Another exceedingly useful trick is to add the line user_pref("os2.drag_menu", true); to the pref.js file. This simple trick will display your bookmarks in multiple columns across the your screen, complete with folder icons, which can be expanded merely by holding your mouse on them. I have been able to get three columns, but to get that many you do have to be a little careful about the maximum length of the bookmark descriptions. If even one in the third column is too long, the display will revert to two columns.

A good technique to make Netscape run more efficiently is to hand over the task of managing virtual memory (caching) to OS/2 Warp: the operating system's algorithms for these tasks are much more efficient than Netscape's.

Here's how to do this:

1. Set Netscape's Memory Cache (Edit|Preferences|Advanced|Cache) to a minimum number (1-2 MB);

2. Set the Disk Cache to a significantly large number (10-20 MB).

   Note the actual values depend heavily upon your machine (especially how you use it and how much RAM you have.) For example, I have 256 MB RAM and often run multiple instances of Netscape; consequently I have my Memory Cache set to 4 MB. Avoid setting it too large, however, as Netscape will get bogged down trying to manage the files, especially the images, stored therein.

Netscape maintains a history file of images and pages you visit. Its purpose is to allow you to find places you visited in the past, as well as to speed up browsing by detecting whether or not a page has changed. The overhead in keeping this file up-to-date grows quickly as the size of the file grows. Consequently it is very important to keep this file as small as possible. By default, files expire after 9 days, although this can be changed in the Preferences (Edit|Preferences|Navigator). I recommend you keep it at the default, or set it even lower.

If your system has multiple hard drives, consider changing the Netscape cache to a different drive from that on which Netscape resides. This may be especially advantageous if your system swapper is on the Netscape drive. By doing this you will help balance the load between your two drives. To change the Netscape cache drive, first go to the drive on which you wish to cache, and create a new directory. Then go to the "cache" page on the "Advanced" tab, and enter the full path specification of the new directory. Close and re-start Netscape, and you're all set.

Rick Walsh has found a cure, or at least a work-around, for a nasty long-standing problem in which repeated opening and closing of the current refresh of Netscape causes the Workplace Shell to close down. Click here to read all about it. [Note: I have not confirmed this personally, but a reader has written to me thanking me for letting him know about the fix.]

As you type a URL into the location box, the browser by default attempts to "guess" the URL you are going to type based on the URL's you have visited in the past, and then complete the URL based on this guess. While this can often save you keystrokes, it can also be confusing. This feature can be turned off. To do so add the following line to the pref.js :

• user_pref("os2.url_completion", false);

If you're like me, you have several private sites that require a userid and password to access. If you access these a lot, it would be handy to bookmark them. Here's how to do it:

1. Start Netscape, and click on "Bookmarks";

2. Click on "Edit Bookmarks";

3. Click on "File";

4. Click on "New Bookmark";

5. Enter a suitable description, and then enter the URL constructed as follows:

   • http://username:password@www.anysite.com

     Note: the ':' and '@' characters are required.

6. If desired, use the "Cut" and "Paste" items on the "Edit" menu to move the bookmark to a different location.

   Note: This procedure should not be used where tight security is important.

Here's a simple trick that can help you save, and even print, a web page that's being difficult. Ordinarily, of course, whenever you do a File|Save As on a web page, the result is a document in HTML format. If that's not what you want, or you want to print a page that Netscape won't let you, say, because the function is greyed out, then click on File|Save As, but then before you click OK in the combo-box, go to the filename window, and change the extension from .HTML to .TXT. Netscape will detect that change, and automatically perform an ASCII save. The resulting file will contain all the text, without the images, and can easily be printed.