Miscellaneous

Remove Net2Phone completely

Even when you did not install Net2Phone, Netscape will still have a link to Net2Phone on the personal toolbar. Removing that link is quite easy: Go to Edit --> Preferences --> Navigator and de-select Net2Phone from the list on the right side.
The crazy thing now is, that there is still a link for Net2Phone in the Window list. Very annoying. But thankfully, you can remove that as well:
Close Netscape.
Go to Netscape\Netscape 7\chrome\overlayinfo\communicator\content , make a backup of overlayinfo.rdf and then open the file with your favorite text editor. Find the line chrome://net2phone/content/Net2PhoneTaskMenu.xul and remove it.
Save the file.
Restart Netscape. Net2Phone is gone now from the Window List.
Alternatively use Mnenhy, http://mnenhy.mozdev.org

Netscape keeps crashing in xpcom.dll

Crashes in xpcom.dll are very elusive, but thankfully have become rare in Netscape. XPCOM.DLL errors can have many reasons, and solutions are hard to give.
The easy and clean way is to create a new profile with the Profile Manager. Most xpcom.dll problems are individual profile problems. Or re-download xpcom.xpi from the server, see tip 3.
But before we do that there are other things to try first:
With Windows Explorer, go to your profile directory and delete the following files:netscape.hst (if there), history.dat, history.mab, panacea.dat, the Cache folder, the chrome folder, all msf files in \Mail\ and \News\. Then restart Netscape 6.

Netscape keeps crashing in APPCOMPS.DLL

Another DLL error, often encountered, but easier to fix than the xpcom.dll problem. Well, in most cases anyway. Delete netscape.hst (if there), history.dat, history.mab and the cache folder.

Installing language/regional packs

You downloaded Netscape 7 in your favorite language., English for example. Now, imagine this is getting boring for you and you want to see how Netscape 7 looks in a weird foreign languages (such as Canadian or even British English). For this you do not have to download the complete program again. There are language packs for Netscape: Selecting Edit | Preferences | Appearance | Languages/Content | Download More should take you to a Netscape page where you can install other languages. The site is a bit slow, so it might take a while. Please note that Netscape 7.01 does not have the Download More button. Alternatively (and for 7.01 users), you can also go to ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/ and download new languages from there. You can install different languages by installing the language xpi of a different language Netscape installation.
For example, to install a German interface go to ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape7/german/7.0_PR1/windows/win32/ewc9e/ and open langdede.xpi with Netscape 7.
There are regional packs as well. Regional packs are for people who for example use the english version of Netscape 6, but like to have regional contents. Works the same. Just look for the file regde.xpi to have german content.
Go to ftp://ftp.netscape.com/pub/netscape7/ to find other language versions. I also created some unofficial language packs based on Mozilla, check them out at http://www.holgermetzger.de/langpacks.html

No fonts in the menus

A classic skin error. Go to your profile directory and delete the chrome folder.

Startup Options

-height <value>
-h or -help
-installer
-width <value>
-v or -version
-CreateProfile <profile>
-P <profile>
-ProfileWizard
-ProfileManager
-SelectProfile
-UILocale <locale>
-contentLocale <locale>
-console
-nosplash
-quiet
-addressbook
-news
-jsconsole
-aim
-edit <url>
-chrome <url>
-mail
-compose <url> Set height of startup window to <value>.
Prints this list.
Start with 4.x migration window.
Set width of startup window to <value>.
Print netscp.exe version.
Create <profile>.
Start with <profile>.
Start with profile wizard.
Start with profile manager.
Start with profile selection dialog.
Start with <locale> resources as UI Locale.
Start with <locale> resources as content Locale.
Start Mozilla with a debugging console.
Disable splash screen.
Disable splash screen.
Start with the addressbook.
Start with news.
Start with Javascript Console
Start with Instant Messenger
Start with editor.
Load the specified chrome.
Start with mail.
Start with messenger compose.

