Exiting and Logging Off the Internet

When you are finished browsing the Internet, you should not only exit Internet Explorer, but also log off your dial-up account. (If you have a broadband connection that is always connected, you do not need to log off.)

To exit Internet Explorer, click its Close button or click File, Close. When you exit Internet Explorer, you may be prompted to log off your Internet provider. Click Yes or Disconnect Now. If you are not prompted, be sure to log off. To do so, right-click the connection icon in the system tray and select Disconnect.

The Absolute Minimum

This chapter covers the basics of using Internet Explorer, the Web browser program included with Windows XP. With this program (and an Internet provider), you can access the many resources of the Internet. Keep in mind the following key points:

The first step to using Internet Explorer is to set up an Internet account. Use the information from your ISP to set up this account. The steps vary depending on the provider and the type of provider.
To start Internet Explorer, click Start and then Internet Explorer. If prompted to get connected, follow your logon procedure (which usually involves typing your username and password). The first page that is displayed is called your home page.
You have two basic methods for displaying Web pages: You can browse from page to page using links, or you can type the page address to go directly to a page.
Use the toolbar buttons to navigate among pages. Click Back to go back a page, Forward to go forward a page, and Home to return to your starting page.
If you frequently visit a site, add it to your Favorites list. You can then display this list and go to any of the sites by clicking the site's name .
You can display pages you have viewed on the current day as well as several weeks ago by displaying the History bar.
You can print, email, or save text or images from the Web pages you view.
You should take precautions to ensure your computer's safety and your privacy if you use the Internet. If you have a 24/7 connection, you should use a firewall to block unwanted intrusions. You can also use Internet Explorer's features (or those of other programs) to block pop-ups and control other security and privacy issues.

Chapter 9. Searching the Internet

IN THIS CHAPTER

Searching with Internet Explorer
Using Other Search Sites

The Internet includes many different sites. Looking for the site you want by browsing can be like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Instead, you can search for a topic and find all sites related to that topic.

You can use Internet Explorer's search tool, or you can visit and use the search features at any number of Internet search sites.

Searching with Internet Explorer

To help you get where you want to go quickly, Internet Explorer provides a Search bar. You can use the features in this pane to search for sites relating to a particular topic or interest.

To search for sites using Internet Explorer, follow these steps:

1.	Click the Search button in the toolbar. You see the Search bar in the left pane of the Internet Explorer window. Your particular search may look different if you've changed your settings.
2.	Type what you want to find (see Figure 9.1). Type a unique word or phrase, being as specific as possible. For instance, if you type "beads," you will find too many matches to make the search worthwhile. If you type "Mardi Gras beads," your results will more closely match what you want to find. Figure 9.1. Type the topic that you want to find.
3.	Click the Search button. You see the results of the search in the window on the right (see Figure 9.2). Sponsored links appear in the search bar on the right. Usually, a sponsored site in a search engine is one that has paid to get itself listed higher in the search results. Figure 9.2. You can review all the matches found for your topic. You can also refine the search using suggestions in the Search bar.
4.	Scroll through the list to see information about the first set of matches.
5.	To go to any of the found sites, click the link in the search results window. The page you selected appears in the right pane.

Getting the Most from the Search Results

If you use the Search button, MSN (Microsoft Network) is the search engine that is used, unless you or someone else changed it. (You can also use other search tools, which are covered later in this chapter, and you can change the engine used by Internet Explorer.) MSN's search results page includes several useful features for finding the most closely matching site. Review these tips:

To see as many of the search results as possible, close the Search bar by clicking its Close button. Also, the header and the left side of the search page contain other MSN links (and ads). Scroll further down the page to view the actual matches.
Different search engines use different matching formulas that determine which sites are listed first. MSN tries to rank the most common sites related to your search topic. These are listed at the top.
To get an idea of the scope of your search, check out the number of found matches. For instance, in Figure 9.3, sites 115 out of 2,469 matches are displayed.

Figure 9.3. Review the search results and search-related information to fine-tune your search.
If more than one set of results is found, MSN lists the most popular. You can view other matches by clicking the Next button (refer to Figure 9.3).
The site name as well as a short description and the address for the site are listed. Use this data to determine whether a particular listed site has the information you want.

To go to any matching site, click its link. Figure 9.4, for instance, shows the Que Publishing site, one of the matching links from the search.

Figure 9.4. You can click any of the search matches to go to and display that page (here the Que home page).

tip

As mentioned in Chapter 8, "Browsing the Internet," many sites provide Search tools on their pages. You can use these to search for content at that site. Type the word or phrase to locate and then click the Search button. You can also use Internet Explorer's Edit, Find (on This Page) command to search for a word or phrase on the current page.

In searching, you'll find that you normally try one of the links and then go back to the results. Then, you try another link and go back to the results. You may need to go back and forth several times to find the information you need. Also, you may find valuable information at more than one site, so you can visit several.

Fine-Tuning the Search

If you don't find an appropriate match, you can refine your search. The Search bar provides some suggestions for fine-tuning the search. You can also use more complex search criteria. For instance, if you are searching for the White House, most results start with listings of sites that include both words. However, the listings also include sites that have "White" or "House." You can limit the search to only those sites that contain both "White House."

To use MSN's additional search features, click the Settings link on the MSN Search page. You see the various options for refining your search criteria (see Figure 9.5). Here, you can pick and choose from among several search options, including how matches are made: all of the words, any of the words, words in the title, the exact phrase, and others. You can limit the search to particular domains (only government or .gov sites, for instance). You also can specify that the matching sites contain certain elements, such as audio or images. Make your choices and then start the search.

Figure 9.5. If you get too many matches (or none!), try changing some of search settings.

tip

If you are unsure about the various Help options, click the Help link next to each for an explanation.

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