# Microsoft Internet Explorer preferences settings

You can customize Microsoft Internet Explorer by changing your preferences settings. To change your preferences settings, click Preferences on the Explorer menu.

You can change the following settings:

## Web Browser

Browser Display
Toolbar Settings
Toolbar Style | Click to change the button style of the Button Bar.
Show ToolTips | Displays on-screen descriptions of buttons when the pointer pauses on them.
Use Address AutoComplete | Completes addresses you previously visited as you type them in the Address box.
Home Page
Address | Type the address of the Web page you want to appear each time you start Internet Explorer and when you click Home on the Button Bar.
Use None | Displays a blank page each time you start Internet Explorer. If you select this option, the Home button on the Button Bar is unavailable.
Use Default | Displays the default home page each time you start Internet Explorer and when you click Home on the Button Bar.
Automatically go to this Home Page when opening a new window | Displays your home page each time you open a new window.
Keyboard Accessibility
Tab to each item on web page | Enables you to move forward through all elements on a Web page, such as links, text boxes, and pop-up menus, by pressing TAB. If you select this option, press OPTION+TAB to move forward only through text boxes on a Web page.
Tab to just text fields | Enables you to move forward only through text boxes on a Web page by pressing TAB. If you select this option, press OPTION+TAB to move forward through all elements on a Web page, such as links, text boxes, and pop-up menus.

Web Content
Page & Link
Text | Click to change the color of text in Web pages, if no color has been specified by the Web page author.
Background | Click to change the background color of Web pages, if no background color or image has been specified by the Web page author.
Read Links | Click to change the color of links you have already visited, if no color has been specified by the Web page author.
Unread Links | Click to change the color of links you have not visited, if no color has been specified by the Web page author.
Underline links | Underlines link text, unless “no text decoration” has been specified by the Web page author.
Page Content
Show pictures | Displays images included on Web pages. Clear this check box to hide images and display pages more quickly.
Animate GIFs | Plays animations included on Web pages. Clear this check box to hide animations and display pages more quickly.
Allow Looping | Plays animations repeatedly, if the animation has been designed to repeat. Clear this check box to prevent animations from repeating.
Show style sheets | Displays Web pages by using the formatting definitions in the style sheet specified by the Web page author.
Use my style sheet | Displays Web pages by using the formatting definitions in a style sheet you specify.
Select Style Sheet | Click to select the style sheet you want to use to display Web pages.
Play sounds | Plays background sounds included on Web pages. Clear this check box to prevent background sounds from playing and to display pages more quickly.
Show frames | Displays Web pages that use frames.
Use ColorSync™ | Displays JPEG images and HTML colors by using the color profiles they specify, if ColorSync is installed on your computer.
Page specify fonts | Displays text in Web pages by using the fonts specified by the Web page author, rather than the fonts you specified in the Language/Fonts preferences panel. Clear this check box to always use the fonts you specified.
Page specify colors | Displays text, links, and backgrounds on Web pages by using the colors specified by the Web page author, rather than the colors you specified in the Page & Link area. Clear this check box to always use the colors you specified.
Active Content
Enable scripting | Allows Internet Explorer to run JavaScript or JScript scripts embedded in a Web page.
Show scripting error alerts | Displays an alert when an error occurs in a script.
Enable plug-ins | Allows Internet Explorer to load plug-ins.

Language/Fonts
Language
Preferred Languages list | Lists your preferred languages for Web pages in order of priority.
Move Up | Moves the selected language up in the list.
Move Down | Moves the selected language down in the list.
Add | Click to add a language to the list.
Delete | Deletes the selected language from the list.
Fonts and Size
Size | Click to change the size of text in Web pages.
Resolution | Click to change the screen resolution setting used for displaying text in Web pages.
Default Character set | Click to change the character set used for displaying Web pages, if no character set has been specified by the Web page author.
Proportional (default) | Click to change the default font used for displaying text in Web pages. Internet Explorer applies this font if no fonts have been specified by the Web page author or the specified fonts are unavailable.
Sans-serif | Click to change the sans-serif font used for displaying text in Web pages. Internet Explorer applies this font if the fonts specified by the Web page author are unavailable and the sans-serif generic font has been specified.
Serif | Click to change the serif font used for displaying text in Web pages. Internet Explorer applies this font if the fonts specified by the Web page author are unavailable and the serif generic font has been specified.
Monospace | Click to change the monospace font used for displaying text in Web pages. Internet Explorer applies this font if the fonts specified by the Web page author are unavailable and the monospace generic font has been specified.
Cursive | Click to change the cursive font used for displaying text in Web pages. Internet Explorer applies this font if the fonts specified by the Web page author are unavailable and the cursive generic font has been specified.
Fantasy | Click to change the fantasy font used for displaying text in Web pages. Internet Explorer applies this font if the fonts specified by the Web page author are unavailable and the fantasy generic font has been specified.

