suite/locales/en-US/chrome/common/help/using_priv

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>  <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd"[ <!ENTITY % brandDTD SYSTEM "chrome://branding/locale/brand.dtd" > %brandDTD; ]> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <title>Using Privacy Features</title> <link rel="stylesheet" href="helpFileLayout.css" type="text/css"/> </head> <body> <h1 id="using_the_cookie_manager">Using the Cookie Manager</h1> <p>A cookie is a small amount of information on your computer that is used by some websites. For a brief overview, see <a href="privacy_help.xhtml#what_are_cookies_and_how_do_they_work">What Are Cookies and How Do They Work?</a></p> <p>Before loading a web page that uses cookies, your browser handles the page's cookies by doing two things:</p> <ul> <li>Accepts or rejects any requests by the website to <strong>set</strong> (store) one or more cookies on your computer.</li> <li>Accepts or rejects any requests by the website to <strong>read</strong> cookies it previously stored on your computer. A website can't actually read cookies or any other data on your computer—instead, your browser gets the cookies and sends them back to the website.</li> </ul> <div class="contentsBox">In this section: <ul> <li><a href="#enabling_and_disabling_cookies">Enabling & Disabling Cookies</a></li> <li><a href="#managing_cookies_site-by-site">Managing Cookies Website-By-Website</a></li> <li><a href="#viewing_cookies">Viewing Cookies</a></li> <li><a href="#removing_cookies">Removing Cookies</a></li> <li><a href="#cookie_manager_settings">Cookie Manager Settings</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="enabling_and_disabling_cookies">Enabling & Disabling Cookies</h2> <p>You can specify how cookies should be handled by setting your Cookies preferences. To change your Cookies preferences:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Cookies. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> <li>Set your Cookies preferences.</li> </ol> <p>For more information about the effect of each setting, see <a href="#cookies">Privacy & Security Preferences - Cookies</a>.</p> <p>[<a href="#using_the_cookie_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="managing_cookies_site-by-site">Managing Cookies Website-By-Website</h2> <p>To set cookie permissions for the current website:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager.</li> <li>Choose one of the following items: <ul> <li><strong>Block Cookies from this Website</strong>: Block the current website from setting cookies.</li> <li><strong>Use Default Cookie Permissions</strong>: Reset cookie permission for the current website and use the <a href="#cookie_manager_settings">default settings</a>.</li> <li><strong>Allow Session Cookies from this Website</strong>: Allow the current website to set session cookies. Persistent cookies from this website will be downgraded to session cookies.</li> <li><strong>Allow Cookies from this Website</strong>: Allow the current website to set cookies.</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <p>To <a href="#add_cookie_sites">set cookie permission</a> for several websites or a website you are not viewing, use the Cookie Manager.</p> <p>Other dialog options:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Use my choice for all cookies from this website</strong>: If you check this option, you will not be warned the next time that website tries to set or modify a cookie, and your <q>allow</q> or <q>deny</q> response will still be in effect.</li> <li><strong>Show Details</strong>/<strong>Hide Details</strong>: Click the button to show or hide <a href="#viewing_cookies">detailed information</a> of the cookie.</li> </ul> <p>If you want to change a remembered response later, use the Cookie Manager to edit <a href="#stored_cookies">stored cookies</a> and <a href="#cookie_sites">add or remove cookie websites</a>.</p> <p>To stop automatically accepting or rejecting cookies from a website:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager.</li> <li>Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.</li> <li>Click the Cookie Websites tab. The sites for which you have allowed or denied cookies are listed.</li> <li>Click to select the website from which you no longer want to automatically accept cookies, and then click Remove Cookie.</li> </ol> <p>[<a href="#using_the_cookie_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="viewing_cookies">Viewing Cookies</h2> <p>To view detailed information about cookies:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager.</li> <li>Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.</li> <li>Select a cookie to see its details.</li> </ol> <p>For more information about the information displayed, see <a href="#stored_cookies">Stored Cookies</a>.</p> <p>[<a href="#using_the_cookie_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="removing_cookies">Removing Cookies</h2> <p><strong>Important</strong>: To remove cookies, follow the steps in this section. Do not try to edit the cookies file on your computer.</p> <p>To remove one or more cookies from your computer:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager.</li> <li>Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.</li> <li>Select one or more cookies and click Remove Cookie, or click Remove All Cookies.</li> </ol> <p>Even though you've removed the cookies now, you will reacquire those same cookies the next time you return to the website.