how do I switch from firefox to windows please

sparrer

I bought the following in Jan this year. Recently someone switched it from Windows to Mozilla Firefox. There is a button on the task bar which says 'switch between windows'.which I am presuming is the one I'm supposed to use to get back to Windows? Left clicking does nothing, but when I right click it, it says 'Open file location'. I click this and it takes me to 'Desktop'. The icon is not on Desktop so I type in Windows Switcher and it comes up with no results. I try advanced search and it still comes up no results.

I'm unable to access some files I saved when I had Windows so could somebody please advise me, in simple terms for aged idiots, how I get it back, if I can? (Before everybody tells me Firefox is best, it's only because Windows is what I am used to...we olds don't like change ). Thank you in advance..
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HP 6735s Laptop, AMD Sempron SI-40 2Ghz Processor, 1GB 800DDR2, 160GB DVD RW LightScribe Writer, 15.4 WXGA Bluetooth Webcam, ATI Mobility Radeon HD3200 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic, Office Ready (60 day trial or 25 uses)[/FONT]

tobydog27

FireFox is a Web Brower, you open this program or Internet Explorer to access the internet.

Windows, in your case Vista, is the Laptops operating system.

So when you click "Open File Location" and it goes to your DeskTop that is correct, Your DeskTop is in fact Windows Vista.

Now to find your saved files.....first you must remember where you saved them, i.e. My Documents or another folder on your computer.

If they are saved in My Documents then left click on "Start" once, the Documents folder should be on the top right hand side of the menu, Left click once, your saved files should now be list within this folder.

Hope this helps.

sparrer

Thank you tobydog27, I realised just after I posted that I was wrong when I said windows, what I actually meant was switching between Firefox and Internet Explorer..no hope for some of us! Thank you for taking the time to reply though
S

kwikbreaks

Find the IE icon


it will likely be on the desktop and even the quicklaunch bar and double click it.

Ususally IE will detect it isn't the default browser and give you the option to make it default if that is what you want. If the option isn't offered then frome the IE menu select tools/internet options/programs and the make default button is there.

Why on earth do you want to go back to IE?

Bernie

....- Firefox with umpteen addons and extensions - unbeatable!

For starters:

Xmarks - synchronise all your bookmarks across all your kit - PC, Laptop, Netbook & USB portable suite for me.

All-in-One Sidebar - loads of direct links to stuff

All-in-One Gesture - operate your browser with the mouse

No-Script - more security

Evernote - trap those pages and stuff while surfing so you can get back there!

...and a host of others too. The way browsing should be - and it's all free too.

:beer:

LittleMissAspie

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Why on earth do you want to go back to IE?

Because he's used to it and doesn't like change. My dad is the same. I recently had a really frustrating conversation with him about his browsers.

He usually uses Opera but sometimes has to use Firefox for his banking. So he phoned me up and asked why he can't close the only open tab in Firefox. I said what do you mean? He said that in Opera he can click on the X and the tab will close so he has no tabs open, but that there is no X to click in Firefox. I said you can right click and close or use the middle mouse button, but why would you be bothered about closing the only tab you have open? If you're not using it anymore then reuse for another search or close the browser.

He kept going on about he can do it in Opera so why can't he do it in Firefox. I tried to explain that they are different browsers so they work a little differently. He just didn't get it and expects them to work in the same way. I gave up lol.

superscaper

Sometimes it's personal preference. IE is my default browser. But I also have FF, Opera, Chrome etc installed. FF for example I've been using for about 6 years. But I find IE easier and the one I go back to.

sparrer

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Find the IE icon


it will likely be on the desktop and even the quicklaunch bar and double click it.

Ususally IE will detect it isn't the default browser and give you the option to make it default if that is what you want. If the option isn't offered then frome the IE menu select tools/internet options/programs and the make default button is there.

Why on earth do you want to go back to IE?

First, having done a thorough search, the above icon doesn't exist on my laptop...really, believe me it isn't there! Not on the desktop, quick launch bar, in my computer, not even in add/remove programmes. Without taking the thing apart I've looked everywhere there is to look...unless you know different!

Second, because I've always had IE, always got on with IE, see no reason to change from IE and am pretty annoyed at someone coming along and changing it to Fire fox without asking me, just because that's what they use. I'm tempted to think they've uninstalled IE if that's possible. Lesson learned - never, under any circumstances, let anyone else use your comp.

Thank you LittleMissAspie, for your input ( btw I'm a she not a he )

kwikbreaks

If this is a Windows PC then it is very difficult indeed to remove IE.

The program name is iexplore.exe I don't have Vista but the default location on this XP machine is C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer but Vista defaults may prevent you from navigating there and will need changing. I put Win 7 on my Vista machine and don't recall the exact way to change the default options. Just typing in iexplore.exe into he search box may bring it up.

bingo_bango

It's unlikely that they have uninstalled the app itself, more likely that they have deleted the icon.

It should be at C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

If you right click on the desktop, select 'New' then 'Shortcut' and when it asks for location, use the path above (you should be able to copy and paste). Then click 'Next', give it a name, then click 'Finish'.

You will now have a link to IE on the desktop.

penrhyn

OP, Type Internet Explore into the Vista start menu search box.

You may also want to run Windows update.