Subscriptions
Check For Changed Sites
Manually | Checks subscriptions and tracked auctions for changes only when you choose and never automatically. To check subscriptions and tracked auctions manually, click Update Subscriptions on the Favorites menu.
Each time Explorer is launched | Checks subscriptions and tracked auctions for changes each time you start Internet Explorer.
Every __ | Checks subscriptions and tracked auctions for changes according to this schedule. To change the schedule, type a new value in the box, and then click the time interval you want.
When A Site Has Changed
Play a sound | Plays this sound when a subscription or tracked auction has changed. To change the notification sound, click a sound on the pop-up menu.
Display an alert | Displays a message when a subscription or tracked auction has changed.
Flash Explorer’s Icon | Flashes the Internet Explorer application icon when a subscription or tracked auction has changed.
Send e-mail | Sends a notification message to the e-mail address you specify when a subscription or tracked auction has changed.
Use the current mail address | Sends the notification message to the e-mail address you specified in the General preferences panel.
Use a custom address | Sends the notification message to the e-mail address you specify here. Type the e-mail address you want the notification message sent to.

Java
Java Options
Enable Java | Allows Internet Explorer to download and run Java applets by using the Java Virtual Machine (VM) installed on your computer.
Alert on exception | Displays a message when an error occurs in a Java applet.
Log Java output | Saves output text from Java applets. To view this output text, click Java Messages on the View menu.
Log Java exceptions | Saves error messages that occur in Java applets. To view these error messages, click Java Messages on the View menu.
Class Paths
Class Paths list | Lists paths to folders that contain the class files you want the Java Virtual Machine (VM) to load.
Add | Click to add a path to a folder that contains class files you want the Java Virtual Machine (VM) to load.
Change | Click to change the selected path.
Delete | Removes the selected path from the Class Paths list.
Security Options
Byte-code verification | Click to change how the Java Virtual Machine (VM) verifies Java applet bytecodes.
Network access | Click to change network access permissions for Java applets.
Restrict access to non-Java class files | Prevents Java applets from accessing files that are not essential to running the applet, and prevents applets from reading, creating, or modifying files on your hard disk.

Interface Extras
First click on the address field
Selects all the text | Selects all of the text in the Address box when you click the box.
Places the insertion point | Places the insertion point at the position you click when you click the Address box.
When another app asks IE to go to a page
Open a new browser window | Opens the destination of a link in a new window when you click a link in another application.
Use the front browser window | Opens the destination of a link in the active window when you click a link in another application.
New browser windows
Start with toolbars expanded | Expands the toolbars automatically when you open a new window.
Use the current default | Uses the same toolbar setting as the active window when you open a new window.

Security
Alerts
When entering a page that is secure | Displays a message when you visit a Web site that is secure.
When entering a page that is not secure | Displays a message when you visit a Web site that is not secure.
Before submitting a form that is not secure | Displays a message when you’re about to submit information in a Web form to a Web site that is not secure.
Before submitting a form through e-mail | Displays a message when you’re about to submit information in a Web form by e-mail.
Certificate Authorities
Certificate Authorities list | Lists certification authorities. A check mark next to a certification authority indicates that you trust the authority and want Internet Explorer to use the authority when verifying the certificates it receives.
Reset To Defaults | Restores and trusts certification authorities that have been removed from the list, and deletes the certificate password.
Set Password | Click to specify a password that prevents others from changing your ceritificate settings.
View | Click to get more information about the selected certification authority.
Delete | Removes the selected certification authority from the list. If you visit a Web site that uses a certificate issued by a deleted certification authority, Internet Explorer displays a message warning you that the site uses an unknown certificate.

