How to Configure Mozilla Firefox

Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Options Panel

If you are looking for an alternative to Internet Explorer for surfing the Web, Firefox, Mozilla's open source browser, may be just what you need. Firefox's increasing popularity results from its ability to be easily customized. To configure Firefox, just go to the menu bar and select "Tools." From "Tools," click on "Options." The options panel, with seven icons labeled "Main," "Tabs," "Content," "Applications," "Privacy," "Security" and "Advanced," will appear.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Latest version of Firefox software

1. Click the "Main" icon on the Firefox options panel. You will see three types of options--startup, download, and add-ons. Use startup options to specify what page you want Firefox to load when you open it. With download options, indicate if you want Firefox to show the download window while downloading and where you want it to store downloaded files. You can also control the behavior of add-ons here--extensions, themes, and plug-ins that customize Firefox.

2. Click the "Tabs" icon. Choose how you want Firefox's tabs to behave. Specify if you want new pages to open in a new tab, in a current tab or in a new window. Select warnings you want to see regarding tab behavior, and decide when you want to hide Firefox's tab bar.

3. Click the "Content" icon. Check if you want to block pop-up windows, load images immediately or enable JavaScript and Java. You can also specify colors and fonts for web page display if you don't want to use those selected by web page creators.

4. Click the "Applications" icon. You will see a list of file types and their associated applications. Most audio files, for example, will be associated with Microsoft Windows Media Player. If you would prefer to use a different program for listening to audio files, you can make that change, and others, here.

5. Click the "Privacy icon." Set how long you want Firefox to retain history data, whether you want it to accept cookies and when you want it to clear your private data.

6. Click the "Security" icon. Indicate if you want Firefox to warn you when other sites want to install add-ons or are possible attack sites or forgeries. Set password options here, too, and specify which warning messages you want to see with encrypted sites.

7. Click the "Advanced" icon. You will see four tabs, "General," "Network," "Update" and "Encryption." With the "General" tab, set scrolling and spelling preferences, as well as choose whether Firefox always checks to see if it is your default browser. The "Network" tab controls connection settings, which you generally don't need to change, and cache size, which you can increase or decrease. From the "Update" tab, specify whether you want Firefox to automatically update itself and its add-ons and whether you want to be notified prior to these updates. The "Encryption" tab lists protocol and certificate preferences, which you seldom need to change.

8. Close the options panel and test out your preferences as you use Firefox. If you change your mind about any of the settings you have configured, just go back to the options panel and alter your selections.

Tips & Warnings

• Experienced Firefox users can change many more settings by typing "about:config" in Firefox's location bar. These changes are more technical than those controlled through the options panel and require extensive knowledge Firefox mechanics for their successful implementation.

• Some of the changes made through the options panel will not go into effect until after Firefox is closed down and restarted.

References

• Options window