Internet explorer 6 for dummies

Table of Contents

Introduction

Why Another Internet Book?

How to Use This Book

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Part I: Preparing for an Internet Exploration

Part II: Embarking on a World Wide Web Adventure

Part III: Getting Connected with Outlook Express

Part IV: Customizing Your Explorations

Part V: The Part of Tens

Glossary

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Preparing for an Internet Exploration

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Internet

What Is This Internet Thing?

The Internet: A Network of Networks

Who Invented the Internet?

The Many Faces of the Internet

The World Wide Web

Electronic mail

Newsgroups

File Transfer Protocol

Instant messages

Chapter 2: Getting Connected with Internet Explorer

You May Already Be on the Internet

If You're Not Already on the Internet

First, You Need a Modem

Or, You Can Take the Cable or DSL Plunge

Next, You Need a Service Provider

Online services

Basic Internet Service Providers

Finally, You Need Internet Explorer

Now You Can Set Up Your Internet Connection

Part II: Embarking on a World Wide Web Adventure

Chapter 3: Pushing Off

Starting Internet Explorer

Making Sense of the Internet Explorer Screen

Exploring the Explorer Bars

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Understanding Web addresses

Going to a specific page

Following the links

Yes, you can go back

There's no place like home!

It's all history now

Refreshing a Page

Stop! Enough, Already!

Working in Full-Screen View

Printing a Web Page

Opting for print options

Laying out your page

Using Print Preview

Changing the Font Size

Saving a Web Page

Finding Text

Exiting Internet Explorer

Chapter 4: Searching the Web

Finding Stuff Fast

Customizing the Search Bar

Searching from the Address Bar

Using Popular Search Services

AltaVista

EuroSeek

Excite

Google

GoTo.com

Lycos

MSN Search

Northern Light

Yahoo!

Chapter 5: Using Internet Explorer Features to Get Around the Web Quickly

Playing Favorites

Adding a Web page to the Favorites menu

Going to one of your favorite places

Using Favorites folders

Organizing your Favorites

Using the Favorites button on the Standard toolbar

Using the Links Toolbar

Accessing the Links toolbar

Adding a link

Removing a link

Chapter 6: Download This!

Downloading Pictures

Saving an image

Using the Image toolbar

Dealing with large pictures

Wallpapering your computer

Using the My Pictures folder

Downloading a File

Dealing with Zipped Files

Working with FTP

Accessing an FTP site

Uploading files

Finding Lost Downloads

Chapter 7: The Media Is the Message

What Is Multimedia?

Pictures

Sounds

Video

Flash

Streaming media

Playing a Sound or Movie

Using the Media Bar

Tune In to the Internet Radio

Chapter 8: Working Offline

Making a Page Available Offline

Viewing Web Pages Offline

Synchronizing Your Offline Pages

Chapter 9: Getting Help While You Explore

Summoning Help

Getting to Know the Help Window

Scanning the Contents

Scanning the Index

Searching for Help Topics

Listing Your Favorite Help Topics

Troubleshooting at Your Fingertips

Getting Help Online

Part III: Getting Connected with Outlook Express

Chapter 10: E-Mailing with Outlook Express

Starting Outlook Express

Sending E-Mail

Checking Your Message for Spelling Errors

Sending Attachments

Using HTML Formatting

Receiving E-Mail

Saving an Attachment As a File

Using the Address Book

Adding a name to the Address Book

Sending a message to someone in the Address Book

Changing or deleting Address Book entries

Working with Address Book folders

Chapter 11: More E-Mail Shortcuts and Tricks

Using Outlook Express Folders

Creating a new folder

Moving messages to another folder

Filtering Your Mail

Using message rules

Blocking senders

Using Stationery

Creating a message with stationery

Setting the default stationery

Creating new stationery

Signing Off with Signatures

Looking Up an E-Mail Address

Creating and Using Mailing Groups

Changing Identities

Reading Mail Offline

Sending and Receiving Secure Messages

Chapter 12: Hotmail: E-Mail for Free!

Why Bother with Hotmail?

