Improving Viewing Speeds

Following are some suggestions for improving the speed with which you view Web pages. These are general suggestions; consult either your computer's Help section or your system administrator if you have any specific questions not answered here.

If you choose to turn images and other content off, you can navigate using the text links at the bottom of each page.

Turning images off:

To turn images off using Internet Explorer:
-On the "Tools" menu, select "Internet Options."
-Click the "Advanced" tab.
-Scroll down to the heading "Multimedia."
-Clear, or uncheck, the box for "Show Pictures."
-You can also clear, or uncheck, the following boxes which will speed up the download of pages from sites that have these multimedia elements on them:
-Play animation
-Play videos
-Play sounds
-Smart image dithering

To turn images off using Netscape Navigator:
-On the "Edit" menu, select "Preferences."
-Click "Advanced."
-Clear, or uncheck, the box for "Automatically load images."

Turn on selected images:

Once you have turned your images off, you can still view selected images.

To turn on images using Internet Explorer:
To view a single image, right–click on the image and select "Show Picture."

To turn on images using Netscape Navigator:
To view a single image, right–click on the image and select "Show Images."
To view the images for the entire page, click on the "Images" button in the top of the Netscape Navigator window.

Stop image dithering:

"Dithering" is a technique used to increase the quality of the images you see on the Web. Because this technique uses processing power, it can slow down the speed of your browser. If you wish to increase your speed, you can turn off the dithering. Keep in mind, though, that doing so will significantly decrease the quality of the images you see.

Note that not all browsers have this option; consult your browser's Help section to see if it is available to you.

Use the "Stop" button:

All browsers have a "Stop" button at the top of the browser window. Clicking on this button while downloading files stops the process, allowing you to control how much of the page downloads. For example, once the text of a page is downloaded, you can click "Stop" to prevent the images from loading. If you want to resume loading the page, click "Refresh" or "Reload."

Getting the most out of your browser

There are several things you can do to maximize your browser's performance.

Keep two Web browser windows open at once:
By having two Web browser windows open at once, you can view one page in one window while a second page is loading in the second window. For example, if you are reading page 1 of a course module, you can open a new window and load page 2. When you have completed reviewing page 1, you can click in that window to begin loading page 3. While page 3 is loading, you can move to the other window to read page 2.

To open a new window in Netscape Navigator:
Under the "File" menu, select "New Window."

To open a new window in Internet Explorer:
Under the "File" menu, select "New" and then "New Window."

Close any application that you are not using:
Having an application open—even if you are not using it—diverts resources from your browser, which can slow down the speed. Therefore, closing any application that you are not using can help to improve the speed with which you view Web pages.

Use your browser features to view content offline:
Some browsers give you the option to work offline, and, depending on the browser you are using, different options for working offline may be available. This option is usually available under the "File" menu. Consult your browser's Help section to find out more about the available options.