PictureView®

Category: Problems Accessing Files

  • Zip Files and the PictureView Service

    The Zip file format is used to distribute one or more files as a single file. Typically, the files that are used to create a zip file are compressed, so that the size of the zip file is smaller than the sum of the sizes of the files included in the zip file; however, zip files created by the PictureView service use no compression. With PictureView, the zip file format is used to provide a convenient method for you to download a large number of files as a single file.

    The current versions of Windows and Mac OS have built-in support for zip files so no additional software is needed to unzip, or open, zip files. For older operating systems, in order to extract the files included in a zip file, you must have an archiving utility that supports the zip file format installed on your computer. For questions regarding the use of such utility software, please consult the help file included with the software or contact the manufacturer of the software directly.

    There are many archiving or zip utilities available, some free and others available for a fee. Three popular utilities are WinZip (Windows), WinRAR(Windows), and the free StuffIt Expander (Macintosh, Windows).

    Although the zip file format is a convenient method for transferring a large number of files, the reliability of the transfer of the zip file is dependant on a number of factors (e.g., quality of connection, congestion, server load, etc.). Some members have no trouble downloading zip files of any size (up to the 4GB limit–see below), while others only experience success with smaller zip files. We recommend downloading smaller zip files initially, especially since we do not yet support the use of download managers with zip files created by the PictureView service (see Using a Download Manager with the PictureView Service).

    Please note that with the zip file format we use, each zip file is limited to 4GB and no more than 65535 items.

    NOTE: As with executable files, we recommend that you never download zip files that are not created by the PictureView service after clicking Get checked files, Get unchecked files, or Get all files.

    If a link on this page needs to be changed or updated, please send us a message.

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  • Why Can JPEG Files Only Be Saved as BMP Files?

    Being forced to save a .JPEG or .JPG file as a .BMP file is typically the result of the Temporary Internet Files cache being full; it can also be the result of using an invalid bookmark, favorite, or other link to access the PictureView service. To correct the problem, follow the instructions below:

    1. Delete your temporary internet files (see How to Delete Your Browser Cache/Temporary Internet Files).
    2. Restart your computer.
    3. Access the PictureView service by manually typing:https://pictureview.comAgain, do not use a bookmark, favorite, or other link to access the PictureView service. If you wish to create and use a bookmark, favorite, or other link to access the PictureView service, please make sure it reads as follows:

      https://pictureview.com

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  • Thumbnails Do Not Appear in Mozilla 1.7.11

    NOTE: If you are using the Mozilla Firefox browser, please see Thumbnails Do Not Appear in Mozilla Firefox.

    If you are using the Mozilla internet browser and do not see thumbnails for some PictureView groups, one or more PictureView servers sets may have been inadvertently blocked. To correct the problem, please follow the instructions below:

    1. Open a Mozilla window.
    2. Click on the Edit menu and select Preferences…
    3. In the Preferences dialog window that appears, click on Privacy & Security in the Category column on the left and then click on the Images subcategory.


    Mozilla Preferences, Privacy & Security, Images, Manage Image Permissions Button

    1. Click on the Manage Image Permissions button.
    2. In the Image Manager dialog window that appears, click on the PictureView server set that is listed (e.g., www1.pictureview.com, www2.pictureview.com, www3.pictureview.com, or www4.pictureview.com) and then click the Remove Site button. If more than one server set is listed you can shift-click additional sets before clicking the Remove Site button.


    Mozilla Image Manager

    1. Click the Close button to close the Image Manager dialog window.
    2. Click OK to close the Preferences dialog window. (If you are currently viewing a PictureView page, you will need to click the Reload button to have the thumbnails appear.)

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  • Thumbnails Do Not Appear in Mozilla Firefox

    NOTE: If you are using the Mozilla browser, not Firefox, please see Thumbnails Do Not Appear in Mozilla 1.7.11.

    If you are using the Mozilla Firefox internet browser and do not see thumbnails for some PictureView groups, one or more PictureView servers sets may have been inadvertently blocked. To correct the problem, please follow the instructions below. NOTE: The steps you need to follow will vary slightly depending on the version of Firefox you are using.

