Website of the Department of Health
Please note that this website has a UK government access keys system.
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Technical help
If you experience technical problems while visiting the site, the information in this section may help you.
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Printing
Question
Why don't web pages print properly?
Answer
Some users may experience printing problems. To minimise these problems, change your page orientation to 'landscape' through the 'page set-up' option on the file menu. Printing from the file menu, rather than the icon, may also help.
Question
I still can't print properly - what else should I try?
Answer
If you use Internet Explorer 5.5 service pack 1, web pages may not print properly. This version of Internet Explorer does not always print columns of text the way that they appear on screen. For example, some text may overlap or the columns may print out underneath each other, rather than side by side.
Question
How do I know if my computer uses Internet Explorer 5.5 service pack 1?
Answer
Go to the 'Help' option on the Internet Explorer menu bar and choose 'About Internet Explorer'. Check the text next to 'version' and 'update version' in the pop-up box. If the version number starts with 5.5 and the update version starts with 'SP1', your computer uses Internet Explorer 5.5 service pack 1.
Question
How can I solve this problem?
Answer
Internet Explorer 5.5 service pack 1 is no longer supported by Microsoft so the problem will not be fixed. Instead, you will have to upgrade to a newer version of Internet Explorer. You can download more recent versions of Internet Explorer for free through the link below.
Downloading documents
Question
What formats are downloadable documents provided in?
Answer
Downloadable documents on the DH site are provided in a variety of formats. The most common are PDF, Word and Excel.
Question
What if I don’t have the software to open the document?
Answer
Most computers already have the software to open these document formats. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader (for reading PDFs), it is available from the Adobe site.
How do I save documents to my computer?
Question
Column 2
Answer
If you have a PC, right-click on the link to the document. If you use a Macintosh, hold down the mouse button over the link. In both cases, a popup menu will then appear. Scroll down the menu and click on ‘Save target as’. You will then be asked to choose a folder on your computer where you can save the document.
Plug-ins
Question
What is a plug-in?
Answer
Plug-ins are programs that enable you to use multimedia applications (e.g. sound, video etc.) on the web.
Question
Do I need plug-ins to use the DH website?
Answer
No. Some areas of the site have audio or video files but the information they contain is provided in alternative formats – for example, in text or through photographs.
External sites
Question
How do I recognise links to external sites?
Answer
External sites are clearly marked with a double arrow before the link and the words ‘external link’ after the link.
Question
How do I get back to the DH site from an external site?
Answer
When you click on a link to an external site, the new site will open in a second browser window. To get back to the DH site, simply close down the second window.
Question
Why can’t I access an external website?
Answer
We cannot guarantee that other organisations’ websites will be available. If you have persistent problems with a link from the DH site to an external site, please contact the DH web team.
Access keys
