Internet Explorer/The menu

The menu in IE since version 7 is not shown by default; it is hidden. It can be enabled temporarily by pressing the ALT key or otherwise by clicking on the IE area and clicking Menu Bar. However, the Menu bar contains many interesting features, often otherwise hidden. Some of the more advanced topics are to be covered in the next sections. Also note that some features may be different or not there in your version of IE.

File menu

Note that features related to tabs are available only in IE7 and later.

1. Opens a new tab.
2. Duplicates a tab(copies the current tab into another tab).
3. Open a new independent IE window.
4. Opens a completely new session of IE.
5. Opens a specific website or file.
6. Saves the current webpage.
   1. HTML file format:- Saves a webpage in the default webpage format(HTM/html). Images are saved in different files.
   2. MHT file format:- Saves a webpage in the MHT format. Here images and accompanying files are saved into the webpage itself.
   3. TXT file format:- Saves a webpage in the text format.
7. Closes the current tab.
8. Opens Page Setup. This setting allows you to change layout properties of the webpage, such as margins.
9. Prints the current page. The format for printing is similar to other programs.
10. Previews the current page to be printed.
11. Sends the page/link by email or a shortcut on desktop.
12. Imports / Exports the browser settings in a file.
13. Shows the current properties of the website.
14. Exits Internet Explorer.

Edit menu

The edit menu is fairly basic and contains simple operations such as copying, pasting and finding.

1. Cuts the selected text to be pasted.
2. Copies the selected text to be pasted.
3. Pastes the cut/copied text.
4. Selects the whole content of the webpage.
5. Open the Find toolbar, where you can search for specific words in the webpage.
   1. The Previous and Next shows the previous or next location of the word if it is present in more than one location.
   2. The Highlight option(which looks like a pen) highlights the locations found.
   3. The Options shows what you want search, whether you want it precise.

View menu

The View menu consists of advanced options related to the layout and view of the website. This menu contains many features.

1. This option determines which toolbars(such as menu, status bar etc) you want shown.
2. This option shows which panes(such as the Favourites or History) you want shown.
3. This sub menu gives the option to go back or forward and also lists the recent webpages you've visited.
4. This stops the webpage from loading.
5. Refreshes the current webpage. To completely refresh the page, press CRTL+F5.
6. Decides the zoom you want on the page. The default is 100%.
7. Similar to the Zoom option, this option determines the size of the text on the webpage.
8. Changes the encoding of the webpage. Change this only if the webpage is garbled.
9. Determines whether you want the default style of the webpage or none at all.
10. Turns on Caret Browsing, which puts a movable cursor which can be used using the keyboard to select webpage. This is an accessibility option.
11. Shows the source(HTML code) of the webpage. For more advanced options, press F12.
12. Shows the security(if applicable) of the website.
13. This option shows the cookies of the current site and shows the privacy policy(if applicable) of the website.
14. Shows IE in full screen.

Favourites menu

This menu is to be explained in detail in the Favourites and History section.

Tools menu

This menu consists of a lot of features and options.

1. Deletes the browsing history of IE. When you click it, you are given options as to what you want to delete with an explanation at the bottom.
2. Opens InPrivate Browsing mode. This is to be discussed in the next sections.
3. This option turns on Tracking Protection, which enables 'Do Not Track' to websites so that they do not track you.
4. Filters ActiveX(?)
5. Opens Connection diagnostics on Windows, and tries to fix internet problems.
6. Opens the website you visited in the last session.
7. Adds the site to the Start Menu.
8. View the files you've recently downloaded. Applies only to IE9 and later.
9. Determines whether you want Pop-Up Blocker, which blocks pop ups from coming up, or not and the settings related to it. The settings allow you to allow/block specific sites, and to control the severity of Pop Up Blocker. This feature was introduced back in 2001 with IE6.
10. SmartScreen Filter allows IE to verify the website whether it is safe or not and to warn/block the user of continuing. It also allows users to report unsafe website. This is one of the best security features of IE.
    1. Check the website currently to find out whether it is safe.
    2. Turns off SmartScreen(not recommended).
    3. Allows you to report to Microsoft that the website is not safe.
11. Allows you to control media licences.
12. Manages the add ons currently in your computer and allows you to enable or disable them.
13. Controls Comparability Settings. This feature was introduced in IE8 so that unoptimized and old website would better display in Internet Explorer. Until IE11, this feature could be turned on manually and automatically but since IE11 it can be controlled only automatically. This allows you to add specific websites to Comparability Mode.
14. This opens Windows Update in Control Panel, Windows Update website(only for Windows XP and older)or PC Settings as appropriate.
15. This is a dashboard on the upper-left corner(but can be moved) of the website. It shows the following things:- Note that clicking on any of them will open a bar graph or normal graph(Memory) with the utilization per 6 seconds.
    1. The paint time(the time for the object to come on screen)
    2. The FPS(frames per second) of the website.
    3. The memory currently taken by the website.
    4. The CPU utilization currently used by the website.
16. This opens the F12 developer tools which gives advanced developer-related features. This tool is to be discussed in detail in the next sections.
17. This option will send the page to a mobile phone.
18. This option allows you to report to Microsoft problem with the website rendering on Internet Explorer 11.
19. This opens the Internet Settings of Internet Explorer. This is to be explained in detail in the Settings section.

Help menu

There is not much to discuss in the Help section. The help section allows users to view the full Help on the internet/locally depending on their IE version. It also allows users to view the new features in their IE version, gives online supports and shows the About of Internet Explorer, which shows details concerning the version of IE, patents and related information.