Common Browser Tasks

The following is a list of common tasks for several popular Internet browsers.

Microsoft IE 7 Set up home page Restore default settings Clear private data Enable/disable tabbed browsing Enable/disable pop-up blocker Enable/disable phishing filter Reset security settings Clear proxy settings	Microsoft IE 6 Set up home page Enable/disable pop-up blocker Clear private data Reset security settings Clear proxy settings
	Microsoft IE 5.5 Set up home page
Mozilla Firefox 2 Set up home page Clear private data Enable/disable tabbed browsing Enable/disable pop-up blocker Enable/disable phishing filter Reset security settings Clear proxy settings
Macintosh Safari Set up home page Clear cache Clear history file

Internet Explorer 7

• To set up your home page:
  1. Navigate to the page that you want to use as your home page.
  2. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  3. Click the Use Current button and then click OK.

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• To restore Internet Explorer to its default settings:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Advanced tab.
  3. Press the Restore advanced settings button.
  4. If Internet Explorer is in an unusable state, press the Reset button and click OK. Otherwise, click OK to exit the Internet Options window.
  
  Important:
  The Reset button should be used as a last resort. By pressing the Reset button, you are resetting Interent Explorer to the original settings. This includes disabling any add-on programs you may have added, and deleting temporary files stored by Internet Explorer.

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• To clear your private data:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Delete Browsing History.
  2. The Delete Browsing History window appears. You can delete the following types of information:
  • Temporary Internet Files
  • Cookies
  • History
  • Form Data
  • Passwords
  3. To delete a specific type of data:
  • In the Delete Browsing History window, press the corresponding button for the type of information you want to delete. When the confirmation window appears, click OK.
  4. To delete all private data with one click:
  • Press the Delete All button. When the confirmation window appears, click OK.

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• To enable or disable tabbed browsing:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. In the Tabs section, click the Settings button.
  3. Press the Restore advanced settings button.
  4. To enable or disable tabbed browsing, select or deselect the Enable Tabbed Browsing check box. Click OK.
  5. Close and restart Internet Explorer.

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• To enable or disable the pop-up blocker:
  1. From the Tools menu, highlight Pop-up Blocker.
  2. Depending on your current pop-up blocker setting, you'll see one of the following menu items:
  • Turn On Pop-up Blocker
  • Turn Off Pop-up Blocker
  3. Select the appropriate menu item to either enable or disable the pop-up blocker.

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• To enable or disable the phishing filter:
  1. From the Tools menu, highlight Phishing Filter.
  2. Depending on your current phishing filter settings, you'll see one of the following menu items:
  • Turn On Automatic Web Site Checking
  • Turn Off Automatic Web Site Checking
  3. Select the appropriate menu item to either enable or disable the phishing filter. Click OK.

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• To reset your security settings:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Press the Reset all zones to default level button.
  4. Click the Privacy tab.
  5. The default setting is medium. If your current setting is medium then click OK to close the window. Otherwise, press the Default button and then click OK.

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• To clear your proxy settings:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Connections tab.
  3. Press the LAN Settings button.
  4. To clear your proxy settings, uncheck the Use a proxy server for your LAN check box.
  5. Click OK twice to exit the Internet Options menu item.

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Internet Explorer 6

• To set up your home page:
  1. Navigate to the page that you want to use as your home page.
  2. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  3. Click the Use Current button and then click OK.

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• To enable or disable the pop-up blocker:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Privacy tab.
  3. To enable or disable the pop-up blocker, select or deselect the Block Pop-ups check box. Click OK.

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• To clear your private data:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. The General tab window appears. There are several areas where you'll need to clear settings.
     • To delete cookies:
       • Press the Delete Cookies button and click OK.
     • To delete the temporary files that Internet Explorer stores on your computer:
       • Press the Delete Files button and click OK.
     • To delete the history folder:
       • Press the Clear History button and click OK.
  3. Click the Content tab.
  4. In the Personal Information section, press the AutoComplete button.
  5. The AutoComplete Settings window appears. There are two areas where you can clear settings.
     • To delete data you've entered into web forms
       • Press the Clear Forms button and click OK.
     • To delete passwords that are currently stored in Internet Explorer:
       • Press the Clear Passwords button.
  6. Click OK three times to exit the Internet Options menu item.

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• To reset your security settings:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. If the Internet icon near the top of the tab window is not highlighted, click the Internet icon.
  4. Press the Default Level button and click OK.
  • Your security settings are reset to the default settings that were in place when you first installed Internet Explorer 6.

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• To clear your proxy settings:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Connections tab.
  3. Press the LAN Settings button.
  4. To clear your proxy settings, uncheck the Use a proxy server for your LAN check box.
  5. Click OK twice to exit the Internet Options menu item.

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Internet Explorer 5.5

• To set up your home page:
  1. Navigate to the page that you want to use as your home page.
  2. From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  3. Click the Use Current button and then click OK.

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Firefox 2

• To set up your home page:
  1. Navigate to the page that you want to use as your home page.
  2. From the Tools menu, select Options. (For Macs: From the Firefox menu, select Preferences.)
  3. Make sure that the Main tab is highlighted, if it is not then click Main.
  4. Select Show my home page in the When Firefox starts box if it's not already selected.
  5. Click the Use Current Page button.
  6. Your browser has been set to always open to the current page you just selected.

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• To clear your private data:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Clear Private Data.
  2. Select the checkbox for each item that you want to be deleted.
     • Important: If you select the Saved Passwords checkbox, make sure you have all your saved passwords written down or saved to a safe place outside of your browser.
  3. Click the Clear Private Data Now button.

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• To enable or disable tabbed browsing:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Options. (For Macs: From the Firefox menu, select Preferences.)
  2. Click Tab.
  3. In the New pages should be opened in field, choose the appropriate option to either enable or disable tabbed browsing:
     

     a new tab	Enables tabbed browsing by opening web links in another tab in the browser.
     a new window	Disables tabbed browsing by opening web links in another browser window.

     
     

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• To enable or disable the pop-up blocker:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Options. (For Macs: From the Firefox menu, select Preferences.)
  2. Click the Content tab.
  3. Select or deselect the Block pop-up windows check box to either enable or disable the pop-up blocker. Click OK.

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• To enable or disable the phishing filter:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Options. (For Macs: From the Firefox menu, select Preferences.)
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Select or deselect the Tell me if the site I'm visiting is a suspected forgery check box to either enable or disable the phishing filter. Click OK.

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• To reset the security defaults:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Options. (For Macs: From the Firefox menu, select Preferences.)
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. To reset the security defaults, select the following fields:
     • Warn me when sites try to install add-ons
     • Tell me if the site I'm visiting is a suspected forgery
     • Remember passwords for sites
  4. Click OK.

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• To clear your proxy settings:
  1. From the Tools menu, select Options. (For Macs: From the Firefox menu, select Preferences.)
  2. Click the Advanced tab.
  3. Click the Network tab.
  4. Click the Settings button.
  5. To clear the proxy settings, select Direct connection to the Internet or delete all the proxies and ports under Manual proxy configuration. Click OK.

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Safari

• To set up your home page:
  1. From the menu, choose Safari and select Preferences.
  2. Select the General tab.
  3. In the Home page field, type the web site address that you want to set as your home page. Click OK.
  4. The next time you open Safari, it opens to the home page you selected above.

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• To clear your cache:
  1. From the menu, choose Safari and select Empty Cache.
  2. A confirmation message appears asking if you are sure you want to empty your cache.
  3. Select Empty.

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• To clear your history file:
  1. From the menu, choose History.
  2. Select Clear History.
  3. Your history file is deleted.

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