Post by Rho The Badge Slayer on Aug 31, 2010 15:03:31 GMT -5
Question:
What steps can I try if I can't load games on Pogo, or they load very slowly
Answer:
If games on Pogo don't load for you, load very slowly, or give errors such as 'Please wait, Loading,' see below for information on the most common causes (and links to instructions on how to address them). Even still, there is a lot more information at your finger tips that you can find with some quick Internet searches.
First, let's try to rule out some specific issues:
[/li][li]Does your computer lock up or reboot when you try to load a game
[/li][li]Does the game that won't load have a Weekly Challenge going on, especially on Wednesdays
[/li][li]Are you running Microsoft Vista and having trouble patching
[/li][/ul]
If you can rule the above issues out, here are steps to take if the server status Answer says things are OK:
If Java is installed on your machine but not enabled
If you're still having issues and you're certain that Java is installed on your machine, it may be disabled. All mainstream browsers have an option for enabling Java, which ensures any applets that use it will function properly. For a complete list of per-browser instructions for enabling Java, visit www.java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.xml.
Here's what to do if clearing your cache and making sure your Java is updated doesn't resolve the issue.
The most common causes of problems that players encounter when playing our games are simply caused by anti-virus, firewall, ad blocking, and pop-up blocking software. The easiest way to determine if one or more of these is the cause of the problem is to simply disable them and see if the problem goes away. If the problem goes away, then the next step is to figure out how to configure the software to still protect your system without preventing you from playing our games. In this case, you should refer to the software’s manual or help files for detailed instructions on how to make the desired changes to the software.
Some common symptoms of this include:
* "Cripes!" Errors
* “Server too Busy” Errors
* Cards disappear or do not appear
* Other graphics do not appear or are distorted
* “Game Loading” indicator never goes away
* Profiles never appear
* Table windows never open
Also, there are several types of maintenance steps that can be taken on a regular basis to try and prevent problems from occurring. This includes deleting Temporary Internet Files / Browser Cache and deleting Game Objects. We only officially support a few browsers as they are the most common and compatible with our site. They are: Netscape 7.x, Internet Explorer 6.x, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari for Mac OS X (and later versions of these browsers as applicable). If you do a search on the help site for "Cache," you will find instructions on how to clear the cache for those browsers. In addition, Apple's web site has an article containing some helpful information about getting the Safari browser to work with Pogo games.
For Club Pogo members, you can follow these instructions on deleting objects in Internet Explorer. This is where the game files are actually stored with Fast Access on Club Pogo. Here's how to do that:
1. Open Internet Explorer (even if you normally use the AOL or MSN browser).
2. Click Tools on the IE toolbar.
3. Select Internet Options.
4. In the middle of the Internet Options window, click the 'Settings' button (located in the middle of the Temporary Internet Files section).
5. On the Settings screen, click the View Objects tab. This is where your browser stores the actual game applet.
6. Look for any files in the list that are Pogo games. Things like 'PopFu by Pogo', 'Freecell by Pogo' and so on, and delete those.
7. Click Yes to confirm the deletion of each file.
If you've followed the steps listed above and are still encountering difficulties, the issue could be a problem with our servers. Most often, we are already aware of these problems because we have received complaints from other members (or we notice that the number of players on the site is abnormally low or declining). The best thing to do is to check back again in an hour or two and see if the problem is gone. If all else fails, please contact us and let us know what problem you're experiencing (including any error messages) and what you have tried so far to fix it.
Here is some information that is generally helpful in trying to track down the cause of the problems. Please try to include as much information as you can (so long as it pertains to your issue).
* Date:
* Time:
* Time Zone:
* Room Name:
* Table Number:
* Description of problem:
* Steps taken so far to try and fix it:
* Include screen names of those involved:
* Include Java and browser information
* Include screen shots where possible[/color]
What steps can I try if I can't load games on Pogo, or they load very slowly
Answer:
If games on Pogo don't load for you, load very slowly, or give errors such as 'Please wait, Loading,' see below for information on the most common causes (and links to instructions on how to address them). Even still, there is a lot more information at your finger tips that you can find with some quick Internet searches.
