BrowsingA.htm

Sometimes, you may see an obviously out-of-date page when you click on a link. This is because the web browser on your computer is serving you the page which it (the browser) has stored or 'cached'. (In most web browsers, any pages that you visit are normally stored in a special cache folder for quicker viewing the next time you visit the same page). The result is that you find yourself looking at a page held on your own computer's hard disk instead of the page that is held on the Webserver.

If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer as your default browser, in order to overcome this, you need to 'refresh' or 'reload' the page. Connect to the internet, open your web browser, go to our website then follow the links to the page you want. If you still find you are looking at the old page (or, better still, if you want to be sure you have the very latest version of the current page), click 'View' on your browser's menu bar. From the menu that drops down, choose 'refresh' or 'reload' (note that the location and the wording varies from browser to browser). You can achieve the same effect in most browsers by pressing the F5 function key on your keyboard.

If this doesn't work – and it usually does – you need to remove the old page from the files cached on your computer. Again, the location and wording will vary from browser to browser: it may be 'empty cache' or 'clear cache' or 'delete files'. Usually, this command will be in the drop-down menu under 'Tools' on the browser's menu bar. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, for example, you click on 'Tools', then on 'Internet Options', and in the section marked 'Temporary Internet files' select 'Delete Files'. In Mozilla Firefox, you have slightly more control – go to 'Tools', then 'Options', then select 'Privacy' and you will be able to empty the cache while retaining other information.

If you persistently see out-of-date pages, Internet Explorer may be set to NOT look for the latest version of the pages you visit. To remedy this, click Tools on the menu bar, then click on 'Internet Options'. The first tab that opens is labelled 'General' and it contains three items. The second item is called 'Temporary internet files' – click on the button marked 'Settings'. You will be offered four options under the heading 'Check for newer versions of stored pages'. Select either 'Automatic' or 'Every visit to the page' (if the option is set to 'Never' change it to one of the other settings). Click OK to work back through each dialogue box. One further tip - if using Internet Explorer go Tools>Internet Options and select the General Tab (it usually opens on this) - click on the Accessibility tab (bottom right). In the new window which opens ensure all the boxes are blank. Click OK>Apply>OK. Try this with a page already 'open' and you will immediately see the difference.

Finally, you may wish to try using a different browser to Microsoft Internet Explorer. There are several free alternatives available which offer better security, more modern features, and a better browsing experience. Strongly recommended is Mozilla Firefox (more secure). This has a 'refresh/reload' button on the Navigation toolbar. If you are experiencing trouble with the page being 'pear shaped', incorrectly sized or with the text either too large or too small, remember no two browsers present the same page exactly identical. You may need to experiment with the size of the text to get an acceptable screen presentation. In Internet Explorer go View>TextSize and choose between Largest and Smallest - in Firefox go View>TextSize>Increase/Decrease. An easier way may be to just hold down Ctrl while scrolling the wheel button on the mouse or holding down Ctrl and use the '+' and '-' buttons on the keyboard to achieve the desired size.