Tips for Firefox 2.0

Location, Location, Location
Firefox used to download files to your Desktop by default. With the latest version, it asks you with each download where you want to save the file. If you want it to save files to the same location each time, first click Tools > Options > Main. Under the Downloads area, click on "Save files to," select a location where you want to place files, and click OK.


Mail Minder
You don't need to leave your Yahoo Mail or Gmail account open all day to find out when you receive new messages. Download and install the Gmail Checker (addons.mozilla.org/firefox/3179) and/or the Yahoo Mail Notifier (addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1264) Firefox Add-ons. Each installs a small icon at the bottom of your browser window that notifies you when a new message comes in.


Cache Out
If you know a Web page has been changed, but you don't see the changes when you refresh the site, you may need to clear Firefox's cache of pages you've visited. Simply click Tools > Options > Privacy, press the Clear Now button, make sure the Cache checkbox is checked, and hit Clear Private Data Now.


Not Keeping Tabs
Firefox 2.0 automatically opens a new link in a new tab. If you would prefer it opened a new browser window instead, go to Tools > Options > Tabs, click "a new tab" under "New pages should be opened in," and then click OK.


Good Form
Unlike version 1.5, Firefox 2.0 no longer automatically keeps track of the information you key into forms and the search bar. If you would prefer that Firefox track that info, click Tools > Options > Privacy. Under History, check the box next to "Remember what I enter in forms and the search bar," and click OK.


Starting Lineup
Always open the same five sites first thing every morning? Firefox lets you open them all at the same time to make the start of your day easier. Just open the sites in the tabbed order you like to view them, then go to Tools > Options > Main and click "Use Current Pages." Then hit OK. (Note that clicking on the home icon will also open all these sites.)


Action!
If you don't like to open files using the applications Firefox chooses by default, you can specify different ones by clicking Tools > Options > Content. Under File Types, click Manage. Select the file format you want to associate with a different application, click Change Action, then select "Open them with this application." You'll then need to browse through your files until you find the right application. Then click OK > Close > OK to get back to your browser window.


Better Fed
Firefox takes RSS feeds to the next level with its Live Bookmarks feature, which lets you see the latest headlines from your favorite blog without visiting the site or installing an RSS reader. To create a Live Bookmark, go to a site that has a feed available—indicated by an orange icon on the far right of the address bar. When you click on the icon, a window pops up allowing you to add the site's feed as a Live Bookmark. (Just name and place it in a bookmark folder; in Firefox 2.x, you can just go to Bookmarks > Subscribe to This Page.) Your Live Bookmarks will be available right above the Web-page viewing area—just click on one to see the latest headlines.


Fast Favs
More than just cute little pieces of eye candy, favicons (the tiny graphics that many sites show next to their site URLs) are useful as well. If you see a site you want to bookmark, just grab its favicon and drag it to the Bookmark area to add it to your list.


Power Users Only
If you really want to customize your Firefox experience, the browser allows you to tweak its look and feel to your heart's content. Enter about:config in Firefox's address bar, and a lengthy list of configuration preferences is available to edit. For instance, you can remove the close tab button by setting the value of "browser.tabs.closeButtons" to "2."