When you are experiencing a browser issue, it is best to begin with Basic Troubleshooting. If basic troubleshooting does not resolve your issue, your issue might be browser specific.
While there are many different browser types, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari are the most widely used browsers, and the only browsers we support. Below we’ll cover private browsing and several common issues with resolutions for some of these browsers.
Compatibility View is a setting inside of Internet Explorer that can help fix display issues between your browser and the website you are visiting. If you run into any issues with formatting, adjusting compatibility mode may help. For more information, including the steps on completing this process, check out Microsoft's article for fixing site display problems with Compatibility View. You can use this article if you need help determining which version of Internet Explorer you are using.
Internet Explorer on Windows 8.1
In Windows 8.1 there are two different ways to access Internet Explorer. The first way is to open Internet Explorer from within the Desktop mode, which gives you the standard Internet Explorer layout that can be found on Windows 7.
The second is to access the Internet Explorer tile from Metro Mode. This version of Internet Explorer is visually different than the typical Internet Explorer browser and is not compatible with GCU sites. If you are using IE in tile mode, the address bar is at the bottom of the screen.
To access private browsing, click the Tools menu in the upper right-hand corner of your browser and select Safety and then InPrivate Browsing. Alternatively, you can press Ctrl+Shift+P on your keyboard while in Internet Explorer.
A new window will open saying InPrivate is turned on, additionally the address bar will display an InPrivate icon.
Microsoft Edge is a browser that was created to replace Internet Explorer on computers with a Windows 10 operating system. If you are having difficulties loading or accessing a page using Edge, one troubleshooting option to try opening your page in InPrivate mode.
To launch InPrivate mode in Microsoft Edge, click the Settings and more icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser and select New InPrivate window. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts to open InPrivate mode while in Microsoft Edge as well.
Windows: Ctrl+Shift+N
A new window will open with the InPrivate icon in the center of the page.
If you are still experiencing issues using Microsoft Edge, check out Microsoft’s article on what to do if Microsoft Edge isn't working.
To launch InPrivate mode in Microsoft Edge Legacy, click the Settings and more icon in the top right-hand corner of your browser and select New InPrivate window.
A new window will open with the InPrivate icon in the center of the page.
If you are still experiencing difficulties in Microsoft Edge Legacy, you can also try opening the page in Internet Explorer. To do this, click on the three dots that are located in the upper right corner of your Edge screen. Click the option that says Open with Internet Explorer.
If you do not see the Open with Internet Explorer option, click on More Tools then select Open with Internet Explorer.
If you are still experiencing issues using Microsoft Edge Legacy, check out Microsoft’s article on what to do if Microsoft Edge isn't working.
One of the first troubleshooting steps when investigating browser issues with Google Chrome is to utilize incognito mode. Incognito mode allows you to launch Chrome without extensions and apps, and is also useful if you want to be logged into multiple accounts for a website. If you cannot reproduce the error in Incognito mode, then it can be assumed that installed extensions or apps may be causing the issue.
To launch incognito mode, click the Chrome menu in the top right-hand corner of your browser and select New incognito window. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts to open incognito mode while in Chrome as well.
Windows: Ctrl+Shift+N
Mac: Command+Shift+N
A new window will open with the incognito icon in the upper left-hand corner.
If you have identified that the issue is caused by an extension, type chrome://extensions in the address bar and disable extensions one by one to identify which extension is causing the issue.
To access private browsing, click the Menu in the upper-right hand corner of your browser and select New Private Window. Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcuts to open Private Browsing while Firefox is open.
Windows: Ctrl+Shift+P
Mac: Command+Shift+P
A new window will open with the private browsing icon in the upper-right hand corner.
If you are still experiencing issues using Firefox, check out Mozilla’s article to troubleshoot and diagnose Firefox problems.
To launch Private Browsing, select File and then New Private Window. Alternatively, you can press Command+Shift+N on your keyboard while in Safari.
A new window will open with a Private Browsing Enabled banner at the top.
Safari Reader View
If you are unable to view certain buttons or links in Safari, you may have Safari's Reader View. Reader View will change the formatting of the website to remove any clutter and better suit your reading needs including removing buttons. Check out the article Frequently Asked Questions: eBooks for steps on disabling Safari’s Reader View.
Currently, iPads and other eReaders, including Chromebooks, are not fully compatible with LoudCloud. Several operations within LoudCloud can be performed using these devices such as accessing and reading eBooks through the Web Viewer. If technical issues arise on unsupported devices, there is a limited amount of troubleshooting that can be done. It is encouraged that you use supported devices to avoid these issues. If you are unsure whether or not your device is supported, please visit our Technical Requirements article.
There are several errors that your browsers may provide when accessing a website. Examples of error messages you may encounter when accessing a website can be found below.
- 400 Bad Request
This error typically indicates an issue with your browser. To resolve it, try the troubleshooting steps listed above. - 401 Unauthorized
This error typically indicates an authentication error. If you receive this error, make sure you are logged in and that you are typing your username and password correctly. If the error persists, try the troubleshooting steps listed in our Basic Troubleshooting - 404 Not Found
This error typically occurs when the requested file or resource is not found. To resolve it, make sure you are typing in the correct URL and logged into the website if applicable. If the error still occurs, the file or resource may have been deleted or moved. In this case, please contact the website owners for an updated link. If you receive this error with a study material in your course, contact Technical Support for further assistance. - 500 Internal Server Error
This error can occur for a number of reasons. To troubleshoot the error, please contact the website owner. If you are trying to access LoudCloud and receive this error, please see the LoudCloud Error When Logging In article.
If the error code is in the 400s, it means the issue is on the client’s side. These errors can typically be fixed by checking that the URL was typed correctly or trying the general troubleshooting steps above. If the error code is in the 500s, it is a server error code. To resolve these errors, it is best to contact the website owner for assistance. If it is a GCU website, please contact Technical Support for further assistance. If it is a third-party website, see our Third-Party Contact Information article for ways of contacting their support teams. For a complete list of other common browser error messages, check out Mozilla’s HTTP response status codes article.