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If Your Browser Failed a Test....BT2K is known to work reliably with clean, fully-functional installations of Netscape Navigator 4.08 and higher, Communicator 4.51 and higher; and with Microsoft IE4+ and IE5+. If you're using one of these browsers and still encounter trouble, then BT2K already has succeeded in discovering a potentially serious problem with your current browser: Your browser either is misinstalled or has developed an internal problem (don't worry--- this is extremely common and usually not hard to fix!). In a moment, we'll help you find ways to set things right. The most-common trouble spots are
Each plug-in or add-on you install is like a barnacle affixed to the smooth hull of your browser. In small numbers, there's no problem. But when there's enough of them, performance and stability can suffer. For example, if you're using Internet Explorer, you've probably installed various ActiveX/OCX components and controls on different web sites you've visited. Netscape users face similar issues. In fact, most new installs of Navigator start out with about eight plug-ins preinstalled, and the number goes up as you access various content types on the web. (If you're using Communicator, check the Help/About Plug-Ins menu item to see what you're running.) Some add-ons are very aggressive. For example, URL grabbers such as Go!Zilla, anti-virus add-ons, banner-ad blockers and Cookie shields all tend to alter your browser's operation at a pretty basic level. I'm not slamming add-ons and plug-ins---I use 'em myself, and enjoy the added functionality they bring to my copies of Communicator and Internet Explorer. But when you pile on large numbers of invasive plug-ins, you increase the odds of creating an unwanted interaction or interference. Modified Browsers Many ISPs offer custom versions of IE and Communicator. Sometimes the level of customization is slight: The ISP might simply change the "spinner" logo, for example. But other times, the customization runs very deep. Take AOL, for example. It starts by heavily modifying your existing browser or installing a new copy (you actually may end up with two completely separate copies of IE on your system). But AOL also installs its own custom WINSOCK.DLL, alters your network protocol bindings and installs its own custom version of Windows' dial-up adapter. It will do this even if you already have a perfectly good WINSOCK.DLL, and even if you have no need for the dial-up adapter! You can imagine the potential for trouble. And in fact, according to the BT2K data, the AOL-modified versions of IE fail more tests than any other versions. Curiously, versions of IE installed over AOL-versions also are unusually trouble-prone, and that leads to the next area: Installing a new browser on top of an older or trouble-prone one often picks up the same problem-causing barnacles and baggage that plagued the old one. It can happen if you install a new copy of IE over an AOL-modified version, for example, or by installing a final, shipping version of a browser on top of a beta version. Either way, you can end up perpetuating the old problems in the new setup. SmartUpdate, Windows Update, "Service Pack" Patches These convenient services make it easy to keep your browser up to date. Alas, they sometime just don't work very well. One example: Using Windows Update to install the Win98 "Service Pack One" may actually re-install some older browser components on top of newer ones. The Fix For All These Problems If your browser fails a BrowserTune test that you feel it shouldn't have, try CLOSING ALL BROWSER WINDOWS (this helps ensure a clean start) and rerunning BrowserTune from the start. BE SURE TO FOLLOW ALL THE DIRECTIONS, including flushing the cache.
Next, check your browser vendor's home page (such as Microsoft.Com or Netscape.Com) so see if you're running the latest UNMODIFIED version. Bugs---and the updates to correct them--- are very common, and if you've been running your current version for a while, or if your got your browser via AOL or another ISP, there's a good chance there's one or more updates or a brand-new, unmodified version available. When in doubt as to why your browser misbehaves, try a full uninstall/reinstall cycle; this by itself clears up the overwhelming majority of browser problems. Note that uninstalling is not the same as simply deleting. Control Panel or a similar uninstaller can clean settings out of the Windows Registry, for example, which simple file deletion cannot. However, as browsers get more and more integrated into the operating system, it's hard to fully uninstall them. For a three-part column containing numerous tips and tricks tips for ensuring a clean installation of any software, check here (part 1), here (part 2), and here (part 3). Other Considerations: Did you Run a Beta? If you installed beta versions of your favorite browser, that's also a common source of problems: Unless the final version gets a clean start, there can be all kinds of problems carried over from the early versions. (In particular, if you installed any version of IE over a beta of IE, please read this page.) The general solution to this kind of version conflict is to completely uninstall the browser, and do a fresh install from scratch. Plug-Ins and Add-Ons: If your browser failed a test requiring a plug-in or add-on, simply visit the vendor's site for links to download the appropriate plug-in or add-on. Once the plug-in is installed, try the test again. Multiple Browsers Running? Sometimes---especially if you have two or more browsers on your system---the browsers can step on each other's files. Conspiracy theorists sometimes see this as Evil Company A deliberately trying to thwart Noble Company B, but it's usually just plain old bad programming that causes this. By uninstalling and then reinstalling your primary browser, you can often restore the settings to what they should be. Alternatives: If none of the above helps, you may wish to try a different browser---there are many places where you can get free or low-cost advanced browsers that pass all or most of BT2K. For example, check out the latest Microsoft and Netscape offerings. Of course, there are many browser vendors besides the two listed above (although they combine to account for more than 90% of all the browsers in use...). Click here for a list of browsers available for download on the web. And WinMag reader Bryan Campbell asks me to point out that Opera, a small, powerful, advanced browser, offers special features of particular interest to people with low vision or similar physical challenges. Finally, if you are having trouble with your browser, please note that WINDOWS Magazine sites use only relatively simple HTML enhancements, so you're not missing anything vital---you're just not seeing things at their best. Use your browser's "go back one page "
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Entire Site (All Contents and Components) This page was last updated on 11/15/01 |