</p> <p>To prevent that from happening, select the checkbox labeled <q>Don't allow websites that set removed cookies to set future cookies</q>. When this checkbox is selected, websites for the cookies that you are removing are added to the list of websites whose cookies will automatically be rejected.</p> <p>You must click OK for your changes to take effect.</p> <p>[<a href="#using_the_cookie_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h1 id="cookie_manager_settings">Cookie Manager Settings</h1> <p>This section describes how to set your Cookies preferences and control other aspects of cookie handling.</p> <p>For step-by-step descriptions of various tasks related to cookies, see <a href="#using_the_cookie_manager">Using the Cookie Manager</a>.</p> <div class="contentsBox">In this section: <ul> <li><a href="#cookies">Privacy & Security Preferences - Cookies</a></li> <li><a href="#stored_cookies">Stored Cookies</a></li> <li><a href="#cookie_sites">Cookie Websites</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="cookies">Privacy & Security Preferences - Cookies</h2> <p>This section describes how to use the Cookies preferences panel to change which cookies &brandShortName; will accept from and return to websites. If you're not already viewing it, follow these steps:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Cookies. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> </ol> <p>Cookies help websites keep track of information for you, such as the contents of your on-line shopping cart or which cities' weather you want to know about. For a brief overview, see <a href="privacy_help.xhtml#what_are_cookies_and_how_do_they_work">What Are Cookies and How Do They Work?</a></p> <p>You can select one of these options:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Block cookies</strong>: Select this option to refuse all cookies from websites not explicitly allowed to set cookies.</li> <li><strong>Allow cookies for the originating website only</strong>: Select this option if you don't want to accept or return <a href="privacy_help.xhtml#what_are_third-party_cookies">third-party (foreign) cookies</a> for any websites other than the one you are actively visiting.</li> <li><strong>Allow third-party cookies for previously visited websites only</strong>: Select this option if you want to accept or return <a href="privacy_help.xhtml#what_are_third-party_cookies">third-party cookies</a> only for websites that stored cookies when you explicitly visited them previously.</li> <li><strong>Allow all cookies</strong>: Select this option to permit all websites not explicitly blocked to set cookies on your computer.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Note</strong>: Blocking cookies does not remove old cookies. By blocking cookies you only block websites from setting new cookies, and old cookies will still be sent to websites. To completely block a website from receiving old cookies, you need to <a href="#removing_cookies">remove its cookies</a>. </p> <p><strong>Note</strong>: <a href="#cookie_sites">Per-website cookie permission</a> supersedes default cookie setting. For example, if you allow a website to set cookies, the website can set cookies even if you choose <q>Block cookies</q>. </p> <p>If you allow cookies or do not change the default setting, you can also select the following preferences:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Accept cookies normally</strong>: Select this if you want websites to set or modify cookies without restrictions.</li> <li><strong>Accept for current session only</strong>: Select this to delete the cookie the next time you exit your browser.</li> <li><strong>Accept cookies for [__] days</strong>: Select this if you want to limit the length of time any cookie can remain on your computer, then type the number of days.</li> </ul> <p>You can also get more information about your stored cookies:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Cookie Manager</strong>: Click this button to view information about the cookies currently stored on your computer and which websites are allowed to set them.</li> </ul> <h2 id="stored_cookies">Stored Cookies</h2> <p>This section describes how to use the Stored Cookies tab of the Cookie Manager. If you're not already viewing it, follow these steps:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager.</li> <li>Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.</li> </ol> <p>The Stored Cookies tab lists all the cookies stored on your computer, the websites they belong to, and their current status.</p> <p>When you select a cookie in this list, the following information about that cookie appears in the bottom portion of the tab:</p> <table class="defaultTable"> <thead> <tr> <th>Item</th> <th>Explanation</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody class="tbody-default"> <tr> <td>Name</td> <td>The name assigned to the cookie by its originator.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Information</td> <td>A string of characters containing the information a website tracks for you. It might contain a user key or name by which you are identified to the website, information about your interests, and so forth.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Host or domain</td> <td>Provides the name of the cookie's host or domain. <p>A <strong>host</strong> cookie is sent back, during subsequent visits, only to the <a href="glossary.xhtml#server">server</a> that set it.