Mozilla FAQ - Browser

  1. Install Can I install just the browser, not the rest?
  2. System How do I make Mozilla my default browser?
  3. System Why doesn't Mozilla allow me to run an .exe (executable) file directly from an Internet location?
  4. System I just installed Mozilla and now it stole the .jpeg and .gif file associations! (Windows)
  5. Page Display Text zoom does not stick. How do I permenantly enlarge/reduce text size?
  6. Plug-ins What plug-ins does Mozilla support?
  7. Plug-ins How do I control how files are handled by the plug-ins / helper applications
  8. Plug-ins Does Mozilla support ActiveX controls? (Windows)
  9. Plug-ins Mozilla prompts me to download plug-ins all the time. But I don't want to install any plug-in, what do I do?
  10. Plug-ins How do I block flash?
  11. UI I've heard about tabbed browsing. How do I use it?
  12. UI I've heard about popup blocking. How do I do this?
  13. UI Can I control the browser with mouse gestures?
  14. Networking I can only download four files simultaneously.
  15. Networking I'm using dial-up. Can I speed up displaying pages with lots of images?
  16. Networking How do I set up Mozilla to dial (connect) automatically? (Windows)
  17. Networking How do I stop Mozilla from activating the auto-connect? (Windows)
Can I install just the browser, not the rest?

Yes. Choose Browser only as your download or install option.

How do I make Mozilla my default browser?

The first time you run the browser, it should ask you if you want to make Mozilla your default browser. If you answered ‘no’ and later decide you would like it to act as your default browser:

Why doesn't Mozilla allow me to run an .exe (executable) file directly from an Internet location?

This is a security precaution to help avoid malicious software getting onto your system or network. Not allowing a program to run directly from an Internet location allows you to make sure that what you are running is indeed what it seems, and to scan the file with anti-virus software if necessary.

Other files (documents) can still be launched directly from Mozilla.

I just installed Mozilla and now it stole the .jpeg and .gif file associations! (Windows)

Open the Preferences dialog (Edit | Preferences). Open Advanced | System catagory. In the file association box, uncheck all checkboxes for images. Mozilla will revert them back to their previous settings.

What plug-ins does Mozilla support?

Mozilla works with most popular plug-ins (such as Java, QuickTime, RealPlayer, and Flash) without manual configuration. To see which plug-ins Mozilla has detected, open the Help menu and choose About Plug-ins.

The Mozilla installer does not come with any plug-in. Some pre-installed plug-ins may need to be installed again. Details on installing common plug-ins is available at PluginDoc.

How do I control how files are handled by the plug-ins / helper applications

You can control how Internet files are handled (e.g. if it should be downloaded or opened by a specific application) in Edit | Preferences | Navigator | Helper Applications .

Does Mozilla support ActiveX controls? (Windows)

Mozilla does not support ActiveX controls natively. A plug-in for ActiveX controls is in development, with limitations: it will not download or install controls itself, and it will only host controls that are already installed and marked safe for scripting, so it is not as insecure as ActiveX normally is. The current plug-in does not yet allow controls to be scripted.

You can read about the plug-in at the Mozilla ActiveX Project.

Note that ActiveX can pose a security risk to your computer.

Mozilla prompts me to download plug-ins all the time. But I don't want to install any plug-in, what do I do?
Enter about:config in the Location Bar. Find the item plugin.display_plugin_downloader_dialog and set its value to false.

How do I block flash?

You can install any one of the following extensions: FlashBlock, Preferences Toolbar, and Adblock.

Text zoom does not stick. How do I permenantly enlarge/reduce text size?

Text zoom (View | Text Zoom) is meant for temporary fix for pages with text too large or too small. If the default font size is not working for you, you can change it in the Preferences. Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Double click Appearance and choose Fonts. On the right panel set the font sizes. You can also set the mininmum font size. (Note: font setting depends on language, so you may want to fiddle with size settings for each language.)

I've heard about tabbed browsing. How do I use it?

Tabbed browsing allows you to browse multiple pages without having to deal with multiple windows. The following are some tips on using tabbed browsing:

You can extend the tabbed browser feature by installing tabs and windows extensions.

Open the Edit menu (Mozilla menu on Mac OS X) and choose Preferences. Go to Privacy & Security | Popup Windows and check Block unrequested popup windows.

Can I control the browser with mouse gestures?

You can add mouse gesture functionality via various mouse gestures extensions.

I can only download four files simultaneously.

By default, Mozilla restrict to the number of simultaneous downloads to four. If there are more than four downloads, Mozilla will wait until one of the first four to finish before beginning the next download. To change this restriction:

  1. Enter about:config in the Location Bar
  2. Change the setting for network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-server
  3. Change the setting for network.http.max-persistent-connections-per-proxy

Note the default values are meant to ensure that users don't hog too much bandwidth from a single source, and they should be adequate for most download activities. It is suggested to change these defaults responsibly.

I'm using dial-up. Can I speed up displaying pages with lots of images?

Open the Edit menu (Mozilla menu on Mac OS X) and choose Preferences. Go to Advanced | HTTP Networking and check Enable Pipelining. This fetches everything on the page in a single connection, rather than one connection per item.

It is switched off by default because some servers and proxies have problems with pipelining, but it tremendously improves browsing performance.

How do I set up Mozilla to dial (connect) automatically? (Windows)

In Windows 98, open the Control Panel (Start | Settings | Control Panel). Double-click Internet Options. Select the Connections tab. Set the dial option to Dial whenever a network connection is not present. Also, select one of the dialup connections and press the Set Default button.

In Windows 2000 or Windows XP, open the Control Panel (Start | Settings | Control Panel). Open Administrative Tools. Open Services. Look for the following services:

Set the startup type of those services to automatic.

Note: Mozilla cannot auto-disconnect.

How do I stop Mozilla from activating the auto-connect? (Windows)

If you want to turn on auto-connect for other Internet clients but turn it off for Mozilla, enter about:config in the Location Bar. Find the item network.autodial-helper.enabled and set its value to false.