O U S A N I | Browsers

Browsers

This page provides information on how to set text size and display colours, control cookies, block popups, stop animated gifs for a number of browsers and where these browsers may be downloaded from. Each set of instructions apply to a specific browser version, but should be similar for different versions of the same browser.

Apple Macintosh Browsers
Mozilla(version 1.7.2)
Netscape Navigator (version 7.2)
Firefox(version 1.0.4)
Internet Explorer (version 6.0.28)
Opera (version 7.23)

Also see the Maths and Computing Faculty's Safe Computing web site. This site is a mine of indispensible information on security and privacy issues.

Mozilla

The Mozilla suite includes a browser, mail client, address book, HTML editor and web development tools. It has versions compatible with Windows, Linux or Mac OS and may be downloaded free from the Mozilla Suite web page. The following tells you how to set text size or display colours, control cookies, block popup windows and disable animated gifs.

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

select Edit menu
select Preferences
select Appearance
select Fonts
to set default font size select the size in pixels in the top box on the right
to set default font size for monospace text select the size in pixels in the second box on the right
to set a minimum font size select the size in pixels in the bottom box on the right
select OK to save settings

b) while browsing

select View menu
select Text Zoom
select the size you want

or using the short cut keys, hold down the Control key and

press the Plus key to increase text size
press the Minus key to decrease text size
press the Zero key to set text to default size

Setting display colours

select Edit menu
select Preferences
select Appearance
select Colours
use the colour boxes to choose the default colours
to override the colours provided on a web page check the radio button "Use my chosen colours"
select OK to save settings

Controlling cookies

select Edit menu
select Preferences
select Privacy & Security
select Cookies
in the top section "Cookie Acceptance Policy" check the radio button "Allow cookies based on privacy settings"
select the View button
select the radio button "custom"
for First Party Cookies first setting, "Site has no privacy policy" and fourth setting, "Site does not collect personally identifiable information without your explicit consent", select Session
for second and third First Party Cookies settings and all Third Party Cookies settings select Reject
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Blocking popup windows

select Edit menu
select Preferences
select Privacy & Security
select Popup Windows
check the box "Block unrequested popup windows"
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Disabling animated gifs

select Edit menu
select Preferences
select Privacy & Security
select Images
in the lower section "Animated images should loop" check the radio button "Never"
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Top

Netscape Navigator

The Netscape Communicator 7.x suite includes a browser, mail client, address book, HTML editor and web development tools. Version 7.2 is no longer available for download. (Netscape Browser software contains encryption technology that is subject to the U.S. Export Administration Regulations.) Older versions may be downloaded free from netscape.co.uk/netscape/. The latest version of Netscape Navigator, Netscape Browser 8.0, may be downloaded free.

For how to change the Netscape Navigator 7.x browser settings see the instructions for Mozilla.

Top

Firefox

Firefox is purely a browser with versions compatible with Windows, Linux or Mac OS. It may be downloaded free from the Mozilla Firefox web page. The following tells you how to set text size or display colours, control cookies and block popup windows.

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

select Tools menu
select Options
select General
select Fonts & Colours button (second row on right)
the top section has settings for fonts
to set default font size select the size in pixels in the top box on the right
to set default font size for monospace text select the size in pixels in the second box on the right
to set a minimum font size select the size in pixels in the bottom box on the right
select OK at each menu level to save settings

b) while browsing

select View menu
select Text size
select Increase, Decrease or Normal

or using the short cut keys, hold down the Control key and

press the Plus key to increase text size
press the Minus key to decrease text size
press the Zero key to set text to default size

Setting display colours

select Tools menu
select Options
select General
select Fonts & Colours button (second row on right)
the lower section has settings for colours
use the colour boxes to choose the default colours
to override the colours provided on a web page check the "Colours" box
select OK at each menu level to save settings

Controlling cookies

select Tools menu
select Options
select Privacy
select Cookies
check "Allow sites to set cookies" box
check "for the originating Web site only" box
select the radio button "custom"
for Keep Cookies setting select "until close Firefox"
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Blocking popup windows

select Tools menu
select Options
select Web Features
check "Block Popup Windows" box
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Top

Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer comes with the Microsoft Windows operating systems. The following tells you how to set text size or display colours, control cookies and disable animated gifs.