</p> <p>A <strong>domain</strong> cookie is sent back to any website that's in the same domain as the website that set it. A website's domain is the part of its URL that contains the name of an organization, business, or school—such as netscape.com or washington.org.</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td>Path</td> <td>The file pathway. This is provided only if the cookie should be sent back to all URLs that are on that path or lower. For example, <tt>http://a.b/x/y/z.html</tt> means that the cookie can also be set for path <tt>x/</tt>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Send For</td> <td>When this field is <q>For encrypted connections only</q> it means that the browser checks the connection whenever the server asks for a cookie and will not send it unless the connection is encrypted (HTTPS).</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Expires</td> <td>The date and time at which the cookie will be deactivated. The browser regularly removes expired cookies from your computer.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>To remove cookies, click one of these buttons:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Remove Cookie</strong>: Removes the selected cookie or cookies from the list.</li> <li><strong>Remove All Cookies</strong>: Removes all cookies from the list.</li> </ul> <p>Select this checkbox to prevent the cookies you remove from being added back into the list later:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Don't allow websites that set removed cookies to set future cookies</strong></li> </ul> <p>Even if you remove cookies now, you will reacquire those same cookies the next time you return to the website. To prevent that from happening, select this checkbox. When this checkbox is selected, websites for the cookies that you are removing are added to the list of websites whose cookies will automatically be rejected.</p> <p>You must click Close for your changes to take effect.</p> <h2 id="cookie_sites">Cookie Websites</h2> <p>This section describes how to use the Cookie Websites tab of the Cookie Manager. If you're not already viewing it, follow these steps:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Cookie Manager.</li> <li>Choose Manage Stored Cookies from the submenu. The Cookie Manager window opens with a list of all the cookies stored on your computer.</li> <li>Click the Cookie Websites tab.</li> </ol> <p>The Cookie Websites tab of the Cookie Manager lists the websites for which your decisions have been remembered, and what your decisions were. It also allows you to add and remove websites from the list.</p> <h3 id="add_cookie_sites">Adding Cookie Websites</h3> <p>To add cookies websites manually:</p> <ul> <li>Enter the website address, e.g. <tt>www.mozilla.org</tt></li> <li>Set the website cookie permission: <ul> <li><strong>Block</strong>: Click this button to add the website as a website blocked from setting cookies.</li> <li><strong>Session</strong>: Click this button to add the website as a website that can set session cookies. Persistent cookies from this website will be downgraded to session cookies.</li> <li><strong>Allow</strong>: Click this button to add the website as a website that can set cookies.</li> </ul> </li> <li>Repeat the steps to add additional websites.</li> </ul> <h3 id="remove_cookie_sites">Removing Cookie Websites</h3> <p>To remove a cookie website:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Remove Website</strong>: Removes the selected website or websites from the list.</li> <li><strong>Remove All Websites</strong>: Removes all websites from the list.</li> </ul> <p>Once you've removed a website from this list, Cookie Manager remembers nothing about it.</p> <h1 id="using_the_password_manager">Using the Password Manager</h1> <p>Many websites require you to type a user name and password before you can enter the website. For instance, personalized pages and websites containing your financial information usually require you to log in.</p> <p>The user name and password you use at a particular website can be read by the site's administrator. Potentially, that person could then attempt to log into other websites where you may have used the same user name and password. If this concerns you, you may wish to use a different password at every website with which you register.</p> <p>Password Manager can help you remember some or all of your names and passwords by storing them on your computer's hard disk, and entering them for you automatically when you visit such websites.</p> <div class="contentsBox">In this section: <ul> <li><a href= "#using_password_manager_to_remember_user_names_and_passwords">Using Password Manager to Remember User Names and Passwords</a></li> <li><a href="#entering_user_names_and_passwords_automatically">Entering User Names and Passwords Automatically</a></li> <li><a href="#turning_password_manager_on_and_off">Turning Password Manager On and Off</a></li> <li><a href="#viewing_and_managing_stored_passwords">Viewing and Managing Stored Passwords</a></li> <li><a href="passwords_help.xhtml">Password Settings</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="using_password_manager_to_remember_user_names_and_passwords">Using Password Manager to Remember User Names and Passwords</h2> <p>When Password Manager is active (as it is by default), it gives you an opportunity to save user names and passwords on your hard drive that you enter while using the Internet.</p> <p>For example, after you log onto a website from a page that requests a user name and password, a dialog box appears asking, <q>Do you want Password Manager to remember this logon?