What is a “homepage”?

How do I make Google my homepage? That’s a question that’s come my way quite a bit recently, and in the spirit of “it’s the simple things which make the best articles”, today I am going to tell you how to set your browser so that it opens to your favorite website.. or webmail Inbox.

Tip of the day: Set your browser to your favorite website.
When you first open your web browser (or, sometimes, when you open a new tab in your browser) it will go to a predefined website. This “default” website may be the Big Fix, or Sign up for AOL; or more probably, the MSN portal. Whatever the site, your browser was set to behave that way at the manufacturer’s, or the retailer’s. Sometimes installing a program can change this page, too (if you don’t pay careful attention to the little checkboxes during setup). But this choice of page is not set in stone, and you can change it to whatever page you like, whenever you like.

This default opens-to page is your browser’s “Homepage”, and changing it is simple to do: basically all you’re going to do is erase what is there, and type in your URL (web address).
In IE: Open your Internet Options by clicking on “Tools” and selecting “Internet Options”.

In the screenshot above, I have just set my default open-to “homepage” to Google. All I have to do now is click on the “OK” button. You can, of course, choose any website you like.. I just used Google as an example.
[Note: this is a complete URL. I did not just type in “Google”, or “Google dot com”. You must include the “http://”.]

In Firefox: You will essentially do the same thing, except in Firefox they call your options “Options”. Click on “Tools” and select “Options”.

And again, you will delete the current URL and replace it with your choice.. again I will Google as my example.

*Bonus tip: if you are tired of being asked whether you want to “Make Firefox your default browser”, uncheck the checkbox “Always check to see if Firefox is the default browser on startup”.

For those of you paying close attention, you will have noticed the “/ig” at the end of the URL. That is the address of “my” Google– my personalized Google page. You may have a personalized MSN or Yahoo or AOL (etc.) page yourself, which typically looks like “http://my.ispname.com”. If that is where you’d like your browser to start, you can manually type it into your Options, or navigate there and click in your address bar’s window. Copy the address by hitting Ctrl+C, and then Paste (Ctrl+V) in your Homepage Options.

Now, whenever you launch your browser, or click on the house icon, you will go straight to your favorite website.
*** If you are using a different browser than those mentioned here, fear not: the methodology is the same.

Today’s free link: [for Macs] Need a fun time-waster for your Mac? I have been playing with a true arcade classic, Asteroids, and I regret to say it is (almost) as addictive now as it was lo those many years ago. From site: “Asteroids is a free version of the classic arcade game for Mac. There are few fancy features or special effects, but each level gets more difficult. Definitely good for 30 minutes of endless fun.”

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