If you're viewing this page it probably means you're having difficulties finding, viewing, or printing the information you need.  If you don't find a solution to your trouble in the tips below, call me at 742-8957 or send email, and I'll try to help you through the difficulty.

Note that many of the following instructions apply only to PC's with Windows operating systems (98, 2000, NT, ME, XP, etc.).  Also note that this website is optimized for the Internet Explorer browser and for viewing on monitors with resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels or greater.

Frames
This site uses "frames," the two different windows you now see: the one containing this text and the one at the left where you found the link to this page.  Frames are sometimes confusing for users not familiar with printing and accessing frequently updated pages that use frames.  If you are having trouble printing or viewing the most current version of a particular page (or frame), the instructions below may help.

Go to: Printing problems; outdated pages; viewing problems; problems loading online exams or forms


Printing problems

"I have trouble printing the page I want."

Internet Explorer
Depending on the software setup on the machine you are using, you may have difficulty printing only the frames you want in Internet Explorer: Explorer may print both frames (the full screen on your monitor), just the left frame, or just the right frame.  For all items you will need for our class, you will want to print only the larger, right-hand frame. If you print a particular page or frame and do not get the desired results, try the following:

Internet Explorer 6 or 7:
bullet Right-click in any non-linked space in the appropriate frame and select "print": if a printer menu window opens, click the "print" button. OR:

bullet Select the frame you want to print by positioning the cursor in the appropriate frame and clicking once, then press the "print" button.  If this doesn't work, click the word "File" at the top of the Internet Explorer window, select "Print Preview," and if "As laid out on screen" appears in a white box on the menu bar at the top, click the "v" arrow to the right of this box and choose "Only the selected frame"—then click the "print" button.

Internet Explorer 5 or earlier:
bullet Right-click in any non-linked space in the appropriate frame and select "print": "only the selected frame" in the "Print frames" box at the bottom of the inset screen should be selected for you automatically. OR:

bullet Click on the word "File" at the top of the Internet Explorer window, then select "print": at the bottom of the menu that appears next, choose "only the selected frame."

Mozilla Firefox
Firefox, too, may print both frames (the full screen on your monitor), just the left frame, or just the right frame.  For all items you will need for our class, you will want to print only the larger, right-hand frame. If you print a particular page or frame in Firefox and do not get the desired results, try either of the following:

bullet Click once in any non-linked space in the right-hand frame, then click the word "File" at the top of the Firefox window, then select "print," then in the "Print Frames" menu choose "The selected frame."  OR:

bullet Right-click any non-linked space in the right-hand frame, select "This Frame," then choose any of the first three options: "Show Only This Frame," "Open Frame in New Window," or "Open Frame in New Tab."  Now only the frame you want will appear on the monitor and you can print the entire screen.  After printing, you can close the new "tab" or window, or if you selected "Show Only This Frame," click the "Back" button at the top left of the Firefox window.

Netscape 4.7 or earlier
If the Netscape "print" button is inoperative (appears faded), Netscape cannot determine what you want to print: the whole page as it appears on the monitor, just the left frame, or just the right frame.  For all items you will need for our class, you will want to print only the larger, right-hand frame.

bullet If you position the cursor in any space in the right-hand frame that does not contain an underlined link to another page and click the mouse once, you effectively "select" the frame, and you will notice that the Netscape "print" button becomes active. Once the print button is active, print the selected frame by clicking the print button, or click on the word "File" at the top of the Netscape window, and when the drop-down menu appears, select "Print Frame."

bulletYou can also avoid the difficulties of printing frames by viewing any frame or page full-screen—then all you have to do is press the "print" button.  Right-click anywhere in the frame you wish to print and select the first option, "Open Frame in New Window."  Then print as you would any web page not in frames.


"The printed pages are hard to read and I'm wasting ink because the onscreen background is printing along with the text."

Your browser may be configured to print backgrounds for all web documents. You can change this setting in Internet Explorer by selecting "Tools," then "Internet Options," and then the "Advanced" tab.  Scroll down to the "Printing" section and uncheck the "Print background colors and images" option. In Firefox, click "File" and then "Page Setup"; on the "Format and Options" menu uncheck "Print Background (colors and images)." Netscape users can choose "Page Setup" from the "File" menu, then uncheck the "Print backgrounds" box under the "Page Options" heading.


Outdated pages or information

"I'm looking for an assignment, a link, or an updated page that is supposed to be posted already, and I keep getting the old one."

It may be that the information you are looking for has been posted but your browser is using a "cached" version of the page (saved on your computer) instead of retrieving the new version from the Internet.  For instance, if you know that Paper 2 has been assigned but you find the first essay assignment when you follow the proper link—or if you see an old version of the course schedule when you know it has been updated—you may need to "reload" or "refresh" the page or frame.  In Internet Explorer, right-click anywhere in the right frame and select "refresh" from the drop-down menu to load the most recent version of the page.  In Firefox, try clicking the "Reload current page" button or right-clicking any non-linked space in the appropriate window, then selecting "This Frame" and choosing "Reload Frame." Refresh or reload pages or frames in Netscape by clicking the "reload" button or by right-clicking in the appropriate frame and selecting "reload frame" from the drop-down menu.

bulletIf you're accessing a page from the online schedule, be sure to reload the schedule page itself as well: check the "updated" date at the top right corner of the schedule page.  Also be sure you are viewing the schedule for your class, not one of my other classes or sections.

If "refreshing" or "reloading" doesn't bring up the expected new information, it may be that I'm behind schedule in posting pages to the web, or (it happens!) I may have forgotten.  Send me an email saying "Hey Chip, where's the freakin' assignment?"


Viewing problems

"The right-hand frame is cut off on the right side so I'm only seeing part of the page"; or, "I have to keep scrolling to the right to see the entire page."

If you have this trouble, the problem is most likely that your monitor is smaller or has lower resolution settings than those for which this site is optimized.  One way to alleviate this problem, at least partially, is to open the right-hand frame in a full-screen window of its own.  In Internet Explorer, try the "F11" key: it won't open the frame in a new window, but it will expand the page to maximal full-screen viewing.  To open any frame in a full window of its own in Internet Explorer, right-click the link itself on the referring page—that is, the page containing the link that takes you to the frame you want to view full-screen—and then select "open frame in new window." Firefox users can open any frame in a full window of its own by right-clicking any non-linked space in the right-hand frame, selecting "This Frame," then choosing any of the first three options: "Show Only This Frame," "Open Frame in New Window," or "Open Frame in New Tab." To open a frame in Netscape in a full window of its own, right-click any non-linked space in the frame and select the first option, "Open Frame in New Window."


Problems loading online exams or forms

"When I click on the link for an online form (e.g. the student info form, the GR exam, syllabus input, etc.) nothing happens, or the new page starts to load but then stops."

If the computer you're using has "pop-up killer" software, it may prevent the form or exam from loading because many forms and online exams on this site open into full new browser windows.  The easiest solution is to disable or turn off the pop-up-killing software until you have completed filling out the form or taking the exam.  If given the option, you might disable pop-up blocking permanently for my entire site.

For other problems with online forms and exams, call me at 742-8957.

This "help page" is evolving.  As need arises, I will add to it during the semester.  Anytime you have problems with my website, please let me know so I can address any errors in design or programming.  I'm especially concerned about links that don't work or problems you have submitting online forms or exams.  If you find malfunctioning links that are not fixed by reloading or refreshing the initial page containing the link, or if you have troubles submitting an online form or exam, please let me know pronto.

Updated 1/11/09