- Before attempting to change options in the Internet Explorer application, you must first log in to your PC computer with an account that has administrative privileges assigned to it. After that, open the "Start" menu and click on the "Internet Explorer" icon. If the icon is not present in the Start menu, you may have to expand the "All Programs" list to find it. When the Internet Explorer application launches, it will immediately navigate to your homepage. To access the options menu, click on the "Tools" button in the main menu bar and then select "Internet Options." A pop-up window will open that contains all of the details concerning the application's settings and preferences.
- When you click on the "General" tab at the top of the "Internet Options" window, you will see the basic settings for the Internet Explorer application. The first thing you can change in this area is your homepage, which is the default website that Internet Explorer will go to every time you open the browser. To change your homepage, enter the complete web address of the site you want to use in the text field and click "Apply" to save the settings. Below the homepage options, you will see an area devoted to your browsing history. Here you can click on the "Delete" button to clear your browsing history or click on the "Settings" button to choose a specific time to clear the history. Make sure to click "OK" after you are done changing options to ensure your settings are changed.
- With the "Internet Options" window open, you will see several other tabs at the top of the window that contain more advanced application settings. Go to the "Security" tab to view and change your browser's security settings. In the middle of the window, you will see a "Security Level" bar that you can adjust to change what types of content you want to be able to access. Moving the bar up will increase the security level and block more potentially harmful websites, while moving the bar down will decrease the security level and allow more content through your browser. The other important options tab to examine is the "Privacy" area. Here you can customize even more security options, including the blocking of certain websites of pop-up advertisements.
