Frequently Asked Questions
General
Q. How does Deepnet Explorer improve Internet browsing?
A. Deepnet Explorer offers a range of features to improve browsing. Tabbed browsing lets you view multiple pages faster, Auto Login and Auto Form help complete online forms automatically, Popup Killer stops annoying popups... all while you share and download files in the background using the built-in P2P technology or read news and weblogs with the inline news reader. Please check out the Deepnet Explorer forum to hear what other users think.
Q. Is Deepnet Explorer a secure browser?
A. Yes, Deepnet Explorer is more secure than IE and any other browsers that support Browser Helper Objects(BHO) and browser plug-ins. In fact, Deepnet Explorer is not vulnerable to most of the security exploits that plague Internet Explorer.
Q. Can I enable/disable the P2P and News Reader features?
A. Yes, Deepnet Explorer can be fully customised. It can be used as a stand alone browser, or enabled with P2P and News browsing features to suit your needs. Select Tools > Components Manager to enable/disable these components.
Q. How much does Deepnet Explorer cost?
A. Deepnet Explorer software is 100% free to download. So how do we make money you ask?
When you search from your address bar and click on a sponsored link in search results page provided by our search engine partner XPSN, we earn money. To avoid confusion sponsored links are clearly seperated from web search results. This way we are able to maintain a free, non-intrusive service that is valuable to you.Q. Does Deepnet contain Spyware?
A. No. Deepnet Explorer does not contain adware, spyware or bundle 3rd party applications.
Q. Why does Deepnet Explorer stay open when I click the close button?
A. The close button at the top-right side of screen only minimizes the Deepnet Explorer screen, so that Deepnet can complete transfer of your shared or downloaded files. If you exit Deepnet explorer, it disconnects from the P2P network and will not be able to complete file transfer. If you decide you want to exit Deepnet completely just select File > Exit from the system menu, or right-click on the Deepnet Explorer icon in the system tray and select Exit.
Q. Where do I go if I want to offer suggestions or report any bugs?
A. Please visit the Deepnet Explorer forum to offer suggestions, voice you opinions, and report any bugs.
Q. Is DE a ‘Skin’ for IE?
A. Deepnet Explorer is a web browser application that utilizes the Windows HTML rendering engine, enhancing it by adding new features and functionality to that of IE. The features bring a new level of security, speed and efficiency to the browsing experience.
IE browser consists of two components, the application and an HTML rendering engine. In order to be 100% compatible with IE, Deepnet Explorer uses IE’s HTML rendering engine, which is the only common component that Deepnet Explorer shares with IE. Most of the security flaws found so far are in IE itself, not in the HTML Engine. Therefore, Deepnet Explorer does not inherit these security flaws from IE.
Q. I am unable to start DE. I click the icon but nothing happens. What can I do?
A. It is possible that DE may have not installed correctly. In this unusual instance, please uninstall DE, restart your computer then install the latest version of DE, which is available to download here.
Q. As much as I love DE, I would like to restore my original browser as my default. How can I do this?
A. To restore your original browser navigate to ‘Tools > Web Browser Options’ and click the button that reads ‘Restore Original Browser’. Click ‘Apply’, and then click ‘OK’.
Q. How do I check for the latest release of DE?
A. Simply click on the Help button on your main toolbar in DE, click on “About Deepnet Explorer” – the version currently being used is displayed.
To check which is the latest available simply visit our download page and select the latest version on display.
Using the Web Browser
Q. Can I use my Internet Explorer favorites with Deepnet Explorer?
A. Yes, Deepnet Explorer automatically synchronizes with IE, so your home page, favourites and internet options are the same.
Q. How do I set up multiple start pages?
A. To set up multiple start up pages, simply navigate to the web page you want to display on start up, then select Favorites > Add start page. Next time you start your browser, the page will display automatically.
Q. Can I view pops on a one-time basis when the pop killer is enabled?
A. Yes. To let a pop-up through on a one-time basis, press and hold the CTRL key as you click on a link to navigate to a new page.
Q. How do I search from my address bar?
A. Deepnet Explorer’s built-in search feature provides instant access to search results provided by our search engine partner XPSN, with one-click access to other major search engines like Google, MSN, and Yahoo. To view search results, type a search term into your browser address bar and hit enter or click the Search button.
