Troubleshooting

Making the Connection

I'm trying to go to a site, but I keep getting the following message: "The specified server could not be found."

The address you typed may be incorrect. Check the address to make sure you have entered it correctly.
Make sure that your Proxy settings are correct. To do this, on the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Proxy tab. The Proxy tab should contain information only if you are accessing the Internet at a company that requires you to go through a local server before going out over the Internet. If this is the case, check with your System Administrator for the correct proxy settings. If this is not the case, make sure all the fields in the proxy setting are completely empty by pressing the TAB key on your computer and then pressing the DELETE key at each field.
If you still cannot see the site, then the site you are trying to reach may no longer exist or may have been moved. Try using a search page to search for the company or information.

When I try to connect to the Internet, I get the following message: 'The attempt to load "http://www.msn.com" failed."' (This URL will vary depending on what site you are trying to reach).

The address you typed may be incorrect. Check the address to make sure you have entered it correctly.
Make sure that you are using the right protocol for the site you are trying to visit. For example, if the site your are trying to visit is an FTP site, than the address you type needs to start with "ftp://".
The site you are trying to visit may be busy or temporarily off line. Try again later.
The page might have been moved. Try visiting the site at a top level, for example, "http://www.sample.com," and then look for links that lead to the page you are looking for.

If these steps don't work, try connecting to the Internet using another application, such as Eudora Light.

If you can connect using an application other than Internet Explorer:

Make sure that your Proxy settings are correct. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Proxy tab. The Proxy tab should contain information only if you are accessing the Internet at a company that requires you to go through a local server before going out over the Internet. If this is the case, check with your System Administrator for the correct proxy settings. If this is not the case, make sure all the fields in the proxy are completely empty by pressing the TAB key on your computer to move between the fields and then pressing the DELETE key at each field.

If you cannot connect to the Internet using any application:

Make sure that your modem is correctly connected to your computer and the phone jack. For more information, see the documentation that came with your computer.
Make sure that your MacTCP (TCP/IP for Open Transport users) settings are correct. To do this, on the Apple menu, point to Control Panels and then choose MacTCP (TCP/IP). Your Internet access provider will give you the information.
Make sure that you PPP settings are correct. To do this, on the Apple menu, point to Control Panels and then choose ConfigPPP. Your Internet access provider will give you this information.

For more troubleshooting information, on the Help (?) menu, choose Internet Explorer Help, and then click Troubleshooting.

Viewing pages

I know the page I'm viewing has pictures, but I can't see any.

You might have turned pictures off. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Web Content tab. Make sure that the Show Pictures check box is selected.
If you see an icon that is a page with a red circle and white X, the graphics that is supposed to appear in that area could not be found on the server.

The page I'm viewing has an animated .gif file, but the image is not animating.

Check to make sure you have Refresh After Each Image Is Loaded selected. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Browser Display tab. Make sure that the Refresh After Each Image Is Loaded is selected.

When I go to a page with frames, I see a blank page or the page does not look right.

You might have turned frames off. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Web Content tab. Make sure that the Show Frames check box is selected.

Sounds and Video

I know the page I'm viewing has sounds, but I can't hear any.

You might have turned sounds off. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Web Content tab. Make sure that the Play Sounds check box is selected. Check to make sure that your computer's volume is turned up.
Check to make sure that you have the Quicktime Musical Instruments extension installed on your computer. It should be in the Extensions folder in your System folder. If you do not, visit http://quicktime.apple.com for more information and to download a copy.

I know the page I'm viewing has video, but I can't see any.

You might have turned videos off. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Web Content tab. Make sure that the Show Video check box is selected.
Check to make sure you have Apple Computer's QuickTime 2.1 installed. If you do not, visit http://quicktime.apple.com for more information and to download a copy.

The video plays, but the quality is poor.

Try increasing the number of colors your monitor shows. On the Apple menu, point to Control Panels, and then choose Monitors (System 7.5 users choose Sounds & Displays).

Related Topics
Common Error Messages
Other Common Problems

Downloading

I downloaded a file, but I can't find it on my computer.

Check to see if the file is on your computer. Make sure that the Finder is active by clicking on the Desktop, and then choose Find on the File menu. Set the first pop-up menu to On All Disk and the second to Date Modified. Enter the date you downloaded the file and click Find. The file should be towards the top of the list.
Try downloading the file again. Point to the link, press and hold down the mouse button, and then choose Download Link to Disks. In the dialog box, choose a location that will be easy for you to find.

I downloaded a file with the extension .hqx and when I click on it, nothing happens.

The abbreviation .hqx is used for files that have been compressed by using a process called Bin-Hex. In order to uncompress these files, you need an application that can unencode hqx files such as StuffIt Expander.

I want to download a graphic, image, sound, or video to my computer, but when I click on it, it plays instead.

To download a file to your computer, point to the link, press and hold down the mouse button, and then choose Download Link to Disk.

Related Topics
Using files with .hqx extensions

Common Error Messages

When I try to send mail, the following message is displayed: "There is no mail server configured."

Make sure Microsoft Internet Explorer has the information it needs to connect to a mail server. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the Mail tab. Fill in the information.

When trying to send mail, the following message is displayed: "The server name 'sample.sample.com' is invalid."

Check your mail server and user information. On the Edit menu, choose Options, and then click the News tab. Make sure your news server information is accurate.

When I enter a page, the following message is displayed: "You do not have the plug-in needed to view "application" type of information on this page."

Click the View Plug-in Directory to download the missing plug-in.

Related Topic
Other Common Problems