Have you ever tried to go to a website that you’ve been to before and it just won’t load what you need? Sometimes it’s not the site, but your computer that might need a bit of help.
Here are some tips to help you next time you can’t get a site to display everything you need.
The cache is like a little history of how the site needs to display. Clearing this will force your web browser to redownload the information and display it. Check out this OIT knowledge base article to see how to clear your cache.
Using an incognito window lets you go “undercover” to the website. The site will think you’re a new user and you’ll need to reenter all your information. This is a great way to go to a site on a public computer too because when you close the window, all your information from that site visit will be erased. This option is found in your browser menu that may look like 3 lines or an ellipsis …, you’ll see an option for launching an incognito or private window.
If you normally use a single web browser, try a different browser. Some of the major browsers include Apple’s Safari, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
Often the first question any tech support asks is, “did you restart your computer?” Restarting your computer fixes many issues. A restart is turning the computer completely off by going through the shutdown process. Just closing the lid of your laptop or telling it to go to sleep is not enough.
Check the OIT System Status Center to see if any notifications have been posted about the issue you are seeing. If the website you are trying to access is not a university site or system that the university uses, you can check a public website called “Down for Everyone or Just Me” that will tell you if the site you’re trying to access is really unavailable. If neither of these sites list anything wrong, then you know to ask for more help from the OIT HelpDesk.
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