Internet Explorer tips
  • Cleaning up Tools menu in IE - look in the Registry, keys are located under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Extensions.
  • Sometimes IE insists on creating a folder Links under Favorites. This folder is undead - no matter how many times you nuke it, it will come back when IE is launched. To get rid of it once and for all, delete the folder and than create an empty file called 'Links' in its place!

  • IE4: Options/toolbar/show fonts button - once button is on the tolbar, you can use it to switch encoding.

  • There's a nasty bug in IE 4 - if you select language other than English as default, Active Setup may break.

    Then when you try to download something from MS site, it will loop forever with a stupid message "The site list is not available at this moment; the server may be busy Would you like to attempt connecting again?"

    Solution - go to View/Internet_Options/Languages and make sure that US English is on top fo the list.

  • To get russian font working in IE4, goto View/Internet Options/Font and pick 'Cyrillic' as default charset. Also, select 'Russian' as 'default language'. Then reload IE.

  • You can significantly speed up browsing of previously viewed pages by forcing them to load from cache: goto View/Options/Advanced/Temporary Internet Files and set 'check for new versions' to "Never". This way page you've visited before will load from cache - you can always click Refresh to check if it's been updated.

  • If you don't want URLs to be stored in the list on top of IE, do not enter them in 'Address:' box. Rather, use key Ctrl-O and type URL there.

  • Want to delete junk URLs acumulated in 'address' dialog ? Goto
    My Computer\HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs and let them have it!

  • When progress indicator jumps back and forth, it means that several images are being loaded.

  • You can drag href to desktop - shortcut is created and named aitomatically.

  • When shortcut text is marked, rclick context menu changes - no longer can you get to properties until you unmark it.

  • Baloon help on forward/backward buttons shows URLs.

  • Option size is supported in <select> form tag - will show that many lines of selection box at once.
    Also, unlike Netscape, IE tries to show as many options as possible when option box is open.

  • To make cyrillic font a default, goto View/Options/Font settings and change "Default" and "Charset" values.

  • Ctrl-H is shortcut for 'open history'.

  • Toolbar/Statusbar toggle can also be done thru control menu.

  • When Internet Explorer's 'file download' dialog is minimized, it occasionally shows number of bytes downloaded on the icon name.

  • Clicking on 'E' icon takes you to MS homepage.