Browser Requirements/Monitor Settings

The City of Arlington web site is optimized to work best with Internet Explorer 5 or above, we assume full-screen browser use on a 1024x768 display with 16-bit and above color depth. If your settings are below 1024x768, you may encounter additional scroll bars. It is also assumed that JavaScript is turned on and that cookies are enabled.

Streaming Media Requirements

Streaming Media requires Microsoft's Windows Media Player 7.1 or higher.  Please download and install the latest version of Windows Media Player that matches your operating system.

If you are using Netscape, you may be asked to download a plug-in for the Windows Media Player.

Plug-in Requirements

PDF files

In order to view certain documents on the City of Arlington web site, you will need a program called Acrobat Reader. This program installs a "plug-in" into your browser's plug-in folder so that your browser will automatically open up PDF (Portable Document Format) documents for you to view and/or print. To test if you already have the Acrobat Reader plug-in installed on your computer, click on the sample PDF document below:

The Public Information Act

If the above sample PDF document opened, you are ready for an optimized browsing of the City of Arlington web site. If it did not open, it is likely that you do not have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. A free copy of Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from Adobe's web site. If you already have Adobe Acrobat installed, please verify that you have version 4.0 or 5.0. Older versions may have some problems opening newer documents. Just click the "Get Acrobat Reader" button below and follow the instructions on Adobe's web site to download Acrobat Reader's installation program to your computer.  Then, double-click on the installation program icon to install Acrobat Reader onto your computer (which will include installing the Acrobat Reader plug-in into your web browser's plug-in folder). Once you have installed Acrobat Reader onto your computer, you can return to the City of Arlington web site and try to open the above sample PDF document again.

Flash/Shockwave files

Some features of the City of Arlington web site require you to have Flash 6 and Shockwave. Below are instructions for downloading these free plug-ins.

Flash for Internet Explorer
If you don't have the Flash Player plug-in installed on your computer or know you need an updated version and you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, follow these steps:

Click on the following link http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer/ to download the Macromedia Flash Player. At the Flash Player Download Center page click on the "Install Now" button. Depending on your security settings, you may see a Security Warning Dialog box. Click Yes to accept the Active X control. When you see the Macromedia Flash Player 6 Logo, the installation was successful.

Flash for Netscape
If you don't have the Flash Player plug-in installed on your computer or know you need an updated version and you use Netscape as your Web browser, follow these steps:

Click on the following link http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer/ to download the Macromedia Flash Player. At the Flash Player Download Center page click on the "Install Now" button. The "Save As..." dialog box will automatically open, prompting you to select a location on your computer where the file ("flashplayer6installer.exe") will be saved. A typical place to save files is on your C: drive or on your computer's desktop. To choose a different location, click the arrow next to "Save in" and select the drive and/or folder you prefer. Write down the location for later reference. Click "Save." Refer to the location you wrote down and locate the Flash Player file you just downloaded ("flashplayer6installer.exe"). If you saved the file to your Desktop, an Installer icon will appear. Double-click on it. Follow the instructions in the dialog boxes to install Flash Player as a plug-in for your web browser. Your Web browser will launch a new window. When you see the Macromedia Flash Player movie playing, the installation is successful.

Shockwave for Internet Explorer
If you don't have the Shockwave Player plug-in installed on your computer or know you need an updated version and you use Internet Explorer as your Web browser, follow these steps:

Click on the following link http://www.macromedia.com/downloads/ to download the Macromedia Shockwave Player download page. Click on the link "Macromedia Shockwave Player." At the Shockwave Player Download Center page click on the "Install Now" button. Depending on your security settings, you may see a Security Warning Dialog box. Click Yes to accept. When you see the Macromedia Shockwave Player movie playing on your screen, your installation was successful. The installation should take about 10 minutes on a 56K modem.

Shockwave for Netscape
If you don't have the Shockewave Player plug-in installed on your computer or know you need an updated version and you use Netscape as your Web browser, follow these steps:

Click on the following link http://www.macromedia.com/downloads/ to download the Macromedia Shockwave Player download page. Click on the link "Macromedia Shockwave Player." At the Shockwave Player Download Center page click on the "Install Now" button. The "Save As..." dialog box will automatically open, prompting you to select a location on your computer where the file ("Shockwave_Installer_Full.exe") will be saved. A typical place to save files is on your C: drive or on your computer's desktop. To choose a different location, click the arrow next to "Save in" and select the drive and/or folder you prefer. Write down the location for later reference. Click "Save."

Internet Connection Requirements

A persistent Internet connection, such as DSL, cable modem, or T1 line, is recommended, although most of the information on the site can be reached in a timely manner using a dial-up connection.

Limitations

Some features of the City of Arlington web site, such as drop down menus and scrolling text, may not function or display properly in other browsers or browser versions (such as Netscape 6.0). Though all the information can still be accessed in different ways.

How do I determine which browser I am using?

Windows 95/98/2000/XP: From your browser, go to the Help menu and choose "About...." A screen will appear showing which browser and version you are using.
Macintosh: From your browser, go to the Apple menu. Choose either "About Netscape" or "About Internet Explorer." A screen will appear showing which browser and version you are using.

If you would like to download the latest version of one of these browsers please click on one of the links below.