    1. Open a Firefox window.
    2. Click on the Tools menu and select Options…
    3. In the Options dialog window that appears, click on Web Features (Firefox version 2.X.X) in the column on the left or Content (Firefox version 3.X.X) at the top.
    4. Click on the Exceptions button adjacent to Load Images (Firefox version 2.X.X) or Load Images Automatically (Firefox version 3.X.X).


    Firefox Options, Web Features, Exception Button (Firefox version 2.X.X)

    1. In the Exceptions dialog window that appears, click on the PictureView server set that is listed (e.g., www1.pictureview.com, www2.pictureview.com, www3.pictureview.com, or www4.pictureview.com) and then click the Remove Site button. If more than one server set is listed you can shift-click additional sets before clicking the Remove Site button.


    Firefox Exceptions

    1. Click OK to close the Exceptions dialog window.
    2. Click OK to close the Options dialog window. (If you are currently viewing a PictureView page, you will need to click the Reload button to have the thumbnails appear.)

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  • Rights Required to Play Video

    PictureView provides thumbnails (and preview images) for video files. Generally, these thumbnails provide you with a clear example of what you can expect to see in the video. However, there are some cases where the thumbnail for the video file is either blurry or a multicolored jumble. Discernable, but blurry thumbnails are usually the result of some type of decoding problem or a partial corruption of the video file–we will continue to work to resolve such problems. The multicolored thumbnails (see examples below) are the result of a video file requiring that some additional software be installed prior to being played. We strongly recommend that you neither download nor play such files as they often install some type of adware or spyware.

     

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  • Problem Accessing Forgotten Password or Secure Update Form Using Mozilla Firefox

    NOTE: The instructions on this page were written using Mozilla Firefox 3.0.4 on the Windows platform. If you are using a different version of Firefox and the instructions below cannot be used a guide, please contact us.

    If you are experiencing difficulty accessing our secure forms using Firefox, your PictureView cookie might be corrupt. Below are instructions for deleting your PictureView cookie.

    Deleting the PictureView Cookie

    1. Open a Firefox window.
    2. Click on the Tools menu and select Options…
    3. Click the Privacy button.
    4. Click the Show Cookies button.


    Firefox Options, Privacy, Show Cookies Button

    1. In the Cookies dialog that appears, locate and click on the pictureView.com cookie and then click the Remove Cookies button.


    Firefox Cookies Dialog

    1. Click the Close button.
    2. NOTE: The procedure above will most likely result in the PictureView cookie being blocked by the Firefox browser. In order to access the new version of PictureView and take advantage of the Personal Group List and Preferences features you will need to remove the block (please see Unblocking the PictureView Cookie in Mozilla Firefox for instructions).

     

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  • Pop-Ups, AdWare, and SpyWare

    The PictureView service neither provides nor uses pop-up advertisements of any kind, whatsoever. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information.

    Pop-up advertisements displayed on your computer are typically the result of AdWare or SpyWare that was installed on your computer (often without your knowledge). There are many resources available to detect and remove such software. Lavasoft’s free Ad-Aware software is a commonly recommended spyware removal utility, as is Spybot.

    For more information about AdWare, the following Usenet-Index page provides a nice overview:

    Most browsers also contain pop-blockers and we recommend that you take advantage of them. Since PictureView does not use pop-up advertisements, please make sure not to block PictureView in your pop-up blocker settings as doing so can potentially cause problems with the PictureView password dialog and PictureView links that open in new windows.

    If you use the Mozilla Firefox browser, there are a number of add-ons, such as Adblock, that you might like to investigate.

    If a link on this page needs to be changed or updated, please send us a message.

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  • Multimedia Players

    In order to play multimedia files (e.g., ASF, ASX, AVI, MP4, MPEG, MPG, MOV, RA, RAM, and WMV files), you will need multimedia player software. Below are links for downloading the most popular players. While many multimedia players will play more than one type of multimedia file, certain players are better at playing specific file types; in such cases the optimum file type has been listed below.

