How to Use Tabbed Browsing With Internet Explorer

Tabbed browsing is available starting with Internet Explorer 7.0. With tabbed browsing, you can open up multiple Web pages in the same window. Each Web page will have a tab associated with it at the top of the browser, enabling you to switch from 1 page to another without closing a window. In the past, a new window had to be created for each Web page you opened in Internet Explorer. These windows were displayed at the bottom of the screen in the task bar. With tabbed browsing, your task bar remains clutter-free and movement between open pages is quicker.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Connection to the Internet
• Internet Explorer
• Computer

Discover Tabbed Browsing

1. Go online on your computer using Internet Explorer.
2. Open a new page in Internet Explorer. At the top of the page, you will see a tab with the name of the current Web site you are visiting on it. Next to that tab is a small, white box marked with a yellow star. Click on that box. This will open a new page in the same window you are already in.
3. Type the URL of another Web site into the address field on the new page and hit the 'Enter' key on your keyboard. You will now have two active tabs displayed at the top of the browser page.
4. Switch back and forth between pages by clicking on the tab of the page you want to see. You can keep going back and forth between tabs without ever closing the window you are already in.
5. Click the small 'x' displayed next to the title of the current tab to close it.
6. Use the 'Quick Tabs' feature to manage your tabs. This button, marked with an image of four squares, should appear to the left of the tab bar. Quick Tabs lets you quickly select the site you want to look at or close several tabs at one time.

Tips & Warnings

• When you have questions about how to use tabbed browsing or other features of Internet Explorer, visit their FAQs page (see Resources below).
• No less than 64 MB of memory on your hard drive are necessary to use Internet Explorer. Make sure your computer has the memory required before downloading the program.
• Content management is a security feature available on Internet Explorer that will appeal to parents of young children. With the content management function, you are able to select just what type of Web content your children can view when they are online. You can also password protect this feature so that no one else can change your settings.
• Since tabbed browsing became available with Internet Explorer 7.0, earlier versions will not have this feature and the steps below will not apply.