From the KnowledgeBase

Title:
Internet Explorer: Comparison of version 6 with version 7

Synopsis:
Frequently asked questions regarding Internet Explorer 7 at Princeton University.

Solution:
Internet Explorer 7 was installed by remote distribution to University Windows XP computers on the evening of Monday, August 6. Internet Explorer 7 has a different interface than Internet Explorer 6 and you will notice the changes immediately.

"Will I have to reset my home page, favorites, or other personalized settings?"
No. The IE 7 install does NOT change the home page you have already set. This is true for other things such as favorites, cookies, and other preferences. All settings will migrate as long as they existed previously in IE 6. To change your preferences, including your home page, click on the Tools pull-down menu and select Internet Options.

"What will be different in IE 7?"
Internet Explorer 7 has a different interface than its predecessor and you will notice the changes immediately. For those extremely familiar with Internet Explorer 6, you will note these visible differences after the upgrade:

  • Your favorites have moved (see tip below)
  • Tabs for tabbed browsing
  • RSS functionality
  • Multiple home pages are available
  • Enhanced printing
  • Anti-phishing filter

Here is what the top of the browser window will look like (Note the tabbed browsing and Search box).

"Should I turn on the automatic Phishing Filter?"
The Microsoft Phishing filter is not enabled by default. Once you browse to a website, you will be asked about enabling it. It is recommended that you choose "Turn on automatic Phishing Filter" and click OK. This will happen only once.

"Where did the refresh button go?"
IE7 moves the refresh button from the left to the right of the address bar, as you can see in the image below. The refresh button is circled in red.

"How can I see my Favorites like I used to?"
The old Favorites location can be made available by hovering over top of the small yellow star in the upper left hand corner of your screen (the Favorites Center icon), right-clicking, and enabling the Menu Bar (this means putting a check mark next to it). The Menu Bar by default is not enabled in IE 7 and many users will want to "put it back" in order to see the familiar pull-down menus (circled in red below).

"Where did the Print button go?"
It's right here!

"How do I change the Search Field to look to another search engine?"
OIT has also added several popular search engines (Live Search is the default search) as can be seen below. Select the Change Search Defaults option if you would prefer your search queries to default to another Internet engine.

"Why doesn't RealPlayer content play in IE 7 browser windows any more?"
DeSC computers and other departmental computers will have RealPlayer reinstalled automatically immediately following IE 7. Computers off-campus may need to reinstall RealPlayer manually after the IE 7 upgrade. Details about IE 7 and RealPlayer can be found at http://kb.princeton.edu/9771.

Additional Tutorials
For an overview of IE 7 features and changes from IE 6, see

Last Updated:
April 23, 2009

Solution ID:
9851