What is Cache?
The word 'Cache' refers to the temporary storage area in
memory or on disk that computer components and various
programs use to quickly access data.
Browser Cache
A web browser saves the pages you view on the internet
to your pc's hard disk. When a browser is installed a
subdirectory is created under the main program directory
to cache visited pages. Caching is a quick to speed up
your Web surfing by storing the pages on your hard disk.
By having the page data stored locally, your browser can
access the page right from your PC rather than waiting
for it to download from the web. This means the next
time you access the same page on the internet, it loads
quickly from your hard disk. This makes information
appear much quicker.
There are several problems associated
with cached pages
1. After a lot of browsing, your hard disk can
become loaded with thousands of files. Caching makes for
faster browsing but depending on your computer can slow
down your hard drive.
2. Depending on your browser settings, you may
also not see information that is up to date.
One of the most common problems reported to us by site
visitors is that they are not looking at information
that is up to date. This is normally due to users
looking at old 'cached pages' or 'temporary
internet files' stored on their own
computer—therefore the user may not be seeing the latest
published information from our web server. Ensure your
browser settings are showing you the latest information
by following the Recommended Browser Settings
below.
Recommended Browser Settings
MICROSOFT INTERNET EXPLORER
Look for 'Internet Options' under 'Edit'
or 'Tools'
Under the General Tab, you will see a 'Temporary
Internet Files' section.
Select 'Settings'.
Look underneath 'Check for newer versions of stored
pages'
Select 'Every Visit to the page'.
Under the same section (General Tab) select 'Delete
Files'. This will remove any currently stored pages
from your computer.
Click 'OK'.
To make these changes take effect you will need to close
and then restart your browser.
NETSCAPE USERS
Select 'Edit' at the top bar of your browser then
'Preferences'
In the 'Preferences' menu open up 'Advanced'
then select 'Cache'.
On the Cache Page under 'Document in cache is
compared to document on network', select 'Every
Time'.
To make these changes take effect you will need to close
and then restart your browser.
Tips
Try these steps to clear 'cached pages' or 'temporary
internet files' that may be stored on your
computer.
'Right click' over the offending page and
selecting 'refresh' (Microsoft Internet Explorer)
or 'reload' (Netscape) in case your browser is
giving you a previously cached copy of our page.
You can reduce percent of disk space used by Internet
Explorer for its cache by sliding the "Amount of disk
space to use" gauge.
Although it's not required by all browsers,
restarting your browser after clearing the cache is
a good idea.
Clearing the browser's cache will slow down the time
it takes to load sites you've been to before, but it
will speed up the time it takes for your browser to load
when you launch it.
Proxy Servers at Internet Service
Providers
Please be aware Internet Service Providers may use proxy
caches to reduce their latency and traffic. This is
beyond our control and may also be the cause of your
browser showing older versions of pages |