    NOTE: You must contact the appropriate manufacturer for support downloading, installing, and using any multimedia player software.

    • Apple QuickTime software is used to play MP4 and MOV files. (Mac users wishing to play WMV files in QuickTime can install the Flip4Maccomponent.)
    • DivX software includes a codec that is often necessary to play AVI files.
    • Microsoft Windows Media Player.
    • The VLC Media Player is an excellent alternative player for Macintosh and Windows users; it supports a wide variety of video formats.
    • For an alternative to the Windows player, try IrFanView (be sure to install the plugins in order to display the maximum number of video formats.
    • FLV Player can be used to play Flash and H.264 (MPEG-4) videos.
    • Real Player is needed to play RA and RAM files.

    If a link on this page needs to be changed or updated, please send us a message.

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  • Disabling Compressed Graphics (.ART files) Using America Online

    If you are using America Online (AOL) to access the PictureView service and find that images accessed are typically fuzzy or blurry, or can only be saved with an .ART extension, you may need to disable AOL’s compressed graphics option. How you disable the option will depend on the AOL version you are using. Below are instructions for disabling the option in AOL version 4.0 for the Macintosh platform and AOL versions 5.0, 7.0, and 9.0 for the Windows platform. For additional assistance with disabling the compressed graphics option, please refer to the help file included with your America Online software.

    Disabling Compressed Graphics in AOL Version 4.0 for the Macintosh Platform

    1. Launch AOL.
    2. Click on My AOL and select the Preferences option. The Preferences dialog window will appear.
    3. Click on WWW.
    4. Make sure that Use compressed images (Pages load faster when on) is not selected.


    AOL 4.0 Preferences Showing Disabled Compressed Graphics Option

    1. Click the OK button to close the Preferences dialog window.

    Click here to return to the top of this page.

    Disabling Compressed Graphics in AOL Version 5.0 for the Windows Platform

    1. Launch AOL.
    2. Click on My AOL and select the Preferences option. The Preferences dialog window will appear.
    3. Click on WWW. The AOL Internet Properties dialog window will appear.
    4. Click the Web Graphics tab.
    5. Make sure that Use compressed graphics is not checked.


    AOL 5.0 Internet Properties Showing Disabled Compressed Graphics Option

    1. Click the OK button to close the AOL Internet Properties dialog window.

    Click here to return to the top of this page.

    Disabling Compressed Graphics in AOL Version 7.0 for the Windows Platform

    1. Launch AOL.
    2. Click on Settings and select the Preferences option. The Preferences dialog window will appear.
    3. Click on Internet Properties (WWW). The AOL Internet Properties dialog window will appear.
    4. Click the Web Graphics tab.
    5. Make sure that Never compress graphics is enabled.


    AOL 7.0 Internet Properties Showing Disabled Compressed Graphics Option

    1. Click the OK button to close the AOL Internet Properties dialog window.

    Click here to return to the top of this page.

    Disabling Compressed Graphics in AOL Version 9.0 for the Windows Platform

    1. Launch AOL.
    2. Click on Settings. The AOL Settings dialog window will appear.
    3. Click on Internet Properties. The AOL Internet Properties dialog window will appear.
    4. Click the AOL Browser tab.
    5. Make sure that Never compress graphics is enabled.


    AOL 9.0 Internet Properties Showing Disabled Compressed Graphics Option

    1. Click the OK button to close the AOL Internet Properties dialog window.

    Click here to return to the top of this page.

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  • Disabling Automatic Image Resizing Using Internet Explorer on the Windows Platform

    1. Launch Internet Explorer.
    2. Click in the Tools menu and select Internet Options. The Internet Options dialog window will appear.
    3. Click on the Advanced tab.
    4. Scroll through the list until you reach the Multimedia section.
    5. Make sure that Enable Automatic Image Resizing is not checked.


    Internet Options Showing Automatic Image Resizing Disabled

    1. Click the OK button.

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