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| | Mission | Technology | | Computer's & Government | | Privacy & Security | |
|
| Computer Security Alerts | | Help & How To's | | Bo's Internet | | Bo's News & Reviews | |
Browser Links
Welcome to Bo's Netscape Help Page
Other Help sites worth your attention:
*Reader Brian has found a great Netscape site - Silly Dog 701 - check it out.
Gaping security hole
found in Netscape, Mozilla browsers
Netscape 4.76 goes on strike. Poor working hours sited, News at eleven.
Hey Bo,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, How are you? Listen, I've got a question for you that is very irritating for me. It's about Netscape, (4.76), that I'm using on my Windows98 driven Compaq computer. It seems like after the computer has been running all day long, in the late afternoon or evening, when I go to click on a web sight, it'll start to load it but then just sort of stalls out. Most of the day everything works just fine. But it seems that as the day goes on, into the early evening or so, (after about maybe being on for 8 or 10 hours), it just doesn't want to finish loading into a sight. It starts to load ok, but it just kind of grinds to a halt. Now the weird part is, to make everything get back to normal, I just click the "Restart" in the "Shut Down" and let it reload the browser all over again and it all works fine. Any ides about what seems to make the browser get tired by the end of the day that makes me have to reload it to get it working again? Gosh, I know that's a human trait but a computer? Ok Bo, thanks again.
First, I must explain; it has been eons sense I have fielded any NS 4.x questions. Generally NS 4.x is a good stable browser but what you suggest may be a result of the cache being set to low. I am a little rusty on this one, so forgive the naiveté. That's French for I really don't know but intend to bluff my way through it.
In your browser click Edit | Preferences. Then click on the “+” next to Advanced. Click on Cache. Click Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache. You may want to close your browser and reopen it, to insure that the cache has been cleared.
Try increasing the cache size. I wouldn't worry to much about the memory cache but definitely increase the size of the disk cache if you are finding the browser hangs or slows after loading many pages.
In the image you will see the cache listed as Kilobytes.and in this image example there is 7680 KB or 7.5 MB. Remember, one Megabyte is equal to 1024 Kilobytes so if you want the cache to be say 15 MB then change the 7680 (In this example) to 15360 KB.
If this isn't cutting the mustard (Why anyone would want to cut mustard is more than I know, but that is the way of American English) then increase it by increments to as high as 20 MB. I wouldn't go beyond 20 Megs as it can show a slower performance thus negating the intent of the disk cache in the first place. If you do get up to 20 Megs with out the desired results, then it is time to reserve more memory cache. This tells Windows, "Hey Gates, I want you to reserve a certain amount of system memory recourses to run Netscape". You didn't know that your Netscape browser calls your computer Gates? So now you know. Increase the memory cache by 1 MB intervals. To increase the memory (in the image example) you would add 1024 KB which will bring it up to 2048 or 2 MB.
What is cache?
Each time you visit a web page, your computer caches as much of the page as it can to your local hard drive so that the next time you visit the page it will not have to reload the same items over again. This has the effect of speeding up your web page load time. Your computer will therefore look first to your temporary internet files (cache) for a local copy of the page to be loaded. If it finds it on your hard drive, it will load it from there instead of pulling the information down from the internet again. Unfortunately, these temporary internet files (cache) can become damaged or outdated over time.
Clearing The Netscape Cache
Even if you aren't especially concerned about security, it's still a good idea to clear
your Netscape 6 cache now and then. To do this, run Netscape and choose Edit|Preferences.
When the Preferences dialog box opens, double-click the Advanced category to open it. Now
click Cache. In the Cache pane (on the right side of the dialog box), click Clear Disk
Cache. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Adding Bookmarks In Netscape
An easy way to add a bookmark in Netscape is to drag the URL from the Web page to the blue
Bookmark Quickfile button. To do this, use the mouse to grab the icon just to the left of
the address bar to the Bookmarks button. Hold the mouse button down until the Bookmarks
menu opens. Drag the URL to the folder you want it to reside in, and then release the
mouse button.
Show Netscape Cached Files
To look at your Netscape Navigator cache file, click in the Address bar and type "about:cache"
and press Enter. This opens an HTML page that displays all the current cache file
statistics. If you enter "about:cache" into the Mozilla Address bar,
you'll get information concerning your memory and disk cache files. You can click "List
Cache Entries" to view separate entries in both the memory and disk cache files.
Here are a couple of other interesting things you can do along this same line:
About Netscape 6.2
Want to know a bit more about what's going on in Netscape 6.2? For example, what plug-ins
are currently active? To find out about plug-ins, click in the Address Bar, and type
about:plugins
then press Enter. You'll get a complete page telling you more than you likely want to know
about Netscape's current plug-ins. To view an interesting page, type
about:mozilla
into the Address Bar and press Enter.
