The last few days my computer hasn't been able to load paperbackswap.com at home, so today I trucked down to the library to check, and behold, it works just fine here.  I'm not very computer literate, what is going on here, what can I do to fix this?  All of my other favorite websites seem to come up just fine, it's only paperbackswap that was very slow/not loading.  Help - I really starting going into withdrawals! :)

Lisa - This may be an issue with your browser...I'll assume you have Internet Explorer as your browser because PBS usually doesn't have as many problems with Firefox (which is the browser the Team recommends using with PBS...you can download it for free.) But anyways, you can try one of these things:

Clear your Browser Cache
To clear the cache in Internet Explorer:

• Click the 'Tools' menu at the top of your browser, and select 'Internet Options'.
• Click the 'General' tab at the top of the dialogue box.
• Click 'Delete Files' under 'Temporary Internet files'.
• Select 'Delete all offline content' by checking the box.
• Click 'OK'.  

Check the version of your browser:

If you are using IE6, you need to upgrade. IE version 6 is outdated and very, very buggy.  You will probably have trouble logging in, navigating parts of the site, and using buttons on the site.  You can upgrade at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/

Definitely try another browser.  That's what I try when I have problems with a site.  Firefox is excellent and what I use most of the time.  When that doesn't work, I try Chrome.  IE is my last option and I don't have to use it often.

I don't know how to help you.  But I hope the others solutions work.

The withdrawl pangs definately empathize with those.

Hope you are able to fix it really soon.

I've never used IE on PBS.  Shortly before I found PBS, IE was making headlines for a major security problem and Microsoft was saying it would take at least 3 months to patch IE.  News and computer websites I trust were all saying to switch to Firefox, which I did, and I've never gone back.  PBS works great on Firefox.

I posted the message below for someone else last week and she said it solved her problem, so you might try this as well. She was using IE, so some of this is specific to that browser.

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We might be able to give more info if you tell us exactly what you mean by "can't get PBS to load". Do you get part of the page, or a "server not found" message, or something else? Open IE, go to Tools / Internet Options / Advanced, and uncheck "Show friendly HTTP error messages". Close all your browser windows and then try again. The message you see in your browser window after doing that is the one you should give us.

If your computer is unable to find the PBS servers, then you may have a problem with your routing tables (your ISP may have made a change on their end that didn't get propagated to you correctly). Shut down your computer, router, and cable or DSL modem in that order, then restart them all in the opposite order, waiting for each one to start completely before restarting the next one. This may also solve the problem if you're seeing only part of the page.

You can also try the classic trick of clearing your browser cache. Use the Tools / Delete Browsing Histroy menu to do that. Uncheck "Preserve Favorites website data" and check "Temporary Internet Files". You can do whatever you like with the other options on that screen. You probably don't have to delete cookies to solve this issue.

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If using IE, something else to try is add a cookie. On the menu bar choose Tools, Internet Options, click on the Privacy tab and then the Sites button. Type in paperbackswap.com and click Allow. The address will drop to the lower window as allowed. Click OK to exit options.

I had problems with IE and moved to Firefox.  If that isn't an option or you prefer IE, follow D.G's process. I would also make sure your computer is updated to the latest window patches/service packs, if you are running Windows XP... make sure you are using SP3 (SP2 is no longer supported), and run your virus and spyware scans.

If you are using a MAC, then safari has known issues with the site.

If you have a wireless connection and swithcing browsers dosen't help try resetting your router.  I had this problem about a year ago where just one website on my internet connect wasn't loading no matter what brower I used, cache cleared, updates, etc.  After 2 hours on the phone with Comcast they told me frequently visited websites can sometimes get "stuck" in your wireless router and then won't load.  I reset the router and it solved the problem. 

Anyway, not sure if this would apply in your situation, but for what it's worth.  :)

Thanks for all the responses, I just had a chance to check in at the library...I use Firefox, but I haven't been able to load Paperback Swap in IE either.  When I go to PBS, the front page comes up, then if I try to log in or go anywhere else on the PBS site, it just loads and loads infinitely. 

Thanks for all the tips, I wrote them down and will try them out at home.  Hope something works!  Thanks so much!