</q> When you see this dialog box, you can click one of the following buttons:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Yes</strong>: The next time you return to the website you'll see that your user name and password are already filled in. All you have to do is click the Login button (or equivalent) to send them to the server.</li> <li><strong>Never for this site</strong>: Password Manager will not ask in the future if you want to save your user name and password for that website.</li> <li><strong>No</strong>: Password Manager won't remember the user name and password, but will ask again the next time you visit the website.</li> </ul> <p>Similarly, when you log onto an email account or an FTP site, or perform any other action that requires the browser itself to display a special dialog box for your login information, you can select this option in the dialog box:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Use Password Manager to remember these values</strong></li> </ul> <p>The next time you check your email or perform other tasks that require a password only, the password will be submitted directly without any further action on your part. For tasks that require you to enter both a user name and password, you need to click a Login button or equivalent after Password Manager fills in the information.</p> <p>Password Manager saves your user names and passwords on your own computer in a file that's difficult, but not impossible, for an intruder to read. See <a href="#encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Encrypting Stored Sensitive Information</a> for information on protecting your stored user names and passwords with encryption technology.</p> <p>If the Password Manager dialog box described above does not appear when you click Submit after typing your user name and password, Password Manager may be turned off or the website may disallow its use.</p> <p>To check whether Password Manager is currently active, see <a href="#turning_password_manager_on_and_off">Turning Password Manager On and Off</a>.</p> <p>[<a href="#using_the_password_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="entering_user_names_and_passwords_automatically">Entering User Names and Passwords Automatically</h2> <p>There are two different ways that Password Manager can fill in user names and passwords on your behalf:</p> <ul> <li>You use Password Manager to remember your user name and password for a website (using the three-button dialog box described in <a href= "#using_password_manager_to_remember_user_names_and_passwords">Using Password Manager to Remember User Names and Passwords</a>). <p>The next time you visit the website, Password Manager automatically fills in your user name and password on the website's log in page. You can then click the Login button, or equivalent, to send the information to the server.</p> </li> <li>You use Password Manager to remember your user name and password for an email account, an FTP site, or in any other situation where you type login information in a dialog box that displays a checkbox labeled <q>Use Password Manager to remember these values</q>. <p>In most cases, the next time you attempt to access that server, Password Manager automatically fills in your user name and password in the same dialog box. You can then click OK to send the information to the server.</p> <p>In some cases, such as when you open your email account, &brandShortName; needs to send only the password to the server, and does so immediately without displaying the dialog box or requiring any further action on your part.</p> </li> </ul> <p>[<a href="#using_the_password_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="turning_password_manager_on_and_off">Turning Password Manager On and Off</h2> <p>Password Manager is on by default. To turn it off:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Passwords. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> <li>In the Password Manager section, deselect <q>Remember passwords</q> to turn Password Manager off.</li> </ol> <p>To turn Password Manager on, follow steps 1 and 2 above, but select the checkbox in step 3 rather than deselecting it.</p> <p>[<a href="#using_the_password_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="viewing_and_managing_stored_passwords">Viewing and Managing Stored Passwords</h2> <p>To see the user names and passwords you have stored and to display a list of websites from which logon information never is saved:</p> <ul> <li>Open the Tools menu, choose Password Manager, and then choose Manage Stored Passwords from the submenu. You see the Password Manager window with the Passwords Saved tab opened. <ul> <li>To see your saved passwords, click Show Passwords and confirm your choice.</li> <li>To hide your passwords, click Hide Passwords.</li> <li>To remove an entry from the list, click it and then click Remove. The next time you visit the website, you will need to enter your user name and password again, since Password Manager will no longer have the information.</li> </ul> Click the Passwords Never Saved tab to see a list of the websites for which you instructed Password Manager never to store user names and passwords. To remove a website from this list, click it and then click Remove. The next time you log into the website, you can use the stored user name and password (if available) or indicate that you want Password Manager to save the information for that website.