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

The following will ensure that text is displayed at the default size for the browser, thus helping to overcome the common problem of sites setting their text size inconveniently small. However, this may cause the formatting to be lost on some sites. If this occurs on sites you visit, you may be better off downloading and using one of the other browsers listed here. They are all free.

select Tools menu
select Internet Options
select General tab
select Accessibility button near the bottom on the right
check "Ignore font sizes specified on Web pages" box
select OK at each menu level to save settings

b) while browsing

select View menu
select Text Size
select the size you want

Setting display colours

The following will set default display colours.

select Tools menu
select Internet Options
select General tab
select Colors button near the bottom on the left
use the colour boxes to choose the default colours
select OK at each menu level to save settings

To override the colours specified on web pages with the default colours carry out the following.

select Tools menu
select Internet Options
select General tab
select Accessibility button near the bottom on the right
check the "Ignore colors specified on Web pages" box
select OK at each menu level to save settings

Controlling cookies

select Tools menu
select Internet Options
select Privacy tab
select Advanced button
check "Override automatic cookie handling" box near the top
for First-party Cookies check "Block" radio button
for Third-party Cookies check "Block" radio button
check "Always allow session cookies" box
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Disabling animated gifs

select Tools menu
select Internet Options
select Advanced tab
scroll down to Multimedia
uncheck "Play animations in web pages" box
select OK at each menu level to save changes

Top

Opera

Opera includes a browser, mail client and address book. It is compatible with Windows and may be downloaded free from the www.opera.com. The following tells you how to set text size or display colours, control cookies, block popup windows and disable animated gifs.

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

select File menu
select Preferences
select Fonts
to set a minimum font size enter the size in pixels in the text box near the bottom on the right
select OK to save settings

b) while browsing

Note: Opera's Zoom function magnifies the whole display, not just the text.

select View menu
select Zoom
select the size you want

Setting default text colour

select File menu
select Preferences
select Fonts, a box appears on the right with a list of types of text display and corresponding fonts
select the type in the list you are interested in, highlighting it
select the Choose button at the top on the right
use the colour box to choose the default colour for the text
select OK to save settings

Setting default background and link colours

select File menu
select Preferences
select Page Style
select Colours
use the colour box to choose the default colour for background
select My link style... button
use the colour boxes to choose the default colours for the links
select OK at each menu level to save settings

Controlling cookies

select File menu
select Preferences
select Privacy
check "Enable cookies" box (4th box down on the right)
for Normal cookies suggested setting is select "Accept all without question"
for Third party select "Reject all without question"
select the radio button "custom"
check "Delete cookies when exiting Opera" box
select OK to save changes

Blocking popup windows

select File menu
select Preferences
select Windows
for Pop-ups, near top on the right, select "Refuse pop-up windows"
select OK to save changes

Disabling animated gifs

select File menu
select Preferences
select Multimedia
uncheck the "GIF animation" box near the top on the right
select OK to save changes

Top

Apple Macintosh Browsers

Safari(version 2.0.4)
Firefox (version 2.0)
Camino (version 1.0.2)
Internet Explorer (version 1.5)

Safari

The following tells you how to set default font or text size, control cookies, block pop-up windows, disable image loading and enable or disable Javascript.

Set default font

from the Safari menu, select Preferences
select Appearance tab
press the "select" buttons to set default standard and fixed-width fonts for web pages

Changing text size

a) selecting minimum text size as browser setting

from the Safari menu, select Preferences
select Advanced tab
tick the box next to “Never use font sizes smaller than” and then select the preferred font size from the menu

b) changing text size while browsing

select View menu
select “make text bigger” or “make text smaller”

or using the short cut keys, hold down the Command key and

press the Plus key to increase text size
press the Minus key to decrease text size

Controlling Cookies

from the Safari menu, select Preferences
select Security tab
under “Accept cookies:”, select whether to never accept, always accept, or only accept from sites navigated to
for cookie removal, press “Show cookies” button
from the list of all cookies installed, highlight individual cookies and press “remove”

