Leads 2 Business Blog

22 Sep 2022

How To: Check/Update your Web Browser

by Sasha Anderson | posted in: How To | 0

If you’ve previously been assisted by L2B Customer Support you may have been requested to confirm which Browser you’re using and if it’s up to date. As per our FAQ’s: To access our service you need to have the latest update/version installed for browsers such as Edge, Chrome or Firefox and the appropriate hardware and operating system to support this.

Why do we ask you this?

Firstly, the Browser type helps us to identify if you’re using a supported browser and if there is an issue it helps us identify if it’s an issue specific to a type of browser

Secondly, Browser updates introduce new features, improve performance and fix security vulnerabilities. They are also necessary for improving compatibility, fixing security loopholes, and resolving numerous bugs and other issues. Basically, websites may not work properly if your browser hasn’t been updated so in order to resolve your query it’s best for us to rule this out.

Google Chrome

By default, Google Chrome is set to update itself automatically so the new versions will typically install as and when they’re released. If Chrome downloaded automatic updates while you were using the browser, you’d need to relaunch the browser to finish installing the updates.

Click on the ellipsis at the top-right and select Help > About Google Chrome. Alternatively, you can paste the following address into the URL bar: chrome://settings/help

You’ll see the current version of Google Chrome installed on your PC. If you also see a message that reads Chrome is up to date, you already have the latest version. If Chrome finds any available updates, it will automatically install them, and you’ll see a Relaunch button next to it. Click on it to restart the Chrome browser, and you’ll now have the latest version of Chrome.

Mozilla Firefox

Just like Chrome, Firefox automatically installs updates as and when they become available. If you have reason to believe you’re not running the latest version, check the current version and see if there are any updates available for Firefox by following the process illustrated below.

Click the hamburger icon at the top right of the browser and select Help > About Firefox.

You’ll see a pop-up window. If a new update is available, Firefox will automatically start downloading the update. Once the updates are installed, you’ll see a button that says Restart to Update Firefox. Click on it to restart Firefox, and you’ll now have the latest version installed. If you see a message that reads Firefox is up to date, you already have the latest version.

Microsoft Edge

Select the horizontal ellipsis at the top right of the Edge browser and select Help and feedback > About Microsoft Edge.

Edge will automatically check for software updates, and start downloading them if they’re available. Once it downloads the updates, you’ll need to click on the Restart button. Doing this will restart your internet browser and install the latest updates. If you see a message that reads Microsoft Edge is up to date, you already have the latest version.

If your browser is up to date and you’re still experiencing issues you may need to clear your browser cache, cookies & history.

To view more Articles, please visit our Leads 2 Business Blog.
If you are interested in becoming one of our subscribers, please visit Leads 2 Business.
To view notes with screenshots on how to use our website, please visit Leads 2 Business Wiki.

About Sasha Anderson

Millennial Mom + wife living the hash-tag life. Reach out if you want to talk: L2B, social media, construction, technology, marriage, parenting, popular culture and travel. Remember: If You Fail - Fail Forward

27 Jul 2022

Why does IT ask you to clear your cache?

by Andile Shange | posted in: Did You Know | 0

Have you ever called into L2B with a website functionality query and our staff ask you to clear your cache? Ever wondered why we, or IT, ask you to do this?
Caching helps with data retrieval from websites that you have visited on a web browser. Cached data assist web pages to load faster, as a portion of its content gets saved on your hard drive when loading it for the first time. Depending on your web browser settings and the number of websites that you have visited, cached data can potentially use up a lot of your computer memory. Clearing your cache protects your personal information from being picked up by a hacker and helps your web browser to run expeditiously.

In many instances when troubleshooting a website issue, caching is usually the culprit that prevents a web page from loading correctly. For example, when a new version of a website is rolled out, the cached data from the old version can cause the new version not to load up correctly. In most cases just clearing your cache would resolve the issue as this action forces the web browser to pull down a new instance of the website.

Like many things, it’s about finding the right balance. Clearing your cache frequently is not recommended, as you lose all the data acquired from all the websites that you have visited. This is not exactly ideal because when visiting any of these websites again your web browser will re-download all the data again, hence increasing your web page loading time and probably using more of your data. So, it’s best to clear your cache when there is an issue or if you have not done so in a month.

Sources:
Viteom
Ionos