Customize Internet Explorer

Customize Internet Explorer


Open Internet Explorer to a Blank Page

Create a new Desktop shortcut

In the command line, (highlight and paste the below)
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" -nohome

Name the shortcut: (example) IE Blank
From now on you can paste a saved URL without loading your ISP software, etc.

You can also drag this shortcut into your Quick Launch area.
Note: this is the same as setting your Home Page to: "about:blank"
Ad-Aware users, setting your page to "About:Blank" causes a false CWS detection.  

SendTo Tip

Add Internet Explorer to your SendTo folder

Start - Run (type) "sendto" (no quotes) File - New - Shortcut (XP only)

In the command line, (highlight and paste the below - including quotes)
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE"

Note: IE supports opening: .gif, jpg, htm, html, .txt, ico, etc.

Windows Vista users will need to navigate to the following location:
Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\SendTo
[or]
Start | Run (type) shell:sendto (click Ok)

Right-click in the right pane and select: New > Shortcut
In the command line, (highlight and paste the below - including quotes)
"C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE"

Fast Printing web pages without images

Create a one line .css file [example] "NoImages.css", copy the below line to Notepad and Save As: NoImages.css. Open Internet Options | General tab | Accessibility button, place a check in "Format documents using my style sheet", click OK.

Code:
IMG { display: none !important;}

The next time you want to print the contents of a web page but don't want to waste the time and ink printing all the ads, banners, etc. just Toggle the above option on\off.

Note: there is no need to restart IE as this trick works on the fly.

Protecting Your Internet Explorer
Lately there has been a rash of incidents where either a web site or email spam has contained a hidden javascript that changes your Home Page entry, then disables the users ability to change it back. To prevent this from happening ... be one step ahead of these characters. Set your Home Page then disable the ability to change it via a Registry restriction. It is also recommended you use a Startup Monitor. Be aware that in some cases this method does not work as some of these parasites will re-write the registry entries on each restart. However a "Startup Manager" will prompt you if your setting are being changed.

HKCU_Hide_HomePage.reg (Current User) 
HKCU_Undo_HomePage.reg (Current User)


To download: Right-click the above link(s) and select: "Save Target As".
To use: right-click and select: Merge (to view: open in Notepad)


Note: this restriction can apply in 2 locations, the Registry checks the HKLM location first, then the HKCU location. The HKLM takes precedence and applies to all users. The HKCU applies to just the "Current User". 

If your HomePage gets hijacked, you may need to "undo" both locations.
Note: XP Pro already has the ability to make these changes via the Group Policy Editor. If the HomePage restriction has been applied by an Administrator, "Limited Users" can not make this change. Start | Run (type) gpedit.msc

Resize your IE Cache size (XP)

By default IE reserves 10% of your drive space for the Temporary Internet Files. This was fine several years ago but since then the hard drive capacities have increased dramatically. If you happen to have one of these large disks the 10% is truly unnecessary and wasteful.

• Close all instances of Internet Explorer and Outlook Express
• Control Panel | Internet Options | General tab
• Click Settings and move the slider to 50 mb, click Ok
• Click Delete Files and also select: "Delete all offline files", click Ok
• Click Clear History, click Ok, Apply/Ok 

Note: While viewing Newsgroup messages Outlook Express dumps a series of zero-byte files into the browser cache. When Outlook Express is closed it fails to cleanup these files. To delete these zero-byte files you must select the above option  "Delete all offline files".

TIFF Image Viewer

AlternaTIFF is a web browser add-on (ActiveX control or plug-in) that displays most of the common types of TIFF files.

Spell Checker for Internet Explorer

Editors Note: has an option to integrate the database from other spell checkers.

Agent Ransack (freeware) File searching software (XP only)
This is not a replacement to Microsoft's built-in Search Utility, it's just much faster!