If you're viewing this page it probably means you're having difficulties printing or finding 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 help you through the difficulty.

Note that many of these instructions apply only to PC's with Windows operating systems (XP, Windows 7, etc.)—sorry, Mac users.  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Go to: Printing problems; outdated pages; problems loading online exams or forms


Printing problems

"I have trouble printing the page I want." Especially, "When I print a page, it prints the left frame with all the links, which I don't need to print."

Internet Explorer
Depending on the software setup on the machine you are using, you may have difficulty printing only the frames you want: 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 and do not get the desired results, try the following:

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.

Google Chrome
Chrome displays frames adequately, but definitely does not like frames when it comes to printing. Typically Chrome prints all frames together, when for all items you will need for our class, you should print only the larger, right-hand frame. Either of the following will allow you to print only the frame you need.

bullet The simplest fix is to open the frame you want to print into its own full-screen window (either a new "tab" or a new actual "window"). Once you've located the link to the page you want to print, instead of left-clicking on the link, right-click on the link and select "Open link in new tab." Then go to the new tab and right-click and select "print."

So in the screenshot below, if you right-clicked the "simple stuff" link, then you'd select "open link in new tab" and print from the new tab.

Chrome pic

bullet Another alternative in Chrome is to install a small plug-in (or "app") to your Chrome program that will give you the "open in new tab" option anytime you right-click any frame in the Google browser. You can find the "'This Frame' Context Menu" plug-in at this address: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/this-frame-context-menu/ckegihlfolljbjmbaidfnnjjhondlpho.

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.


"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)." At this date in February 2014, Chrome does not allow background color printing, so it shouldn't be a problem for Chrome users.


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 Paper 1 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.

In Chrome, right-click and select "reload frame" (not just "reload").

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?"


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.

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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 2/4/14