Blocking pop-up windows

From the Safari menu select Block Pop-up Windows
Clicking the text checks and unchecks the selection
select Block Pop-up Windows

Disabling image loading

From the Safari menu, select Preferences
select Appearance
Uncheck "Display images when the page opens"

Enabling or Disabling Javascript

From the Safari menu, select Preferences
select Security
set or clear the box beside "Enable JavaScript"

Mac browsers | Top

Firefox

Firefox is purely a browser with versions compatible with Windows, Linux or Mac OS. It may be downloaded free from the Mozilla Firefox web page. The following tells you how to set default font or default colours, change text size while browsing, disable cookies, block pop-up windows and disable Javascript.

Select default font

from the Firefox menu, select Preferences
select Content tab
in the “Fonts and Colors” frame, select the default font - for detailed control options, select “Advanced” button

Select default colours

from the Firefox menu, select Preferences
select Content tab
in the “Fonts and Colors” frame, press the “colors” button
adjust link, text and background colours

Changing text size while browsing

select View menu
select Text size
select Increase, Decrease or Normal

or using the short cut keys, hold down the Command key and

press the Plus key to increase text size
press the Minus key to decrease text size
press the Zero key to set text to default size

Controlling cookies

select Tools menu
select Preferences
select Privacy
select Cookies
Select the required option to enable or disable cookies

Blocking pop-up windows

select Tools menu
select Preferences
select Content
select the required option to enable or disabled pop-up windows

Disabling Javascript

select Tools menu
select Preferences
select Web Features
clear the box beside "Enable JavaScript"

Mac browsers | Top

Camino

Go to the Camino website for more information and a free download. The following tells you how to set default or minimum text size, adjust colours, control cookies, block popups and enable or disable JavaScript.

Set default and minimum text size

from the Camino menu, select Preferences
select Appearance tab
select fonts tab
adjust default fonts
to select minimum font size, press the Advanced button

Adjust colours

from the Camino menu, select Preferences
select Appearance tab
select ‘Colors and links’ tab
adjust page, link colours

Control cookies

from the Camino menu, select Preferences
select Privacy tab
choose to accept, refuse, or be prompted to accept cookies
for full cookie listings press “show cookies…” button - for all removal options, press the cog button bottom-left
for customised accept and refuse options, press “edit exceptions list” button

Block popups

from the Camino menu, select Preferences
select Web Features tab
under “annoyance blocking:” select block pop-up windows

Enable or disable JavaScript

from the Camino menu, select Preferences
select Web Features tab
under “content control”, select to enable or disable javascript

Mac browsers | Top

Internet Explorer

The following steps show how to disable image loading and enable or disable Javascript.

Disabling image loading

select Edit
select Preferences
select Web Browser
select Web Content
Uncheck "Show Pictures"

Disabling Javascript

go to Explorer
select Preferences
select Web Browser
select Web Content
under Active Content, check or clear the box next to "Enable scripting"

Mac browsers | Top

This page was created by Diana Isserlis

Updated Wednesday 28 Feb 2007

You are here: Accessibility : Browsers

Browsers

Mozilla

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

b) while browsing

Setting display colours

Controlling cookies

Blocking popup windows

Disabling animated gifs

Netscape Navigator

Firefox

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

b) while browsing

Setting display colours

Controlling cookies

Blocking popup windows

Internet Explorer

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

b) while browsing

Setting display colours

Controlling cookies

Disabling animated gifs

Opera

Changing text size

a) as browser settings

b) while browsing

Setting default text colour

Setting default background and link colours

Controlling cookies

Blocking popup windows

Disabling animated gifs

Apple Macintosh Browsers

Safari

Set default font

Changing text size

a) selecting minimum text size as browser setting

b) changing text size while browsing

Controlling Cookies

Blocking pop-up windows

Disabling image loading

Enabling or Disabling Javascript

Firefox

Select default font

Select default colours

Changing text size while browsing

Controlling cookies

Blocking pop-up windows

Disabling Javascript

Camino

Set default and minimum text size

Adjust colours

Control cookies

Block popups

Enable or disable JavaScript

Internet Explorer

Disabling image loading

Disabling Javascript