Miscallaneous settings in user.js

For an extensive list of advanced preferences see: Customizing Mozilla, *.js files in \Netscape\Netscape 7\default\prefs and type about:config in the url bar.

Animated gifs mode (normal, once, none):
user_pref("image.animation_mode", "once");

Display the user-agent of mails/news in the mail/news window:
user_pref("mailnews.headers.showUserAgent", true);

Disable the "Collected Addresses" address book:
user_pref("mail.collect_email_address", false);

Enable javascipt warnings:
user_pref("javascript.options.strict", true);

Deactivate frames:
user_pref("browser.frames.enabled", false);

Enable line wrap in View Source:
user_pref("view_source.wrap_long_lines", true);

Turn of Autocomplete:
user_pref("browser.urlbar.autocomplete.enabled", false);
user_pref("browser.urlbar.showPopup", false);
user_pref("browser.urlbar.showSearch", false);

Disable syntax highlighting in View Source:
user_pref("browser.view_source.syntax_highlight", false);

Wrap html text in mail/news at a specific line:
user_pref("editor.htmlWrapColumn", 72);

Never use a font smaller than...:
user_pref("font.minimum-size.x-western", 13);

Remove the plugin downloader popup screen:
user_pref("plugin.display_plugin_downloader_dialog", false);

Remove the Free Webmail Account display in mailnews:
user_pref("mailnews.fakeaccount.show", false);

Windows 98/NT/2000/XP: Use one Netscape/Mozilla profile for all users

This can be useful if you have different W2K/XP accounts, but you want to use the same Netscape/Mozilla profile(s) under all those accounts.

Go into \Documents and Settings\W2K-User_1\Application Data\Mozilla\ - this is the folder of the W2K/XP User you originally created the Netscape profile with. Easiest way to do this is via Start -> Run -> %appdata%
There you find the file registry.dat. Copy this file into \Documents and Settings\W2K-User_2\Application Data\Mozilla\ - this is the folder of W2K/XP User 2 you want to share the Netscape/Mozilla profile with. If "Mozilla" isn't there, create that folder.

Example for Windows XP/2000:
User Peter creates a Netscape-Profile. Now John needs access to that Netscape-Profile as well. Peter's Netscape-Profile is in C:\Documents and Settings\Peter\Application Data\Mozilla\. Now all they have to do is copy the registry.dat found in this folder to John's folder: c:\Documents and Settings\John\Application Data\Mozilla\ (if 'Mozilla' isn't there they have to create that folder).

By the way, this also works for sharing Mozilla profiles between different Windows versions, such as Windows 98 and Windows 2000. You simply have to copy the registry.dat between the two systems.

Make backups

Important for this tip: Location of profiles

Mails
Your emails are stored in the subfolder \Mail\nameofmailserver \ - for example \Mail\pop.mail.yahoo.com\ To backup your emails, save the files without extension, for example "INBOX". The *.msf files are index files, they save the way your mailboxes are displayed (sort order, read/unread status). Just save the complete mail folder if you are uncertain what to save.

News
Your news server details are stored in \News\nameofnewsserver \ - for example \News\secnews.netscape.com\
this folder contains *.msf files with the same function as the *.msf files for emails.
Your subscribed groups are stored in the *.rc file, for example secnews.netscape.com.rc
The complete newsserver groupslist is stored in \News\secnews.netscape.com\hostinfo.dat
To backup news, save the *.rc file, the *.dat file and the *.msf files.

Address book
In your profile directory, save abook.mab (regular address book) and history.mab (collected addresses). If you have more than one address book, save all *.mab files.

Bookmarks
Save the file bookmarks.html.

Saved username/passwords list
Your saved usernames/password list for websites is stored in 12345678.s - the number part is random. Save the file. Once you reinstalled everything and created a new profile, let the new profile create a new *.s file by going to a website and saving username/password. The new *.s file might be named "12345687.s". Delete that file and rename the old 12345678.s to 12345687.s to have your old list back.

