Ever come across a website that seems to work for everyone else but you?
Frustrating, but it does happen: you are told to go to a specific website to fill in a form or to have a look at something, and the website is broken. It might appear to load but not fully, or you might click on something that refuses to click. What’s going on here, why is this website only broken for me? How can you fix this?
Website doesn’t work in my browser
Once upon a time it was common to see “For best use, view in IE.” And for a while, we got away from this message and you never saw it. Alas, browser-selective sites are making a comeback.
It’s sad but true, especially for official company or government sites, but sometimes a site will be designed and coded to work on only specific browsers. Not all browsers render that data the same way and it can be tricky to make something work in IE, Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all at once. It’s best for the user for us web developers to step up to the challenge and do what we can to make your browser of choice work just fine.
Unfortunately, there are many sites which inform you to use one browser for their site – and more frustratingly, sometimes a site won’t tell you in advance. If a site is resolutely not working for you but seems to do so for everyone else, give a different browser a try.
Your browser might need updating
Like Windows, browsers need updating. They usually update themselves, but older browsers that have never been updated might not know how to do this. It’s up to you to update your browser, and it’s generally good practice to make sure your browser of choice is updated on a regular basis.
Google Chrome Updates
Click on your menu (it looks like three little lines) up in the right hand corner. Go to ‘About Google chrome’ and a new window will open, informing you on whether or not Chrome is up to date. If it’s not, follow the instructions given.
Mozilla Firefox Updates
Click on the orange tab at the upper left hand corner that says ‘Firefox’ and in the dropdown menu, look to the last item on the left that says ‘Help.’ Hover over ‘Help’ and move your mouse to the last item on the menu, ‘About Firefox’. Firefox will search for updates, and then either tell you that it’s up to date, or download the update and then tell you to close your browser.
Internet Explorer Updates
Go to the little gear icon in the upper right hand corner, click, and then click on the last item in the menu that says “About Internet Explorer.” This will tell you if you are up to date, and give you the option to install new versions automatically.
Other applications need updates too
Java, Flash, Shockwave, Adobe Acrobat : All these applications may be running on a given website, and they, too, may need updating. Many of them will ask you to update, but it’s easy to push them aside and ignore the request for later. Later may never come, and months down the road something is not working because your software is not updated. It’s good practice to let these programs update when they ask for it – and improves computer security as well.
Your popup blocker might be stopping something
Occasionally you might be on a website – say, a tax website to use a personal example – and the website wants you to download a PDF from a popup. Or on that same website you are trying to get into the help chat for questions. In both these instances your browser’s natural practice to block popups might cause problems.
Popup blockers are there for a reason: sometimes popups are malicious. But sometimes you need to disable the popup blocker on purpose. Generally, when you encounter a popup that is blocked, the corner of your navigation bar at the top of your browser will give you a message that it’s blocked something. You can click on this to give it the option to let the popup go through, or let the site’s popups go through. Be quick though, because this message can disappear rapidly.
And allow popups carefully. That tax site may have had a good reason for needing popups, but not all sites do.
Choosing a browser
You can download and use multiple browsers on your computer. A browser may harass you to choose one over the others as your primary browser, but you can dismiss this message. That way, if you do find that a website is just not working for you, open up another browser and go to the website in that second one. It may spare you a lot of frustration.
Why is that website broken only for you? Hard to say, but with a little know-how, you can find a workaround to use that website anyway.
Subscribe To Our E-Newsletter
Recent Articles
- The Great Phishing Scamdemic
Have you been noticing an abundance of suspicious looking emails flooding y…
- Serious Risks to Consider When Socializing Distantly
In today’s crazy world of staying home instead of visiting friends, we’ve a…
- Ten Tips on How to be Successful While Working From Home Dur
As a web developer of over 15 years, I’ve spent a lot of time working remot…
Recommended Posts
- Facebook Password Reset Scam!
- Why Is It Important To Know Who Owns Your Representative? One Example: Glass-Steagall
- Safe Harbor Rule Invalidated, How it Affects You
- Calendar
- Help Alexa and Siri Find Your Business During Voice Search
- Submit a Testimonial
- iCloud Hack and Compromising Data
- How to Survive a Joe Job
- Take A Stand Against PIPA & SOPA Acts
- Good WordPress Administrator Names
Upcoming Events
Social Media
- Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world... Chinese Government Holds Back Everyone’s Internet Freedom: A strong example of the problems this world faces with cyber censorship is what is going on in China. The government blocks many websit ...
- EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the... EU-US Privacy Shield Still Not Protecting Your Privacy: Still collecting bulk data, problems with the judicial redress act, and no true protection for businesses
- Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of... Copyright and Social Media: This has become a gray area. Almost everyone is guilty of sharing something on social media, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, that was copyrighted and not you ...
