you do not have to get SP3 before you get firefox, you can get firefox at any time.
Nothing special to do at all prior to getting it.
When you get firefox it will ask you if you want to make it your default browser you do not have to do that you can leave IE your default if you prefer. It will also ask you if you want to import your info from your IE browser such as your favorites/ bookmarks you should say yes so that all your stuff you have saved on IE will then be on firefox, it just duplicates it so nothing will be changed on IE, what ever it asks there you can just say yes, I can not remember exactly what it asks besides favorites, maybe profile and history? whatever just say yes.

here is the link to the firefox download site
Firefox
there on that site you can take a tour of it before you get it by clicking on the link and you can see some of the tips and tricks and also links to how to customize it.

then you can just ask those of us here that use firefox when you have questions.

Once you have it installed any time you want to use it just click on the firefox icon on your desktop, instead of the IE icon. You can set your homepage by going to the page you want it to be then click tools > options> on the Main tab under startup hit the use current page > ok

You go for it girl, you'll enjoy Firefox.

What part of the UK are you from? I was drug up in Poole, Dorset. Came to Canada in 1968, getting used to it now LOL.

Have you used The Newspaper boy at all? Thousands of links to papers all around the world, the link below is to UK papers

Here is a link that might be useful: The Newspaper boy

I,m going for it having a thunderstorm right now.
I was drug up in Wokingham Berkshire came to the USA in 1960,living on the coast of Alabama now.

I was going to be the last hold out for pushing my IE aside, but I love Firefox. Silly me for not listening to the smart posters here and waiting so long.

Ok the storm is over now I,m ready, 1st question do I make Firefox "default" I think I will be the last "stargazzer" now looking forward to getting it on here.

Well I downloaded Firefox but the computer opens still to Yahoo webpage also if I click the firefox icon I get "google" I see up the top of page "Window Internet Explorer provided by Yahoo" does Firefox have a home page?

OK what you now need to do is open Firefox and go to the site you wish to be your home page.

Then click Tools
Click Options
Now in the new window near the top you will see the site listed, click 'Use current page'
Click OK
And you are done, this will be your home page till you decide to change.

gillian if you did what I told you up there to do and told it to go ahead and get all your settings and stuff from IE when you were installing it then that is why it has your yahoo as your home page it took exactly what you had set up on your IE browser and set up your new firefox the same way.

Did you make firefox default? I had told you up there you don't have to do that, there is a place to set that at any time in the future should you decide you want it as your default browser so no worries there.

When you click on bookmarks on firefox you should have all your same ones you had in IE if you did tell it to import them, if not you can still do that too at any time by going up top on firefox to the File button then click on import and it will show your IE and ask which you would like to import.

If your Ie opens when you start the pc you just close out the IE by clicking on the x in the top right then go to your firefox icon and click it and your firefox browser will open. They look very similar and there are add ons you can get that will make it look exactly like IE if you want it to.

Mine always opened on Google too when I clicked on Firefox until I read this thread. Using above instructions I just set my email as homepage. very nice.

Think I'll be the last holdout because of the bookmarks. When I organize Favorites in IE I can drag and drop where needed. I've got just a few sites up top followed by all my folders. FF lists folders in amongst all the other occasionally used sites (junk). Can't get them where I need them. Can't seem to organize them any differently in FF. Sandy

sandy you can move the bookmarks in firefox too it is easier if you go up to bookmarks hit the organize bookmarks button then in the screen that opens just use the move button you can move anything anywhere you want. Drag and drop works too but it is a lot easier to do it through the organize bookmarks feature.

I backed up my favorites forever, was so afraid of losing them. I found several that didn't work anymore so I just deleted 90% of them and have never missed them. I mainly use my book marks for the places I visit daily.

there are very good firefox extensions, add-ons, that can back up your bookmarks, profile, cookies pretty much everything. One good one is FEBE. There are also some that will go through and check your bookmarks for dead or non working ones, AM deadlink is a good one.

I have a large database of bookmarks which I keep back up copies of in several locations including on disc and flash. I would be lost with out my bookmarks.

How about if I'm one of the dinosaurs who uses AOL. Is it possible to use AOL and the firefox browser - or do i choose. I use lots of email for AOL (and parental controls over my 9 yo's account). I know I can access AOL mail through other browsers, but when I've done this through IE, it's a long, cumbersome process to go through mail. Not nearly as easy as using the AOL browser and tool bar.

I'm sure I'd gain a lot with Firefox - but it's scary to learn something new - and I want to still use AOL.

Any advice?

Thanks.
Lynn.

you can use more than one browser no problem, just leave your AOL as is and when you want to use firefox just click on the firefox icon on the desktop and it will open the firefox browser and you use it. Many of us have and use 2 or 3 browsers. I have firefox, IE and the MSN browser, I just use firefox to do all my surfing since it is a safer browser, I use IE when I have to go to windows updates, I use my MSN browser when I want to access my msn mail or hotmail.

IF you decide you like firefox then you can decide if you wnat to use it full time and if so you can deal with what you have to do if you choose to get rid of aol. I know there are ways because I posted here on this forum for someone about how to make the transition. Maybe if you search for AOL it will come up.

Getting and using firefox will not change a thing about your AOL, totally separate.

when you install firefox it asks if you want to import your settings and faves and stuff, say yes, then you get a list of options of what to import and from where, you should be able to select your AOL items and then have it import them to firefox so you have it on both the same, will not change your AOL just copies it all to firefox.

this is one of the pay for programs that will move all of your AOL stuff for you, I think there are some free ones out there too, I had found some a while back and posted on here but I have no idea what they were now, old brain does not keep up with that stuff!
ePreserver

Also found this info on another forum:
"Use the AOL Intellisync program (free download on AOL) to sync to Outlook or Outlook Express. Then you can easily import that file to another email service. I did it with Yahoo. If you search sync (or Intellisync)on AOL you get complete directions."

and these on how to get your favorites while using firefox or Ie.
1. Login to AOL from a regular (ie, firefox, safari) at http://www.aol.com.

2. Go to "my aol", usually in the top left corner

3. When prompted to "Import AOL Class Favorite Places", say "yes". this imports your AOL favorites.

4. At the bottom of the menu, there's an "export" function which will export to bookmarks.html.**

5. Import the file into your favorite browser and clean-up all the AOL specific stuff that you don't want to keep.
**you can save the bookmarks.html file to your desktop then from firefox click on the bookmarks button then organize bookmarks then on that click on file at the top then on import, you browse to that file you saved bookmarks.html and select it for import.

here are a few google searches that might be helpful too.
AOL
Export AOL

Hi, Raven. Thank you so much. My teenage neice and nephew were here for a couple of days - and groaned that I was still using AOL. They fully endorsed my getting firefox (unfortunately, they're already gone so they won't be here to help me - teenagers are so sharp with this stuff).

I am heading out of town for a week, but I can't wait to try this when I get back.

Lynn.