Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 Tips #12



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*1. GO HOME         
 
We recently mentioned that you can click the Explorer E icon
 (the E-thing) to navigate to the Microsoft Internet site.
 A couple of subscribers (Fran D., Harry M.) have since pointed
 out to us that many people use a version of Microsoft Internet
 Explorer 4 a third party has issued. If you use a third-party
 version of Microsoft Internet Explorer 4, clicking the icon
 (it will probably no longer be the E-thing) takes you to the
 site that third party has designated.


*2. EASY DELETING         
 
This is another of those tips that never seems to die. Several
 subscribers asked if there is any easy way to delete the
 addresses in the Address Bar without deleting the History. 

Fear not, a solution exists. Some time back, we wrote a REG file
 designed to delete up to 20 addresses. Please remember that REG
 files are potentially dangerous, and that we have no way of
 guaranteeing that the following file will not damage
 your Windows installation. 

To create the REG file, run Notepad and enter the following
 exactly as shown here, except for the line BLANK LINE GOES HERE.
 When you see this command, press Enter to create a blank line. 
 
REGEDIT4 
BLANK LINE GOES HERE  
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs] 
"url1"="" 
"url2"="" 
"url3"="" 
"url4"="" 
"url5"="" 
"url6"="" 
"url7"="" 
"url8"="" 
"url9"="" 
"url10"="" 
"url11"="" 
"url12"="" 
"url13"="" 
"url14"="" 
"url15"="" 
"url16"="" 
"url17"="" 
"url18"="" 
"url19"="" 
"url20"="" 
BLANK LINE GOES HERE  
 
Now choose File, Save As. Choose a folder for storage, name the
 new file Addr.reg, and click Save. Make sure Microsoft Internet
 Explorer 4 isn't running, and double-click the Addr.reg icon to
 run the file. This removes up to 20 current addresses
 from the Registry. 

Good luck!


*3. STATIONERY, ANYONE?         
 
Here is an Outlook Express question from subscriber Pat D.: 

"I recently sent mail (with Outlook Express) to a large group of
 recipients using the Formal Announcement stationery. I found out
 later that many of the recipients couldn't see the stationery
 at all. Am I doing something wrong? Is there something I should
 do to make sure all my recipients can see the stationery I
 decide to use?" 

You probably aren't doing anything wrong, Pat. We gather that a
 number of your recipients did see the stationery. The most
 likely problem is that some of your recipients aren't using
 e-mail programs that allow graphics in the body of the message.
 Besides convincing the others to use your e-mail program, there
 is nothing more you can do to make sure all recipients can
 view the graphics.


*4. FONT BUTTON NOT NEEDED?         
 
Here's a tip from reader Rose G.: 

"I very seldom use the Font button in the Microsoft Internet
 Explorer 4 toolbar, so I decided to see how things would go if
 I deleted it.  

"To delete the Font button from the toolbar, run Microsoft
 Internet Explorer 4 and choose View, Internet Options. When the
 Options dialog box opens, click the Advanced tab. Scroll down
 to Toolbar and deselect the Show Font Button check box. Click
 OK to close the dialog box and save your selection. The next
 time you run Microsoft Internet Explorer 4, you won't have the
 Font button in the toolbar.  

"The fact that you have eliminated the Font button doesn't mean
 you can no longer change the fonts--all you have to do is choose
 View, Fonts and make your selection." 

Thanks for the tip, Rose.


*5. FINDING THE GALLERY         
 
Here is a FrontPage Express-related question from reader Jane F.: 

"I recently started using FrontPage Express to build Web pages.
 I've read about a Microsoft site that includes graphics for
 Web pages. Can you tell me how to locate this site?
 Does it still exist?" 

Unfortunately, the site we mentioned last year no longer exists.
 However, you can probably find what you need at 

http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/default.asp 

It looks like most of the stuff is still available--it's just
 presented in a different way. After you navigate to the
 address above, click Images.