User.js/userContent.css/userChrome.css
Save your valuable customization files!
user.js is directly in your profile folder. userContent.css/userChrome.css in the \chrome\ subfolder.

prefs.js
The main Netscape/Mozilla configuration file. If you are certain that the new profile will look exactly the same, save this file as well and copy it back once you created a new profile to have all settings back. You will have to adjust paths in this file when you create a new profile.

Message Filters/Rules
Save the files rules.dat and msgFiltersrules.dat in your Mail folders.

The most "radical" way of making a backup is to save the complete profile folder. A Restore would mean to create a new profile and then copy the old profile contents in the new profile folder and adjusting the prefs.js with the new correct paths.

How do I change the throbber?

If you want to change the Mozilla throbber in the upper right corner, because for example you like the Netscape throbbers better, then add the following line to userChrome.css:

#navigator-throbber
{
list-style-image : url("animthrob_single.gif") !important;
}
#navigator-throbber[busy="true"]
{
list-style-image : url("animthrob.gif") !important;
}

To remove any border around the throbber add

-moz-binding: url("chrome://global/content/bindings/button.xml#button-image");
-moz-user-focus: ignore !important;
-moz-box-align: center !important;;
-moz-box-pack: center !important;;
min-width: 0px !important;;
margin: 4px 10px 2px 8px !important;;
background-color: transparent !important;;
border: none !important;
-moz-border-top-colors: ThreeDDarkShadow ThreeDHighlight !important;
-moz-border-right-colors: ThreeDDarkShadow ThreeDShadow !important;
-moz-border-bottom-colors: ThreeDDarkShadow ThreeDShadow !important;
-moz-border-left-colors: ThreeDDarkShadow ThreeDHighlight !important;
-moz-border-radius: 0 !important;
padding: 1px !important;
min-width: 0 !important;
-moz-appearance:none !important;

Then copy the new throbbers into the profile directory's chrome folder.
userChrome.css is located in the "chrome" subfolder of your profile directory. If it's not there create it as an plaintext file.
Collection of classic Netscape throbbers: http://www.holgermetzger.de/throbber

Change the startup splash screen in Mozilla / Netscape

For Mozilla: Put a picture in BMP format (it's not enough to simply rename any picture to BMP, it has actually to be in that format, so use your favorite graphics program - I recommend Irfanview - to create a BMP) in your Mozilla program folder (where mozilla.exe is) and name it "mozilla.bmp".
For Netscape: Put a picture in BMP format in your Netscape program folder (where netscp.exe is) and name it "netscp.bmp".

Change the throbber URL

This entry changes the URL when you click on the throbber.
In your user.js:

user_pref("browser.throbber.url","http://www.google.com");
user_pref("messenger.throbber.url","http://www.google.com");
user_pref("compose.throbber.url","http://www.google.com");
user_pref("addressbook.throbber.url","http://www.google.com");

Windows 2000/XP: Autodialing

In Windows 2000/XP the autodialing process is different from Win9x. In Win9x autodialing was set in
Control Panel --> Internet Options --> Connections, but it's different in Windows 2000/XP.

To force automatic dialing when a program such as Netscape requires a TCP/IP connection do the following:
In Control Panel --> Administrative Tools --> Services, look for the following services:

    * Remote Access Connection Manager
    * Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
    * Telephony

Set all those services to automatic. Now you can even set "Never dial a connection" in Internet options, the dial out process is independant to this option. You will notice that the interface for dialing out is different than the standard IE interface.

For DSL:
Disable TCP/IP for the DSL network card, since it only serves as a virtual modem for the DSL connection. If you have a LAN connected to your PC be careful not to deactivate TCP/IP for the local area network: If you have DSL and LAN you should have two network cards in your PC, one is for the DSL, the other for the LAN, so make sure you deactivate TCP/IP for the right card (the DSL card, for example "LAN Connection 1" or "LAN connection 2").
Newest thing people can try is to add the following line to user.js/prefs.js:

pref("network.autodial-helper.enabled", true);

Removing the AIM icon

Close Netscape.
Go to \Netscape7\chrome\overlayinfo\communicator\content
Make a backup copy of overlay.rdf, then open overlay.rdf and delete
any references to AIM.
Save.
Restart Netscape

