Help Topics are located at the bottom of this page.
Computer System
Platform = PC
The LINKS site is not tested for the Macintosh Platform. Please use a PC.
Operating System
Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows 2000 ME (final release version only) or Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4.
Memory
Your computer should have at least 16MB of RAM.
Processor
Minimum requirement is a 120MHz Intel Pentium processor or equivalent. A Pentium II or Pentium III with 450MHz to 600MHz is recommended.
Sound
Your computer should have a 16-bit or higher sound card installed. Please ensure that your speakers are connected to your computer and that the volume is turned on.
Modem Speed = 56k or higher
The text and images in the LINKS site will download fairly quickly over a 56k modem; however multimedia such as sound, animation and videos will perform best using a Broadband Connection (DSL, Cable, T1, etc.)
Display Screen Area = 800 x 600 pixels or higher
An 800x600 resolution will minimize scrolling and make text easy to read. Larger screen settings (1024 x 768, or 1152 x 864, etc.) will provide you with even more viewable screen area, but all images and text will appear proportionately smaller.
Instructions for changing your screen resolution are below, under "Display Color Setting."
Display Color Setting = True Color (32 bit)
The LINKS site will function at lower color settings but the colors in images will appear distorted.
To change your color and screen area settings follow the steps below:
Click the "Start" button in the bottom left corner of your screen.
Click "Settings" > "Control Panel."
Double-click "Display."
Click the "Settings" tab.
Set the "Color Palette" (or "Colors") to the highest color setting your monitor allows.
Set the "Desktop Area" (or "Screen Area") by clicking in a left or right direction along the setting line until at least 800 x 600 pixels is set. Experiment to find the setting that gives you the most screen area while displaying the text large enough to read easily.
Click "Apply."
If prompted with a "Compatibility Warning," click to highlight "Apply settings without restarting."
Your display should adjust to the new settings. If colors appear distorted you will need to close all open programs and restart your computer.
Browser
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
The LINKS site is designed for use with Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher. If you currently use an older version of this browser or a different browser, you may experience technical difficulties with this site.
The yellow box below should display the browser type and version you are using:
If your browser is not Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, please obtain a free browser upgrade at the Microsoft site:
You must have JavaScript enabled in your browser settings. To see if the browser you are using right now is JavaScript enabled, use your mouse to hover the over the box below:
If the image above does not show the word "Yes!" when you hover over it, follow the steps below:
Select "Tools" from the browser toolbar at the top of your screen.
Select "Internet Options" from the drop-down list.
Select the "Security" tab.
Click on the Custom Level button.
Scroll down to the section called "Scripting."
Verify that Active scripting is enabled. If it is not, then click the circle next to "Enable."
Click "OK."
Click "Yes" if prompted by a warning.
Click "OK" to close the second window.
If the instructions window is still open, close it and click the "Refresh" button on your browser toolbar.
JavaScript should now be enabled. To test, hover over the image above.
Plug-Ins
The LINKS Learning site offers enhanced multimedia content that requires special software additions to the standard browsers. These software additions are known as plug-ins. We only adopt plug-ins which are freely available to the public, and which have been widely adopted among our users already.
If a link on our site points to content which requires a plug-in, we will notify the user and offer another link to get the necessary plug-in.
Below is a list of the plug-ins the LINKS Learning site requires:
Adobe Acrobat 4.0 +
Adobe Acrobat Reader is free software that lets you view and print Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.
The RealPlayer is a web tool for handling sound and video. This plug-in also provides instant access to 2500+ radio stations and high quality video over both dial-up and broadband connections.
This is a word-processing tool that is used to display printable content for the LINKS Learning site.
Help Topics
Clearing the browser's cache
If you keep seeing the same page even though you are reloading your browser, or if you are seeing broken images, you may need to clear your cache. A browser's cache stores the files and images for recently viewed pages. Your cache may show you outdated pages.
To clear your browser's cache and set your browser to check for new page versions automatically, follow the steps below:
In Internet Explorer click on the "Tools" pull-down menu at the top of the browser.
Click "Internet Options."
Click the "General" tab (if it is not already showing.)
Click "Delete Files."
Check the box next to "Delete all offline content."
Click "OK." (This may take a minute or so to process, depending on the amount of temporary files in your cache.)
You are now back at the "General" tab. Click "Settings."
Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages" select "Every visit to the page." This will ensure that all pages you visit on the web are the most recently updated.
Click "OK." (You are now back at the "General" tab.)
Click "OK" again.
Making linkslearning.com your homepage
You can make linkslearning.org the first site you see when your browser loads:
To make LINKS your homepage follow the steps below:
In Internet Explorer click on the "Tools" pull-down menu at the top of the browser.
Click "Internet Options."
Click the "General" tab (if it is not already showing.)
Type http://www.linkslearning.com in the text box marked "Address."
