We offer a number of resources to help you solve any problems you might encounter when using OmniWeb. It's always a good thing to read the Known Issues, FAQ, and Release Notes, and be familiar with what the documentation covers before sending mail to either the OmniWeb-Users list or our support technicians.

This is an incomplete list meant to cover the most commonly reported issues in the current version of OmniWeb 5.

• Some content on pages with frames may not load completely. Our 5.7 sneaky peeks fix this problem.
• The rating systems on Netflix does not currently work with OmniWeb.
• JavaScript print links do not currently work
• SpeedDownload Plug-in: OmniWeb may display a blank page after sending or instead of sending a download. A slowdown in performance may also appear after initiating a download through the plug-in--though dragging to the main Speed download window should work fine.
• Link colors will only be derived from the page color settings if "Override page styles" is enabled.
• Plug-in content will continue to play in inactive workspaces.
• Plug-in content won't download in background tabs.

Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions about OmniWeb culled by our Support Team from the volumes of mail we receive. If you don't see your question here please feel free to ask our Support Ninjas. You may also want to check the forums to see if your question has been answered there.

• I'm still using Panther as my operating system. Is there a version of OmniWeb that I can use?
• Why do links I drag to the Finder from OmniWeb open in another browser when I click them, and what can I do about it?
• I have a license for OmniWeb, but I occasionally still get the "Unlicensed" banners popping up. Why is that?
• When I download a file it does not automatically open in another application or in the application I would like to have open it. Why might this be?
• Does OmniWeb support 128 bit encryption?
• Where are my bookmarks stored?
• Is there any way to import my old bookmarks from IE or Netscape?
• How do I get OmniWeb to remember my browser window size and position?
• The OmniWeb icon in my Dock suddenly has a green zap icon overlayed with a number next to it. What is this? Why won't it go away?
• Form AutoFill isn't working as I expect; what's going on?
• Why are some images on some pages not being loaded?

I'm still using Panther as my operating system. Is there a version of OmniWeb that I can use?

The last version that supported 10.3.9 and 10.2.8 was OmniWeb 5.1.3 and is available in our archives here.

Last Updated on June 27, 2007

Why do links I drag to the Finder from OmniWeb open in another browser when I click them, and what can I do about it?

Links you drag to Finder or your desktop from OmniWeb create files that end with a .webloc extension and will open in the default web browser for your system. The default browser can be set using OmniWeb. In the General preferences pane select OmniWeb in the popup list to set it as your default browser.

Last Updated on August 12, 2004

I have a license for OmniWeb, but I occasionally still get the "Unlicensed" banners popping up. Why is that?

Generally, when this occurs the reason is that there are more machines on the network that are running OmniWeb with a given license code than that code supports. So, if you've purchased a one-seat license, and you have OmniWeb installed on your laptop and your desktop machine, whichever copy of OmniWeb starts up second is going to run unlicensed.

For more information on this subject, you can visit our Licensing Page.

Last Updated on August 6, 2003

When I download a file it does not automatically open in another application or in the application I would like to have open it. Why might this be?

First of all, the file type that you want to have opened when OmniWeb completes downloading it needs to be assigned to the correct application at the system level. To do this, in Finder select an existing file of this type and then choose Get Info from the File menu.

In the resulting Info window, choose Open with Application. In this pane, select the application you would like to have open the file either by choosing it from the list in the drop down menu or by choosing the Other... item in the menu and navigating to the application in the resulting file selection dialog. Once you have the proper application selected, click the Change All... button so that this change affects all files with the same extension or type/creator.

Finally, in order for OmniWeb to automatically open a file when it completes downloading, it's associated application needs to be in OmniWeb's list of applications that it considers safe to launch when a download is complete. You can view and edit this list in OmniWeb's Downloads preferences.

Last Updated on August 12, 2004

Does OmniWeb support 128 bit encryption?

OmniWeb fully supports 128-bit SSL encryption for secure online transactions like shopping and banking.

Last Updated on August 11, 2003

Where are my bookmarks stored?

OmniWeb writes its supporting files like bookmarks, history, workspaces, and cookies in the following location within your home folder: <~/Library/Application Support/OmniWeb 5/>. There are three primary bookmarks files: Bookmarks.html, Favorites.html and Published.html (your shared bookmarks). If you are using bookmark synchronization, then these files will appear in a subfolder called ServerBookmarks.

Last Updated on August 12, 2004

Is there any way to import my old bookmarks from IE or Netscape?

Simply choose Import Bookmarks... in the Bookmarks menu and then either select a browser from the menu or choose Other... and select a bookmarks file.

The Bookmarks do not need to be in view when doing this.

Last Updated on August 12, 2004

How do I get OmniWeb to remember my browser window size and position?

OmniWeb automatically determines a default window size based on your screen size, but if you prefer a different size and location for new windows just set up a window with the size and position that you like and then choose Save Window Size from the Window menu. This ensures new windows are always as you'd like them whereas with other browsers JavaScript popup windows can affect the size of new windows.

Last Updated on August 12, 2004

The OmniWeb icon in my Dock suddenly has a green zap icon overlayed with a number next to it. What is this? Why won't it go away?

