Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Posted: 18 Aug 2009 03:13 AM PDT

It goes without saying that the primary use of a web browser it to view the Internet. Two of the most prominent web browsers, Internet Explorer and Firefox, have been in a heated contest in recent years to one-up each other with web browsing speed and other features. Though Internet Explorer held its own as a standard tool for Internet use, Firefox has made significant strides in improvement.

Trying to keep a competitive edge, Firefox included some attractive core features. One of the default features with Firefox is the built-in ability to changes themes, add additional functionality, and easily manage plugins. These actions can be done through the use of the Add-ons menu item, located under Tools within the Firefox browser.

When you enter into this submenu set, you are presented with several options. Each option has an icon tab, which you can click on to jump between the choices. Starting with the icon furthest left, we find the Get Add-ons selection.

Towards the top of this screen, you will notice a search box on the left side and a hyperlink on the right. The search box, upon entering what you are looking for, will sift through Firefox’s online database of Add-ons. The search results are displayed in the lower portion of this window.

Clicking on one of the entries will expand it, and typically give a brief description of what functionality the Add-on will build into Firefox. At this point, if you want to get the selected Add-on, just click on the convenient “Add to Firefox” button.

The “Browse All Add-ons” hyperlink will take you out to a website with pages containing the available Add-ons for Firefox. Here you can look over what is available for Firefox to use (there are MANY, so you may want to set aside a couple of hours the first time around).

You may want to take note, before perusing the website, the exact version of Firefox you have (click on Help, then About Mozilla Firefox; see screen shot below). There are some Add-ons that do not work with every version.

Moving on to the right of the Get Add-ons icon, we have the Extension tab. In this section we have items that extend some of Firefox’s features, or create additional functionality altogether. Clicking one each of the Extensions in this screen gives you the choice to Disable or Uninstall the extension.

If applicable, you may also find an Options button. Within the Options button, you can manage the settings for an individual extension’s properties. These choices are left to how that particular extension was designed to be used.

You may also want to make note of the yellow arrow next to an extension. This indicates that an update is available for that extension, and this will be covered more in a little bit.

Next in the rundown is the Themes area. Here we can alter the look of Firefox with packs that alter the look of buttons, browser coloring, and menus at times. Themes can be found through the use of the “Browse Add-ons” link mentioned earlier.

When you click on one of the listed themes, there are a few item to note. You will notice the yellow arrows again, if there in an update ready for that theme. If the theme is currently not compatible with your version of Firefox, it will let you know.

There will be two buttons for each entry, though Use Theme may not be available if you are currently using that particular theme or it is incompatible. The Use Theme button will activate that theme for Firefox to use. Upon restarting Firefox, you are presented with the applied theme. The Uninstall button will remove that theme from Firefox.

The next section of the icon tab menu is the Plugins list. While this portion is far less exciting than the others, its does hold its own importance. Should you be having a problem with the functionality of a Firefox plugin (errors specifically mentioning a plugin), this is a good place to start troubleshooting. Here you can Disable and Enable plugins as needed.

The last stop on the tour is the Updates icon tab. If you previously noted yellow arrows next to any of your Add-ons, they will be listed in this section. Within the Updates area, you have the option to run all the updates, of just a few, at once.

Should you wish to know the exact nature of what the updates change, clicking on the Show Information button will split this window. On the right-hand side, when you click on an update, the release notes will be displayed.

Hopefully, this will give you an idea of what can be accomplished using Firefox’s Add-on menu. The additional tools and themes available for Firefox are far too numerous to mention, but can be very useful depending on what you are searching for. Have fun and play around! If one item does not suit your tastes, there are plenty more to choose from. Enjoy!

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How to use Firefox addons

Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

Computer Tips From A Computer Guy

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