New AIM: Send E-mail to Your Buddy List
Q. How to
correct Netscape cookies
I have Netscape 6.2 and have problems accessing several sites. I get messages telling me
to enable cookies. I do so but still get the same message. How can I solve this?
A. If you have enabled all cookies (Edit | Preferences | Privacy And Security | Cookies | Enable All Cookies), and you still get that message, perhaps your browser is still set to block specific cookies. Try Tasks | Privacy And Security | Cookie Manager | Unblock cookies from this site. If that still doesn't work, you should contact Netscape's technical support personnel.
Netscape 6
To add an entry to your address book, begin by opening your e-mail viewing window. To do this, select the icon on the toolbar that looks like a picture of an envelope. From the list of your Netscape e-mail accounts on the left side of your screen, select your active account, then click on the New Msg button to launch a composition window. Next, click on the Address button to open your address book, then type the e-mail address in the bottom field of the address book, and click OK.
How do I clear cookies?
Got Milk?
It has been covered before, but it bares repeating
Q. Is there a way to clear all of
my browser's cookies, temporary Internet files, and history files from my computer?
A. Here's how to clear cookies in the most recent versions of Netscape and Internet Explorer. But be warned, if you clear all of your cookies, you'll no longer have instant access to sites for which you've registered.
On the IE 6 menu bar, select Tools | Internet Options, then click Delete Cookies, Delete Files, and Clear History. This should take care of all such files on your PC, but you may want to find your Temporary Internet Files folder to make sure no stray files remain. If you're running Windows 2000, you'll find this on your C: drive at Documents And Settings | Default User (or Administrator) | Local Settings | Temporary Internet Files. To check cookie folders, go to Documents And Settings | Default User (Administrator and all profile names).
In the Netscape 6.x menu, select Edit | Preferences | Privacy And Security | Cookies. Click the "View stored cookies button," then choose Remove All Cookies. You'll find the Clear History option under Preferences | Navigator | History. It's also a good idea to clear your cache (Preferences | Advanced | Cache), which stores copies of sites that you have visited.
How can I make Netscape my default browser?
Q. I am currently running MS Windows 2000 Pro and always use
Netscape as my browser. But whenever I click a hyperlink (in an e-mail, for example),
Internet Explorer always launches. How do I make Netscape my default browser?
A. This process varies depending on which version of Netscape you run. Here's how to
make the change in Netscape 6.x browsers: First, open Netscape. In the Edit menu,
click Preferences | Advanced | System. You'll see a list of file types
(including HTML docs, JPEG, GIF, and PNG images) and Internet protocols (such as HTTP and
FTP). Check off all the file types and protocols that you want Netscape to handle. Be
warned: Internet Explorer won't take this dismissal lying down. Unless you uncheck IE's
"Internet Explorer should check to see whether it is the default browser" box
(Tools | Internet Options | Programs), IE will ask you if you want to
switch back. If it does, just say no.
Netscape 4/6
When Netscape caches a Web site you visit, it stores the site's content in memory and on your hard drive, so as to save time the next time you visit that site. To customize this option for faster surfing, or to ensure that you're seeing the freshest version of a page, select the Edit menu, Preferences, Advanced, then Cache. If you want to ensure that pages are always fresh, select Every Time, but keep in mind that this option will slow down your page-loading time. If you select Once Per Session, you'll be viewing more cached pages and thus surf more quickly. If you're viewing sites that change frequently, however, you won't always see the freshest version of the page.
Category: Netscape 4, Netscape 6
Import Your Netscape 4x Address Book into Netscape 6
To import your Netscape 4x Address Book, open it from the menu in Communicator 4x, then select Export from the File menu. Save your address book in .LDIF format, and choose a name for it. Now close Netscape 4x, and launch Netscape 6. From the File menu, select Address Book, Import, then choose Address Books under the bullet menu. Under the Mail Import Wizard, select the Text option, then choose Next. The Windows File Open window will appear, prompting you to open the file you just created. When you select the file, it will appear under the Address Book Window in your browser.
How to Search Faster with Netscape 6.2
Visit Netscape's Sidebar Directory to add new tabs
to My Sidebar in Netscape 6.x browsers. You can search for new tabs by subject or region
or browse through our Tab of the Day archives to find the types of information you want on
your Sidebar.
Get Started with Communicator 4
 |
What's
up with 404 Web page errors? We've all gotten them at one time or another while surfing the Web. "Page Not Found" or "404 errors" are as common as pop-up ads are on the Net. Find out what 404 Web page errors are and why they're different from site to site. 
