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Frequently Asked Questions - Browsers

I have a PDF of journal article, but pages are missing or blank. What can I do?

Here are 3 possible fixes:

1. If you are using Adobe Reader as your PDF reader, this may be due to a feature in Adobe called "allow fast web view". If so, you may get an error such as "insufficient data for an image". Try the following fix:

  • open the Adobe Reader application
  • Control-K, or go to Edit > Preferences
  • on the left, click 'Internet' and then uncheck 'Allow fast web view'

2. Before opening the PDF, right-click the PDF link and choose "save target as", “save link as” or “download linked file as” (depending on your browser). This will force the PDF to save before opening. Then open the PDF from the saved location. This bypasses the browser and the browser’s PDF plug-in, and avoids problems associated with plug-ins.

3. If neither of the above solutions works, try using a different PDF reader, e.g.

  • Windows: Foxit Reader
  • Mac OS: Preview (go to Finder > Applications > Preview.app)

If none of these solutions work, please report the problem to us, and we will work with you to fix it.

 

How do I tell my pop-up blocker to allow pop-ups from a specific site, e.g. RefWorks?

 

 

 

How do I disable pop-up blockers in my browsers or third-party toolbars?

 

Can I use a firewall with LibAccess?

Firewall software has been known to cause problems with LibAccess. You may have to temporarily disable your firewall or configure your firewall to allow LibAccess. The following software have been known to cause problems.

  • Norton Internet Security
  • Norton Personal Firewall
  • Zone Alarm Pro
  • McAfee Internet Security
  • Watchguard

Please note that some ad blockers (e.g. IDecide, Ad-Subtract) and web accelerators (e.g. Netzero High Speed) has been known to cause problems as well.

Upon login to CCH Online BusinessWorks / LegalWorks / TaxWorks, I received an error message in the Information Bar "We did not detect Java Virtual Machine (JVM) on your system". What should I do?

Once logged on to CCH Online BusinessWorks / LegalWorks / TaxWorks, go to Tools on the CCH menu bar at the top of the screen and click on Manage Account. Change the User Interface Preference to "Java (requires Java Virtual Machine)" using the drop-down menu box. Then click on the "Save Preferences" button.

Why doesn't a PowerPoint slide show open from a link in Internet Explorer?

This is a known problem with Internet Explorer. Save the file to the PC or storage device before opening.

I cannot load CCH Online BusinessWorks / LegalWorks / TaxWorks using Firefox. Why?

CCH Online BusinessWorks / LegalWorks / TaxWorks does not support Firefox. Use Internet Explorer.

A computer monitor is displaying the screen rotated or upside down. How can this display be returned to normal?

The key combination CTRL-ALT-UPARROW can be used to re-orient the display to normal rotation setting.

My computer is extremely slow when using RefWorks in Internet Explorer 7. Why?

This is due to IE's Phishing Filter (a new feature to IE7) that evaluates web page contents. Microsoft has a downloadable patch that can rectify this. You can download the patch here.

Do the public computers in the Libraries have MSN or any other chat software?

If you'd like to use chat in the library, your best bet would be to use one of the web versions of the following Instant Messenging/Chat Services:

 

 
I created a web page but nothing displays in the browser. However, when I view the source, I see the contents. Why is this happening?

You might want to have a look at your closing title tag. You might have accidently omitted the < or > character and therefore the browser thinks the remaining coding belongs to the title tag.

Why can't I copy from a file opened in Acrobat Reader?

The document creator may have set the security to disable this function. To check, open the file in Acrobat, select File/Document Properties and select the Security tab. Look to see whether Content Copying or Extraction is set to Allowed.

Can I telnet from the Public PCs?

Secure Shell Client has been install on selected computers in Mills, Innis and Thode which will allow you to telnet.

Why am I unable to access the Library Catalogue?

It could be a browser cache problem. Try clearing your browser's cache.

How do I clear the browser cache (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape, Safari?