Security Zones
Zone | Click to view or change the security settings for a zone.
Security zone
Add Sites | Click to add or remove a site from the selected zone.
High (most secure) | Notifies you about all potential security problems for Web sites in the selected zone. This setting also prevents you from downloading potentially unsafe content.
Medium (more secure) | Warns you about potential security problems for Web sites in the selected zone. You can then choose whether to download potentially unsafe content.
Low (least secure) | Downloads all content from Web sites in the selected zone — including potentially unsafe content — without warning you.
Custom (for expert users) | Uses custom security settings for the selected zone.
Settings | Click to enter custom security settings for the selected zone.

Ratings
Ratings Settings
Enabled | Turns ratings on. When ratings is on, Internet Explorer displays only rated Web pages that meet the ratings criteria you specify.
Disabled | Turns ratings off.
Change Password | Click to specify a password that prevents others from changing your ratings settings.
Ratings Services list | Lists rating services and the content levels you want to allow for each content category.
Add Service | Click to add a ratings service to the list.
Remove Service | Removes the selected ratings service from the list.
Options | Click to allow others to see restricted or unrated content or to specify a ratings bureau.

Advanced
History
Remember the last __ places visited. | Type the maximum number of links to Web sites you've visited that you want to save in the History list.
Clear History | Removes all items from your History list.
Cache
Once Per Session | Checks for updated content only if you return to a Web page you visited in a previous Internet Explorer session. If the page has changed, Internet Explorer displays the newer version of the page and stores a copy in the cache.
Never | Displays Web pages you previously visited by downloading their content from the Web.
Always | Checks for updated content each time you return to a Web page. If the page has changed, Internet Explorer displays the newer version of the page and stores a copy in the cache.
Size | Type the amount of hard disk space you want to allocate to the cache.
Empty Now | Marks all Web pages stored in the cache “expired.” If you empty the cache, Internet Explorer automatically downloads a Web page you previously visited the next time you visit the page, even if the page has not changed.
Change Location | Click to choose a new location for the cache.
Connections
Support multiple connections | Allows Internet Explorer to connect to more than one server at the same time.
Max connections | Click to change the maximum number of connections to the Internet.
Show server messages | Displays error messages from servers you’re trying to connect to or are already connected to.
Offline Browsing
Automatically connect to the Internet if a page is not cached | Allows Internet Explorer to connect to the Internet automatically if you’re working offline and you click a link to a page that’s not stored on your computer.

## Forms AutoFill

Forms AutoComplete
Forms AutoComplete
Enabled | Turns Forms AutoComplete on. When Forms AutoComplete is on, Internet Explorer suggests possible matches as you type in a field on a Web page.
Disabled | Turns Forms AutoComplete off. When Forms AutoComplete is off, Internet Explorer does not suggest possible matches as you type in a field on a Web page.
Forms AutoComplete Entries list | Lists words or phrases you frequently type in fields on Web pages and have added to this list. When Forms AutoComplete is on, Internet Explorer searches this list and displays possible matches as you type in a field on a Web page.
Add | Click to add an entry to the list.
Change | Click to edit the selected entry.
Delete | Removes the selected entry from the list.

AutoFill Profile
AutoFill Profile
First name | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Last name | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Middle initial | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Organization | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Home phone | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Work phone | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
E-mail address | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Street address | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
City | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
State | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Zip code | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.
Country | Type the information you want to provide in a matching field on a Web form when you click AutoFill on the Button Bar.

