 |
|
||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
- HOME
- Casualty & Loss
- Comm Center
- Deployment
- DoD Installations
- Education
- Eldercare
- Employment
- Financial Info
- Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance
- Financial Readiness Videos
- Credit and Money Management
- College Planning
- Car Buying
- Home Buying / Financing
- Estate Planning
- Insurance
- Pay & Allowances
- Personal Finance & Investing
- Retirement Planning
- Tax Information
- Military Tax: State by State Information
- Emergency Financial Assistance
- Flea Market
- Health & Wellness
- Leisure Activities
- News & Views
- Parenting
- Relocation
- Spouse Network
- VA Mortgage Center
- Teens & Youth
- Other Links
Help
Optimizing Your Settings for Viewing Armed Forces Crossroads
There are several requirements as well as several recommendations in order to successfully view this site. If you are having any difficulties viewing the site please take the time to look at the following topics. If, after reading this material, you are still having problems please e-mail us with your problem at: webmaster@afcrossroads.com.
Disclaimer: The appearance of a hyperlink to another site does not constitute endorsement of this web site or the information, products, or services contained therein by HRTec, Inc. or its affiliates, advertisers, or partners. HRTec does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. Such links are provided for site visitor information and resources, and are consistent with the stated purpose of this web site.
Note: Armed Forces Crossroads and GIMail users can review online FAQs and Help pages, and may submit requests for support at any time, 24/7. Help requests submitted outside normal work hours (nights, weekends, and holidays) will be answered during the next work day during the hours of 08:00 to 18:00 East Coast time.
Browsers
Armed Forces Crossroads officially supports only the latest versions of either Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. If you do not have either of these browsers you can download them by clicking one of the links above.
If your web browser is Internet Explorer, we highly recommend you update your browser to the latest version, as Armed Forces Crossroads is optimized for use with Internet Explorer 7.x. The Microsoft Update web page will help you do this quickly and easily.
Plugins
Several sections of Armed Forces Crossroads contain videos that may be played using either Apple's QuickTime player or Microsoft’s Media Player in order to function. In order to obtain the QuickTime plugin, please click here. If you are having any problems viewing the videos, please click here for more troubleshooting information.
Recommendations
While every attempt has been made to make Armed Forces Crossroads compatible with the largest number of systems, there are still preferred methods of viewing this site. That said, the following items and/or settings are suggested (but not required) in order to properly view this site:
- 800x600 resolution (Desktop Area) or higher (1024x768 recommended)
- 16 bit color (High Color) or higher (32 bit color recommended)
- Sound card / speakers
- 56k or higher Internet connection (broadband – cable or DSL recommended for home use)
Troubleshooting Viewing Issues
Computer settings and Browser settings can wreak havoc on the appearance of even the most well designed website if they are modified from their default positions - particularly when it comes to fonts. For this reason, we recommend you continue reading if you are having issues with the appearance of the site.
Please Note: Screen images on this page are from a Microsoft Windows XP PC Computer running Internet Explorer 7.0. Because of the extensive differences from computer to computer, there may be variations between these images and the windows/menus on your own machine.
Small Fonts vs. Large Fonts
Computers running a version of the Microsoft Windows operating system have two basic settings when it comes to font sizes: Small Fonts and Large Fonts. The default setting for these computers is Small Fonts (the Large Font setting is typically used for people who have trouble viewing the smaller text). The problem with the Large Font setting is it may interfere with the appearance of the website (i.e. moving images, covering them up, or in some cases blending in with the images making the text hard or impossible to read).
If your computer is currently set to display Large Fonts, we recommend you change this setting back to Small Fonts. If this makes the text of the website too difficult to read, you might consider lowering your resolution (Desktop area) which will also, in effect, increase the size of the text.
If you are unsure what the current setting is on your computer, or don't know how to change these settings, please follow these simple instructions.
Instructions for restoring your computer's font setting to Small Fonts.
1) Close any applications you have open and using your mouse, right click on the desktop. A menu similar to the one to the left will appear. Scroll down and select the Properties option.
2) A window similar to the one below will appear. Click on the settings tab if it is not already selected. You should notice several options including: Color palette, Desktop area, and Font size.
3) Under the Font size option click on the pull down menu and select Small Fonts if it is not already selected (If it is already selected, just press cancel).
4) Press OK. In order for this setting to take effect you may be asked to restart your computer.
Please note: If you had your Font size set to Large Fonts for reading purposes, you can use this window to reduce the Desktop area (resolution) in order to create the appearance of larger text. Simply click and drag the slide bar toward the left (normally, 800x600 resolution is a nice compromise between larger on-screen type and usable viewing area) and click on OK or Apply. Your system may need to test the setting or prompt you to restart. Simply follow the computer's instructions. Play around with different resolutions until you find the one best suited for you.
Troubleshooting Video Problems
Several section of Armed Forces Crossroads contain videos which require either Microsoft's Media Player (included with most Windows versions) or version 3 or above of Apple's QuickTime player in order to play. If you do not have the plugin you may download it from our Plugins section. If you have already downloaded the plugin and are having problems viewing the videos, please continue reading.
Please Note: Screen images on this page are from a Microsoft Windows XP PC Computer running QuickTime 7. Because of the extensive differences from computer to computer, there may be variations between these images and the windows/menus on your own machine.
Connection Speeds
One of the biggest issues with video on the Internet has to do with the speed of your connection. Video requires a lot of bandwidth in order to be displayed and that in turn requires a fast connection. The good news is that more and more people are gaining access to faster connections, prompting the proliferation of video on the web. The bad news is there are still plenty of us out there with slower connections who still want and/or need access to this material.
In an attempt to provide video to as many viewers as possible, regardless of their Internet connection, QuickTime makes it possible to display a different version of the same video depending on the connection of the user. For example, a home user with a 28.8k modem will be provided with a smaller more compressed version of the video which can be downloaded with relatively little wait, while an office user, who might be connected to a much faster LAN, would be given a much larger, higher quality version. Armed Forces Crossroads provides three versions of each video: One optimized for a 28.8k modem, one for a 56k modem, and one for a T1 or similar connection.
This said, it should be made clear that QuickTime makes this distinction based on what you set as your connection speed within QuickTime itself. It does not determine your actual connection speed. For this reason, the problems you are experiencing may be caused by an improper setting within the QuickTime player.
If you are unsure of your connection speed, you should contact your Internet Service Provider, or the person responsible for computers and the Internet within your establishment.
If you know your connection speed but are unsure of how to change your setting within the QuickTime player, follow the instructions below.
Instructions for changing the Connection Speed setting within your Quicktime Player.
1) Open your QuickTime player. (This application should be located somewhere with in the Programs section of your Start menu.)
2) Once the application is open, click on the Edit menu.
3) Scroll down to Preferences and select QuickTime Preferences from the side menu list of options. A window similar to the one below should appear.
4) If possible, it is usually best to have your settings as shown below. QuickTime will automatically adjust streaming download speeds to the best settings for your computer and connection.
5) If automatic settings are not satisfactory, you can click the Override speed for downloads box and select from a wide range of manual choices.
Please Note: If you are still waiting too long for your video to load you might try changing your setting even lower, either to 28.8k or 56k modem depending on your connection (28.8k is the lowest speed supported). While this will result in a video of lesser quality, the amount of time it takes to download the video will be shorter.
BACK | TOP