</li> </ul> <p>[<a href="#using_the_password_manager">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h1 id="clearing_private_data">Clearing Private Data</h1> <p>While browsing the web, various items of potentially private information may be gathered and stored by &brandShortName;. This section describes the types of such private data and options to remove them either manually by request or automatically when shutting down &brandShortName;.</p> <div class="contentsBox">In this section: <ul> <li><a href="#types_of_private_data">Types of Private Data</a></li> <li><a href="#private_data_prefs">Private Data Preferences</a></li> <li><a href="#clear_private_data_now">Clear Private Data Dialog</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="types_of_private_data">Types of Private Data</h2> <p>Several types of information are gathered and kept by &brandShortName; while you are browsing websites. Some of these data are necessary for those sites to function properly or more efficiently, others are for your convenience.</p> <p>Privacy implications vary from type to type. For example, browsing history and cache contents provide a snapshot of your recent browsing activity which is local to your computer; cookies or offline web content may be used by a website to track a user directly across visits (e.g., for statistical purposes or for targeted advertisements).</p> <p>In <a href="#browsing_in_a_private_window">private browsing mode</a>, no private data will be retained beyond the duration of the private session.</p> <p>The following private information may be stored locally by &brandShortName;:</p> <table class="defaultTable"> <thead> <tr> <th>Type</th> <th>Explanation</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody class="tbody-default"> <tr> <td>Browsing History</td> <td>If enabled in the <a href="cs_nav_prefs_navigator.xhtml#history">History preferences</a>, a history of any website pages you have <em>visited</em> is kept and may be suggested to complete website addresses in the location bar.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Location Bar History</td> <td>This is a history of web addresses which were <em>entered</em> manually or copy-pasted into the location bar of the browser. This list is available in the location bar menu.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Download History</td> <td>Depending on the options selected in the <a href="cs_nav_prefs_navigator.xhtml#downloads">Downloads preferences</a>, a history of <em>files downloaded</em> from websites is maintained in the Download Manager.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Saved Form and Search History</td> <td>If enabled in the <a href="cs_nav_prefs_navigator.xhtml#history">History preferences</a>, text entered into <em>elements of forms</em> (e.g., user names, but not passwords) will be stored for the specified number of days; matches are suggested in a list when you revisit that page. If you put the search box onto your toolbar, the history of <em>search terms</em> will be stored as well.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cache</td> <td>The cache is a <em>short-term store</em> for web pages and other data (like e-mail attachments for IMAP accounts or remote images in messages) to avoid having these items being requested again from the server if they were just recently accessed. The cache on your disk may contain data up to the limit specified in the <a href="cs_nav_prefs_advanced.xhtml#cache">Cache preferences</a>.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Cookies</td> <td>Cookies are <em>small pieces of information</em> that websites use to keep track of users and sessions, or to store website preferences. Use the <a href="using_priv_help.xhtml#cookies">Cookies preferences</a> to specify to what extent cookies are permitted and for how long they are kept.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Offline Website Data</td> <td>Websites may be permitted to store their pages' contents and related data locally so that they are available for use <em>without a network connection</em>. See the <a href="cs_nav_prefs_advanced.xhtml#offline_apps">Offline Apps preferences</a> for options to control this behavior and to inspect the contents of stored offline website data.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Saved Passwords</td> <td>If enabled in the <a href="passwords_help.xhtml#passwords">Passwords preferences</a>, &brandShortName; keeps <em>entered passwords</em> for later use, thus you don't have to retype them every time you visit a website.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Authenticated Sessions</td> <td>Websites may require <em>authentication</em> (username and password, asked for with a pop-up dialog) and can keep track of such by authenticated sessions. A site will ask you for your credentials again when you proceed to the next page after this information is cleared.</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Site Preferences</td> <td>Site preferences are locally stored preferences for the specific website. These usually are the individual zoom level and the last location of a downloaded file from this site on your local disk.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>[<a href="#clearing_private_data">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="private_data_prefs">Privacy & Security Preferences - Private Data</h2> <p>This section describes how to use the Private Data preferences panel to determine when and which type of private data should be deleted. If you're not already viewing it, follow these steps:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Private Data. