Internet Explorer 9 has a minimal interface by default, with the tab bar and the toolbar and address bar on the same line. However, you can gain even more viewable space by pressing F11 to go to full screen mode.

If you like full screen mode and want to use it most of the time, you can have Internet Explorer open in that mode automatically, by editing a setting in the registry. To begin, enter "regedit" (without the quotes) in the Search box on the Start menu. When the results display, click regedit.exe or press Enter when it's highlighted.

NOTE: Before making changes to the registry, be sure you back it up. We also recommend creating a restore point you can use to restore your system if something goes wrong.

01_opening_regedit

If the User Account Control dialog box displays, click Yes to continue.

NOTE: You may not see this dialog box, depending on your User Account Control settings.

02_uac_dialog_for_regedit

Navigate to the following key in the tree on the left.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main

Double-click on the FullScreen item on the right.

03_opening_fullscreen_value

Change the Value data to "yes" (without the quotes) and click OK.

04_editing_fullscreen_value

Close the Registry Editor by selecting Exit from the File menu.

05_closing_registry_editor

Now, Internet Explorer will always open in full screen mode. Remember, you can turn full screen mode on and off by pressing F11.