Q. What is keyword navigation?
A. Keyword navigation is a feature that lets you navigate to websites using everyday brand names and search terms instead of complex web addresses. It’s a simple alternative to reaching a website if you can’t remember a website address. Just type a brand name into your address bar and hit ENTER. Check out the latest Top 100 keywords typed by other Deepnet Explorer users.
Q. I have installed Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer. Why can I not get it to work in Deepnet Explorer?
A. Google Toolbar is a 3rd party plug-in. DE deliberately does not support any 3rd party plugs-ins as these utilize BHO (Browser Help Object) technology, which is also a common way for malicious programs such as spyware to install on your computer. As DE does not support BHO's, it is not susceptible to this kind of attack, making DE more secure than IE.
Q. I would like to backup my passwords that I have saved using the ‘Password Manager/Auto Login’ feature. Can you tell me how to do this please?
A. You can back up your passwords by locating the file 'Password.dat' on your computer. It can be found at the following location:
C:\Documents and Settings\*****Your User Name*****\Application Data\Deepnet Explorer
Copy this file and save to disk. You can also export this to another PC that you wish to use these passwords on.
Q. I’m having problems accessing the ‘Password Manager’, can you help?
A. To access the ‘Password Manager’ navigate to “Tools > Auto Login > Password Manager”. You will be prompted to enter a ‘Master Password’. If you have set a ‘Master Password’ then enter it in the box provided and click ‘OK’. If you have not set one then simply click ‘Cancel’ and you will be taken to the main ‘Password Manager’ window.
If you have lost or forgotten your 'Master Password' then unfortunately there is no technical way of retrieving it. The only way of being able to use the ‘Password Manager’ feature again is if you start from scratch. To do this you will need to delete a file on your computer called ‘Password.dat’. We recommend you only do this if absolutely vital and that you are 100% sure you cannot remember your ‘Master Password’.
To remove the file ‘Password.dat’, navigate to the following location on your computer:
C:\Documents and Settings\Your User Name\Application Data\Deepnet Explorer
Located here will be the file ‘Password.dat’. Right click on this file and select ‘Delete’, then when you are prompted to 'Confirm File Delete', select 'Yes'. If you prefer you could select ‘Cut’ and then ‘Paste’ the file to a disk or a new location on your computer to keep it for future reference.
Once you have deleted the file ‘Password.dat’, open Deepnet Explorer where you will have to start from scratch, saving all your passwords again to the ‘Password Manager’. As stated previously, only take this action if you are absolutely sure that you have lost or forgotten your passwords.
Q. When I open DE the browser loads perfectly fine but after a while of waiting I am presented with the “Page Cannot Be Displayed” error message. What do I need to do to prevent this?
A. Please check to see if DE has been given permission to access the Internet with your firewall. DE needs to connect to the Internet in order to keep the AntiPhishing database up-to-date. For instructions of how to alter your Firewall settings, please consult the manufacturers of the software.
Q. I’m experiencing constant Internet traffic with DE open, yet I am not surfing the net. Can you explain what is going on?
A. If you downloaded the Personal edition of DE, you are most likely connected to the P2P network which is built in to DE. You can elect to disable this application or disconnect for the season. You can disconnect by accessing the P2P component from the tool bar and navigating to ‘File > Disconnect’, and you can disable by selecting the Component Manager through, Tools on the toolbar and selecting the component to disable
The rss news reader could also be a reason why you experience frequent traffic. Every so often the news reader will check for updates and download new items. You can set the amount of time between checks by navigating to “Tools > News browser Options > Advanced” and change the amount of time between checks. Alternative you can uncheck the tick box next to this option so that the news reader never checks for new items. Click “Apply” then “OK”. To download news items when the auto check facility is turned off click the button that reads “Update” on the news reader toolbar.
If you are still experiencing Internet traffic, then disable the AntiPhishing feature by right clicking on the yellow triangle with the black exclamation mark at the bottom of the screen on the task bar, making sure "Enable Phishing Alarm" is not checked.
Please make sure you read the End User License Agreement for usage guidelines.
Q. I’m trying to delete one of my favorites. How do I remove a favorite I no longer wish to have?
A. Navigate to ‘Favorites > Organize…’ From here you can navigate around your favorite’s folder, where you can highlight the favorite you wish to delete then click the ‘Delete’ Button and/or utilize the ‘Right-Click’ feature.
