Advice

Improving your view of the world wide web.

No doubt you have suffered the frustration of being unable to view certain elements on some web sites.

Unfortunately the diverse media that can be used when creating web sites can prevent you from viewing them as they were intended to be seen, in an effort to combat this we have written this guide in a bid to make your “surfing” easier and more efficient.

Quick Fixes:

There are several free applications that you can download, clicking on the product name will take you to the relevant software download page. We strongly reccomend that as an absolute minimum you should install Shockwave Flash and Adobe PDF - by installing these programmes you are more likely to be able to view all feature rich media that is now industry standard on most web sites.

Product Name	Description
Realplayer	RealPlayer handles streaming media and QuickTime, Windows Media or MPEG audio/video files. It can also play your DVDs, VCDs and store-bought or home-made CD-ROMS.
Shockwave Flash	A program which enables you to view web pages that incorporate Shockwave effects giving you sound, video, and animation, many web sites use this technology for their navigation bars or “menus”.
Adobe PDF	PDF (Portable Document Format) is an electronic image that you can view, print, or forward to someone else. Once you've downloaded the Reader, it will start automatically when you want to access a PDF file.
Windows Media Player	Windows Media Player 10 gives you more music and more choices, and for the first time makes it possible to sync high-quality music, video, and photos to the latest portable devices.

Screen resolution

With an increasing number of larger monitors more and more websites are being designed in 1024 x 768 resolution by default.

If a website does not display correctly (is larger than the screen) and you have to scroll right to see information the chances are you are viewing at a smaller resolution.

To change your screen resolution

Open Display in Control Panel.
On the Settings tab, under Screen resolution, drag the slider, and then click Apply.
When prompted to apply the settings, click OK. Your screen will turn black for a moment.
Once your screen resolution changes, you have 15 seconds to confirm the change. Click Yes to confirm the change; click No or do nothing to revert to your previous setting.