Web Browser Problems
Although some Web browsers have evolved and have been improved over the course of several revision cycles, the complexity of today's software and Web content sometimes cause unwanted browser behavior. Several organizations now manufacture their own browsers, making it possible for a Web user to continue surfing with a different browser if her usual one fails.
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Display is Too Small or Large
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Content displayed in browsers sometimes appears too large or small. The problem is that the setting for display size is set too high or low. This can be corrected by changing the setting, which is done through the browser's "Zoom" item under the browser's "View" menu heading.
Failing to Connect to the Internet
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Browsers sometimes fail to connect to the Internet because they're blocked by an anti-virus program such as Windows Defender. Symptoms of this program include the browser displaying the message "Unable to connect" and related messages. It's possible to enable browser access by disabling the anit-virus program. However, it's safer to keep the program running, and specify the browser's name to the program's exception list, which is the list of programs that the anit-virus program allows to connect to the Internet. Creating exceptions to Windows Firewall is done by opening that program and clicking its link, "Allow a program through Windows Firewall."
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Failure to Show Content
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Browsers can sometimes fail to show or play specific kinds of content, such as audio files or Flash videos. Symptoms of this problem include icons displayed in place of pictures, and error messages reporting that content cannot be displayed.
The source of this problem is the extension that's assigned to show the missing content. This extension may be out of date or completely non-existent. The solution is to download the needed extension, which can be done at the site indicated in the error message. Extensions can be downloaded from reliable software repositories, such as those listed in the Resources section.
Missing Controls
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Controls may sometimes appear to be missing from a browser. For example, the "Favorite" bar may fail to appear in Internet Explorer or "Bookmarks" in Firefox. Or, Firefox's address bar may fail to appear. This problem occurs because the options for displaying the controls have been set to prevent their display. Browser users can re-enable a control's display by clicking the "View" drop-down menu, selecting "Toolbars," and placing a check mark next to the "Menu," "Navigation," or "Bookmarks" items.
Miscellaneous Problems
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A browser may sometimes fail to start, or display extremely erratic behavior with a source that is impossible to pinpoint. In such cases, a browser's extensions may be causing the problem.
Extensions, also called "plug-ins" and "add-ons," provide features beyond the browser's built-in functionality. Examples of add-ins and plug-ins include the one for running Java applets. Another plug-in lets you fill out Web forms quickly from a pre-defined database on your hard drive.
One solution to extension-related problems is to start a browser in safe mode, which runs the browser without add-ones or plugins. Running a browser in safe mode is done by pressing "Start," and then entering the browser name in the Search box. Windows will display a list of programs, among which will be the safe-mode browser. The safe-mode browser will have the original browser's name followed by the text "no add-ons" or "safe mode."
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References
Resources
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