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ASCENDER Recommended Browser Settings
Updated August 2019
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.
Supported Browsers
Currently, ASCENDER supports the following browsers:
For PC users:
For Mac users:
Note: Safari is the only browser that ASCENDER supports on the Mac.
Please check your browser settings to ensure that your browser is set up to produce the best results with ASCENDER.
Screen Resolution
The minimum recommended screen resolution is 1280 x 1024.
Task Bar Setup
Windows 7 allows pages to be opened directly from your task bar. With the ASCENDER system, this feature will allow you to easily access different reports, pages, and applications, all from one centralized location. This feature is disabled by default but recommended for ASCENDER.
| ❏ | Right-click the desktop, and select Personalize. The personalization dialog box is displayed. |
| ❏ | Under See also (located near the bottom-left corner of the dialog box), click Taskbar and Start Menu. The Taskbar and Start Menu Properties dialog box is displayed. |
| ❏ | On the Taskbar tab under Preview desktop with Aero Peek, select Use Aero Peek to preview the desktop. |
| ❏ | Click OK. |
Browser Setup
Google Chrome
To ensure optimal security when using Chrome, you must turn off some default settings using the following steps. From the Chrome menu, select Settings. From the Settings page, click Show advanced settings.
Note: The following three settings are found under Privacy and security, which can be accessed by clicking Advanced at the bottom of the Settings page.
Clear Cache on Exit
| Content settings | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Click Cookies. |
| ❏ | Select Keep local data only until you quit your browser. |
Enable Pop-up Windows
ASCENDER uses pop-up windows to display reports and other information. The ASCENDER website must be set up as an allowed site.
| Content settings | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Click Popups |
| ❏ | If Blocked (recommended) is selected, go to the next step. |
| ❏ | Next to Allow, click ADD. |
| ❏ | In the Site field on the Add a site dialog box, type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER. |
| ❏ | Click ADD. |
JavaScript (Enabled by Default)
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.
| Content settings | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Click JavaScript |
| ❏ | If Allowed (recommended) is NOT selected, go to the next step (or select Allowed (recommended)). |
| ❏ | Next to Allow, click ADD. |
| ❏ | In the Site field on the Add a site dialog box, type the exact website address that you use to access ASCENDER. |
| ❏ | Click ADD. |
Disable AutoFill
AutoFill may cause some fields within ASCENDER applications to fill automatically.
| Passwords and forms | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Click Autofill Settings. |
| ❏ | Deselect On (the field changes to Off). |
Mozilla Firefox
From the Firefox menu, select Options. The Options dialog box is displayed with the General tab as the default tab.
Note: The following three settings are under Options.
Accept Cookies
| Privacy | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Under History in the Firefox will field, select Use custom settings for history. |
| ❏ | Select Accept cookies from sites. This option should be selected by default. If you do not want to accept cookies from all sites, continue to the next step. |
| ❏ | Next to Accept cookies from sites, click Exceptions. The Exceptions - Cookies dialog box is displayed.
|
Clear History When Firefox Closes
| Privacy | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Under History in the Firefox will field, select Use custom settings for history. (This should have been selected in the previous step.) |
| ❏ | Select Clear history when Firefox closes. |
| ❏ | Click Settings… |
| ❏ | Ensure the following fields are selected:
|
Enable Pop-up Windows
ASCENDER uses pop-up windows to display reports and other information. The ASCENDER website must be set up as an allowed site.
| Content | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Select Block pop-up windows. |
| ❏ | Next to Block pop-up windows, click Exceptions. The Allowed Sites - Pop-ups dialog box is displayed.
|
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 Show this warning next time if you don't want to see this warning every time). Click I accept the risk! The Mozilla Firefox preferences are displayed.
Enable JavaScript (Enabled by Default)
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.
| Address bar | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | 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, right-click javascript.enabled and select Toggle to enable JavaScript. |
| ❏ | Close Firefox to save changes. You may need to restart Firefox for the changes to take effect. |
Refresh Page on Every Page Request
| Address bar | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | In the Search field, type “browser.cache.check_doc_frequency”. As you type a list of matches is displayed. |
| ❏ | Double-click this setting in the list: browser.cache.check_doc_frequency. The Enter integer value dialog box is displayed. |
| ❏ | The default value is 3. Change the value to 1. Click OK. |
| ❏ | Confirm the browser.cache.check_doc_frequency value changed from 3 to 1 in the Value column. |
| ❏ | Close Mozilla Firefox to save the changes. |
Prevent Timeouts
| Address bar | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | In the Search field, type “network.http.response.timeout”. As you type a list of matches is displayed. |
| ❏ | Double-click this setting in the list: network.http.response.timeout. The Enter integer value dialog box is displayed. |
| ❏ | Replace the existing value with 3600 (or greater). Note that this is the number of seconds. 3600 seconds equals one hour. Click OK. |
| ❏ | Confirm the network.http.response.timeout value changed accordingly in the Value column. |
| ❏ | Close Mozilla Firefox to save the changes. |
Safari (for Mac)
From the menu bar, select Safari, and then select Preferences.
Note: All of the settings are performed in the Preferences dialog box.
Enable Cookies
Cookies are enabled by default in Safari. To make sure they are enabled follow these instructions.
| Privacy. | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Next to Cookies and website data, select Allow from websites I visit. |
Enable Pop-up Windows
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.
| Security | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Next to Web content, ensure that Block Pop-Up Windows is not selected. |
Enable JavaScript (Enabled by Default)
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.
| Security | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Next to Web content, ensure that Enable JavaScript is selected. |
Disable AutoFill
AutoFill may cause some fields within ASCENDER applications to fill automatically.
| AutoFill | |
|---|---|
| ❏ | Next to AutoFill web forms, clear all four check boxes. |