Struggling to get a webpage to load properly? Here are 3 simple ways to fix the problem.
Have you ever visited a webpage and it just plain doesn’t behave as you think it should? The page content might be outdated, images might be misplaced or even missing altogether. You may notice the misbehavior because it’s a page you visit often like Facebook or even if it’s your first time on that particular website. Web pages not loading properly can be caused by an almost infinite list of problems. Most of the time, simply refreshing the page can solve your issue, but sometimes it takes a little more effort to take care of the issue. These three strategies will fix 99% of this issues you come across:
Option 1: Clear Cache and Cookies.
Most websites you visit store tiny pieces of data on your computer within the web browser. The cache stores these data items in “cookies” on your computer to make pages load faster. Cookies are pieces of data that are stored in your browser and keep information for shorter periods of time. Over time, both the cache and cookies build up a lot of data and interfere with the pages you visit. By simply clearing out the cache and cookies, you can save yourself a lot of pain when you’re trying to accomplish tasks like filling out automated forms, posting images to your blog or even just sending an email. Here’s how to clear the cache and cookies in Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Internet Explorer. Safari: Keyboard Shortcut: alt+cmd+e Or these steps: 1. Click on the Safari Menu on the toolbar on the top of your screen
2. Select the Reset Safari option (Some newer versions of safari also have an Empty Cache option as well). 3. Check Clear History and Remove All Website Data
4. Click Okay and your data will be removed (it can take a few seconds if you haven’t done it before) Google Chrome: Keyboard shortcut Control(Command on Macs)+Shift+Backspace or these steps: 1. Click the three horizontal bars in the upper right hand corner and select Settings or tools
2. This opens a new webpage click on History on the left side or Show Advanced Settings at the Bottom of the page. 3. Click Clear Browsing Data.
4. Select History, Cache, and Cookies and click okay (it can take a few seconds) Mozilla Firefox: Keyboard Shortcut Control/Command+Shift+Delete or these steps: 1. Select the History menu from the toolbar
2. Click Clear Recent History 3. Check Cookies, Cache, and History 4. Click Okay Internet Explorer: 1. In the Tools Menu Select Internet options
2. Go to the General Tab and click delete under the History subheading
3. Click Delete 4. Wait a few seconds
Option 2: Try a different Web Browser.
Believe it or not, a lot of web pages perform better within different web browsers. If a page isn’t loading in one of your browsers, use a different one. Internet Explorer is notorious for not functioning properly on numerous web pages or even in general. The most popular browser is Google Chrome. Others include Firefox and Safari. Most browsers are free and it’s just a matter of downloading them to your computer from their websites. It’s good to have at least two browsers installed on your computer so you can switch between them when trouble arises.
Option 3: Restart your browser or restart the computer
On a mac, You can completely close out of the application you’re running by pressing command+Q at the same time. When using a PC, simply close all of the browser windows you have open. Then reopen the program and see if you’re still having a problem. If you are, then restart your computer. If you’ve tried all three options and still have issues, it’s very likely that there is something wrong with the website itself. Check back later and see if the problem continues.
Guest Author: Mason Kriz – I’m a student, technology lover, and problem solver. When I’m not helping people create solutions to their problems or in class, I like to play music, watch soccer, and come up with witty things to tweet. Follow me on Twitter: @themkriz.