Question about typing a URL in the address bar...

[RalGrl]

All,
I have a 'problem' with my laptop. It's kind of hard to describe, so
please bare with me...

First, specs:
I'm on a Dell Inspiron 600m with XP Home Edition. The problem is
happening in IE v6.0.lotsofothernumbers

Now, Problem:
I launch IE and my browser start page is Google, which as we all know
is very quick to load. As soon as IE has launced and Google is
rendered I'll either click in the address bar which automatically
highlights the address so I can start typing a new one, OR I'll use the
keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D to do the same thing. THEN, I'll start typing
the address I want to go to and here starts the problem: I lose focus
on the address bar and for some reason it goes into my Favorites menu
and goes to some (seemingly) random item there and starts to render
that page. So I can't type in an address and press enter. This
happens probably 80% of the time that I try to manually type in an
address.

What is the problem? This is bugging me to no end!! Please let me
know if I need to give more details.

Thanks all!

 

[PA Bear]

Does the problem persist if you use a different keyboard?

 

[John Holmes]

PA Bear blabbered in 24hoursupport.helpdesk:

Does the problem persist if you use a different keyboard?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!!! You are just another MVP who doesn't know how to
reply to a usenet poast, you ****ing idiot.

 

[Mike Easter]

I launch IE and my browser start page is Google, which as we all know
is very quick to load.

It is a lot quicker if you have your homepage blank.

As soon as IE has launced and Google is
rendered

Rendering the google page is only useful if you were going to use it to
search. If your homepage were blank there are any number of other ways
you could choose to 'flip' to google's page whenever you wanted, or even
use google's search without starting the page.

I'll either click in the address bar which automatically
highlights the address so I can start typing a new one, OR I'll use
the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+D to do the same thing.

Typing into the address bar is something I try to avoid, unless I know
something is already in there in the history which will be displayed for
me to select. On my IE6 configuration I have the function 'use inline
autocomplete for web addresses' unchecked in IE/ Tools/ Internet
Options/ Advanced tab - Browsing section - item #20

THEN, I'll start
typing the address I want to go to and here starts the problem: I
lose focus on the address bar and for some reason it goes into my
Favorites menu and goes to some (seemingly) random item there and
starts to render that page.

It sounds like either you are spyware infested or having trouble with
the autocomplete function.

 

[Mike Easter]

please bare with me...

'please bare with me' sounds like getting naked together, and/but we've
only just met

I mean, you sound like a nice enough grl and all, but I'm just not sure
yet.

 

[RalGrl]

'please bare with me' sounds like getting naked together, and/but we've
only just met

I mean, you sound like a nice enough grl and all, but I'm just not sure
yet.

Awww, garschk. <blush>

 

[RalGrl]

It is a lot quicker if you have your homepage blank.

Yes, true. At work, I have a custom-made browser start page (that I
made with HTML) for the purpose of quick launching certain web-based
programs I use all the time. I even built in the Google search bar.
Perhaps I should try that at home. Otherwise, you are correct: a blank
browser start page won't kill me as Google is already a part of my
"links" bar. I just wanted my cake and eat it too.

It sounds like either you are spyware infested or having trouble with
the autocomplete function.

I hadn't thought about the spyware issue. I use Norton to run scans
frequently (about twice a week) and it seems to take care of any
problems (thankfully, it has only detected two things).

I'll try to turn off the autocomplete and see if that makes a
difference.

I refuse to believe that I can't get this to work correctly, though. I
have a desktop that behaves just fine, but this laptop has always done
this (I've had the laptop for less than a year).


Thanks for your reply. I appreciate it.

 

[Mitch]

Typing into the address bar is something I try to avoid, unless I know
something is already in there in the history which will be displayed for
me to select.

Why is that?
It seems to be the simplest and most direct way to get to a specific
site. It doesn't involve any other tricks or tools. It doesn't give any
site the chance to write cookies or track your IP or dump irrelevant
links at you.
What is undesirable about typing into the address bar?

 

[Mitch]

THEN, I'll start typing
the address I want to go to and here starts the problem: I lose focus

This part is the most direct evidence that your hands are causing the
problem. Might you be touching the trackpad? Does your OS have an
option to ignore trackpad input when you type?

