Troubleshooting

You can use the tips listed here if the search applet does not function properly.
The search applet operates within your browser and is thus subject to the capabilities and limitations of this browser, for your particular environment and operating system. In general, you'll have fewer problems with a later version of the browser. In particular, Netscape 3 and Microsoft Explorer 3 may prove more problematic than their respective 4 versions.

Here are some malfunction symptoms:

The search option screen does not appear: there may be an error shown in the browser's status bar (e.g. Cannot find class XXX). This is probably a CLASSPATH problem
The search cannot access the files to examine: you'll see a message to that effect in the applet's status line (above the 'Pages Found' list). Try the remedies listed below.
The search cannot find what you are looking for. First ascertain that the search can indeed access the files to examine: select 'Search for any string' and clear the 'Look For' text, then press 'Start Search'. If at least one page is found, that means that what you were searching for was not found; try specifying another string. If the search completes immediately or states that it cannot access a file, try the remedies listed below.
The search never starts: pressing the Start button seems to have no effect. This is a Netscape 3 'feature'. Keep pressing the 'Start' button until the search starts: while the search is operating, you'll see the options on the screen dimmed. Be careful not to press the 'Start' button again or you'll stop the search (the button's label changes to 'Stop' while the search is in progress). Or you may want to upgrade to Netscape 4.

The following is a list of possible remedies listed in the order of likelihood they will fix the malfunction:

Check the search starting point.
Ensure the proper setting of the CLASSPATH environment variable.
If you are using Netscape 4, it could be a Netscape 4 security setting.
See if it is a cache problem.
At last resort, upgrade to version 4 of your browser (Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape).

Check the search starting point
Make sure the starting point is an existing file or URL. For web URLs you need to specify 'http://' if the URL doesn't start with 'www'.
If the search cannot find the first page, try to indicate an actual HTML file instead of a directory, e.g. http://www.mysite.com/index.html instead of http://www.mysite.com.

Setting the CLASSPATH Environment Variable
- For Windows machines, there may be a program you can execute to do that. This program may or not be present depending on which version and/or installation was used to set up the search applet. If it is not present, clicking on the link will result in an error, and you'll have to do it by hand (see below).
  First install it anywhere you want (e.g. C:\temp), then execute the program htmlsearch_winpath.exe from where you installed it (e.g. C:\temp\htmlsearch_winpath.exe) . The program will set the CLASSPATH in c:\autoexec.bat. If, at the end, you are prompted to reboot your PC, do it so that the changes can take effect.
- For Windows machines, to set the CLASSPATH by hand, you need to edit the C:\autoexec.bat file, and add the line:
  set CLASSPATH=.;%CLASSPATH%
  You'll need to reboot for the changes to take effect.
- For Unix environments, you need to edit your .login (or .cshrc if that's where your CLASSPATH is defined) or .profile depending on which shell you are using. Add "." to your CLASSPATH. The separator between CLASSPATH elements is the colon (:).
  For csh, use setenv CLASSPATH .:$CLASSPATH - For sh, use CLASSPATH=.:$CLASSPATH
  You'll need to log back in to enable the changes.
Netscape 4 Security Setting
It seems that only the Windows version of Netscape 4 has this problem; Netscape 3 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3 and 4 all work fine; Netscape 4 seems to work fine in Unix.
Without going into the gory details, here is what you have to do:
- For Windows machines, there may be a program you can execute to fix the problem. This program may or not be present depending on which version and/or installation was used to set up the search applet. If it is not present, clicking on the link will result in an error, and you'll have to do it by hand (see below).
  First install it anywhere you want (e.g. C:\temp), then execute the program htmlsearch_prefs.exe from where you installed it (e.g. C:\temp\htmlsearch_prefs.exe).
- For Windows machines, to set the security flag by hand.
  1. print or save these instructions in a text file that you can view without Netscape4.
  2. exit all your Netscape windows, including the current one, mail, collabra, etc...
  3. find out where the Netscape preferences file prefs.js resides. On most machines it is in
    C:\program files\netscape\users\XXXX\prefs.js, with XXX being the Netscape user name (that was set up when you installed Netscape). When in doubt, use the Explorer's find tool to look for 'prefs.js'.
  4. make a backup copy of this file
  5. edit it (e.g. with Notepad or any non-adorning text editor. Do not use Word or WordPerfect) , and add the following line at the end, using the exact same spelling and case:
    user_pref("signed.applets.low_security_for_local_classes", true);
  6. Save the file and restart Netscape. Now it should work.
  7. you'll need to do that for each Netscape user, if you set up Netscape for multiple users.
  8. if it doesn't work it is either because you still had a Netscape window open, or you edited the prefs.js file for another user, or you mistyped the line to add. Just go back and do it again.
For Unix environments, it is similar to the Windows case except that the Preferences file is called preferences.js and that it is located in the .netscape subdirectory of your home directory. e.g. ~/.netscape/preferences.js

Cache Problems
This is more likely to occur if you are running several versions of Netscape and/or Microsoft Explorer in Windows95, or if you switch between HtmlSearch Pro and HtmlSearch Lite.
1. Close all your browser windows, then open the one you plan on using, making sure the page displayed is NOT the search page.
2. Empty the browser's cache:
  - Netscape 3: Options->Network Preferences->Cache->empty memory and disk caches
  - Netscape 4: Edit->Preferences->Advanced->Cache->empty memory and disk caches
  - Microsoft Internet Explorer 3: View->Options->Advanced->Temporary Internet files->Settings->Empty folder
  - Microsoft Internet Explorer 4: View->Internet Options->General->Temporary Internet files->Delete files
3. Load the search applet from the browser's File menu: by using the File->Open from the browser's menu. The file you want to load is X:\search.htm, where X is your CD-ROM drive letter.
4. If the search now works, you should create a shortcut on your desktop or in your start menu to invoke the browser and the desired page:
  - Right click and drag your desktop's browser icon (MSIE or Netscape).
  - When releasing the mouse button, select 'Create shortcut'.
  - Right click on the new icon and select 'Properties'.
  - Select the 'Shortcut' tab
  - In the "Target" text entry, there is the path to the browser program. After that path, add a space then the text: "X:\index.htm" where X is your CD-ROM drive letter. Make sure you do not modify the text that is already in the "Start in" window.
  - Press the OK button
  - You can now view the outputs by using the shortcut you just created.
  - You can also add a shortcut to the start menu if you wish.
  Top

Troubleshooting

Check the search starting point

Setting the CLASSPATH Environment Variable

Netscape 4 Security Setting

Cache Problems