Print multiple copies
• In the Health Sciences lab, a printer "credit card" is necessary (contact instructor)

Send

• Send a copy of a web page to a colleague (or to yourself) by e-mail
• Uses the computer's default e-mail program
• In the Health Sciences lab, this is Netscape Messenger

Print Selected Text (advanced)

• Print text that has already been highlighted on a page

Page Setup (advanced)

• Select Landscape mode (11 x 8.5) to print pages that are wider than Portrait mode (8.5 x 11)
• Change page margins (affects all future printing until changed)

Edit Menu

Find in Page (Control-F)

• Use to search for a word or phrase in the current website
• Rather than scroll through the entire page

Highlighting (advanced)
Before coping or pasting, text must be highlighted, either by clicking and dragging or by clicking at the start and shift-clicking at the end of the desired text.

Copy (advanced)
Copy selected text to the Windows Clipboard, then Paste it to into another computer program.

Paste (advanced)
Paste information from the Windows clipboard. Can be used when filling in forms.

Select All (Control-A) (advanced)

• Highlight all the text on the page
• Before Copy and Paste operations

View Menu

Toolbars (advanced)
Click on a toolbar name (Standard, Address, or Links) under the "Toolbars" option to remove an unused toolbar and make more room for the main display. Click on it again to make the toolbar re-appear.  

Customize (advanced)
The "Customize" option lets you control which tools appear in the "Standard Toolbar".

Favorites

Favorites Menu (advanced)
An Internet address is called a "Uniform Resource Locator" or URL.

Add To Favorites (advanced)
To save the URL of the current page, click on "Favorites", then on "Add To Favorites". To return to a saved URL, click on "Favorites", then on the website name in the displayed list.

Organize Favorites (advanced)
If you have saved a large number of addresses, use the "Organize Favorites" option to group related links into folders.

History (advanced)
The History button gives fast access to all the websites that you have visited in the last three weeks, even if you haven't saved them as favorites.

Tools

Change Home Page (advanced)
Use the Tools > Internet Options > General path to change the "home" page displayed when you start Explorer. If you have a slow Internet connection, you can save loading time by selecting the "Use Blank" option.

Standard Toolbar

The "Standard Toolbar" contains frequently used tools, such as the "Forward" and "Back" buttons. If you don't understand the purpose of any button, look it up in the Help files.

Forward & Back Buttons

• Move forward or back in the list of pages visited during the most recent session
• Display a list of websites visited during the most recent session

Print Button

• Prints one copy of the current page or frame
• For additional print controls, use File>Print

Recent Pages (advanced)

• Small arrows next to the Forward and Back buttons
• Display a list of websites visited during the most recent session

Favorites (advanced)

• A selected list of favorite websites
• The "Links" sub-directory is a list of the sites displayed in the "Personal Toolbar"

Address Toolbar

Address Toolbar
This toolbar displays the URL of the current page and a small picture (or "icon") associated with that address. To visit a new website, type the URL into the window, then click on "Go" or press the Enter key.

Links Toolbar

Links (advanced)
When you first use Explorer, the Links toolbar contains shortcuts selected by Microsoft. You can replace these with your own choices. To place an address on the Links toolbar, click on the icon in the Address window and drag it onto the toolbar. Right-click on the link to delete it, or to rename it to a short abbreviation. If you don't see the Links menu, click on View > Toolbars > Links. A check mark will appear beside the toolbar name. If you see the word "Links" in another toolbars, click on the word "Links", then drag the toolbar down to display the complete toolbar.

Additional Resources

Web Search Guide
Basic & advanced; An excellent online tutorial about using Internet Explorer

Microsoft Explorer Website
Basic & advanced; Microsoft's tutorial website