Web Troubleshooting
Published on Nov 28, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Troubleshooting web problems
is simultaneously simple and complicated.
Like falling in love! Or fishing.
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hard
because those steps don't always identify specifics
Figuring out the source of the issue with the simple steps can still leave you wondering about the specifics of the issue. For example, if you find out that someone's network is the culprit, how can you help them find out what *about* their network is the problem? (Answer: you probably can't, but I won't stop you if you want to try.)
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Once you've narrowed down the source of the problem, most users are satisfied. For the ones you want to help further, there's a bit more troubleshooting that can be done.
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browser issues
what to try, what to look for
If a user learns that another browser does work for them on the same network and computer, but they'd really like to try to get things working in the browser they normally use, here are a few things to try.
Is their browser supported? If so:
- Do a quick search in Trello for this bug
- See if their version needs updating
- See if clearing their cache helps
- Tell them to check security settings
- See if they have add-ons installed
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older browsers:
updating isn't always feasible for old operating systems
For example, if you are running OS 10.5, you aren't going to be able to download Safari 7. You might have the newest version available for YOU, but not the newest version in general. It is always important to specify what version number is the most current, and have them compare that number to their own, as opposed to having them check for OS updates (which would tell them they're "up to date").
To figure out what the latest version of Safari is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_version_history
To identify what version they're running, have them click the word "Safari" on the menu bar at the top left, and choose "About Safari."
Updating Google Chrome:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414?hl=en
Updating Firefox:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/update-firefox-latest-version
To figure out what the latest version of Safari is:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safari_version_history
To identify what version they're running, have them click the word "Safari" on the menu bar at the top left, and choose "About Safari."
Updating Google Chrome:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95414?hl=en
Updating Firefox:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/update-firefox-latest-version
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Clearing the cache
Could make things inconvenient for awhile
Clearing the browser cache is a great troubleshooting step, but it could make things inconvenient for users who lose their web history, site authentications (so they have to sign back in next time), etc. That's one reason to try another browser first.
Clearing Firefox Cache:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache
Clearing Safari Cache:
Click the word "Safari" in the menu bar at the top left, choose "Reset Safari..." and then uncheck all boxes EXCEPT "Remove all website data." Then close and reopen Safari.
Clearing Chrome Cache:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95582?hl=en
Clearing Firefox Cache:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/how-clear-firefox-cache
Clearing Safari Cache:
Click the word "Safari" in the menu bar at the top left, choose "Reset Safari..." and then uncheck all boxes EXCEPT "Remove all website data." Then close and reopen Safari.
Clearing Chrome Cache:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95582?hl=en
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Security settings
halt! no web app for you!
Browser security settings could be set unreasonably high, though it's unlikely. In most cases, users who adjust their browser security to be super strict will know that's what the issue is because a) the browser might tell them and b) nothing else on the internet works right for them.
Checking security in...
Safari: Click 'Safari' on the menu bar in the top left and choose Preferences - Security. Make sure "Enable JavaScript" IS checked.
Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/firefox/privacy-and-security
Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95617?hl=en
Checking security in...
Safari: Click 'Safari' on the menu bar in the top left and choose Preferences - Security. Make sure "Enable JavaScript" IS checked.
Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/products/firefox/privacy-and-security
Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95617?hl=en
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add-ons, plugins, Extensions
make it harder to run quickly and efficiently
Especially for browsers like Google Chrome, there are add-ons that users could install to help them in one way or another that hinders other web functions. A good example is the Grammarly Extension for Chrome can cause "PROOFREAD" to appear on slides in the web editor.
Chrome Settings:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/187443?hl=en
Firefox Settings:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/disable-or-remove-add-ons
Safari Settings:
Click 'Safari' on the menu bar in the top left and choose Preferences - Extensions
Chrome Settings:
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/187443?hl=en
Firefox Settings:
https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/disable-or-remove-add-ons
Safari Settings:
Click 'Safari' on the menu bar in the top left and choose Preferences - Extensions
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Use a different browser.
still not working?
If another browser has worked for them and you cannot figure out what is going on with their preferred browser, eventually you need to chalk it up to something unusual with their browser installation that falls outside of our scope of support, and gently encourage them to use a different browser.
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network issues
what to try, what to look for
firewalls
always getting in the way, party poopers.
Two of the best networks to check are data networks, like LTE on Verizon or AT&T; and home networks. They're the least likely to have restrictions that school, public, library, etc. networks would have.
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crummy networks
make for crummy experiences
If the user just has a slow and lame internet connection, they may have intermittent issues. They might be able to load image search results sometimes, but not others, for example. If they're in other countries, especially ones with lower quality network connections available, that could also contribute to a connection issue.
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computer issues
what to do if another computer works better
Send them Google maps directions to the nearest Apple Store. (No, don't do that.)
order to check things in:
- Security settings & software on computer
- Do they have Java installed?
- Do they need to update their OS?
- Do they have any other software running?
- Is this the only thing they have problems with?
If they have antivirus and security software installed, it could be wreaking havoc on their internet experience. They'll also need Java in order to use our site (https://www.java.com/en/download/), and they're more likely to have a good experience if they have an up to date operating system like Mavericks or Windows 8. Closing all other running programs can help free up hardware to use on our website, and restarting the computer might help fix oodles of problems if they haven't done so recently. If other programs are having problems too, maybe it's time to have their computer checked out.
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