Demystify
404 errors |
New American Theme for Netscape 6.1
If you use the new Netscape 6.1 browser and want to show your
patriotism, try the Stars and Stripes on your Navigator interface. In a few seconds, you
can download and install the new American Theme.
To try this new Netscape 6.1 theme, choose Apply Theme > Get New Themes
from the View menu. This will take you to the Netscape Theme Park where you can import the
American Theme. Now select the American Theme from your revised list of choices from the
Apply Theme submenu. Remember to restart Netscape 6.1. Switching to another theme is just
as easy. More
Netscape 6.1 themes
Note: If you are using a previous version of the browser, upgrade
now to Netscape 6.1.
Narrow Your Searches
If you type
a plus sign (+) directly in front of a word, Netscape Search will only display search
results containing the word or phrase. For example, enter Hotels +San +Francisco to
retrieve documents that contain Hotels, San and Francisco.
What's Cool about Netscape 6.2?
With Netscape 6.2 you
can easily send your Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint documents through Netscape Mail
while working in that application. Simply choose File > Send To to send the
document in Netscape Mail.
Oops!
Can't export address books in Netscape 6
If you rely on your browser for more than just surfing, take heed: Netscape 6 is missing
an important feature. That's right, the address book you could export easily in previous
versions won't export in Netscape's new browser. It's a feature that's documented,
necessary for syncing handhelds, but not included. Find out how to work around this
inconvenience.
Fix
Netscape's address book
Building Buddy Lists from Netscape Mail
Saving Preferences, Mail Settings and Bookmarks in Netscape 6.1
If you're upgrading
from Netscape Communicator 4.5 or later, all bookmarks, mail information, and browser
preferences are automatically copied to Netscape 6.1. If you're upgrading from Internet
Explorer, you can view your Favorites from Netscape 6.1. All of this data is copied from
your existing Netscape Communicator browser or from Internet Explorer. It is also
maintained in its original source. Netscape 6.1 is installed in a different directory than
either 4.5 or 4.7 or than Internet Explorer. You can leave these applications on your
system, or you can uninstall them at your convenience.
If you converted to Netscape 6 and then went back to using Communicator, your profiles
may be out of date when you upgrade to Netscape 6.1. Note: If the person you've selected doesn't have an Instant Messenger account, the
"Add to Buddy List" icon will be grayed out. Instead, click on "Sign on a
Friend." Click
here to find out how to restore your profiles.
Netscape 6.1 Upgrade Guide
Building Buddy Lists from Netscape Mail
You can easily add buddies to your Instant Messenger Buddy List from Netscape Mail. To add
a screen name to your Buddy List from Netscape Mail:
Netscape
Mail
Catch
browser bugs before they bite
If a bug is causing a malfunction in your browser, would you know what to do? Whether a
pop-up message appears or suddenly your system crashes, the problem could simply be caused
by a bug in your software. So make sure you stay up-to-date and fix all of your browser
blunders with these solutions to your Netscape,
Internet
Explorer, and Opera
bugs.
Squash
browser bugs
Netscape Communicator 4/6 Download Indirectly
To download the page behind a hyperlink without actually navigating to that page,
position your cursor over the link, right-click, then select Save Link As. From the Save
As Type drop-down list, select either HTML or plain text format for the saved page.
Get a status report
(Netscape Communicator)
Frequent a page that's notoriously slow to load? What's
the holdup? Press Ctrl + Alt + T in a Navigator window to find out. You'll get a status
report on open connections and the numbers of URLs waiting to load. You can also get the
full version of those long URLs that you can't copy from Saving Location dialogs.
BETTER BROWSING: DISPLAY A FRAME AS A WEB PAGE OUTSIDE THE FRAME CONTEXT
PROBLEM: Many sites use frames despite the practice's unpopularity. How can you get a given frame to display as a Web page outside of the frame context?
SOLUTION: Netscape Navigator makes this easy. Right-click inside the target frame and choose Open Frame in New Window from the pop- up menu. Internet Explorer is a bit trickier. Right-click inside the frame, then click on the Properties option. Next select the Address (URL) as displayed on the General tab. Right-click on the URL and select copy. In IE paste the URL into the address bar and press enter.
UCMORE FOR NETSCAPE NAVIGATOR 4.x USERS
PROBLEM: You're a Netscape Navigator user. Is UCMore available to you?
