Microsoft Internet Explorer
Internet Explorer iStart Toolbars
[Edited 05/13/04 ADA Copyright Symbol The Garlic Press]
(Home and school sites may vary slightly from this documentation)
Web Introduction Browsing Basics Netscape Explorer
Internet Explorer (version 6.0 is the new version) can be downloaded free from Microsoft.

Basic Browser Functions for Explorer

  1. Starting Explorer
  2. Browsing with Explorer Links
  3. Searching for a topic
  4. Using Bookmarks
  5. Setting Preferences (includes proxy filters)
  6. Quitting Explorer
  7. Browser Shortcuts
Starting Explorer: Find the Explorer program on your computer.
In CSUB Labs
CSUB PC-Lab
(may vary from example)
(1) Start Internet Explorer.  In the CSUB labs, double click, the Communications folder: 
Communications Icon
(2) Double click Internet Explorer in the Communications window 
Communications Folder
AT HOME: On most home computers "Internet Explorer" can be found by clicking the Start button, drag across Programs to Internet Explorer and release the mouse button.
     
Macintosh-Lab
(may vary from example)
(1) Open the server disk by double clicking the Server Disk icon on your screen: 
Server Disk

(2) Double click the Applications icon in the window that opens 

Applications Folder

(3) In the next window double click Communications/Networks. 

Communications/Networks

(4) Double click the Microsoft Internet Explorer folder

(5) Find the Internet Explorer icon and double click 

IInternet Explorer Icon
On CSUB lab computers, the CSUB home page should open (specific startup home pages depend on how the browser was setup). The "Accessing Indicator" will rotate until a connection is made. File names will appear at the bottom left of the window as files are received. computers, the CSUB home page should open (specific startup home pages depend on how your browser was setup). The "Accessing Indicator" will continue to rotate while a connection is made. A blue bar will at the bottom will indicate the progress of the page being downloaded.
Explorer CSUB Home Page
Check out the components of this CSUB home page [home pages are often changed by their owners so the CSUB, home page may not look exactly like this]. Most of these features will appear on all home pages.
Return to Browser Functions
Browsing with Explorer Links
(1) Web pages have hyper links. When clicked hyper links take you to a new location. A hyper link is usually hot text, text, with a distinctive color and usually underlined.  A hyper link may also be a picture with a distinctly colored  border line. I clicked on the "hot text" link,The Walter W. Stiern Library , to link to the CSUB library home page
CSUB Library Home page: http://www.lib.csubak.edu/
CSUB Library Home page: http://www.lib.csubak.edu/

(2) I could return to the CSUB home page by clicking the back, back button, button at the  left of the browser tools. I could type in a search term (computers, people, etc.) to receive a list of links to library pages containing that term or I could click CSUB Home Page  to return to the CSUB home page. I could also browse around the library web site by clicking the choices.

That's pretty much the way you can browse around the net starting from any home page.

(3) You can return to the home page for your browser by clicking the home, Home Button, function key (the home page for your browser can be set to any web site)

Return to Browser Functions
Searching for a topic
(1) First click on the search, Search Button, button in Explorer's tool bar. A search frame will open to the left side of the main browser window. Type in your search term. I typed in "Bakersfield" and clicked the Search key.
Search Box

Keep the default search engine selection or choose one of the search engines listed when you click IE Customize Search, MSN, Yahoo, Excite, etc.). Click the Search button to start the search. The output from search engines vary, but they typically attempt to list the most web site guesses for your search topic in clickable links. Try different engines to see how they work. Check out the other tutorials on the internet for more information on how to make searching the web easier and faster.

At heavy net use times, 9-5 work hours (don't forget the other time zones), you may on occasion have connection difficulty when performing a search. For help improving searching skills, check:

http://www.csubak.edu/~jross/classes/GS390/Internet/WEB_SEARCHING/WebSearch.html
Return to Browser Functions
Using Bookmarks (Microsoft calls them Favorites)
Bookmarks are web addresses you frequently go to. You add the address to Explorer's "Favorites" list so that you can go to this site without typing in the URL. To do this

Favorites Menu

(1) Click and hold the Favorites button on the menu bar, then drag the mouse down to "Add to favorites" and click once more. This is very useful for your home computer or a computer used in a classroom.  It is not useful to save favorites in the CSUB labs since Explorer is reloaded each time the computer is started and all saved favorites are lost. You can however, use the favorites listed on the browser in CSUB labs.

(2) You will then see this "Add Favorite" screen.  It will already have the address and title of the web page you are visiting.  You can add it to this page, or create a new folder, Create in>>,  to place similar web pages together in a single folder.

Add Favorite Box

(3) Adding bookmarks to your personal computer is quite simple.

Return to Browser Functions

Setting Preferences
On your personal browser you can set preferences, choices for your;  startup page, email addresses, web page appearances, etc.  The way to get to these choices is by:
 
(1) Choose Internet Options from the Tools Menu Internet Options
(2) Change the startup page by replacing the current page in the Address box
 
 
 

(3) Make changes in Privacy, Security, Mail & Newsgroups (under Programs),.. by clicking the area you want to change on the MenuTabs
 

 Preferences

Return to Browser Functions

Quitting Explorer
(1) Choose Close from the File menu (On the PC you can also click the X at the top right of the browser window)
File menu
Return to Browser Functions
Browser Shortcuts

Function                                                                        PC                                       Mac
Show history (previously visited links                       <ctrl><h>                             <Apple><h>
Find                                                                              <ctrl><f>                              <Apple><f>
 
 

Return to Browser Functions