Help with downloads

We try to provide most of the articles in basic HTML which you can view in any browser. Sometimes we provide documents in other formats - to view these you will need extra software.

On some pages in the site you will see links to other files in a block to the right of the article text titled "Downloads". These files may be in proprietary formats & require you to install software in addition to your browser.

If you have Microsoft Office installed, then .doc, .rtf, .xls, and .ppt will open automatically inside Internet Explorer. In other browsers the files usually download to a temporary directory and then open with the relevant Office program.

If you do not have Microsoft Office you can download "viewers" for most products from the Microsoft Office web site - follow the link to "Microsoft Office Converters and Viewers"

PDF files require the Acrobat Reader which is installed with most browsers. If you have any problems follow the link to "Free download - Acrobat Reader" and download the most recent version of the reader software.

If the file appears to open only to display a blank screen or if Acrobat reports that the file is damaged, try using Ctrl+F5 on your (Windows PC) keyboard to refresh the display. Alternatively, try right clicking the download link and saving it somewhere on your disk then opening it from there.

Adobe have advice on how to overcome this problem on their web site - follow the links to "PDF pages don't appear in web browser window - Adobe Support Knowledgebase" for full instructions.

If you continue to have problems contact the web team reporting the address of the offending document.