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> </ol> <p>The <strong>Clear Private Data</strong> section provides the following options:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Clear Now</strong>: Click this button to initiate clearing of private data. The Clear Private Data dialog will open where you can revisit your choices. </li> <li><strong>Always clear my private data when I close &brandShortName;</strong>: Check this option to always initiate clearing of the selected private data when the application is shut down.</li> <li><strong>Clear these private data items</strong>: For each <a href="#types_of_private_data">type of private data</a>, a separate option is provided whether or not to clear any stored items of this specific type. Check the respective box for each item to be deleted. The choices are split between manually clearing via dialog and automatically initiated when closing &brandShortName;.</li> </ul>  <p><strong>Note</strong>: Also consider more selective alternatives to delete private data. For example, the individual preference panels for each type may provide additional options, and the Data Manager allows to clear private data by type and the specific domain of a website. Rather than clearing all cookies when shutting down &brandShortName;, you could specify to allow cookies for sessions only, thus giving you the opportunity to establish exceptions for selected websites for which you want to retain cookies.</p> <p>[<a href="#clearing_private_data">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="clear_private_data_now">Clear Private Data Dialog</h2> <p>Private data can be cleared at any time, either from the <a href="#private_data_prefs">Private Data preferences</a> by clicking the Clear Now button, or by selecting Clear Private Data from the Tools menu of a browser window.</p> <p>In the dialog window you can confirm and change the <a href="#types_of_private_data">types of private data</a> to be cleared as follows: <ul> <li>Select the time range to clear if you don't want to clear all the data. Only the following items honor this setting: <ul> <li>Browsing History</li> <li>Download History</li> <li>Cookies</li> <li>Saved Form and Search History</li> <li>Site Preferences.</li> </ul> All other items will always be fully cleared!</li> <li>The defaults for the individual types are determined by the <a href="#private_data_prefs">Private Data preferences</a> in the Clear Manually column.</li> <li>Check or uncheck boxes as desired if you want to clear a different set of private data.</li> <li>Click <q>Clear Now</q> to clear the selected items, or Cancel to quit the dialog.</li> </ul> </p> <p>[<a href="#clearing_private_data">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h1 id="browsing_in_a_private_window">Browsing in a Private Window</h1> <p>There may be occasions where you don't want &brandShortName; to keep track of your browsing activities. For example, when someone else quickly wants to use your computer and you don't want your current browsing context disturbed; or, for confidential tasks such as online banking.</p> <p>Opening a private window starts a <a href="glossary.xhtml#private_browsing">private browsing</a> session in which no <a href="#types_of_private_data">private data</a> on the sites and pages you visit are made available beyond the scope and duration of that session. Each subsequently opened private window becomes part of the same private session. It ends when the last private window is closed.</p> <p>Private windows are not entirely isolated from non-private windows; private browsing just implies that &brandShortName; will not keep any local record of your activities in such a window. Some private data may be shared between private but not non-private windows and vice versa, others accessed in a read-only mode from a private window.</p> <p>Note that <a href="customize_help.xhtml#add-ons">Add-ons</a> like plugins and extensions may not be subjected to these policies and may change their settings or modify their locally kept data even in a private window.</p> <div class="contentsBox">In this section: <ul> <li><a href="#opening_a_private_window">Opening a Private Window</a></li> <li><a href="#behavior_of_a_private_window">Behavior of a Private Window</a></li> <li><a href="#leaving_the_private_browsing_mode">Leaving the Private Browsing Mode</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="opening_a_private_window">Opening a Private Window</h2> <p>A browser window can be either in regular (non-private) or in private browsing mode. It is not possible to switch a non-private browser window into private mode, but you can open a new private window in two ways:</p> <ul> <li>From a browser window, open the File menu, choose New, then Private Window. The new window opens with a page explaining that you are now in private browsing mode.</li> <li>Right-click on a link in a web page you are viewing, then select <q>Open Link in Private Window</q> from the menu. The new private window will open, showing the page referred to by the selected link.</li> </ul> <p>Any number of private and non-private windows can be open at the same time, but be aware in this case for which windows history information is kept.</p> <p>[<a href="#browsing_in_a_private_window">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="behavior_of_a_private_window">Behavior of a Private Window</h2> <p>A private window behaves differently than a non-private window in the way it handles private data (see <a href="#types_of_private_data">Types of Private Data</a> for detailed information of the individual categories). Specifically, after closing a private session when closing the last private window, no information related to that session will be retained in &brandShortName;. Private data gathered in one private session won't be available to any future private session either.