Common access problems and solutions

Quick checks & solutions:

• Check your settings.
• When did you last reboot your computer?
• Does the library subscribe to the journal title you want?
• Do you have cookies enabled on your computer?
• Is the resource available off campus?
• What is the date on your computer?
• Company or ISP firewall?
• Adobe acrobat trouble?
• Report a problem

Quick Solutions

Check your settings

• Empty your browser's cache
  • FireFox: Tools --> Options --> Privacy --> Cache. Select "Clear".
  • FireFox 3.5: From the Tools menu, select Clear Recent History...
  • Internet Explorer: Tools --> Internet Options --> General --> Temporary Internet Files. Select "Delete Files".
• If using dialup Internet access, disable Call Waiting on your telephone. Call Waiting will bounce you from the database whenever a call comes in.

When did you last reboot your computer?

Many seemingly dire problems can be fixed by simply rebooting your computer - particularly if you don't regularly switch off your computer.
If the problem reappears after you have rebooted you will need to investigate further.

Does the library subscribe to the journal title you want?

Many providers enable access to all of their published titles via one site, however access to individual titles is dependant on the subscriptions held by Flinders Library. Check that we subscribe to the title in the catalogue first, or by using the search box below.

Note the coverage details (what years are available) for electronic access. Often only issues published after 1995 are available online.

Title begins with;  

*This search will find print and electronic journal titles held by Flinders Library.

Do you have cookies enabled on your computer?

A cookie is a small amount of information that a web site copies onto your hard drive. Many Library resources use cookies to improve performance by remembering if you are logged in when you go from page to page.

In general, only the information that you provide, or the choices you make while visiting a Web site, can be stored in a cookie. For example, the site cannot determine your e-mail name unless you choose to type it. Allowing a Web site to create a cookie does not give that or any other site access to the rest of your computer, and only the site that created the cookie can read it.

Setting your Browser to Accept Cookies
There are many reasons why a cookie could not be set correctly. Below are the most common reasons:

• You have cookie notification switched on in your browser and you did not accept the cookie set request. To remedy this, hit your browser's Back button and try again, accepting the cookie this time.
  
• You have cookies disabled in your browser. You need to reset your browser to accept cookies or to ask you if you want to accept cookies. For information on enabling cookies see the browser cookies page. For further information about cookies see the information about cookies from Microsoft.

• Your browser does not support cookies. See if your browser accepts cookies.

Is the resource available off campus?

Many, but not all Library resources are available off campus. Some providers limit access to their resources by domain, meaning only patrons using a computer located on the Flinders campus can access the resource. Check that the resource that you are trying to access is available from your location.
The title list pages, and the Library catalogue indicate which resources are not available off campus.

What is the date on your computer?

Check the date on your computer. If your computer's clock shows a date before 1 Jan 1970 then the browser will automatically forget the cookies. (see above) To fix this, simply set the correct time and date on your computer.

Company or ISP firewall?

Are you accessing the resources from your home or company office?
If so, you may run into problems with your company's or ISP's network security system.
If you have persistent difficulty getting into some resources, contact your Network provider and discuss the issue with them. Some ISPs and companies do not allow access on ports other than port 80.
Some University resources are available on other ports. For example;

• port 210 for Z39.50 (Endnote Connection File access to many databases)
• port 7090 for Z39.50 (Endnote access to the library catalogue)

You'll need to work out the difficulties with your network providers, as we have no control over such variables, nor do we have any idea what particular piece of the security system might be causing the problem. The best advice, of course, is to clear your plans with your IT or ISP staff before starting the process.

Adobe Acrobat trouble?

You have got through the maze, and now your Acrobat document is misbehaving.

Adobe Acrobat is one of the most popular formats for electronic journals. It is widely used on a number of platforms. Occasionally however, an Acrobat document will not download, looks strange when viewed on-screen or will not print.

When this happens take a look at the Adobe Reader Support Page.