Troubleshooting Tips

What are the Username & Password?

There are no Usernames or Passwords for the Databases. It sounds like your Web browser may have cookies turned off. Customers report that setting cookies to "accept all" allowed them to access the databases:

1. Go to the browser's menu bar (top strip of the window) and click on "Tools".
   
2. From the Tools menu, select "Internet Options".
   
3. Select the "Privacy" tab.
   
4. Click on the little gray slider and slide it down to "ACCEPT ALL".
   
5. Click OK, then close Internet Explorer and restart it. You should now be able to access the databases directly.

Please check with your ISP or computer consultant before making any changes that might affect Web security.

Other settings, reported by customers, to be helpful:

• Configuring firewall (such as Norton Security & Windows XP Firewall) settings to accept or allow the library's site.
  
• Refreshing or reloading the page.
  
• Enabling Javascript (rare).
  
• Macintosh users switch to Netscape's Communicator 4.77 (rare).
  
• Update to the newest version of the browsers which allows more control over cookies, such as IE 6 or Netscape 6.
  
• If you are accessing the databases through a network (such as in an office building) then a firewall may be blocking the databases (unintentionally).
  
• Please contact your system administrator. When you kindly describe what the situation is, he or she should be able to help you.
  
• If you are accessing this site through AOL or certain Earthlink dial-up locations, please contact your Internet service provider and alert them to any problems you are experiencing. They may utilize a firewall. Contact your service provider (such as Verzon, PacBell, Cox) if you are not sure if you have firewall protection or not. Turning off a firewall may pose problems, so try going to a different location (such as the library or a branch) if you need access.

Please note: Databases with an asterisk (*) are accessible only from within the Newport Beach libraries (Central Library or one of the three branches). These databases may ask for a name & password if clicked from home, but you are seeing that screen in error. We cannot provide a name & password.

More About Cookies

What are cookies? A cookie is a small text file that many Web sites attempt to place onto your computer. Why do sites place cookies onto your computer? There are several good & bad reasons.

Cookies are not viruses. Cookies cannot directly cause any physical damage to your computer in any way. They cannot grab files from your computer (such as family photos).

Some sites use cookies to store your user name. Example: for 1/2 hour after you log in to the Databases or the Catalog, you don't have to retype your name or password every time you click a link. This is a convenience, but it can also be a security hazard if others in your building have access to your computer (they could use your account if you forgot to log out).

Cookies can also be used to record your browsing habits & trace your movements among different Web sites. Examples:

• A shopping cart system needs to keep track of your movements. When you go to "check out", the items selected from different pages are read from text stored in a cookie.
• A search engine may want to keep track of the search criteria (words) you used on the first search, enabling it to re-display those words after the initial search is complete.
• Another use of cookies is to store information about the pages in a site that you have visited previously. This allows a Web site to customize itself with fresh content, rather than showing you the old material.

If you supply your drivers license, personal details, bank account numbers, etc… in any way or anywhere, then it is a risk YOU take. Such information can be unethically and illegally supplied to others (even if you're simply paying for dinner while at a local restaurant). It is up to you to decide if you trust a Web site requesting such information. You should be more concerned with the sending of personal information without your knowledge, via clever programs that family members or those pesky pop-up ads prompt you to so innocently load on your system.

Cookies are not permanent. They can be deleted via your browser's settings menu. Also, you can set your browser to alert you before accepting cookies. You will be shown the cookie's data before your browser accepts/deletes it. Some sites send multiple cookies, so be prepared for multiple clicking!

Samples of Cookie Data:

1. Here is a sample cookie from www.netscape.com. It includes a readable e-mail address and ID:
   
   .netscape.com TRUE / FALSE 1609372800 NS_REG SHA1=C%09%249%FC%3Fv%C5%F8T
   %24%7E%E6%EC%8E%13%FE%E4%94%90[-] UR%5FREG%5FID=151231%3AIBDv4%2E0
   [-]UR%5FEMAIL=tomjones609%40an-isp%2Enet%2Eau
   
   
2. This cookie contains references to (does not store) secured data only. It is used for greeting return visitors with their name & preferences set to their liking:
   
   www.dtp-aus.com FALSE /cgi-bin/ FALSE 946598400
   DTP/HTML+Forum name%3A%3A%26email%3A%3A%26
   listtype%3A%3A%26listtime%3A%3A%26
   lastmessage%3A%3A%26lastvisit%3A%3A
   Wednesday%252C%2B4%2BFebruary%2B1998%252C%2
   Bat%2B9:19%2Bp.m.%26thismessage%3A%3A3%26
   thisvisit%3A%3AThursday%252C%2B5%2B
   February%2B1998%252C%2Bat%2B6:40%2Bp.m.%26
   timestamp%3A%3A886666209%26wantnotice%3A%3A