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Troubleshooting tips

A page within Murphy Library

If you have an accurate UWL email username and password, you should be able to access library databases.

The library does not control UWL email accounts or passwords, but does use the system to provide access to databases. For assistance with your UWL email login or password, please contact the Eagle Help Desk  at 785-8774.

 

Username or password is incorrect:

  • Check that Caps Lock key is not on.

  • Do not use your email address as your username.

  • Exclude the @uwlax.edu or @students.uwlax.edu at the end of your username  (Student e.g. smith.john@uwlax.edu) or (Faculty e.g. jsmith@uwlax.edu)

General:

  • Try accessing the databases with another computer

  • Try accessing a different database

  • If you have successfully accessed databases previously, try to think of what might have changed on your computer or with your ISP provider since it last worked.

Firewalls:

  • Windows XP has a built-in Firewall. Try disabling it. (Start > Settings > Control Panel > Network Connections.  Right click on Local Connection and select Properties.  Click on the Advanced tab and uncheck the box for Internet Connection Firewall.)

  • Do you have 3-party security software installed? Try disabling it (rebooting with the Firewall being disabled might also help.)

  • If you are using free Firewall software like Zone Alert you may have to uninstall it.  (Rebooting your computer afterwards may also help.)

Pop-ups:

  • If you have a popup blocker installed, try disabling it.   Some resources require browser pop-ups and cookies to be enabled. IE has a built-in popup blocker (Tools > Internet Options > Privacy > Popup Blocker). 

Enabling Cookies:

You may need to enable cookies on your browser. Lexis/Nexis, for example, only works with browsers that accept cookies. The procedure is as follows:

  • Internet Explorer 10.x & 11.x: Click the Tools button, and choose Internet Options. Click the Privacy tab and under Settings, move the slider to the bottom to allow cookies and then tap or click OK and restart IE.

  • Firefox 28.x, PC: Click on Tools - Options and choose the Privacy tab. Under History - Remember history. Close and restart Firefox.

  • Firefox 28.x, Mac: Click on Firefox - Preferences and choose the Privacy tab. Under History - Remember history. Close and restart Firefox.

  • Google Chrome 27.x: Click the Chrome menu icon . Select Settings and click Show advanced settings. Under Privacy - Content Settings choose 'Allow local data to be set (recommended).' Click Done and then restart Chrome.

  • Safari 7.x: Click on Safari - Preferences and then the Security icon. Accept Cookies: select Radio button “Only from sites I visit” and then restart Safari.

  • Safari 7.x, Mavericks: Click on Safari - Preferences and then the Privacy icon. Choose Block cookies and other website data: From third parties and advertisers. 

Enabling JavaScript:

Another possibility is that JavaScript has been turned off on your browser. To enable Javascript in your browser:

  • Internet Explorer 10.x & 11.x: Click on Tools button and select Internet Options. Select the Security tab and click on the Custom level button. Scroll down to "Scripting" section. In the "Active Scripting" select enable. If a window pops up select yes and then OK. Restart IE. 

  • Firefox 28.x: Type about:config into the address bar and press enter. Click on the button "I'll be careful, I promise". Search for javascript.enabled. If it is false, double click on it to toggle it to true. 

  • Google Chrome 27.x: Click the Chrome menu icon . Select Settings and click Show advanced settings. Go to Privacy - Content settings. Look for JavaScript section and select "Allow all sites to run JavaScripts(recommended)". Click OK and restart Chrome

  • Safari 7.x: Click on Safari - Preferences and then the Security icon. Check the Enable JavaScript checkbox, then restart Safari.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)/Browsers:

  • ISPs that use their own versions of Internet Explorer (such as MSN or AOL) sometimes present a problem. An easy workaround is to connect to the Internet using the browser provided by your ISP, minimize the browser session and then launch Internet Explorer. Use Internet Explorer to search our electronic resources. 

  • If you have an accelerator installed, you will probably have to disable it when accessing licensed databases.

Cached Pages:

Your browser might be caching a failed access attempt. If so, you need to delete the offline content stored by your browser. The steps are as follows:

  • Internet Explorer 10.x & 11.x: Click on Tools button and select Delete browsing history. Deselect preserve Favorites website data and select, Temporary Internet files or Temporary Internet files and website files, Cookies or Cookies and website data, and History, then click delete. Restart IE.

  • Firefox 28.x: Click on History - Clear recent history. Select 'Everything' for the time range and click the Clear Now button. Restart Firefox.

  • Google Chrome 34.x: Click the Chrome menu icon. Select History and then Clear browsing data button. Select the items you want to clear: for cache you want the cached images and files to be checked. Select clear browsing data and then restart Chrome.   

  • Safari 7.x: Select Safari - Reset Safari. Select the items you want to reset and then click Reset. The option Remove all website data covers both cookies and cache. Restart Safari.
         

Note:

  • If you have an accurate UWL email username and password, have run through the troubleshooting tips above, and are still having trouble accessing library databases, please complete this form.