Portal Troubleshooting

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Contents

If you need portal training

Refer to Portal Training.

Portal maintenance

There are several routine maintenance activities that need to be performed periodically to keep your portal working correctly.

Instructions for these maintenance activities are documented within the Portal Keeper Training section of your Systems Improvement Portal.

Symptoms you might experience if portal isn't maintained:

If you can't access your Portal

If your password doesn't work

Make sure that you typed it correctly.

Use Password Safe. If your password ever worked - you can be sure that typos aren't the problem if you use Password Safe.

Pay attention to capitalization. (Passwords are caps sensitive; user names aren't.)

If it doesn't display a password data entry window

Sometimes the password data entry window is hidden behind the window you are viewing. Try minimizing the browser window (and maybe other windows) to see if you can find the password data entry window.

If you receive a "Page Not Found" error

Potential solution 1) Ensure that you included "www" within your Portal's web address

Suggestion: Create a bookmark in your browser Favorites folder. If the bookmark ever worked, you can be sure that a typo isn't your problem.

Potential solution 2) Contact your Portal Keeper to find out if the server is down for some reason. If not, then ask for help.

Potential solution 3) Your IP address might need to be reset.

If you don't want to wait for your Portal Keeper to help, try this. (You can't hurt your computer by doing this.) If this works - be sure to notify your IT Department so that they can adjust your computer so that you won't need to keep doing this.

If you have Windows Vista:

Select Start > All Programs > Accessories > Run

In the Open box, type cmd <Enter>

At the DOS prompt, type: ipconfig /release <Enter>

Then type: ipconfig /renew <Enter>

Close the DOS window

Try getting into your portal again

If you have Windows 2000 or XP:

Select Start > Run

Type cmd <Enter>

At the DOS prompt, type: ipconfig /release <Enter>

Then type: ipconfig /renew <Enter>

Close the DOS window

Try getting into your portal again

If you have Windows 95:

Select Start > Run

Type winipcfg.exe <Enter>

Select your Network Interface Card from the drop-down window (there should only be one or two choices)

Then select the Release button

Then select the Renew button

Close the window

Try getting into your portal again

If you have trouble downloading a document

If you can't open a file, perhaps you don't have the needed application software installed on your PC. (E.g. Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Project, Visio...)

When you click on a link to download a file, a screen might appear requesting a username and password. Although some files truly are password protected, it is also a common "bug" for a password screen to appear when it isn't needed. Try simply hitting the "cancel" button. Many times your desired document will load - without needing to enter a password.

_vit_cnf folders

Some older portals with some extra folders called _vti_cnf and_vti_private.
These folders (and the files within them) are used only by FrontPage, and can be safely deleted.

To submit new "fixes" to publish on this page

"Technology is great - when it works."

Don't we all wish that we could reap the enormous benefits of all this new technology without the bugs?

Until the day that software developers get their act together - this page and annoyances.org are our best defense against "getting stuck".

To submit new "fixes" to publish on this page, email info@Systems2win.com

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