Using the P2P Browser
Q. How do I share my files with other users?
A. By default any files you download using Deepnet Explorer will be shared with other users. If you would like to share more than your downloaded files, change your settings by selecting Tools > P2P Options on the top menu.
Q. Where do all my downloaded files go to?
A. You can choose the location of your downloaded files by going to Tools > P2P Options on the top menu . The default download location is "C:\Program Files\Deepnet Explorer\Download". Important to note: Deepnet Explorer won't copy your previously downloaded files to the new folder if you change the location.
Q. Why do I sometimes have trouble connecting to the Gnutella network?
A. Deepnet Explorer can only connect to the Gnutella network if other hosts are currently online to share files with you. If Deepnet doesn’t connect when you first load your browser, wait a few minutes then select File > Connect from the P2P menu.
Q. Do I need to be connected to the Internet to connect to the P2P network?
A. YES. The Gnutella network is a system of computers connected only through the internet. In order for Deepnet Explorer to connect to the network, you must have an internet connection. Deepnet Explorer will not establish an internet connection for you.
Q. Is it illegal to download files from the P2P network?
A. Downloading copyright protected material from any P2P network, without the relevant permissions is illegal. If you are in any doubt as to whether what you intend to download is protected by copyright or not then we advise to refrain from downloading the material in question. Deepnet Technologies cannot be held responsible for any material users download via the P2P network.
Using the News Browser
Q. How do I subscribe to the newsfeed channels?
A. The easiest way of adding a news channel is by drag & drop - if you see 
and 
icons in web pages, simply drag and drop it onto the News Browser icon on the Control Panel. Alternatively, click the "Subscribe" button on the toolbar. The Subscribe Wizard will help you find news channels with newsfeed directories and search engines. Check out the popular news feeds page to see what others are reading.
Q. How do I receive the latest news?
A. Once a news channel is subscribed it will be automatically updated periodically. The update interval is usually specified by the author of the channel or set to 60 minutes by default if not specified. You can customize the update interval on per channel basis if you wish, or you can update it manually by select the channels and click the "update" button on the toolbar.
Q. How do I delete the old news?
A. The Auto-Purge feature in the News Browser will automatically purge (delete) old news items periodically. The default settings is that news items that are more than 30-day old will be automatically deleted. Again, you can customize this setting on a per channel basis.
Q. How do I keep news items permanently?
A. To keep a news item, you have to mark the news item as an archived item. To do that, simply right click on the news item and select Mark As Archived from the menu. Archived items will not be deleted by the Auto-Purge process, although you can still delete it manually if you wish.
Installation and Upgrading
Q. What are the system requirements for running Deepnet Explorer?
A. To use Deepnet Explorer, you should have a Pentium 166 PC or higher, with a Windows 98 operating system or higher. Please refer to the full list of system requirements.
Q. What should I do if I’m having trouble installing Deepnet Explorer?
A. If you are having difficulties installing Deepnet Explorer first make sure you have enough space on your hard drive. For further help, please refer to the Deepnet Explorer forum.
Q. Does Deepnet Explorer come with a uninstaller?
Do I need to uninstall the old copy before I install a new version?A. Yes, Deepnet Explorer comes with an uninstaller. We strongly recommend you uninstall the old copy and reboot your computer before installing a new version. You do not need to uninstall Deepnet Explorer if you are simply upgrading following a Deepnet Explorer prompt.
Security and Viruses
Q. How is Deepnet Explorer more secure than other browsers?
A. To read about how Deepnet Explorer is more secure click here.
Q. Can I get a virus with Deepnet Explorer?
A. It is recommended that you use a virus scanning program with updated virus definitions whenever you download anything from the Internet, especially from unknown sources. This applies to Deepnet Explorer as well. Deepnet Explorer doesn’t host any files, they are shared between users on a decentralised network so we can't guarantee that your downloads will be virus free.
Q. Which files do I share with other users?
A. Users can only access files that you share. Deepnet Explorer will only ever upload files marked as 'Shared' in the library. Make sure you check the library to see which of your files are being shared regulary to make sure nothing personal is being released.
Q. Is the P2P Browser in Deepnet Explorer legal?
A. The P2P Browser in Deepnet Explorer is legal, it's how you use it that determines if you can get into trouble. It is legal to download media files that are made freely available from the author, however it is illegal to download copyrighted items and Deepnet Explorer’s developers can not be responsible for how you use it. Please make sure you read the End User License Agreement when you install Deepnet Explorer for usage guidelines.