Signing Up for a Hotmail Account

Configuring Outlook Express to Use a Hotmail Account

Using Outlook Express to Access Your Hotmail Account

Using Hotmail from the Web

Chapter 13: The Instant Message Connection

Using MSN Messenger

Setting up MSN Messenger

Running MSN Messenger

Adding contacts

Sending an instant message

Receiving an instant message

Gone fishing: Letting your friends know that you're offline

Smiley faces and such

Sending a file

Other MSN Messenger features

Using NetMeeting

Placing a NetMeeting call

Using the NetMeeting chat feature

Drawing on the Whiteboard

Sending a file

Sharing an application

Chapter 14: Accessing Newsgroups with Outlook Express

Introducing Newsgroups

Using Usenet

The Microsoft Public Newsgroups

Accessing Newsgroups

Subscribing to a Newsgroup

Reading Threads

Reading an Article

Replying to an Article

Writing a New Article

Using Stationery and HTML Formatting

Dealing with Attachments

Working Offline

Part IV: Customizing Your Explorations

Chapter 15: Doing It Your Way: Personalizing Internet Explorer

Toiling with the Toolbars

Playing hide-and-seek with the toolbars

Customizing the Standard Buttons toolbar

Tweaking the Internet Explorer Options

Saluting the General options

Serenading the Security options

Primping the Privacy options

Cruising with the Content options

Cajoling the Connections options

Perusing the Programs options

Achieving Advanced options

Changing Your Home Page

Customizing MSN.com

Information you can add

Customizing your home page

Chapter 16: Using the Content Advisor to Make Sure That Your Kids Surf Safely

About Internet Ratings

Limitations of Internet Ratings

Activating the Content Advisor

Dealing with Unrated Sites

Banning or Allowing Specific Sites

Using Other Rating Systems

Chapter 17: Lowering the Cone of Silence: Using the Internet Explorer Security Features

Security Issues to Worry About

Sending information over the Internet

Downloading programs over the Internet

Viewing Web pages that do more than meets the eye

Invading your privacy

Scrambling: It's Not Just for Breakfast Any More

Zoning Out

Certifying Your Security

Cooking Your Cookies

Security Options You Should Leave Alone

Chapter 18: Creating a Login Script

What Is a Dial-Up Networking Script?

Planning a Script

Creating a Script

Working with Script Commands

Beginning and ending with proc main and endproc

Waiting for stuff: waitfor

Typing text: transmit

Attaching the Script to a Dial-Up Connection

Chapter 19: Creating Your Own Web Site

Clarifying Some Familiar Terminology

Deciding What to Put on Your Web Site

Personal home pages

Special-interest Web sites

Business Web sites

Finding a Home for Your Web Site

Internet Service Providers

Web hosting services

Getting a free site

Software for Creating Web Sites

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 20: Ten Tips for Using Internet Explorer Efficiently

Stashing Goodies on the Favorites Menu

Customizing Your Links Toolbar

Creating Desktop Shortcuts

Discovering Weird Places to Click

Searching Tips

Customizing Your Start Page

Dealing with Those Annoying Ad Windows

Typing Web Addresses the Easy Way

Using Other Software to Improve Internet Explorer

Chapter 21: Ten Things That Sometimes Go Wrong

"I Don't Have Internet Explorer!"

"I Can't Connect to the Internet!"

"I Forgot My Password!"

"I Got an Unexpected Error Message!"

"The Internet Explorer Window Disappeared!"

"I Can't Find a File I Downloaded!"

"I Was Disconnected in the Middle of a 2-Hour Download!"

"I Can't Find That Cool Web Page I Saw Yesterday!"

"I've Started a Nuclear War!"

Chapter 22: Ten Safety Tips for Kids on the Net

Don't Believe That People Really Are Who They Say They Are

Never Give Out Your Address, Phone Number, Real Last Name, or Credit Card Number

Never Pretend to Be Someone You're Not

Save Inappropriate Postings to a File So That You Can Show Them to an Adult

If Someone Says Something Inappropriate to You in a Chat, Save the Chat Log

Watch Your Language

Don't Obsess

Report Inappropriate Behavior to an Adult

If You Feel Uncomfortable, Leave

Parents, Be Involved with Your Kids' Online Activities
Glossary

Index