This indicates that you have bookmarks that have been updated since you last visited the site. You can read all about bookmark change checking in OmniWeb's help files (accessible under the Help menu). If you have a bookmark that will not mark itself as read even though you have just visited the site it may be because the URL that the bookmark points to is redirected to a different location. You will have to point the bookmark at the redirected location in order for the change checking feature to work correctly.

Last Updated on August 6, 2003

Form AutoFill isn't working as I expect; what's going on?

What's most likely going on is this: the field names you see in the left hand side of the Forms AutoFill preferences panel must exactly match the ones that the web developer used internally when constructing the form in HTML; for instance - what you've entered for "First Name" won't be sent to the server if the page developer called that form field "fname" in his code.

What does this mean? At least in the beginning, you still need to fill forms out by hand. But, if you make a habit of clicking Save Form for AutoFill on forms before you submit them, before too long, you'll notice that the AutoFill Form command is getting more and more useful. The secret of forms AutoFill is that it gets more effective the more you use it.

Last Updated on August 6, 2003

Why are some images on some pages not being loaded?

You will want to make sure that you have images set to automatically load with the page using the Appearance preferences. When you are not loading images, the areas where the images should be will just have a simple placeholder that does not update when you mouse over it. Otherwise, you might also want to check your Ad Blocking preferences. Blocked images have a slightly different placeholder and will display a blocked ad banner when you mouse over them.

Last Updated on August 12, 2004

OmniWeb's online reference manual is available under its Help menu.

The boxed version of OmniWeb also comes with a friendly little printed user guide, so you could always give the manual that came with it a read to see if it helps you with your question. Due to high demand, and because we love you all so very much, we have posted a downloadable PDF version of this same manual so that even if you didn't buy OmniWeb in a box – even if you didn't buy OmniWeb at all – you can still enjoy this wonderful companion to our browser! Just visit our download page to get your copy!

If your question isn't answered on the FAQ, in our Help files, or listed in our Known Issues section, our OmniWeb users' Forum and mailing list is the fastest way to get help — in addition to Omni's support engineers, there are many knowledgeable users participating in the forums and on the list, so questions are often answered within hours. You have to register on our forums or subscribe to the list to ask a question, but you can always unsubscribe from the list once your curiosity is quenched and our forums send very little email by default once registered.

Here are some general steps you can take to help troubleshoot the problem that you are having:

1. To see if your particular preference settings are behind a problem, quit OmniWeb and then set aside your preferences file which is located here:
   

   ~/Library/Preferences/com.omnigroup.OmniWeb5.plist
(~ refers to your home folder)

   Your Desktop is a good place to move it to. Once that file has been moved to a new location, start OmniWeb again and see if your problem still exists. If not, then it's likely that the problem is being caused by one of your preference settings.

2. OmniWeb writes its support files for Bookmarks, History, and Cookies to the following directory:
   

   ~/Library/Application Support/OmniWeb 5/

   You can try setting this folder aside (again your Desktop is a good place to move it to). Then relaunch OmniWeb and see if your issue still exists.

3. If you are experiencing frequent crashes be sure to send in all of your crash reports. It's also very helpful if you can find a way to reproduce the problem. If you can consistently crash by performing a particular action or series of actions then please send us email according to the guidelines below.

Guidelines for Good Bug Reporting

If you've tried following the troubleshooting procedures above and still need our assistance, please help us address your email message more quickly by providing the following information with your report:

• The version of Mac OS X that you are running, as well as any updates that have been applied (such as Security or Java updates).
• The version of OmniWeb that you are using if you did not use 'Send Feedback...' to generate your message. This can be found by choosing 'About OmniWeb...' from the OmniWeb menu.
• A good description of the problem you are seeing – what happens versus what you'd expect to have happen or what happened in previous version of the software, or what happens in other browsers.
• Make note of any third-party 'haxies' that you have installed. Some examples are Fruit Menu and Window Shade X, or contextual menu enhancements such as those provided with applications like FileXaminer and Xray.
• It may also be useful to note any Internet-related utilities you have installed such as Norton Internet Security, or any other network-related details that you think might be helpful (firewalls, connection type, proxy server, etc.)
• When describing cosmetic issues or anything else visual it can help if you include a screenshot that shows what you are seeing. You can use command-shift-3 to take a screenshot. The file should appear on your desktop and you can attach it to the email you send us.

Licensed user?

Users who have purchased an OmniWeb license can ask questions of our support engineers directly by using OmniWeb's "Send Feedback..." menu option under the Help menu. These messages are given priority over questions from users who haven't licensed OmniWeb and we try to get back to you within a day or two. License OmniWeb today, if you haven't already!

Unlicensed user?

Unlicensed users can also use the "Send Feedback..." function under OmniWeb's Help menu to easily submit a bug report, feature request, or question regarding OmniWeb. Please understand however that we must give priority support to those users who have purchased a license for OmniWeb so we may not be able to respond to your message immediately.

You can also send us mail at omniweb@omnigroup.com, but this doesn't flag your message with your license code if you've purchased OmniWeb.