## Receiving Files

Download Options
Download Folder
Change Location | Click to select the location in which you want to save downloaded files.
Download Destination
Always download files to the download folder | Saves downloaded files in the download folder you specified.
Always use download location from appropriate file helpers | Saves downloaded files in the folder you specified for the assigned helper application.
Download Manager Options
Maximum number of concurrent downloads | Click to change the number of files you want Internet Explorer to download simultaneously.
Immediately remove items after they have been downloaded | Removes files from the list of downloaded files in the Download Manager window after they have been downloaded.
Remember the last __ completed downloads | Tracks the files you’ve downloaded in the Download Manager window. Type the maximum number of files you want to see in the list of downloaded files.
Automatically decode MacBinary files | Allows Internet Explorer to decompress downloaded MacBinary files automatically. Clear this check box if you want the assigned helper application to decompress these files, rather than Internet Explorer.
Automatically decode BinHex files | Allows Internet Explorer to decompress downloaded BinHex files automatically. Clear this check box if you want the assigned helper application to decompress these files, rather than Internet Explorer.

File Helpers
File Helper Settings
File Helpers list | Lists descriptions and extensions of file types and their assigned helper application. The underlined column heading indicates the list’s sort order. To change the sort order, click a different column heading.
Add | Click to add a file type to the list and assign a helper application to the file type.
Change | Click to assign a different helper application to the selected file type.
Delete | Removes the selected file type from the list.

Cookies
Cookie Settings
Cookies list | Lists the cookies saved on your hard disk and their status. The underlined column heading indicates the list’s sort order. To change the sort order, click a different column heading.
Delete | Removes the selected cookie from the list and from your hard disk.
View | Click to get more information about the selected cookie.
Decline Cookies | Changes the status of the selected cookie to disabled. A disabled cookie remains on your hard disk, but cannot be read by the Web site that sent it.
Accept Cookies | Changes the status of the selected cookie to enabled.
When receiving cookies | Click to change how Internet Explorer receives cookies.

## Network

Protocol Helpers
Protocol Helper Settings
Protocol Helpers list | Lists protocols and their assigned helper application. A check mark indicates that you want Internet Explorer to handle the protocol, rather than the assigned helper application, if possible. Clear the check mark to use only the assigned helper application when handling a protocol. The underlined column heading indicates the list’s sort order. To change the sort order, click a different column heading.
Add | Click to add a protocol to the list and assign a helper application to the protocol.
Change | Click to assign a different helper application to the selected protocol.
Delete | Removes the selected protocol from the list.

Proxies
Use Proxy Servers
Web Proxy | Enables proxy settings for accessing Web servers outside of your local network. Type the address of your proxy server in the Web Proxy box, omitting the "http://" prefix. To enter additional settings for the proxy server, click Settings. This information is provided by your network administrator.
Use Web Proxy for all | Enables your Web proxy settings for accessing all types of servers outside of your local network.
Bypass Web Proxy for FTP | Connects to FTP servers outside of your local network without going through a proxy server.
Secure Proxy | Enables proxy settings for accessing secure servers outside of your local network. Type the address of your proxy server in the Secure Proxy box, omitting the "http://" prefix. To enter additional settings for the proxy server, click Settings. This information is provided by your network administrator.
Mail Proxy | Enables proxy settings for accessing e-mail servers outside of your local network. Type the address of your proxy server in the Mail Proxy box, omitting the "http://" prefix. To enter additional settings for the proxy server, click Settings. This information is provided by your network administrator.
Gopher Proxy | Enables proxy settings for accessing Gopher servers outside of your local network. Type the address of your proxy server in the Gopher Proxy box, omitting the "http://" prefix. To enter additional settings for the proxy server, click Settings. This information is provided by your network administrator.
Bypass proxies for these host addresses | Type the addresses you want to connect to directly without going through a proxy server. Use a comma or a space to separate multiple addresses.

Site Passwords
Password Settings
Site Passwords list | Lists Web sites for which Internet Explorer is storing your user name and password. The underlined column heading indicates the list’s sort order. To change the sort order, click a different column heading.
Change | Click to edit the stored user name and password for the selected Web site.
Delete | Removes the stored user name and password for the selected Web site.

## E-mail

General
Personal Settings
Real name | Type the name you want to appear in the From field of your outgoing messages.
E-mail address | Type your e-mail address.
Sending Mail
SMTP host | Type the address of your outgoing e-mail server. This information is provided by your Internet service provider or network administrator.