Ask the IT Help Desk

Internet Explorer 8

• From the menu bar, click on Safety, and select Delete Browsing History.
• Check the Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History boxes, and click Delete.
• Close and reopen Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer 9 and higher

• From the menu bar on the right side, click on the Gear icon, choose Internet Options.
• Click Delete..., check the Temporary Internet files, Cookies, and History boxes, and click Delete.
• Lastly, close and reopen Internet Explorer.
• Shortcut (ctrl+shift+del)

Firefox (12.0 and higher):

• From the menu bar at the top left, click Firefox, select History, and choose Clear Recent History. (ctrl + shift + del)
• From the Time Range drop-down menu, choose Everything. For the Details, check Cache, Cookies, and Active Logins. Then select Clear Now.
• Close and reopen Firefox.

Safari (Version 5.1 to 5.10):

• From the menu bar, click on Safari, and select Empty Cache. Once the box comes up, click Empty.
• If you tried the above steps and are still having issues, click on Safari, and choose Reset Safari.
  • Check only Remove all website data.
  • Click Reset.
  •  

Safari (Version 6.0 or Higher)

• From the menu bar, click Safari, and choose Reset Safari.
• Check only Remove all website data.
• Click Reset.
•  

Safari (some newer versions)

• From the menu bar, click on Safari, and choose Preferences.
• On the Privacy tab, select Remove All Website Data. 
• Click Remove Now.

Additional troubleshooting steps

Try a different browser

With many issues, it is prudent to try the same service or system in a different web browser. The Bethel University IT Help Desk recommends downloading the free web browser Mozilla Firefox. 

Flush DNS

When websites are updated, or servers change, you may need to clear the DNS cache to refresh the information for the computer to access those sites again properly.

Windows

• Open command prompt.
• Type the command: ipconfig /flushdns
• Restart the computer.

Mac OS X v10.6

• Open terminal
• Type the command: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
• Press enter and restart the computer

Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Mavericks, and Yosemite

• Open terminal
• Type the command: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
• Press enter and restart the computer