Web browser has user pushing invisible buttons

By Anne Krishnan

Q. I have the persistent problem of invisible buttons on several Web sites. For example, on Amazon there should be a button for “single-click ordering.” One has to open the feature by signing in, but it never appears. By trial and error, I found the blank space on the site where it should be. When I click on this blank spot, it works. This crazy behavior is present on several different sites.

A. There are several possible remedies, say the folks at Atlantic BT, a Raleigh, N.C., Web development company.

Start by looking into your browser’s font options, said James Costello, who works in technical support for the firm. Open a Firefox browser and click on the “Tools” menu. Select “Options” and then the “Content” tab.

Under the “Fonts & Colors” heading, click the “Advanced” button.

Make sure the “Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above” box is checked, and click “OK.”

Now click on the “Colors” button under the “Fonts & Colors” heading. Check the box associated with “Allow pages to choose their own fonts, instead of my selections above” box. Click “OK” and “OK” again.

Finally, restart Firefox.

If this doesn’t work, it’s likely a cache issue or JavaScript issue.

Atlantic BT Web designer Andrew Bartlett advises you to upload your browser to the most recent version, and then clear your cache by opening Firefox and clicking on “Tools,” then “Clear Private Data.”

Make sure the “Cache” checkbox is checked (uncheck the other boxes if you don’t want to lose them) and click “Clear private data now.”

To make sure JavaScript is enabled, go to “Tools,” “Options” and the “Content” tab. Make sure “Enable JavaScript” is checked and click “OK.” Restart Firefox.

If all else fails, Bartlett suggests you try installing and running an ad/spyware program such as Lavasoft’s Adaware, which has a free version. Or you could always consider just reinstalling Firefox, which is “super easy,” he said.

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2009, The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.).