System Requirements and Configuration

Configuring Your Browser

Internet Connection

One of the following Web Browsers with Java and Cookies enabled:

Netscape Navigator Version 4.78 or higher
Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 5.5 or higher
Note: Your Browser must support 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. You may obtain information regarding encryption from your software vendor or the Microsoft or Netscape Web sites.

Adobe Acrobat Reader

You may also want the Adobe Access add-on to the Acrobat Reader which will allow you to cut and paste text from PDF files

Configuring Your Browser

Adjust your browser as follows for optimal performance:

Set the cache to refresh on every visit to a Web page
Set the browser to accept all cookies
Enable the Java compiler
Set file type settings for viewing and fetching documents

Configuring Cache Settings

By default, most Web browsers are set to cache (temporarily store) the pages they visit, to reduce page loading time. This is not a good default for viewing regulatory documents because each time you access a page it may contain different information. Set your browser to retrieve new information on very visit to the page. The location of the caching option depends on your browser and browser version.

To set cache options for Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 or 5.0:

Depending on the version of your browser, do one of the following:

For version 4.0, click Internet Options on the View Menu.
For version 5.0, click Internet Optionson the Tools menu.

In the General tab’s Temporary Internet Files section, click the Settings button.
In the Settings dialog box, select the Every visit to the page radio button, and then click the OK button.
In the Internet Options dialog box, click the OK button.

To set cache options for Netscape Navigator/Communicator version 4.5 or higher:

On the Edit menu, choose Preferences.
In the left frame, click the + to the left of Advanced to expand it, and then click the Cache item.
Select the Every Time radio button under the Document in cache is compared to document on network heading.
Click the OK button.

Configuring Cookie and Java Settings

Cookies are packets of information exchanged between a Web browser and the various HTTP servers to which it connects. Connection information is stored in an encrypted cookie. If browsers did not store connection information in a cookie, you would be prompted to log in every time you clicked on a link. The cookie is thrown away when you exit your Web browser. You must set your browser options to accept all cookies and enable Java in your Web browser for optimal performance.

The location of cookie and Java options depends on your browser.

Browser	Directions
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0	On the View menu, click Internet Options. Click the Advanced tab. Scroll through the list of configuration options and click the Always accept cookies radio button. Click the Java JIT compiler enabled radio button. Click the OK button.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0	On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. Click the Security tab. Click the Local Intranet icon. Click the Custom Level button, and scroll through the list of options. Under the Allow per-session cookies (not stored) option, click the Enable radio button. Under the Java permissions option, click the Low safety radio button. Click the OK button. Click the Advanced tab. Scroll through the list of various settings. Under the Java VM option, do one of the following (choose the available option): Select the JIT compiler for virtual machine enabled (requires restart) check box Select the Java JIT compiler enabled check box Click the OK button.
Netscape Navigator/ Communicator 4.5 or higher	On the Edit menu, click Preferences. In the left frame, click Advanced. In the right frame, select the Enable Java, Enable JavaScript, and Accept all cookies check boxes. Click the OK button.

Configuring Your Browser to Handle File Transfers

When you fetch a document, the system sends MIME-type information to your Web browser along with the actual file. The MIME type defines the type of file, similar to the three-character file extension for a Microsoft Windows document or the embedded creator code for a Macintosh document. Your Web browser uses your computer’s MIME type settings to determine the MIME type to determine what to do with each file that you fetch or check out.

If you have problems handling file transfers, check your file-handling settings to verify the following:

MIME type settings exist for each type of document you use.
The setting for each file type specifies the proper action to perform when you fetch a file: copy to disk, launch, or prompt.

Configuring file-handling options depends on your choice of browser:

Browser

Directions

Microsoft Explorer for Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT 4.0

Microsoft Internet Explorer uses the Windows Explorer file-handling options.

Warning: The settings you change for Microsoft Internet Explorer affect the Windows registry and impact all Microsoft applications.

In Windows® Explorer or Windows NT® Explorer, on the View menu, click Folder Options (or Options).
Click the File Types tab.
Scroll through the alphabetically arranged Registered file types list, highlight the problematic file type, and click the Edit button. (If your file type is not listed, go to step 10.)
In the Edit File Type dialog box, clear the Browse in same window check box.
Click the Confirm open after download check box. (For most file types, Confirm open after download should be the only check box selected.)
To change the application that launches when you fetch this file type, click Open in the Actions list, and then click the Edit button.
In the Editing Action dialog box, click the Browse button, find the application that you want to use, and then click the Open button.
In the Edit File Type dialog box, click the OK button.
On the File Types page, click the OK button.
If the file type is not listed among the registered file types, you can add settings for a new file type by clicking the New Type button in the Folder Options dialog box and filling in the fields of the Add New File Type dialog box. For more information, see your operating system’s help or your system administrator.

Netscape Navigator/Communicator version 4.x

Netscape Navigator/Communicator has its own settings. Both browsers include an extensive set of default settings, which you can modify as required.

On the Edit menu, click Preferences.
In the left frame, click the + to the left of Navigator to expand it, and then click Applications. The right frame lists the descriptions of all the currently defined applications. Click an application name to see its basic information.
Scroll through the list of descriptions, highlight the problematic description, and click the Edit button. (If the description for your file is not listed, skip to step 6.)
Note: For the most commonly used file types, the MIME type setting is configured to launch the file with its native application. For example, Excel files (extension XLS, MIME type application/msexcel) are set by default to be opened within Excel when they are fetched.
In the Edit File Type dialog box, do one of the following:

If you want to change the MIME type, type the MIME type you want in the MIME Type field.
If you want to always save files of this type (when you fetch documents), select the Save to Disk radio button.
If you want a different application to launch (when you fetch documents), enter the new application’s path in the Application field.
If you want your Web browser to ask if it should open the file type or save it (when you fetch documents), select the Ask me before opening downloaded files of this type check box.

Click the OK button.
If the file type is not listed among the descriptions, you can add settings for a new file type by clicking the New Type button in the Preferences dialog box, completing the fields in the New Type dialog box, and clicking the OK button.

Adjusting Fetch Behavior

The table below describes methods of adjusting how a Web browser performs fetches.

Browser	Desired behavior...	Directions
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Fetch immediately opens the document in its native format.	In the Microsoft Explorer View menu, click Folder Options (or Options), click the File Types tab, and clear the Confirm open after download check box.
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Fetch lets you specify where you want to save the file on your computer instead of launching the file.	In the Microsoft Explorer View menu, click File Options (or Options), click the File Types tab, and select the Confirm open after download check box.
Netscape Navigator	Fetch does not display the warning about a possible security hazard.	In the Warning dialog box, clear the Always ask before opening this file type check box.
	Fetch prompts you to specify where you want to save the file on your computer instead of launching the file.	In the Netscape Navigator Edit menu, click Preferences, click Applications, and select the Save to disk radio button.
	Fetch saves the file to your computer rather than asking you whether you want to open it or save it to disk.	In the Netscape Navigator Edit menu, click Preferences, click Applications, select the Save to disk radio button and clear the Ask me before opening downloaded files of this type check box.