Controlling what you see
	Turn images off
	Turn on selected images
	Stop image dithering
	Use the "Stop"button
Getting the most out of your browser
	Keep two Web browser windows open at once
	Close any application you are not using
	Use your browser features to view pages offline
	Contol your disk cache
	Try different browsers to see which is fastest on your system

Controlling what you see
In order to make EngenderHealth's Web pages universally accessible regardless of connection speed, none of the essential course content is contained in the images, and all of the images are labeled with "alt text" which explains their content. For this reason, you can view our Web pages with the graphics turned off and can then selectively "turn on" the images that you want to see.

Turn images off:

To turn images off using Internet Explorer:

1. On the "Tools" menu, select "Internet Options."
2. Click the "Advanced" tab.
3. Scroll down to the heading "Multimedia."
4. Clear, or uncheck, the box for "Show Pictures."

You can also clear, or uncheck, the following boxes, which will not affect the speed with which you view pages on EngenderHealth's Web site, but will speed up the download of pages from other sites that have these multimedia elements on them:

• Play animation
• Play videos
• Play sounds
• Smart image dithering

To turn images off using Netscape Navigator:

1. On the "Edit" menu, select "Preferences."
2. Click "Advanced."
3. 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:

1. To view a single image, right–click on the image and select "Show Picture."

To turn on images usinag Netscape Navigator:

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

Stop images 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:

1. Under the "File" menu, select "New Window."

To open a new window in Internet Explorer:

1. 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.

Control your disk cache:
When you view a new Web page, your browser stores a copy of it in your cache, which is your browser's temporary storage system. When you go back to that page, the browser retrieves it from your cache rather than from the Internet. While this feature is intended to increase your computer's speed and performance, it is a good idea to periodically clear your cache. Otherwise, your computer's performance will be slowed by all the pages it is checking for updates and by the amount of memory it is using to store the pages.

To clear your cache using Internet Explorer 4 or 5:

1. In Netscape 5, under the "Tools" menu, select "Internet Options." In Internet Explorer 4, under the "View" menu, select "Internet Options."
2. Under the "General Options" tab, inside the box labeled "Temporary Internet Files," select "Delete Files."
3. A pop-up box will appear asking if you would like to delete the files. Select "OK."

To clear your cache in Netscape Navigator:

1. In Netscape 4,5, or 6, under the "Edit" menu, select "Preferences." In Netscape 2 and 3, under the "Options" menu, select "Preferences."
2. Double-click on the category "Advanced."
3. Select "Cache."
4. Click on both "Clear Disk Cache" and "Clear Memory Cache."
   

Once you have cleared the cache, you may want to consider increasing the memory allocation to your browser, depending on how your browser is being used. For example, if you are reviewing EngenderHealth's online courses, increasing the memory cache will allow more images to be stored in memory. Since the online courses repeat some of the same images, increasing the cache will speed your browser's performance. For more information about ways to maximize your computer's memory, consult your computer's Help section.

You can also decrease your browser's verification frequency. If you are using Netscape Navigator, for example, set your cache preferences to "verify one time per session," as opposed to "every time you retrieve a page."

Try different browsers to see which is fastest on your system:
Browsers interact with a variety of features on your system, and some interact better than others. For example, some newer browsers are designed for use with newer computers, and using an older computer with a newer browser may slow down your computer's performance. For this reason, you might try older or different browsers to see which ones work optimally with your particular system.