Think you're pretty handy with a mouse in your hand? You know your way around a keyboard like it was a blackboard? Or are you like most Internet users; you can find the Web browser icon on your desktop and know how to use the back button, but your proficiency level pretty much stops there?

Because most people fall into the second category, we've put together this cheat sheet of Web browser tricks that are sure to help you find your way to Internet bliss.

Keep in mind, the following list is not intended to describe the complete features of the Web browser. It is designed to help you quickly learn a few easy shortcuts of the most commonly used features and functions of Web browsing.

A Few Handy Tricks
The following tips discuss the available tools on Netscape Navigator and Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 4.0 and above.

To stop a Web page from loading, try this option:

• Click the Stop button located on your Web browser toolbar.

To find the home page of a Web site, try the following options:

• Look for a "Home" link on the page.
• Try clicking the main logo on the page; many are linked to the home page.
• Try deleting everything after the first slash in the URL.
  

  Example:

  This address:

  http://www.mhteachingtoday.com/tiparchive/technology/links.phtml

  becomes this address:

  http://www.mhteachingtoday.com/

Tip

• Don't click the home button on your Web browser toolbar; that will take you to the Web site pre-set in your Web browser options.

To return to a Web page you viewed previously, try the following options:

• If it was within two or three Web pages viewed, click the Back button located on your Web browser tool.
• In Microsoft Internet Explorer, you have two options to see every Web page you have viewed within the current session.
  • Click the History button.
  • From the View menu, choose Go to.
• In Netscape Navigator, choose the Go menu.

Tip

• Don't waste time by clicking the Back button for multiple pages; there are easier ways of going to a previously viewed page (see above).

To reload a Web page you stopped, try the following options:

• In Microsoft Internet Explorer, click the Refresh button.
• In Netscape Navigator, click the Reload button.

To increase the font (or type) size on Web pages, try the following options:

• In Microsoft Internet Explorer, from the View menu, choose Text Size.
• In Netscape Navigator, from the View menu, choose Increase/Decrease Font.

If the suggestions listed above do not work, you can override fixed font settings in your options menu by doing one of the following:

In Microsoft Internet Explorer:
From the Tools menu, choose Internet Options. In the pop-up box, click the Accessibility button in the right bottom corner. From there you can specify your font options.

In Netscape Navigator:
From the Edit menu, choose Preferences. In the pop-up box, click Appearance and then Fonts. From there you can override font characteristics.

To open a new Web browser window, try the following options:

• In Microsoft Internet Explorer, from the File menu, choose New and then Window.
• In Netscape Navigator, from the File menu, choose New and then Navigator Window.