WISE Technical Support

Troubleshooting

Viewing PDF files

If you have trouble viewing an Exercise file downloaded as a PDF (Portable Document File) file, you may need to download and install Adobe Reader to view it.

Refresh Webpage

If an applet does not behave or appear correctly, click the RELOAD/REFRESH button, usually signified by an arrow or arrows on your browser (or press F5 on your keyboard if you are using Internet Explorer).

Enable Java and JavaScript

If an applet is still not working or if a WISE webpage does not load properly after refreshing the webpage, it may be due to Java or JavaScript being disenabled on your web browser. If Java or JavaScript has been disabled, it needs to be re-enabled:

Microsoft IE (Version 4.x and up)

1. Under the Tools menu, select Internet Options….
2. Under the Advanced tab, scroll down to Java (Sun).
3. Select Use JRE 1.5.x ... for <applet>.
4. Under the Security tab, click Custom Level....
5. Scroll down to Scripting.
6. Select Enable for both Active scripting and Scripting of Java applets.
7. Click OK and then click OK again.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Under the Tools menu, choose Options….
2. Click Web Features.
3. Select Enable Java and Enable JavaScript.
4. Click OK.

Netscape Browser (Version 8.x)

1. Under the Tools menu, choose Options….
2. Click Site Controls.
3. Under the Site List tab, in the 'Web Features' section, select Enable Java and Enable JavaScript (or Enable JavaScript/VBScript).
4. Click OK.

For more information on enabling Java on the above mentioned browsers or other browsers, consult Sun Microsystem's Java website. If neither refreshing the webpage nor enabling Java results in the webpage or applet being properly displayed, you may need to download and install the free Java Runtime Environment.

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Downloads

Adobe Reader is a free software program used to view PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Most WISE Exercise pages are downloadable and viewable in this format.

Java Software

If enabling Java on your browser does not resolve problems accessing WISE applets, download and install the free Java software, Java Runtime Environment (JRE). Once you have downloaded and installed JRE, be sure that Java is enabled on your browser using the steps given in the Troubleshooting section.

Web Browser

If WISE web pages do not load, try upgrading to the latest versions of one of these web browsers. These software programs are free.

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About Java and JavaScript

A Java Applet is an application designed to run within a web page. Applets can operate across different computer operating systems because they rely upon a Virtual Machine (VM) implemented by a specific computer's web-browsing application.

Java Applets are secure and safe to use. One should always be wary of downloading applications from anonymous sources on the Internet because of the possibility of viruses. However, the Java language explicitly puts limits on the functionality of applets so as to prohibit malicious behavior. A Java applet cannot read or write from a user's computer without express permission from the user.

JavaScript is a language used to create dynamic webpage applications. Like Java, JavaScript does not allow a program to access the files or directories on a user's computer. Despite its name, JavaScript (originally called "LiveScript") originated independently of Java and may not always be compatible with every browser.

The WISE site implements Java applets and JavaScripting to allow real-time demonstrations of statistical concepts that are beneficial to the understanding of statistics. To use many features of this site, it is necessary to have a web browser that supports Java and JavaScript such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Netscape Browser. Java and JavaScript must then be enabled on the browser.

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Contact: wise@cgu.edu

Last updated: January 2006