Internet Explorer 7 Frequently Asked Questions

Internet Explorer 7 is the newest version of the Microsoft web browser.  Microsoft has redesigned Internet Explorer from the ground up, with better security, new capabilities, and a whole new interface.

What's new in Internet Explorer 7?

• Tabbed browsing
  View multiple sites in a single browser window. Easily switch from one site to another through tabs at the top of the browser frame.
• Quick Tabs
  Easily select and navigate through open tabs by displaying thumbnails of them all in a single window.
• Tab Groups
  Tabs can be grouped and saved into logical categories, so you can open multiple tabs with a single click. A Tab Group can easily be set as the Home Page Group so the entire Tab Group opens every time Internet Explorer is launched.
• Streamlined interface
  A redesigned, streamlined interface maximizes the area of the screen that displays a webpage, so you see more of what you need, and less of what you don't.
• Advanced printing
  Internet Explorer 7 automatically scales a webpage for printing, so the entire webpage fits on your printed page. Print options also include adjustable margins, customizable page layouts, removable headers and footers, and an option to print only selected text.
• Instant Search box
  Web searches using your favorite search provider can now be entered into a search box within the toolbar, eliminating the clutter of separate toolbars. You can easily choose a provider from the dropdown list or add more providers.
• Favorites Center
  Get quick and easy access to your Favorites, Tab Groups, Browsing History, and RSS Feed subscriptions. Your Favorites Center expands when needed, and can be anchored in place for even easier access.
• RSS feeds
  Internet Explorer 7 automatically detects RSS feeds on sites and illuminates an icon on the toolbar. A single click on the icon allows you to preview and subscribe to the RSS feed if you want—so you're automatically notified as content is updated. Read RSS feeds directly in the browser, scan for important stories, and filter your view with search terms or site-specific categories.
• Page zoom
  Enlarge individual webpages, including both text and graphics, to either focus on specific content or to make content more accessible to those with vision limitations.

What are the security enhancements in Internet Explorer 7?

• ActiveX opt-in
  Disable nearly all pre-installed ActiveX controls to prevent potentially vulnerable controls from being exposed to attack. You can easily enable or disable ActiveX controls as needed through the Information Bar and the Add-on Manager.
• Security Status bar
  Color-coded notifications appear next to the address bar to make you aware of website security and privacy settings. The Address Bar changes to green for websites bearing new High Assurance certificates, indicating the site owner has completed extensive identity verification checks. Phishing Filter notifications, certificate names, and the gold padlock icon also appear next to the address bar for better visibility. You can easily display certificate and privacy detail information with a single click on the Security Status bar.
• Phishing Filter
  This filter warns you about and helps to protect you against potential or known fraudulent websites, and blocks the sites if appropriate. This opt-in filter is updated several times per hour using the latest security information from Microsoft and several industry partners.
• Cross-domain barriers
  Internet Explorer 7 helps to prevent the script on webpages from interacting with content from other domains or windows. This enhanced safeguard gives you additional protection against malware by helping to prevent malicious websites from manipulating flaws in other websites or causing you to download undesired content or software.
• Delete browsing history
  Clean up cached pages, passwords, form data, cookies, and history, all from a single window.
• Address bar protection
  Every window, whether it's a pop-up or standard window, will show you an address bar, helping to block malicious sites from emulating trusted sites.
• International domain name anti-spoofing
  In addition to adding support for International Domain Names in URLs, Internet Explorer also notifies you when visually similar characters in the URL are not expressed in the same language—protecting you against sites that could otherwise appear as known, trustworthy sites.
• URL handling security
  Redesigned URL parsing ensures consistent processing and minimizes possible exploits. The new URL handler helps centralize critical data parsing and increases data consistency throughout the application.
• Fix My Settings
  To help protect you from browsing with unsafe settings, Internet Explorer 7 warns you with an Information Bar when current security settings may put you at risk. Within the Internet Control Panel, you will see certain critical items highlighted in red when they are unsafely configured. The Information Bar will continue to remind you as long as the settings remain unsafe. You can instantly reset Internet security settings to the "Medium-High" default level by clicking the "Fix My Settings" option in the Information Bar.
• Add-ons disabled mode
  If you have difficulties launching Internet Explorer or reaching specific websites, you can start Internet Explorer in "No Add-ons" mode, where only critical system add-ons are enabled.
   