- How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android How Your Devices are Tracking you and How to Stop it: Apple, Microsoft, and Android
- Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a... Being Safe while Downloading Apps: With how many apps are downloaded it is always a good idea to stay safe while downloading. You must take precautions, learn where to download, and do your research.
- Why Labor Unions Need Member Data System: Many large organizations – specifically labor unions –... Why Labor Unions Need Member Data System: Many large organizations – specifically labor unions – struggle trying to keep their member data updated and accessible. Without a centralized dat ...
- Is Your Phone Keeping You up at Night? Our electronics tend to distract us from... Is Your Phone Keeping You up at Night? Our electronics tend to distract us from going to bed, disrupt our sleep with constant sounds, and hurt our health with their blue light.
- All About Browsers: With so many browsers out there including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera,... All About Browsers: With so many browsers out there including: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, and Safari, you may have a hard time choosing one. While all of them have their ups and downs you ...
- Mobile Sub-Site versus Responsive Web Design: In 2016, if your website is not mobile ready... Mobile Sub-Site versus Responsive Web Design: In 2016, if your website is not mobile ready you need to change that today. Two main ways to make your site mobile is to either have a mobile sub-site or ...
- Do Not Track: Two members of congress filed a bill called the ‘Do Not Track... Do Not Track: Two members of congress filed a bill called the ‘Do Not Track Online Act of 2015’
- Website Tips for 2016: -Fresh Up to Date Modern Websites -Easy Navigation is Key -Website... Website Tips for 2016: -Fresh Up to Date Modern Websites -Easy Navigation is Key -Website Usability -Improve Your SEO -Social Media
- Where Technology and Christmas Come Together: Check out some of the ways you can enjoy... Where Technology and Christmas Come Together: Check out some of the ways you can enjoy the Christmas festive technology and how you can share some yourself.
- How to Stay Safe While Holiday Online Shopping: Learn where to shop online, how to... How to Stay Safe While Holiday Online Shopping: Learn where to shop online, how to be secure, and best practices to keep yourself safe.
- Newsletters in the Digital Age! In a digital age sending out electronic newsletters instead of... Newsletters in the Digital Age! In a digital age sending out electronic newsletters instead of paper newsletters has become much more popular. While deciding to do your newsletter does have its downsi ...
- Safe Harbor Ruled Invalid, How it Affects You: The European Union and the Unites States... Safe Harbor Ruled Invalid, How it Affects You: The European Union and the Unites States will be meeting on December 17th to create a new agreement for the Safe Harbor. They plan to conclude this agree ...
-
- The Internet Helps in a Crisis: Everyone has heard about the recent Paris Attacks on... The Internet Helps in a Crisis: Everyone has heard about the recent Paris Attacks on November 13th many dead, wounded, or stranded. Many companies have made use of the Internet in a time of crisis to ...
- Advertising Online for your Business: Advertising your business online can boost your sales and website... Advertising Online for your Business: Advertising your business online can boost your sales and website traffic if done the correct way. There are many different ways and places to advertise online
- Using Analytics for Your Business: Analytics is data analysis that usual involves taking past data... Using Analytics for Your Business: Analytics is data analysis that usual involves taking past data to find trends and effects or decisions or events. It can also compare old data with new data using a ...
- The NSA and Online Privacy: Many studies, cases, and documents show that the NSA is... The NSA and Online Privacy: Many studies, cases, and documents show that the NSA is spying on American citizens using online surveillance. As an American, this invades our Freedom of Speech and our Ri ...
- BrandiGirlBlog published this great chart of color and size conversions between inches and pixels, etc.... BrandiGirlBlog published this great chart of color and size conversions between inches and pixels, etc. MonaRaeBeads.etsy.com ★ || CHARACTER DESIGN REFERENCES | キャラク& ...
- Learn About Scam Emails: Scam emails are a very popular and while most email services... Learn About Scam Emails: Scam emails are a very popular and while most email services have a spam sorting feature built in, not all will be sorted properly. Scams can look like they came from a friend ...
- Google Event, the Good and Bad: Google held their press event on Tuesday, September 19th... Google Event, the Good and Bad: Google held their press event on Tuesday, September 19th in San Francisco announcing many new products such as the Nexus 6P and 5X, the new Chromecast 2, Chromecast Aud ...
- Prevent Malware on your Smartphone: Different malware includes adware, bug, spyware, Trojan horse, virus, and... Prevent Malware on your Smartphone: Different malware includes adware, bug, spyware, Trojan horse, virus, and many more (Learn more about Malware types ) There are some signs that your phone is being ...