SOLUTION: UCMore is a popular PC browser add-in that uses the content of
the current Web page to instantly provide you with pages of similar content, categorized
in neatly organized pull-down menus on an unobtrusive toolbar. Until now this free utility
has been available only for Internet Explorer, but UCMore has released a version that
works with Netscape Navigator 4.x for PCs.
http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?91536:3802671
PROBLEM: You've heard about something called the Fish Cam, but you
don't know what it is or where to find it.
SOLUTION: Referred to as "audacious uselessness" and billed as
the second oldest Webcam, the Fish Cam has become a folk legend of sorts. Here's the
scoop: There's a large aquarium at the offices of Netscape, and someone decided early on
to point a camera at it. Thus was born the Fish Cam. In Netscape Communicator just press
Ctrl+Alt+F and the Fish Cam page is displayed. There are several links for selecting any
of a number of cameras pointed at the tank. Internet Explorer users can find the Fish Cam
at
http://cgi.zdnet.com/slink?84924:3802671
.
PROBLEM: You lose track of different windows on the Taskbar when you're working with multiple Web pages in Netscape Communicator.
SOLUTION: Opening multiple browser windows can be very handy when you want to follow links to new pages without abandoning previous pages. Press Ctrl+N to open the current page in another browser window, and press Ctrl+Tab to switch between open browser windows.
Getting the Word out with a few key strokes
PROBLEM: You're tired of the hassles associated with moving content from a Web page into another application like a word processor. Sometimes you want text and images, while other times you want only the text. Invariably, your browser provides you with too much or not enough.
SOLUTION: Both Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator use the same command to select the contents of the current page (or frame if you are on a framed page). Press Ctrl+A in IE, and you select the entire page including the graphics on the page. Press Ctrl+A in Netscape, and you select only the text content. So if all you want is text, use Netscape.
PROBLEM: You're looking for a faster way to save Web pages as HTML files using Netscape Communicator.
SOLUTION: Rather than displaying the page and doing a File, Save As, you can save the Web page locally without having to display it at all. Just Shift+click on the link to the page and the Save As dialog box instantly appears. This shortcut is especially useful when you want to save the results of a Web search but don't want to open each page returned by the search engine.
PROBLEM: You use Netscape Communicator and have several bookmarks that all point to the same page--that is, the page belongs in more than one category folder. Updating all the bookmarks is a pain, though, when the page changes location.
SOLUTION: Use Communicator's bookmark alias feature. Open the bookmark window (Ctrl+B) and select the bookmark to be aliased. Right-click and select Make Alias. An alias bookmark appears (note that the bookmark name is in italics to indicate it's an alias). You can now drag the alias to another folder. If you update the original or any alias of the original, all bookmarks for that item are automatically updated.
PROBLEM: The folders on Netscape Communicator's Personal Toolbar let you display pull-down lists of related bookmarks. You'd like to create your own folders.
SOLUTION: First, display the Bookmarks window by pressing Ctrl+B. Next, select the Personal Toolbar Folder in the hierarchy list and click on File, New Folder. Give your folder a name and, if you like, a description. Finally, click on OK, and the folder appears instantly on the Personal Toolbar.
When manipulating the bookmark folder in Netscape 6, do not copy and paste the bookmark folder into itself. According to Netscape, this may delete the bookmark folder.
Bookmark Updates with Netscape 4.x
You use Netscape Communicator, and you're tired of having to open up certain Web pages just to see if they've been updated.
There's an easy way to find out when the Web pages you have bookmarked have been updated. First, press Ctrl+B to open the Bookmarks window in Communicator. Then pull down the View menu and select the Update Bookmarks option. The browser will now check every bookmarked page and change the icons for any that have been updated since you last viewed them.
PROBLEM: You're tired of having to click on the Back button repeatedly in Netscape Communicator to view pages you visited earlier.
SOLUTION: Press Ctrl+H to open the History window, which shows you a scrollable listing of the pages you've visited recently. It also displays the page name, the URL, and the time when you first visited that page and when you were last there.
PROBLEM: You'd like to make certain Bookmarks visible on Netscape Communicator's toolbar.
