The Advanced panel includes numerous options that are less commonly used. This panel is organized into a series of categories for options relating to, among other things, security, certificates, and software updates.
Note: To open a category within this panel, click the 
to the left of the option label.
| In this section: |
You use the Accessibility category in the Advanced panel to set your system caret (cursor or insertion point) and "Begin finding when you begin typing" option. Refer to Finding as you type for more information.
| Move system caret with focus/selection changes | Specifies whether to move the system caret whenever the focus or selection changes. Some accessibility aids, such as screen readers and screen magnifiers, use the system caret to determine which area of the screen to read or magnify. |
| Begin finding when you begin typing | Select this option to enable "find as you type," which works as a quick way of finding links or text in a Web page without having to display complex search dialogs. To search on a page, simply begin typing the text you are looking for to have Netscape Browser automatically search for and select any matching words. (Note: This feature only works for web pages that you display using the Firefox rendering engine.) |
Use the Browsing category on the Advanced panel to define the image display, autoscrolling features, pop-up notification, and the location of the menu bar.
| Resize large images to fit in the browser window | This feature automatically resizes images that are too large to fit on the screen so that you can view the whole picture. Note: When Netscape Browser re-sizes an images to fit in the browser window, you can click on the image to view it at full size. |
Use autoscrolling |
Autoscrolling allows you to scroll the page by just holding down the middle mouse button (usually the scroll wheel) and move the mouse up or down. However, some people find this annoying, so you can uncheck this option to stop the behaviour. |
| Use smooth scrolling | Smooth scrolling can be very useful if you read a lot of long pages. Normally, when you press the Page Down key, the view jumps directly down one page. With Smooth Scrolling, it slides down more smoothly, so you are actually able to see how much it scrolls. This makes it easier to resume reading from where you were before. |
| Show number of blocked pop-ups | Display the number of blocked pop-ups next to the pop-up icon on the navigation toolbar. |
| Play sound when pop-up is blocked | Select this option to play a sound every time Netscape blocks a pop-up. |
| Show main menu in the title bar | By default, the Netscape Browser menu bar appears on the right-hand side of the window in the title bar. Uncheck this option to display the menu bar in the conventional location, between the title bar and navigation bar. Note: This will take up more space on your desktop. |
Use the Software update category on the Advanced panel to have Netscape Browser check whether a new version is available. It can also check for new versions of any extensions that you have installed. For more information on this feature refer to Getting the Latest Software Automatically.
| Netscape | Check this option to have Netscape Browser periodically check and notify you when a new version is available (this is the default). Uncheck this option to disable the periodic check. |
| Automatically download updates to Netscape | Check this option to have Netscape updates automatically downloaded. Note: If you want Netscape Browser to notify you when you receive an update, check the "Notify me of downloaded updates" option below. |
| Automatically install downloaded updates to Netscape | Check this option to automatically install your Netscape Browser updates. |
| My Extensions and Themes | Check this option to have Netscape Browser periodically check and notify you when a new version for one of your installed extensions or themes is available (this is the default). Uncheck this option to disable the periodic check. Note: If you do not have these updates automatically installed, you may also want to check the notification option below. |
| Automatically download and install updates to Extensions | Check this option if you want Netscape Browser to install the updates automatically, instead of just sending you a notification. |
| Notify me of downloaded updates | Check this option to have Netscape Browser automatically notify you of any downloaded updates. |
| Notify me of available updates | Check this option to have Netscape Browser automatically notify you of any available updates. |
| Check Now | Click this button to check for updates. |
Use the Security category on the Advanced panel to select the security level you want Netscape Browser to use when sending and receiving information.
| Use SSL 2.0 | Mark this checkbox to if you want to send and receive secured information through SSL2 (Secured Sockets Layer Level 2), the standard protocol for secure transmissions. All secure Web sites support this protocol. |
| Use SSL 3.0 | Mark this checkbox if you want to send and receive secured information through SSL3 (Secured Sockets Layer Level 3), a protocol that is intended to be more secure than SSL2. Note: Some Web sites may not support this protocol. |
| Use TLS 1.0 | Mark this checkbox if you want to send and receive secured information through TLS (Transport Layer Security), an open security standard similar to SSL3 (Secure Sockets Layer). Note: Some Web sites may not support this protocol. |
Refer to Setting SSL Options for more information.
You use the Certificates category in the Advanced panel to set your set your certificate preferences. For step-by-step descriptions on various tasks related to certificates, see Using Certificates.
Some web sites require you to identify yourself with a certificate. The option you select here determines how Netscape Browser identifies the certificate to present among those you may have on file.
| Select Automatically | Click this option if you want Netscape Browser to select a certificate without asking you. This is the default setting. |
| Ask Every Time | Click this option if you want Netscape Browser to ask you which certificate to use each time a web site requests one. |
Certificates are the digital equivalent of ID cards—they help other people identify you, and they help you identify other people, web sites, and organizations.
To examine or configure the certificates you have on file, click Manage Certificates. Refer to Certificate Manager for details on this window.
Refer to Managing Certificates for information on using Certificates.
A security device is a hardware or software device that stores your certificates and keys. For example, a smart card is a security device. Your browser has its own built-in software security device, and you can use additional security devices, such as smart cards, at the same time.
To examine or configure your security devices, click Manage Security Devices. Refer to Device Manager for details on this window.
Whenever you use or view a certificate stored by Certificate Manager, it takes several steps to verify the certificate. Refer to How Certification Validation Works for more information.
A certificate revocation list (CRL) is a list of revoked certificates that is generated and signed by a certificate authority (CA). It's possible to download a CRL to your browser, which can check it to ensure that certificates are still valid before permitting their use for authentication.
Refer to Managing CRLS for more information.
The Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP) makes it possible for Certificate Manager to perform an online check of a certificate's validity each time the certificate is viewed or used. This process involves checking the certificate against a certificate revocation list (CRL) maintained at a specified web site. Your computer must be online for OCSP to work.
| Do not use OCSP for certificate verification | Select this setting if you don't want Certificate Manager to perform an online status check each time it verifies a certificate. Instead, whenever Certificate Manager performs certificate verification, it only confirms the certificate's validity period and that it is correctly signed by a CA whose own CA certificate is both listed under the CA Certificates tab (in the main Certificate Manager window) and marked as trusted for issuing that kind of certificate. |
| Use OCSP to verify only certificates that specify an OCSP service URL | Select this setting if you want Certificate Manager perform an online status check each time it verifies a certificate that specifies a URL for the purpose of performing such a check. If a URL is specified by the certificate, Certificate Manager makes sure that the certificate is listed there as valid and checks the validity period and trust settings. |
| Use OCSP to verify all certificates, using the URL and signer specified here | Select this setting if you want Certificate Manager to perform an online status check each time it verifies any certificate. If you select this setting, you should also choose the certificate from the Response Signer pop-up menu that identifies the signer of the OCSP responses. With this setting, the only certificates Certificate Manager recognizes are those that can be verified by an OCSP response signed with the Response Signer certificate (or signed using a certificate that chains to it). |
April, 2005
Copyright 1994-2005 Netscape Communications Corporation.
