Learning A-Z BACK TO HELP MAIN

System Requirements

What are the minimum system requirements?
How do I test my system for compatibility?
Must I have cookies enabled?
What is a cookie?
Are cookies secure?
How do I enable cookies on my particular browser?

What are the minimum system requirements?
Learning A-Z websites are compatible with most personal computers hooked up to a working printer and connected to the Internet.

To access the materials on any Learning A-Z website, you must have:

  • An Internet browser, such as Internet Explorer 6 or newer, Netscape 7 or newer, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or newer, or Safari 2 or newer.
  • Adobe Acrobat version 6 or higher installed to use the provided PDF resources. Adobe's website has a minimum system requirements page for Adobe products.
  • Fifty percent of the system resources must be free when printing from an Acrobat viewer. If the system resources are under 50 percent, exit all non-essential applications other than the Acrobat viewer. Rebooting your computer may be necessary.
  • Enough hard disk space available to save and print downloaded files. All Windows applications create temporary files when printing; these are stored on the hard disk. Adobe recommends that free hard disk space be at least three to five times the size of the file you're printing. Also, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT require additional disk space to manage virtual memory. Adobe recommends that at least 25 MB of disk space be free for virtual memory management.

To use Raz-Kids resources, you must also have:

  • Macromedia Flash Player loaded and working on your computer. Macromedia Flash also has system requirements for your particular computer. If you do not have Flash Player, you will need to download and install it on your computer now. Once installed, you can test for successful installation.
  • The latest version of Java. Download the latest version at http://www.java.com. Macintosh users will also need to the latest version of QuickTime to run Java. Download the latest version at http://www.apple.com/quicktime.
  • A working microphone and speakers.

How do I test my system for compatibility?
First try downloading and printing one of the materials available in the sample section of the specific Learning A-Z website to make sure that all third party software is set up correctly. Note that Acrobat displays a Done message almost immediately, but it could be premature and you may have to wait before your document is truly ready. If you are getting garbled text or missing diagrams, please visit our printing questions page.

Must I have cookies enabled?
Yes, you must have cookies enabled for your browser to use the materials on any Learning A-Z website. Like most websites, we use cookies to identify you and make sure that only you can access your records in our database.

What is a cookie?
Cookies are chunks of information stored in your computer's memory as you browse the Internet. When you close your browser, any cookie that has not expired is written to a file so it can be reloaded next time you visit that particular website. Our servers send your browser the cookie when you visit, log in, or register. Your browser sends back this information every time you click on a link, a button, or type in a URL that points to our website.

Are cookies secure?
There is no way a Web server can get access to private information about you or your system through cookies alone. Each website has its own cookies, and each cookie is marked with information about the website to which it belongs. Cookies from a Learning A-Z website are only returned to our servers. In addition, there is no way a virus can be spread through the use of cookies.

How do I enable cookies on my particular browser?
Instructions for enabling cookies vary depending on your browser. Please find your browser and version from the list below and follow the indicated instructions.

Internet Explorer
Windows:
1. Select the Tools menu.
2. Select the Internet Options menu item.
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Move slider from Block all cookies to any other setting of your choice.

Microsoft no longer manufactures or supports Internet Explorer for Macintosh.

AOL
Windows:
Version 9.0:
1. Select the Settings menu from the AOL Toolbar.
2. Select Internet [Web] Options.
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Move the slider to Medium.
5. Click OK.

Version 8.0 or lower:
1. Select the Settings menu from the AOL Toolbar.
2. Select the Preferences menu item.
3. Select Internet Properties (WWW).
4. Select the Privacy tab.
5. Move the slider to Medium.
6. Click OK.

Macintosh:
1. Select the AOL menu.
2. Select the Preferences menu item.
3. Click on WWW.
4. Select the Cookies tab.
5. Click the Enable all cookies option.
6. Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox
Windows
Version 2.0:
1. Select the Tools menu.
2. Select Options.
3. Select Privacy.
4. Select the Accept cookies from sites checkbox.
5. Select the Keep until they expire option.
6. Click OK.

Version 1.0:
1. Select the Tools menu.
2. Select Internet Options.
3. Select the Privacy panel.
4. Select the Cookies tab.
5. Check the Allow sites to set cookies box.

Macintosh:
1. Select the Firefox menu.
2. Select the Preferences menu item.
3. Select the Privacy category on the left side.
4. Click the arrow to expand the Cookies category.
5. Place a check mark in the option Allow sites to set cookies.
6. Set other Cookie options as desired.
7. Click OK.

Netscape
Windows:
1. Select the Edit menu.
2. Select the Preferences menu item.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Privacy & Security category.
4. Select Cookies.
5. Click the Enable all cookies or Enable cookies based on privacy settings option.
6. Click OK.

Macintosh:
1. Select the Netscape menu.
2. Select the Preferences menu item.
3. Click the arrow to expand the Privacy & Security category.
4. Select Cookies.
5. Click the Allow cookies for the originating website only option.
6. Click OK.

Safari
Macintosh:
1. Select the Safari menu.
2. Select the Preferences menu item.
3. Select the Security category from the top.
4. In the Accept Cookies section, click the Only from sites you navigate to button.
5. Close the preferences window by clicking the red circle (X) in the upper left corner.