Internet Explorer

Please note that the illustrations below are taken from Internet Explorer v5, your version may differ slightly.

The Menu Bar
This contains various command menus, the most important of which are replicated as icons on the Toolbar. Particularly useful is the Favourites menu. Favourites are web pages that you will have previously bookmarked so that you can easily return to them without having to retype the web address. Click on the Favourites menu to choose from a list of bookmarked sites and, when at a site you wish to bookmark, click the Favourites menu and select Add to Favourites.

The Toolbar
The icons on the Toolbar are shortcuts to items in the Menu Bar and enable you to quickly navigate the World Wide Web. Below is an explanation of some of the icons:

	Allows you to return to your previous web page. Clicking on the small arrow on the right of the icon reveals a drop-down list of pages just visited.
	After using the Back button, the Forward button becomes active. Allows you to click forward to a page again after using the Back button.
	Stops the current web page from downloading.
	Refreshes or reloads the current web page. Sometimes a browser will display a frequently visited page from its cache. Clicking Refresh ensures that you are receiving the most current page from the server.
	Takes you to your designated home page. Click on the Tools menu and select Internet Options. Under the General tab you will see a section titled Home Page. Type in the URL of any web site and this will become your designated home page.
	Opens a frame on the left-hand side of your screen from which you can search the web. For more details see Searching for Information. To close, click the cross at the top of the frame or click the Search button again.
	Opens a frame on the left-hand side of your screen that displays your list of Favourites. Click on any of these to see the relevant web page displayed in the main browser window.
	Opens a frame on the left-hand side of your screen that displays the URL of every web page visited over the last few weeks. Useful reference if you have visited a site but cannot remember the address - and also to check where the kids have been surfing on the web!

The Location Bar
This displays the web address (URL) of the current web page. To visit a web site, type in the URL here and hit the Enter key or click Go at the right of the Location Bar.

Contents: World Wide Web

Skill Check: World Wide Web