Tech notes and troubleshooting

Configuration check

Please click here for a configuration check - to see if your computer is set up to use all functionalities or if you might have to change some settings.

If some items fail the check (red dot in your display - as you can see above) please go to the relevant section (Contents) in this chapter to find more information and help there.

Operating System

Supported Operating Systems:

• Linux
• Mac OS X (10.3)
• Windows 2000, XP, Vista

Browser

Supported Browsers:

• Mozilla Firefox 3 - recommended and tested (1.7 or greater optional)
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 - recommended and tested (5.5 or greater optional)
• Chrome and Safari are not yet tested !

Settings / Preferences

Your computer and your browser (Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari etc.) allows you to specify many Settings and Preferences like font size and type etc.

We refer here to PDN relevant issues and will not cover all general Settings and Preferences in detail.

• Java and Javascript - enable
• Popup blocking must be disabled
• Cookies - enable and Listed sites
  
• Screen resolution must be set to 1024x768 or greater
• Adobe Flash Runtime (7+) must be installed to play Video or Audio

Java and Java Script

Please enable your browser to run Java (a programming language) and Java Script (a scripting language) before you access or register in PDN.

Below you will find instructions for different browsers.

Mozilla Firefox (2.x)

1. Open Firefox.
2. On the “Tools” menu, click “Options”.
3. Click “Content” in the “Options” list.
4. Under the “Content” section, check the box next to “Enable JavaScript” and “Enable Java’.
5. Click the “Advanced” button to open the “Advanced JavaScript Options” box.
6. Check the appropriate boxes under “Allow scripts to”.
• 1 - Move or resize existing windows
• 3 - Disable or replace context menus
7. Click "OK".
8. Click "OK".
   

Microsoft Internet Explorer (7.0)

1. Select “Tools” > “Internet Options”.
2. Click on the “Security” tab.
3. Click the “Custom Level” button.
4. Scroll down to the “Scripting” section.
5. Select “Enable for Active Scripting and Scripting of Java Applets”.
6. Click “OK”.
7. Select “YES” if a box appears to confirm.
8. Click “OK”. Close window.
9. Reload page.

Please keep in mind that upgrading your browser or installing new security software or security patches may affect your JavaScript settings.

Popup blocking

Please enable your browser to display Popups before you access or register in PDN.

Below you will find instructions for different browsers.

Mozilla Firefox (2.x)

1. Open Firefox.
2. On the “Tools” menu, click “Options”.
3. Click “Content” in the “Options” list.
4. Under the “Content” section, check the box next to "Block popup windows".
5. Click the "Exceptions" button right to 'Block popup windows' to open the "Allowed sites - Popups" window.
6. Enter "www.pacificdisaster.net" as allowed site for popups.
   
7. Click the “Allow” button to add Pacific Disaster Net to the list of allowed sites for popups.
   
8. Click "Close".
   

Microsoft Internet Explorer (7.0)

1. Select “Tools” > “Internet Options”.
2. Click on the “Privacy” tab.
3. Under the “Popup Blocker” section, check the box "Turn on Popup Blocker".
5. Click the "Settings" button right to 'Popup Blocker' to open the "Popup Blocker Settings" window.
6. Enter "www.pacificdisaster.net" as address of website to allow for popups.
   
7. Click the “Add” button to add Pacific Disaster Net to the list of allowed sites for popups.
   
8. Click "Close".
   

Cookies

Cookies (or HTTP cookies, Web cookies, tracking cookies) are small pieces of information / data, supported by your browser, that can be stored on your computer either on the local disc (persistent cookies) or in the computer’s memory (per-session cookies).

Cookies are unable to perform any operation by themselves. They can maintain specific information like site preferences, navigation or contents (like an ‘electronic shopping basket’).

For more general information please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_cookie .

PDN uses per-session cookies to store your login information that you can use PDN without having to login each time again.

Cookies - Enable

Please enable cookies in your browser before you register in PDN.

Check your computer’s date and time to be correct otherwise the cookies might expire earlier than expected or supposed.

Below you will find instructions for different browsers to enable cookies.

Mozilla Firefox (1.0 final release and earlier)

1. Go to the "Tools" menu.
2. Select "Options".
3. Select the "Privacy" icon in the left panel.
4. Check the box corresponding to "Allow sites to set cookies".
5. Click "OK" to save changes.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+

1. Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
3. Click the "Default" button (or manually slide the bar down to "Medium") under "Settings".
4. Click "OK".

Cookies – Listed sites

If you can Login but appear logged out again soon after it might be a cookie problem.

Please check if Cookies are enabled and make sure that www.pacificdisaster.net is not listed as ‘Sites to never allow cookies for’ (at least available in Mozilla Firebird 0.6 and above and Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 and above).

Below you will find instructions for different browsers to control Cookies – Exceptions.

Mozilla Firefox (2.0)

1. Go to the "Tools" menu.
2. Select "Options".
3. Select the "Privacy" icon in the left panel.
4. Click “Exceptions”
5. Check in the window “Exceptions – Cookies” that www.pacificdisaster.net is not listed as ‘Block’
6. Click "Close" to save changes.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0

1. Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
3. Click the "Sites" button
4. Check in the window “Per Site Privacy Actions” that www.pacificdisaster.net is not listed as ‘Block’
5. Click "OK".

Screen resolution

The screen resolution must be set to 1024x768 or greater.

1. Click on your "Start" button.
2. Open the "Control Panel".
3. Click "Adjust screen resolution" (in the 'Appearance and Personalization' section).
   
4. Make sure that your resolution is set to 1024x768 or greater.
5. Click "OK".
   

Or

1. Right click on your desktop.
2. Left click "Properties" (or "Personalize" for Windows Vista) from the menu.
3. Click the tab 'Settings' in the Display Properties window.
4. Make sure that your resolution is set to 1024x768 or greater.
5. Click "OK".

Flash player

To watch videos from the Media tab you need a player to be installed.

Please click on the link http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and follow the installation advise.

Acrobat reader

To open documents in PDF format you need Acrobat reader to be installed.

Please click on the link http://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/ and follow the installation advise.

Make PDN your Home page

Mozilla Firefox (2.x)

1. Open Firefox.
2. In the “Tools” menu, click “Options”.
3. Click “Main” in the “Options” list.
4. Under the “Startup” section, check the box next to “Home Page” and make sure it contains ‘www.pacificdisaster.net’.
   
5. Click the “Use current page” button.
6. Click “OK”.

Microsoft Internet Explorer (7.0)

1. Navigate to PDN (www.pacificdisaster.net) and click on the tiny arrow to the right of the Home button (see image below).
2. A drop-down menu is displayed – please select ‘Add or Change Home Page’.
3. IE7 provides the choice to have either one or multiple home pages.
4. Click the radio button in the first line if you want to make PDN your only home page.

Bookmark PDN

Mozilla Firefox (2.x)

1. Open Firefox.
2. Click “Bookmark” 9
3. Select where you want to place your PDN bookmark.

Microsoft Internet Explorer (7.0)

1. Navigate to PDN (www.pacificdisaster.net) and click on the tiny star left to your PDN tab (see image below).
2. A drop-down menu is displayed – please select ‘Add to Favourites’.
3. Select where you want to place your PDN bookmark.
4. Click the button ‘Add’.