Why can't I see the menu in Internet Explorer 7?

• To maximize website viewing, the menu is hidden by default. Most menu options can be accessed from the toolbar. To view the menu simply press the Alt key.  Also note that hiding the menu is becoming a new standard in Windows computer interfaces - you will find it in applications such as Media Player and new versions of Microsoft Office which come with Windows Vista.
  
   

What is tabbed browsing and how does this make browsing easier for me?

• Tabbed browsing allows you to manage multiple web sites within one browsing window. To create or open tabs in Internet Explorer 7, click on the empty tab on the Toolbar or right-click on any hyperlink in a web page and choose New Tab. You also can right-click on a tab to refresh each page as an individual tab or refresh all of them as a group, as well as close individual tabs or the entire group.
  
   

What are Quick Tabs?

• Internet Explorer 7 helps manage multiple tabs with a feature called Quick Tabs. Quick Tabs enable you to view thumbnail images of all open tabs in one view. By simply clicking the Quick Tab icon just to the right of the Favourites icon, you can view all open tabs. From the Quick Tabs view, you can open any tab by simply clicking anywhere on the tab image and you can close any tab by clicking the "X" in the far right corner of the image.
  
   

What are RSS feeds and why or when should I use them?

• RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS feeds are a way for website owners to easily distribute a list of headlines, update notices, and content to a wide number of people on the web. Most people are interested in many websites whose content changes on an unpredictable schedule. Examples of such websites are news sites, travel sites, community information pages, medical websites, and weblogs. Repeatedly checking each website to see if there is any new content can be very tedious. With new integrated support for RSS in Internet Explorer 7, you can easily discover, subscribe to and read RSS feeds directly in the browser. You can have personalized sports, news, or shopping feeds delivered directly to you. In Internet Explorer 7, you can read the feed directly in the browser, scan for important stories and get a description of the content. You can also subscribe to a feed with a single click, a process that is very similar to adding a website Favourite.
   

How do I subscribe to an RSS feed in Internet Explorer 7?

• The site you're visiting must offer RSS feeds. Internet Explorer 7 will notify you of a site that offers RSS by illuminating (in red or orange) the RSS feed button on your toolbar. Click the red/orange "RSS" button to see a list of articles that are offered via RSS and subscribe to them by clicking "Subscribe to this feed" in the upper part of the screen. You can see all of the updated content on this site by looking in the Feeds section of your Favourites centre each time you open Internet Explorer 7.
  
  
  
   

I'm having a hard time finding the options I need on the toolbar. Where can I find all the options I use in Internet Explorer 6?

• Internet Explorer 7 was designed to be more streamlined and less cluttered with unnecessary items. The goal was to maximize the screen space devoted to the web pages that you want to view and reduce the toolbar "creep" that can sometimes take up as much as a third of the screen. Most of the options you used in Internet Explorer 6 are still there. The Back and Forward buttons are smaller and have been moved next to the Address Bar. The Windows flag icon in the upper-right corner of Internet Explorer 6 has been removed to make room for the Toolbar Search Box.
  

When I open a new tab, it displays the about:Tabs help page. Now I know about tabs, can I replace this with the University home page?

• Firstly, on the about:Tabs web page there is a Don't show this page again checkbox. If you click this and then click close, when you open a new tab again, it will display a blank page.
  
   
• If, in addition, you follow these steps, then the University home page will be shown instead of a blank page:
      1.  Close all copies of Internet Explorer.
      2.  From the Start button, select Settings then Control Panel.
      3.  Select Internet Options.
           If you don't see Internet Options, select Network and Internet Connections. Then select Internet Options.
      4.  Ensure that the General tab is selected.
      5.  Under Tabs click the Settings button.
          
      6.  Select the Open home page for new tabs instead of a blank page checkbox.
          
      7.  Click OK.
      8.  Click OK.
      9.  Close the Control Panel (or close Network and Internet Connections).
   

Please refer to the following web sites for more information.

• Internet Explorer 7 Tour of new features

• Microsoft's help and support of Internet Explorer 7

• FAQ of CityU WebMail

Maintained and supported by Computing Services Centre
Email: cc@cityu.edu.hk
Last modified:  2008-04-28