ASCENDER Recommended Browser Settings

Updated July 22, 2024

The ASCENDER Browser Settings document lists supported browsers and recommended browser settings which will allow you to utilize the ASCENDER system at its fullest potential on any personal computer.

Currently, ASCENDER supports the following browsers:

For PC users:

• Google Chrome (current version)
• Mozilla Firefox (current version)

For Mac users:

• Apple Safari (current version: Mac only)

Please check your browser settings to ensure that your browser is set up to produce the best results with ASCENDER.

The minimum recommended screen resolution is 1280 x 1024.

To ensure optimal security when using Chrome, you must turn off some default settings using the following steps. From the Chrome menu, select Settings.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings
• Under Content, click Additional Content Settings and select On-device site data > Delete data sites have saved to your device when you close all windows

ASCENDER uses pop-up windows to display reports and other information. The ASCENDER website must be set up as an allowed site.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings
• Under Content, click Pop-ups and redirects and select Don't allow sites to send pop-ups or use redirects
  • Under Allowed to send pop-ups and use redirects (recommended), click Add and type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER.
  • The Add a site pop-up window is displayed.
  • In the Site field, type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER and click Add.

JavaScript must be enabled for the ASCENDER website for proper operation of ASCENDER. JavaScript is enabled by default in the most current version of Chrome. To make sure it is enabled follow these instructions.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings
• Under Content, click JavaScript.
• If Sites can use JavaScript (recommended) is not selected, proceed to the next step or select Sites can use JavaScript (recommended).
  • Next to Allowed to use JavaScript, click Add.
  • The Add a site pop-up window is displayed. In the Site field, type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER and click Add.

AutoFill may cause some fields within ASCENDER applications to fill automatically. The options are located under Autofill.

• Navigate to Settings > Autofill and passwords > Addresses and more
• Click Addresses and more.
• Deselect On (the field changes to Off).

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Under Cookies and Site Data, click Manage Exceptions.
• The Exceptions - Cookies and Site Data pop-up window is displayed.
• In the Address of website field, type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER.
• Click Allow and Save Changes.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data
• Under Cookies and Site Data, click Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > History
• Under History, in the Firefox will drop-down field, select Never remember history.

ASCENDER uses pop-up windows to display reports and other information. The ASCENDER website must be set up as an allowed site.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security > Permissions
• Under Permissions, select Block pop-up windows, if it isn't already selected (if you don't want to block any pop-up windows, deselect this and move on to Enable JavaScript below).
• Next to Block pop-up windows, click Exceptions. The Allowed Websites - Pop-ups pop-up window is displayed.
• In the Address of website field, type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER and click Allow.
• Click Save Changes.

Note: The following three configurations use the address bar. In the address bar, delete any existing website address and type about:config and press ENTER. A warning message is displayed (deselect Warn me when I attempt to access these preferences if you don't want to see this warning every time). Click Accept the Risk and Continue. (To view all the options without searching, click Show All.) The Mozilla Firefox preferences search bar is displayed.

JavaScript must be enabled for the ASCENDER website for proper operation of ASCENDER. JavaScript is enabled by default in the most current version of Firefox. To make sure it is enabled follow these instructions.

• In the Search field, type “javascript.enabled”. As you type a list of matches is displayed.
• The Value column should be true. If it is not, click the toggle button on the right to change it to true.

• In the Search field, type “browser.cache.check_doc_frequency”. As you type a list of matches is displayed. The default value for this setting is 3.
• Double-click the setting in the list or click the pencil.
• Change the value to 1.
• Click the blue checkbox (Save).
• Confirm the browser.cache.check_doc_frequency value changed from 3 to 1 in the Value column.

• In the Search field, type “network.http.response.timeout”. As you type a list of matches is displayed. The default value for this setting is 300.
• Double-click the setting in the list or click the pencil.
• Replace the existing value with 3600 (or greater). Note that this is the number of seconds. 3600 seconds equals one hour.
• Click the blue checkbox (Save).
• Confirm the network.http.response.timeout value changed accordingly in the Value column.

You may need to restart Firefox for some of these changes to take effect.

• In the address bar, type about:profiles.
• Under Restart, click Restart normally.

Alternately:

• In the address bar, type about:restartrequired.
• Click Restart Firefox.

From the menu bar, select Safari, and then select Settings.

Note: All of the settings are performed in the Settings pop-up window.

Cookies are enabled by default in Safari. To make sure they are enabled follow these instructions.

• Navigate to Settings > Privacy
• Next to Cookies and website data, make sure Block all cookies is not selected.

ASCENDER uses pop-up windows to display reports and other information. By default, Safari blocks pop-up windows. The pop-up blocker must be disabled for the ASCENDER website for proper operation of ASCENDER.

• Navigate to Settings > Websites
• Under General, select Pop-up Windows
• Open your ASCENDER URL in Safari. Then, return to the Safari Settings pop-up window and you will see the website address is displayed in the Allow pop-up windows on the websites below field.
• Next to the website address, select Allow.

JavaScript must be enabled for the ASCENDER website for proper operation of ASCENDER. JavaScript is enabled by default in Safari. To make sure it is enabled follow these instructions.

• Navigate to Settings > Security
• Next to Web content, ensure that Enable JavaScript is selected.

AutoFill may cause some fields within ASCENDER applications to fill automatically.

• Navigate to Settings > Autofill
• Next to AutoFill web forms, clear all four checkboxes.