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Typing into the address bar is something I try to avoid,

How do you visit URLs you see in a television ad or a newspaper? Or the
back door of a truck whose company's services you might wish to hire?
;-)

 

[Mike Easter]

Mike Easter

Why is that?

Because url/s typed in require too many keystrokes and too much
accuracy. I would rather click or paste it it.

It seems to be the simplest and most direct way to get to a specific
site.

If I want to go to a site, it must mean that I 'heard about' or saw a
reference to such a site. If I heard about a site by seeing its url and
was interested in visiting it later, then I would 'grab' it the url and
paste it into a little txt file of notes I keep accessible all of the
time.

Then when I decided to go visit the site I would copy and paste its url
into the address bar.

I hardly ever go somewhere because someone whispered the site's name in
my ear or I remembered it from the radio or TV. I saw its link
somewhere while I was surfing around and either clicked it up directly
by R click copy shortcut paste into addressline or click copy pasted it
onto my notes for later access.

It doesn't involve any other tricks or tools.

Neither does pasting in a 'pre-written' URL. Occassionally I will type
in something if it is extremely short and I can reach it with a few
keystrokes, like typing in 'grc' and hitting ctrl-enter and getting
http://www.grc.com for only 4.5 strokes.

What is undesirable about typing into the address bar?

Too much keystroking. Too much opportunity for an error to interfere
with getting to the site.

I also avoid typing people's addresses for the same reason. I would
much rather click copy paste it somewhere or click it into one of the
folders in my addressbook. Likewise telnos. Likewise IP addresses.

I also hate 'live' commandlines, but that's another subject. I don't
mind writing a script or a command to use over again, but I hate a live
commandline expecting a perfect input.

 

[Mitch]

Why is that?

Because url/s typed in require too many keystrokes and too much
accuracy. I would rather click or paste it it.[/QUOTE]

Ah -- the problem of trying to go deeper into the site, or to a
specific file, makes that really annoying, doesn't it?

If I want to go to a site, it must mean that I 'heard about' or saw a
reference to such a site. If I heard about a site by seeing its url and
was interested in visiting it later, then I would 'grab' it the url and
paste it into a little txt file of notes I keep accessible all of the
time.

Yah; I do the same. Mac OS saves them as tiny clickable links, but I
also just save URLs into my notes services.

Too much keystroking. Too much opportunity for an error to interfere
with getting to the site.

I thought you were going to say something about Microsoft's automatic
'search' function, or a bad implementation of auto-fill in some
browser.

 

[Mike Easter]

How do you visit URLs you see in a television ad or a newspaper? Or
the back door of a truck whose company's services you might wish to
hire? ;-)

Sometimes it can't be avoided, but most likely I would google on the
name of the co. and see if the google search gives me something with a
link to it. That way I can also copy paste the telno or faxno or
something else useful. Clickity clickity clickity. Paste the telno
into my dialer -- clickity clickity.

Maybe I want to also use whois.internic.net or crsnic on how the site is
registered. Clickity clickity.

I'm a touch typist and I type very fast, but I would rather click and
copy and paste 'details'. I also like keyboard equivalents to mouse
clicks, so sometimes I'm keyboarding and sometimes I'm mousing.
Ergonomically, I like it when it is one or the other, so I don't have to
move my hand off the keyboard when I'm mousing, or off the mouse to
keyboard something.

 

[RalGrl]

This part is the most direct evidence that your hands are causing the
problem. Might you be touching the trackpad? Does your OS have an
option to ignore trackpad input when you type?

Good thought, but I assure you I'm not touching the touchpad at all. I
do nothing but type all day ... whether at my laptop or on my desktop
and I do leave the touchpad alone.

 

[Bob I]

losing focus would tend to indicate some program running in the
background is stealing it.

 

[Alex]

hey hey hey

It is a lot quicker if you have your homepage blank.


Rendering the google page is only useful if you were going to use it to
search. If your homepage were blank there are any number of other ways
you could choose to 'flip' to google's page whenever you wanted, or even
use google's search without starting the page.


Typing into the address bar is something I try to avoid, unless I know
something is already in there in the history which will be displayed for
me to select. On my IE6 configuration I have the function 'use inline
autocomplete for web addresses' unchecked in IE/ Tools/ Internet
Options/ Advanced tab - Browsing section - item #20


It sounds like either you are spyware infested or having trouble with
the autocomplete function.