*6. LOOKING FOR NAMES         
 
Reader Lou S. asks this Internet question: 

"I am a college student, and I would like to use the Internet
 for most of my research. But I seem to have trouble finding
 specific names on the Internet. If I enter something like John
 Irving, I get a whole slew of entries for John and more for
 Irving. Is there a way to narrow the initial search so I don't
 get so many responses to look through?" 

There is a simple solution, Lou. Most search engines do a better
 job of finding names if you enclose the name in quotes. For
 example, if you enter "John Irving", you should get a much
 better response. When we tried an autosearch on this,
 Yahoo returned five entries.


*7. CLOSING TIME         
 
Here is a tip from reader Sam D.: 

"You can close all open programs at once using the taskbar.
 All you have to do is hold down the Ctrl key and click the
 taskbar icon of each program you want to close. After you have
 selected all the programs to close, right-click one of the
 selected icons and choose Close from the menu." 

Thanks, Sam.


*8. I'D RATHER USE FRONTPAGE EXPRESS         
 
Here's a FrontPage Express question from reader Susan W.: 

"When I open a folder and choose View, Customize This Folder,
 then select Create Or Edit An HTML Document, Notepad opens.
 Is there any way to tell the system to use FrontPage Express
 in place of Notepad?" 

There sure is, Susan--you can make FrontPage Express your default
 editor for HTML folders when using Active Desktop.
 Here's how to do it.  

Open My Computer and choose View, Folder Options. When the Folder
 Options dialog box opens, click the File Types tab. In the
 Registered File Types list, locate and select the HyperText
 Template. Next click Edit, followed by New. In the Action text
 entry box, type 
 
Edit 
 
Press Tab to move to the Application Used To Perform Action
 entry box and type  
 
c:\program files\microsoft frontpage express\bin\Fpxpress.exe 
 
This is the default location for the file. If you didn't use the
 default location, you'll need to find Fpxpress.exe and enter
 its correct path. After you have entered the full path name for
 Fpxpress.exe, click OK to close this dialog box and continue.
 Back in Edit File Type, click Close. This returns you to the
 Folder Options dialog box. Click Close again to close the
 dialog box and apply your new settings. 

To test your new setting, open any folder and choose View,
 Customize This Folder. When the Customize Folder dialog box
 opens, select the Create Or Edit An HTML Document radio button.
 At this point, FrontPage Express should open and allow you to
 edit the current document or create a new one.


*9. SATELLITE POSITIONS         
 
Kyle R. submitted this Active Desktop suggestion.  

"Want to know where Mir is right now? Or perhaps you'd like to
 see when your favorite Amateur Radio satellite will be in range.   

"If you use Active Desktop, go to   

http://www.pcworld.com/r/tw/1%2C2061%2Ctw-msie40617%2C00.html  

When you get to the Active Desktop Gallery page, click Cool
 Utilities. After the next page opens, click J-Track Satellite
 Tracking. This places a world map on your desktop, showing the
 position of the selected satellites. To change the selections,
 click Config. When the configuration window opens, click the
 arrow at the right side of the Categories list and select the
 group in which your favorite satellite appears. Select the
 satellite you want to see and click Add. After you finish
 adding satellites, click Finish."  

Thanks for the tip, Kyle.


*10. AN EASY WAY?         
 
Here's a question from subscriber Bruce V.: 

"My company recently upgraded from Microsoft Internet Explorer 3
 to Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 (without Active Desktop).
 Is there an easy way to switch graphics off and on in IE 4?
 In IE 3, you could just choose View, Options, and you'd see it
 on the first screen. In IE 4, you have to choose View, Internet
 Options, then click the Advanced tab. Then you have to scroll
 down to Multimedia. Seems like a major step
 backward in usability." 

The steps you described are what you need to do to turn graphics
 on and off in IE 4. Don't forget, though, that you can always
 press the Spacebar to stop graphics from loading when things
 are moving too slowly.  

Good luck!