First, let's try to rule out some specific issues:
- Is the game you can't load any of the following:Sudoku Quest, It's Outta Here, Vert Skater, or a game without an in-game Chat option
[/li][li]Does your computer lock up or reboot when you try to load a game
[/li][li]Does the game that won't load have a Weekly Challenge going on, especially on Wednesdays
[/li][li]Are you running Microsoft Vista and having trouble patching
[/li][/ul]
If you can rule the above issues out, here are steps to take if the server status Answer says things are OK:
- First, clear your Browser Cache and Java Cache if you're using Sun Java.
- If that doesn't solve the issue, please update your Java.
- If the two previous steps don't solve the issue, please read our article about help with antivirus/firewall issues.
- Also, read our article about configuring the settings for your firewall or proxy server with Pogo.
- Furthermore, our article with may help.information regarding pop-up blockers/anti-spyware/adware
If Java is installed on your machine but not enabled
If you're still having issues and you're certain that Java is installed on your machine, it may be disabled. All mainstream browsers have an option for enabling Java, which ensures any applets that use it will function properly. For a complete list of per-browser instructions for enabling Java, visit www.java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.xml.
Here's what to do if clearing your cache and making sure your Java is updated doesn't resolve the issue.
The most common causes of problems that players encounter when playing our games are simply caused by anti-virus, firewall, ad blocking, and pop-up blocking software. The easiest way to determine if one or more of these is the cause of the problem is to simply disable them and see if the problem goes away. If the problem goes away, then the next step is to figure out how to configure the software to still protect your system without preventing you from playing our games. In this case, you should refer to the software’s manual or help files for detailed instructions on how to make the desired changes to the software.
Some common symptoms of this include:
* "Cripes!" Errors
* “Server too Busy” Errors
* Cards disappear or do not appear
* Other graphics do not appear or are distorted
* “Game Loading” indicator never goes away
* Profiles never appear
* Table windows never open
Also, there are several types of maintenance steps that can be taken on a regular basis to try and prevent problems from occurring. This includes deleting Temporary Internet Files / Browser Cache and deleting Game Objects. We only officially support a few browsers as they are the most common and compatible with our site. They are: Netscape 7.x, Internet Explorer 6.x, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari for Mac OS X (and later versions of these browsers as applicable). If you do a search on the help site for "Cache," you will find instructions on how to clear the cache for those browsers. In addition, Apple's web site has an article containing some helpful information about getting the Safari browser to work with Pogo games.
For Club Pogo members, you can follow these instructions on deleting objects in Internet Explorer. This is where the game files are actually stored with Fast Access on Club Pogo. Here's how to do that:
1. Open Internet Explorer (even if you normally use the AOL or MSN browser).
2. Click Tools on the IE toolbar.
3. Select Internet Options.
4. In the middle of the Internet Options window, click the 'Settings' button (located in the middle of the Temporary Internet Files section).
5. On the Settings screen, click the View Objects tab. This is where your browser stores the actual game applet.
6. Look for any files in the list that are Pogo games. Things like 'PopFu by Pogo', 'Freecell by Pogo' and so on, and delete those.
7. Click Yes to confirm the deletion of each file.
If you've followed the steps listed above and are still encountering difficulties, the issue could be a problem with our servers. Most often, we are already aware of these problems because we have received complaints from other members (or we notice that the number of players on the site is abnormally low or declining). The best thing to do is to check back again in an hour or two and see if the problem is gone. If all else fails, please contact us and let us know what problem you're experiencing (including any error messages) and what you have tried so far to fix it.
Here is some information that is generally helpful in trying to track down the cause of the problems. Please try to include as much information as you can (so long as it pertains to your issue).
* Date:
* Time:
* Time Zone:
* Room Name:
* Table Number:
* Description of problem:
* Steps taken so far to try and fix it:
* Include screen names of those involved:
* Include Java and browser information
* Include screen shots where possible[/color]