</p> <h3>Recognizing a Private Window</h3> <p>To determine whether or not a window is in private browsing mode, have a look at its title bar. Private windows show <q>- <span class="noMac">&brandShortName; </span>Private Browsing</q> <span class="noMac">rather than just <q>- &brandShortName;</q></span> at the end of the window's title.</p> <h3>Navigation and Bookmarks</h3> <ul> <li>Navigating within a private window is identical to a non-private window. You can use the Back and Forward buttons as well as the Go menu as usual.</li> <li>Links will not be marked as visited when browsing in a private window.</li> <li>Bookmarks can be added in a private window in the same way as for a non-private window. They will not be cleared once the private session has ended.</li> </ul> <h3>Browsing and other Histories</h3> <ul> <li>Previously established Browsing History and Location Bar History will be available to a private window, but new sites visited and locations entered into the location bar will not be recorded and saved.</li> <li>Files can be downloaded as usual, but no entries will be added to the Download Manager. The downloaded files themselves will not be removed.</li> <li>Saved Form and Search History will be available to a private window, thus providing suggestions for form fields or searches. However, any new items or search terms entered will not be recorded and saved.</li> </ul> <h3>Cookies</h3> <ul> <li>A private window can collect cookies from the sites it visits, but a private window does not share cookies with a non-private window and vice versa. For example, if you log into a website in a regular window, then open a private window to continue, you likely will be asked to enter your credentials again.</li> <li>Cookies in a private session are accepted according to the settings, but only retained for the duration of that session regardless of the lifetime allowed in a non-private window.</li> <li>Existing exceptions to the cookie policy will be honored in private windows, and any new exceptions you create will be retained after the private session has ended.</li> </ul> <h3>Cached and Offline Content</h3> <ul> <li>While a private window can use the memory cache for performance, it is not permitted to access the disk cache regardless of the settings for a non-private window. Thus, no cached content will be available after restarting &brandShortName;.</li> <li>A private window cannot use any stored offline content deposited by websites. Thus, you will not be able to use web applications while being offline, even if they have already stored offline content locally.</li> </ul> <h3>Passwords and Authenticated Sessions</h3> <ul> <li>No new passwords will be stored in the Password Manager when entered in a private window.</li> <li>Authenticated sessions do not carry over from a non-private to a private window. Thus, you cannot continue a session started in a non-private window in a private window or vice versa.</li> </ul> <h3>Preferences and Permissions</h3> <ul> <li>Any changes to settings and permissions made from a private window are handled in the same way as from a non-private window and retained after the private session has ended.</li> <li>Per-site preferences such as zoom levels or download locations are observed in a private window. However, any changes you make will not be retained, e.g., zoom levels revert to the initial value when navigating or switching tabs.</li> </ul> <p>[<a href="#browsing_in_a_private_window">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="leaving_the_private_browsing_mode">Leaving the Private Browsing Mode</h2> <p>There is no special function or command to leave the private mode, and it is not possible to continue working in non-private mode with a private window.</p> <p>To end a private browsing session, just close all private windows. There will be no record on &brandShortName;'s side on any browsing activities performed in any of the associated private windows.</p> <p>[<a href="#browsing_in_a_private_window">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h1 id="encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Encrypting Stored Sensitive Information</h1> <p>If you use Password Manager to save passwords, then this sensitive information is stored on your computer in a file that's difficult, but not impossible, for an intruder to read.</p> <p>For example, if your computer is in an area where unauthorized people have access to it, it's possible for a determined person to read the file containing your sensitive information.</p> <p>For a greater degree of security, you may want to protect the file with encryption. Encryption makes it much harder for an unauthorized person to view your stored sensitive information.</p> <p>Your decision about whether to use encryption for stored sensitive data is a tradeoff between improved security and convenience.</p> <p>If you use encryption, you will need to enter a master password, which can be inconvenient. If you don't, it may be easier for a stranger who has access to your computer to steal your passwords.