Optimizing Your Computer
Why is it important to optimize my computer?
To enhance your computer's ability to access and maneuver
around the ever-changing Internet, it is important to be aware of tips
for web site access and viewing. The questions and answers listed below
will help you make common adjustments that may be needed to optimize
your computer or to troubleshoot problems you may be having when viewing
pages on this web site.
What browser systems are supported for viewing C-SPED's web site?
The web site can be viewed using a variety of internet
browsers, including Internet Explorer 4.0 or later, Netscape 4.79 or
later, AOL 6.0 or later. When running an older browser (i.e., Netscape
4.0), some of the functionality of our web pages may not be available
to you.
How can I tell what Browser version I use?
You may need to find out what version of Internet Browser you are using
if you are experiencing any problems accessing C-SPED's web site.
To find what version of Internet Explorer web browser
you have:
-
Open the browser and at the top of the menu bar window
click Help.
-
Click About Internet Explorer. Your version
will be displayed.
To find what version of Netscape Navigator browser
you have:
-
Open the browser and at the top of the menu bar window
click on Help.
-
Click on About Netscape Navigator/Communicator.
Your version will be displayed.
How do I upgrade my Internet Browser?
The following links will take you to sites where you can download the
most recent versions of each of the major browsers:
To insure that you receive proper instruction for updating your browser,
please contact the appropriate technical support lines at Microsoft,
Netscape or AOL.
Is there a minimum sustained connection speed needed to view the web
site?
In order to view the web site, we recommend a modem with a minimum
sustained connection speed of 28.8 Kb/sec. (56K recommended). Slow down
connections may cause errors, such as timed-out responses and failure
of Java applets to load, even with an initial connection speed of 28.8
Kb/sec. or higher. The faster and more reliable your connection is,
the more success you will have in sustained web site access.
What screen resolution is best to display the web site?
We recommend a screen resolution of 800 x 600 pixels to
accommodate the text and graphics on the screen. You can adjust your
screen display settings to increase or decrease the resolution with
which text and graphics are displayed. To verify your present settings
or to change these settings, follow the instructions below for your
operating system.
Windows operating systems:
-
Click the Start button on the bottom left
side of the task bar (on the lower portion of the screen). Select
Settings then Control Panel from the menu.
-
Double-click the Display icon.
-
Click the Settings tab on the Display Properties
dialog box.
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Adjust the screen area by dragging the slider to
a setting of 800 X 600 pixels.
-
Click Apply to apply the new setting and close
the dialog box.
-
You must restart your computer before the settings
take effect.
Macintosh operating system:
-
Click the Apple icon (on top left of screen).
-
Choose Control Panel.
-
Click Monitors.
-
Select the desired screen resolution - 800 X 600 pixels.
-
Click OK to confirm and apply the new setting.
Will I need to set my browser to accept cookies?
When you visit the C-SPED web site, we use cookies to
automatically record certain non-personal information about your visit.
We use cookies to store information about the time and extent of your
use of the C-SPED web site. If you are a subscriber, we also use cookies
to keep track of your password and to see how often you log in to the
C-SPED web site. We use the information gathered from cookies for purposes
of system administration and to track potential abuse of our terms and
conditions of use. These cookies do not contain personal information
and are deleted from the user's computer upon leaving the system. Be
sure and read the C-SPED's Privacy Policy,
which contains further information regarding the use of cookies.
If you accept cookies, you will find the site much easier to use.
Once logged in, subscribers will be able to view all subscriber area
content without reentering user names and passwords. If you choose to
reject cookies you will still be able to use the C-SPED web site, but
subscribers who reject the cookies will have to enter their login id
and password on every page within the subscriber area that they view.
Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies or have ‘preference’
settings which alert you when cookies are being sent and allow you to
reject them before they are sent or delete them after they have been
sent. As necessary, you can change this feature in your browser to accept
cookies in your 'preference' settings. Be sure and read the browser
help for instructions concerning the various preferences offered. The
following information will assist you in locating the preference options
on your computer.
Internet Explorer 5.0 or later:
-
Click on Tools.
-
Click on Internet Options.
-
Go to the Security tab then click on the Custom
Level button.
-
Scroll down and look for Cookies Section,
then enable the appropriate cookie options. Click OK.
Netscape Navigator 7.0 or later:
- On the Edit menu, click on Preferences.
- In the Category pane, click on the words Privacy and Security.
The Cookies subheading will appear. Click on the Cookies subheading
and the Cookies section will appear on the right.
- Select the appropriate setting to enable cookies and click OK.
Will I need to set my browser to run JavaScript?
Yes, you will need to ensure your browser is set to enable JavaScript
in order for you to access all the features of the web site. JavaScript
is a scripting language used to construct web pages and to make the pages
more interactive. To ensure JavaScript is enabled in your browser, check
your browser Help regarding how to ensure your browser settings have not
been disabled. The following information may assist you with checking
your browser functions.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later:
- On the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
- On the Security tab, click Internet.
- Click Custom Level.
- Under Active Scripting, click Enable or Prompt.
- Click OK, and then click Yes.
- Click OK.
Netscape Navigator 7.0 or later:
1. On the Edit menu, click on Preferences.
2. In the Category pane, click Advanced.
3. Click on the subheading of Scripts and Plug-Ins and the Enable
JavaScript options for your browser will appear to the right.
4. Select the setting(s) to enable the JavaScript for your browser and
then click OK.
What is cache and why should I delete it from my computer?
Your web browser stores temporary files in an area on
your computer called a cache. Over time, this area can become cluttered
and reduce your browser's performance. Buildup of cache may cause web
pages to freeze once loaded. Your browser cache should be cleared on
a regular basis or when experiencing unusual problems with a web site.
How do I clear my browser's cache?
For Internet Explorer version 4.0 or later:
-
On your browser's Tools menu (version 5.0
or later) or View menu (version 4.0), click Internet Options.
-
In the Internet Options dialog box (under the General
tab), locate the History folder and click on Clear History.
-
Click OK.
For Netscape Navigator version 4.0 or later:
-
On your browser's Edit menu, click Preferences.
-
In the Preferences dialog box, expand the Advanced
category on the left by clicking the plus sign (+) next to it.
-
Click Cache.
-
Click Clear Memory Cache.
-
In the Confirmation dialog box, click OK
to verify that you want to clear your memory cache.
-
Click Clear Disk Cache.
-
In the Confirmation dialog box, click OK to
verify that you want to clear your disk cache.
-
In the Preferences dialog box, click OK.
Should I delete Temporary Internet Files from my computer?
It is recommend that you clean out Temporary Internet Files on a regular
basis, especially if you are using a personal computer (PC). This will
help speed up your viewing time as you move from screen to screen on the
web site. This will also help you from building up stored files and ensure
that you are viewing the most recent version of a web page and not a cached
version of the URL. There are settings in your browser that will clear
the Temporary Internet Files.
To clear out these files using Internet Explorer as your browser:
- Open the Internet Explorer browser.
- From the Tools menu, click Internet Options.
- On the General Tab, locate Temporary Internet Files
and click Delete Files.
- Click to select Delete all offline content.
- Click OK.
- Click OK again to remove all boxes and bring you back to browser.
To clear out these files using a Netscape browser:
- Open Netscape Communicator.
- Click on Edit, then click on Preferences.
- Click on the '+' symbol by Advanced in the Category area.
- Click on the word Cache under the Advanced category.
- Click on the Clear Memory Cache button.
- Click on the Clear Disk Cache button.
- Click OK.
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