SOLUTION: Netscape's browser provides a Personal Toolbar that appears just below the Location Toolbar. You can put bookmarks there by surfing to the page you want, then dragging the page link icon (the small icon just to the left of the address box) to the Personal Toolbar
| Error | Unknown file type, no viewer configured for file type, or unable to launch external viewer. |
| Possible cause | There are many file types that Netscape will recognize automatically (e.g., JPEG, GIF, and AU). If you are receiving this message, this is Netscape's way of telling you that the program has run into a file type it has not been configured to handle. |
| Tools & Tips | If you are downloading files, all you need to do is to click on Save to Disk and
select the directory where the downloaded file should be stored. You can minimize the
Saving Location window and go back to browsing. You will notice that your connection will
be somewhat slower. |
| Error | Can't run Netscape after downloading the newest version. |
| Possible cause | You may not be installing the file properly. |
| Tools & Tips | Download the file and store it in an empty directory. Double-click on the file in File
Manager. Your screen may go black and you will see a message that files are being
expanded. After a minute or so, your screen will go back to File Manager. If you select
Window | Refresh, you will see the installation files for Netscape have been automatically
expanded into the directory you selected. Double-click on SETUP.EXE and begin the
installation. |
| Error | The server does not have a DNS entry. |
| Possible cause | TCP/IP stack not present or malfunctioning. Temporary network slowness or problems. Can't access Internet through firewall. Requested site may not exist. |
| Tools & Tips | If you can reach another remote site successfully, chances are your TCP/IP stack is
functioning. If you can't, try disconnecting, rebooting, and reestablishing your
connection. Check with your administrator to make sure that your account should be able to
access the Internet through the firewall. Ping
the host name to make sure it exists. |
| Error | 404 Not Found. |
| Possible cause | URL may not exist. Memory and disk caches may be set too low. |
| Tools & Tips | Under Options | Preferences, raise the cache gradually in 1000K increments. Confirm
URL when possible with creator or webmaster. |
| Error | 404 Access Denied. |
| Possible cause | File permissions are not set correctly or are not set to be accessed by certain groups. |
| Tools & Tips | If you believe that this is an error, you could try emailing the web page owner.
Otherwise, there really isn't anything you can do. |
| Error | 503 Service unavailable. |
| Possible cause | Network lag/slowness or problems. |
| Tools & Tips | Ping the site to see if it is live. |
| Error | Socket is not connected. |
| Possible cause | Usually temporary connection problem. |
| Tools & Tips | Try two other Web pages on different sites. If you still get the error, you may wish
to disconnect and reconnect to your Web server. |
| Error | Connection timed out. |
| Possible cause | Network slowness or problems. |
| Tools & Tips | Ping the host site to determine if the
site is accessible from your server. |
| Error | Can't use Netscape to view a local file. |
| Possible cause | MOZOCK.DLL not loaded or used. |
| Tools & Tips | Check your Netscape directory to make sure that MOZOCK.DLL is available. If not,
downloading a newer version or reinstalling Netscape may help. You can find this file at Netscape. |
| Error | Reentrant call to interrupt window. |
| Possible cause | Usually seems to happen if you click "Stop" before a page has finished loading. |
| Tools & Tips | If you experience this often enough, try opening another Netscape window to go to
another site. In a moment or two go back to the old window and exit then. |
| Error | Connection reset by peer. |
| Possible cause | Remote host reset your connection. |
| Tools & Tips | Usually clicking "Reload" will bring up the URL normally. |
| Error | System call 'connect' failed: connection refused. |
| Possible cause | Netscape was unable to connect to the remote host. |
| Tools & Tips | Often occurs because a system is down or not accepting connections. Use Ping to see if the host is live or not. Traceroute may provide information also. |
| Error | Can't read newsgroups. |
| Possible cause | Network connection information in Preferences incorrect, or problem with your provider's news server. |
| Tools & Tips | Check to make sure that Preferences | Mail and News |Servers information is complete
and correct. If the problems continues, contact your provider to report the problem, and
see if anyone else has reported similar problems. |
| Error | General protection faults in Netscape. |
| Possible cause | Often related to software configuration issues. |
| Tools & Tips | Edit NETSCAPE.INI. In the "Network" section of NETSCAPE.INI, change the
"Use Asynch DNS" line to "No". Some configurations of Windows
networking software will fail using asynchronous DNS. Set "Max Connections" to
"1". |
| Error | FTP transfers hang or disconnect after connecting successfully to FTP |
| Possible cause | Problem with SLIP/PPP TCP/IP stack configuration (e.g., Trumpet Winsock). |
| Tools & Tips | Change the MTU value in your stack software from 1500 to 1006. |
| Error | Error 57 when attempting to FTP. |
| Possible cause | Usually occurs when an ftp server is overloaded or very busy. |
| Tools & Tips | Try to download the file at off-peak hours. Does not indicate a problem with netscape.
|
| Error | "Reload" button doesn't really reload all files. |
| Possible cause | This is usually frustrating to Web authors. Netscape checks to see if there have been any changes of the files in cache vs. the files on the server. Problems can result if the time/date stamp on the server or on your workstation are incorrect. |
| Tools & Tips | Force a complete reload: Shift-Ctrl-R or hold down Shift and click "Reload". |
