Troubleshooting

Common questions when troubleshooting

Q: What's wrong if a username and password are refused, and Loislaw continues to display the log-in dialog page?

A: First, make sure the username and password are correct. Second, check to make sure that the web browser is set to accept ‘cookies’. A cookie is a small file that websites commonly store on a user’s hard drive. Loislaw sends a cookie containing the username and password and checks the file when a user logs in. If the browser does not retain the cookie, then the website may require repeated log-in attempts.

Finally, check to see if any external programs, such as a firewall, are monitoring web activity. Some security programs will not let the user accept cookies. Such programs may need to be configured to accept cookies from Loislaw.

The issue may also occur if the computer's system time is set ahead of the actual time, a situation which causes the cookie to expire prematurely. Check the system clock and reset if necessary.

For further technical assistance on this issue, call toll-free (877) 471-5632.

Q: What's wrong if the browser frequently returns JavaScript errors?

A: The browser may not fully utilize JavaScript, a language deployed throughout the Loislaw website. To correct the issue, PC users should download the latest version of Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Firefox. Mac users should download Camino or Firefox. Make sure that JavaScript is enabled. Call toll-free (877) 471-5632 for help enabling JavaScript.

Q: What's wrong if users cannot access Loislaw from within a local network?

A: Firewalls are designed to restrict external access to a network. Users who cannot log in to Loislaw from inside a local network are probably experiencing firewall issues. The firewall program will not allow Loislaw to send the cookie containing username and password information. The system administrator should reconfigure the firewall to allow cookies from the Loislaw website.

Q: What kind of search engine does Loislaw use?

A: Loislaw uses a Boolean search engine to search its extensive legal databases. The search technology is based on Boolean logic, a system developed by the English mathematician George Boole. Boolean logic uses certain operators, called Boolean operators or connectors, to describe relationships between sets. When users search case law for two terms connected by the Boolean operator “and,” for example, Loislaw returns all documents containing both terms. For more help with Boolean operators see Connectors and Multiple connectors, parentheses, and search priority.

Loislaw's Boolean search engine is an industry standard used throughout the internet. Writing queries on Loislaw will seem familiar and intuitive for most users with internet search experience.

Q: Does Loislaw use a "natural language" search engine?

A: Loislaw does not support natural language searching. When applied to search and retrieval technology, the term "natural language" generally refers to any system capable of accepting queries in common English; no special operators or syntax would be necessary to write queries in a natural language environment. Loislaw's development and engineering staff found the current technology too experimental and formative for deployment in a business context.

Q: What if users do not know the exact form of a case citation?

A: Try using the numeric elements of the citation—that is, the volume and page references—in combination with the NEAR connector in the Case Cite search field.

For example, a user may be unsure if a citation was 523 US 303 or 303 US 523. When writing the query, replace "US" with the near2 connector. Entering the query "523 near2 303" returns all instances in which the number 523 is within two words of the number 303 in the Case Cite field. (Please note that for this type of search, users would need to know the target database in advance, and would need to enter the query into the search page for that database.) Loislaw's Find Cases by Citation will normalize approximate citations, but does not support Boolean searching; see Find Cases by Citation. For more help writing queries, see the Expert Search Tips available from all Loislaw Search Pages.

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Clearing the browser's cache

Internet browsers often store versions of frequently visited web pages on the computer's hard disc drive. This process is called 'caching pages'. Sometimes pages in the browser's cache can become 'stale': they represent old versions that are no longer compatible with a site's new functionality or tools.

When users experience problems viewing pages, it may be possible to correct the issue by clearing the browser's cache.

Step 1: First determine your browser's version number:

For Internet Explorer:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click Help in the main menu.
  3. Click on About Internet Explorer; a window will open and display the version of IE.
  4. Click OK to close the dialog.

For Netscape:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click Help in the main menu.
  3. Click on About Netscape; a new page will load and display the version of Netscape.

For Firefox:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click Help in the main menu.
  3. Click on About Mozilla Firefox; a new page will load and display the version of Firefox.

For Firefox for Macintosh:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click Firefox in the main menu.
  3. Click on About Mozilla Firefox; a new page will load and display the version of Firefox.

For Camino:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click on Camino in the main menu
  3. Click About Camino.

Step 2: Then clear the cache (follow the steps below for your browser's make and version):
NOTE: You may have to repeat this process a few times to comletely flush the cache

For Internet Explorer 6.x:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click on Tools in the main menu.
  3. Click on Internet Options.
  4. Under "Temporary Internet Files" click on Delete Files; click OK after the Delete Files dialog opens.
  5. Click OK again to close the Internet Options dialog.
  6. From the browser main menu, click the Refresh button.

For Internet Explorer 7.x:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Select Tools near the top right corner.
  3. Select Internet Options.
  4. Under Browsing History click Delete.
  5. Under Temporary Files click Delete.
  6. Click Close.
  7. From the browser main menu, click the Refresh button.

For Netscape 7.x:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click Edit in the main menu.
  3. Click Preferences.
  4. Double-click Advanced.
  5. Click Cache.
  6. Click Clear Cache and then OK after the Clear Cache dialog opens.
  7. Click OK again to close the Cache dialog.
  8. After clearing the cache, close and restart the browser.

For Netscape 8.x:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Select Tools from the main menu.
  3. Select Options.
  4. Click the Privacy button under Security and Privacy.
  5. Click the Clear button under Cache.

For Firefox 1.x:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Select Tools from the main menu.
  3. Select Options.
  4. Click the Privacy icon.
  5. Click the Cache tab.
  6. Click the Clear Cache Now button.
  7. From the browser main menu, click the Reload Current Page button.

For Firefox 2.x:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Select Tools from the main menu.
  3. Select Options.
  4. Click the Privacy icon.
  5. Click the Clear Now button under Private Data.
  6. Check the "Cache" check box.
  7. Click the Clear Private Data Now button.
  8. Click OK on the Options dialog.
  9. From the browser main menu, click the Reload Current Page button.

For Firefox 2.x for Macintosh:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Select Firefox from the main menu.
  3. Select Preferences.
  4. Click the Privacy icon.
  5. Click the Clear Now button under Private Data.

For Camino:

  1. Open the browser.
  2. Click Camino in the main menu.
  3. Click Preferences.
  4. Click the Navigation Icon.
  5. Click the History Tab.
  6. Click the Clear Disk Cache button under Disk Cache.
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