</p> <div class="contentsBox">In this section: <ul> <li><a href="#setting_a_master_password">Setting a Master Password</a></li> <li><a href="#changing_your_master_password">Changing Your Master Password</a></li> <li><a href="#logging_out_of_your_master_password">Logging Out of Your Master Password</a></li> <li><a href="#what_to_do_if_you_forget_your_master_password">What to Do If You Forget Your Master Password</a></li> </ul> </div> <h2 id="setting_a_master_password">Setting a Master Password</h2> <p>To enable encryption of passwords you need to set a master password. If your master password has not previously been set, you can set it at this time:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Passwords. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> <li>In the Change Master Password section, click Change Password to open the Change Master Password dialog box.</li> <li>Enter your desired master password, and retype it to confirm the spelling.</li> <li>Click OK.</li> </ol> <p>Make sure your new password is difficult to guess. For some suggestions on how to improve password security, see <a href="passwords_help.xhtml#choosing_a_good_password">Choosing a Good Password</a>.</p> <p>[<a href="#encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="changing_your_master_password">Changing Your Master Password</h2> <p>To change your master password:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Passwords. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> <li>In the Change Master Password section, click Change Password to open the Change Master Password dialog box.</li> <li>Enter your current master password.</li> <li>Enter your new master password, and retype it to confirm the spelling.</li> <li>Click OK.</li> </ol> <p>Make sure your new password is difficult to guess. For some guidelines, see <a href="passwords_help.xhtml#choosing_a_good_password">Choosing a Good Password</a>.</p> <p>[<a href="#encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="logging_out_of_your_master_password">Logging Out of Your Master Password</h2> <p>Normally, you are asked for your master password once during each &brandShortName; session during which you access any of your stored sensitive information.</p> <p>You can log out of your master password so that it must be entered again before any sensitive information can be stored or retrieved. This is useful if you are going to leave your computer unattended for a period of time.</p> <p>To log out of your master password:</p> <ol> <li>Open the Tools menu and choose Password Manager.</li> <li>Select Log Out from the submenu.</li> </ol> <p>[<a href="#encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h2 id="what_to_do_if_you_forget_your_master_password">What to Do If You Forget Your Master Password</h2> <p>If you forget your master password, you won't be able to access any of the stored password it protects. Your master password is your most important password. Make sure you remember it or record it in a safe place.</p> <p>As a last resort, it's possible to reset your master password if you are sure you can't remember it. However, resetting your master password permanently erases all the web and email passwords, saved on your behalf by Password Manager. You will also lose all your personal certificates associated with the <a href="glossary.xhtml#software_security_device">Software Security Device</a>.</p> <p>Before taking this drastic step, read <a href="passwords_help.xhtml#reset_master_password">Reset Master Password</a>.</p> <p>If you are sure you can't remember or retrieve your master password, follow these instructions to reset it:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Passwords. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> <li>Click Reset Master Password.</li> <li>In the Reset Master Password dialog box, click Reset.</li> </ol> <p>[<a href="#encrypting_stored_sensitive_information">Return to beginning of section</a>]</p> <h1 id="managing_images">Managing Images</h1> <p>If you wish, you can choose not to download any images when you browse the web. This greatly restricts what you can view online, but may be helpful if you have a slow connection and wish to shorten the time it takes web pages to load.</p> <p>You can also control how frequently animated images repeat their animation, or turn off animation completely.</p> <p>The next section describes how to control these image settings. The default settings allow all images to be accepted and allow them to repeat their animation.</p> <h2 id="images">Privacy & Security Preferences - Images</h2> <p>This section describes how to set preferences for images. To view the preference settings for images:</p> <ol> <li>Open the <span class="mac">&brandShortName;</span> <span class="noMac">Edit</span> menu and choose Preferences.</li> <li>Under the Privacy & Security category, click Images. (If no subcategories are visible, double-click Privacy & Security to expand the list.)</li> </ol> <h3 id="image_acceptance_policy">Image Acceptance Policy</h3> <p>Image Acceptance preferences allow you to control whether or under what conditions the &brandShortName; browser should display images:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Do not load any images</strong>: Select this option if you do not want the &brandShortName; browser to display images.</li> <li><strong>Only load images that come from the originating server</strong>: Select this option if you do not want to load images from third-party websites.</li> <li><strong>Load all images</strong>: Select this option if you want to display all images. (This option is selected by default.)</li> </ul> </body> </html>

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