Internet Explorer:

  • From the menu at the top of the browser window, select Tools, Internet Options
  • Select the "General Tab"
  • Click on the button labelled "Delete Files "
  • Check "Delete all off-line files"
  • Click on "OK"
  • Close and re-open your browser

Firefox

  • From the menu at the top of the browser window, Select Tools
  • Select "Clear Private Data"
  • In the dialogue box, check items that you want deleted; i.e. "Cache", and uncheck any of those items you don't want deleted
  • Click on the button labelled "Clear private data now"
  • Click on "OK"

Netscape

  • From the menu at the top of the browser window, Select Edit/Preferences
  • Expand the "Advanced" category menu item
  • Highlight "Cache" Click on the button labelled "Clear Memory Cache"
  • Click on the button labelled "Clear Disk Cache"
  • Click on "OK"

Safari (MAC OS)

  • From the menu bar, select "Safari"
  • Select "Empty cache"

 

How do I open a file from a floppy disc, CD, or keychain drive on a PC in the Library?

Users can open pdf or html files from a floppy disc or keychain drive by using the My Computer icon in the Programs menu of public stations. To open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files on library computers, see this FAQ.

Browsers: opening from the File menu of the web browser on public PCs was disallowed due to a bug. Instead, public users can open documents by clicking Start button, Programs, My Computer, selecting the drive and filename.

Windows XP with Service Pack 2 & Internet Explorer has been set to block pop-ups; however, some sites do not function properly. How can I correct this?

You can configure the Pop-up Blocker so that pop-ups are allowed for this site by following these steps:

  • go into the Tools menu -- Pop-up Blocker -- Pop-up Blocker Settings.
  • in the "Address of Web site to allow" section, enter the address for the site that is not functioning properly and click the Add button.
  • if you want to re-enable pop-ups for all sites, go into the Tools menu -- Pop-up Blocker -- Turn-off Pop-up Blocker.
  • alternatively, you can go into the Tools menu -- Internet Options -- Privacy tab -- disable Pop-up Blocker.
How do I open a PDF file that will not load?

Try the following:

  • open Adobe Acrobat Reader by using the Start button then clicking on Programs
  • once the reader is open, go to Edit menu, Preferences
  • click Options from the left pane
  • Under the Web Browser Options from the right pane, disable Allow Fast Web View
  • click the OK button
  • close the Reader and try opening the PDF file again.
How do I create a shortcut to a web page and have IE open a new session with the window maximized?

You first have to create the shortcut manually by right-clicking the desktop and selecting New, Shortcut. In the location field, type the path to Internet Explorer enclosed in quotes or click the browse button to look for it. Then you will leave a space then type the web page address. An example would be "c:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\IEXPLORE.EXE" https://univmail.cis.mcmaster.ca. You then have to give the shortcut a name. Once the shortcut has been created, you need to right-click on it and select properties. In the shortcut tab, under the "Run" section, select Maximized.

How do I tell Internet Explorer to stop remembering my passwords?

In Internet Explorer, click on the Tools menu, Internet Options, Content tab and click on the AutoComplete button. In the "Use AutoComplete for" section, uncheck "Prompt me to save passwords" and uncheck "Usernames & Passwords on forms". You should also click the "Clear Forms", and "Clear Passwords" buttons to delete any saved form information.

How do I print a web page that has light text on a dark background?

Step 1:

  • click on Tools, Internet Options, Colours
  • untick Use Windows colours
  • change: Text to black; Background to white
  • click OK

Step 2: (may not be necessary depending on the browser)

  • click on Accessibility
  • check off Ignore colours specified on web pages
Why is the background of a table not printing from Internet Explorer?

Go into Tools, Internet Options, Advanced tab. Scroll down until you see the printing section. Select "Print background colors and images" and then click on OK.

How do I create a shortcut to a web page?
  • In Internet Explorer, type the web page address in the Address field and hit Enter
  • you may need to make the Window smaller in order to see your desktop
  • click & hold down the left mouse button on the "e" icon in the Address field and drag the mouse to the desktop to create the shortcut
Why is it when I submit a form and then try to use the back button, the information is cleared in the form?

This can occur if your browser's cache is full. Try clearing your browser's cache. If this is happening on a page located on a secure server (https) then go into Internet Options, Advanced tab and deselect "Do not save encrypted files to disk".

Why am I unable to view the source code of a web page in Internet Explorer?

The cause is usually a full cache. Clear your browser's cache. If this is happening on a page located on a secure server (https) then go into Internet Options, Advanced tab and deselect "Do not save encrypted files to disk".