Browse the web using Internet Explorer 7

Browse the web

Follow our tips on browsing the web with Vista's new version of Internet Explorer.

1Search with IE7

To launch Internet Explorer go to Start > All programs > Internet Explorer. 

To search the web, click in the Search box in the top, right-hand corner of the toolbar, type your query and press Enter. 

If you don't want to use the default search you can switch to something else. 

Click on the little down arrow next to the magnifying glass icon and select 'Find more providers'. On the web page that appears, you can select a search provider from the services listed by clicking on it.

2Turn on anti-phishing feature

IE7's anti-phishing filter can recognise bogus websites and prevent you from inadvertently giving away sensitive information to scammers. 

To switch it on, go to Tools > Phishing filter and select 'Turn on Automatic Website Checking'. 

In this drop-down menu you'll also find options for checking websites manually and reporting any websites that you consider to be suspicious.

3Using tabbed browsing

Tabbed browsing allows you to open multiple web pages at the same time within the same browser window. 

This can aid navigation by letting you open a link in a fresh tab (right-click the link and select 'open in new tab'), whilst still keeping the old page open as a reference.

You can switch between them by clicking on the tabs that run along the top edge of the main window. 

To close a tab click on it to highlight it and then click the grey 'X'.

4Bookmarking sites

'Favorites', Internet Explorer's bookmarking feature, is still available in IE7. 

To add a new website to your 'Favorites' go to the website, click the yellow star with the green plus sign on it (within Explorer), then click 'Add to favorites'. 

In the box that appears, type a name for the website (www.which.co.uk, for example) click Add. 

To access your Favorites click on the gold star icon on the far left hand side of the toolbar.