How to Change the Tab Order in Internet Explorer 8

Tabs in Internet Explorer 8 replace the old-fashioned way of opening links in new windows. Instead of opening in a window, the link opens in a tab, which allows you to organize your opened pages and access them without switching to multiple windows. Each new tab opens to the right, which means if you had five tabs open, the six one would be last. If you want the sixth one to be the first, you can do so by changing the order in which the tabs appear.

Instructions

1. Open Internet Explorer.

2. Open multiple tabs. If you wish to open the tabs manually, right-click on a link and click "Open in a new tab."

3. Click and hold down the left mouse button over a tab you wish to move. Move the mouse to a tab you wish to move to another tab location. For example, if you have four tabs active, you can drag the first one to the fourth tab position, and the two tabs would swap positions.

4. Click "Tools" to navigate to "Internet Options." Click "Advanced" and click the down arrow until you see "Use most recent order" under "Browsing." If the check-box is enabled, then pressing "Ctrl" and "T" will select tabs in the order they were opened. Disabling the option does the opposite.

References

• The Windows Club: Understanding Internet Explorer 8 Tabs
• "Windows 7: The Definitive Guide: The Essential Resource for Professionals and Power Users"; William R. Stanek; 2009