Registry.dat is getting bigger and bigger (Netscape 7.0x)

If the registry.dat in your profile directory gets bigger and bigger do the following:
With Netscape running delete the file registry.dat. It will be recreated when you close Netscape.
People with more than one profile:
Fulvio Perini writes:
It is important to write down the exact names of the Profiles first, then with a preferred profile open, and that can be a never used profile ( I call it a dummy)., delete the Registry.dat file. Then go to the Profile Manager, which will show only the dummy profile, and Create New Profile, with exactly the same name as before, but it can located anywhere you want. I have been using this technique to move all useful Profiles out of the ridiculous location, leaving there only the dummy Profile. After doing this, I go to the recreated Registry.dat file, which will be a few hundred Kb, and change the properties to Read Only. The only caveat is that while the Registry.dat is in Read Only, no profile can be deleted, nor created, as far as I remember. When I did this my Registry.dat file had almost 110Mb, and I wanted the Profiles in a convenient location. All this serves the purpose. I hope that you will be able to make corrections to that statement.

Missing sidebarpanel.xul
Download sidebarpanel.xul and copy it into Netscape/chrome/packages/aim/

Going back to an old version

See also http://www.holgermetzger.de/pdl.html for an overview where your profile is stored.
Your Netscape Communicator profile is usually stored in \Program Files\Netscape\Users\ (Windows. all versions)
Bookmarks:
Copy bookmarks.html to your Netscape Communicator 4 user folder and rename it to bookmark.htm.
Address book:
Export your address book in ldif format and import it into Netscape Communicator 4.
Mails:
Copy the mail files containing your emails (the files are the one without extension) to your Netscape Communicator 4 Mail folder.
Cookies:
Copy cookies.txt to your Netscape Communicator profile folder.

Use a separate profile with Netscape and Mozilla

Normally Netscape and Mozilla share the same profile. Here's a great tip to have separate profiles. Found on Mozillazine.org.
Win32:
   1. Open xpcom.dll in your favorite hexadecimal editor.
   2. Search for the string "Mozilla"
   3. Replace it by whatever you want but with the same number of letters
   4. Done.
Linux/x86
   1. Open libxpcom.so in your favorite hexadecimal editor.
   2. Search for the string ".mozilla"
   3. Replace the instances by whatever you want but with the same number of letters (there should be 3 iirc)
   4. Done.

Problems installing addons

One of the really extraordinary things about Netscape/Mozilla is the fact that you can extend the functionalities with lots of nifty addons, many of them are available at http://www.mozdev.org. Butthere can be problems with these extensions, especially when installing on non-english versions of Netscape. To circumvent any problems switch to the US-english language pack and then install the addon.
How-to:
1. Switch to the US-english language pack, if it's not installed, go here and install it. Then Edit -> Preferences -> Appearance -> Languages to switch the language. Restart Netscape.
2. Install the addon. Restart Netscape.
3. Switch back to your favorite language.

Netscape 7.1 on Windows XP: Shortcut on the new XP-startmenu shows "Netscape 7.0"

Netscape 7.1 on Windows XP: Shortcuts on the new XP-startmenu show the same icons for browser and Mail

Start regedit, find the following key
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | SOFTWARE | Clients | Mail | Netscape Compact | DefaultIcon
Doubleclick on "(Standard)" and paste in the following
C:\Program Files\Netscape\Compact\chrome\icons\default\messengerWindow.ico,0
(assuming you chose the default path to Compact, if not adjust according to your settings).
Reset Netscape as the default mail client, either by right-clicking on the start button, selecting properties or by resetting it in Netscape's preferences.
By the way, you can also adjust the name that is displayed:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | SOFTWARE | Clients | Mail | Netscape Compact
on the right side, change the value to anything you like.

Resource Leak in Netscape 7.1
See http://home.att.net/%7Echerokee67/ns71resrcleak.html

How to decode the password file
Click here