Help Downloading Files (PDF, Audio/Video)

Check the file extension for the file you are trying to download.  If it contains an "x" (.pptx or .docx), then you will need Microsoft Office 2007 to open the file.  If you do not have that version, you will need to download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats.

Playing videos

Adobe Flash is the underlying technology that makes our videos play and you need to have the newest version installed on your computer. You will also need to have javascript enabled on your browser to load the player. On most computers, Flash automatically upgrades itself to the latest version, but that doesn't always work. Sometimes broken Flash installations can cause problems, like totally black or white videos. If you're having trouble, removing and re-installing Flash will often help. We always recommend running the Flash remover first, since it's possible to have multiple copies of Flash installed, which can cause conflicts.

Video playback is poor (video stops and starts)

Video stuttering is annoying, and there are many possible reasons why you may be experiencing poor video playback. Videos requires a better than average internet connection and computer processor, so if you have a slow connection or older computer, you may experience issues. If not, here are a few things you can try:

1. Make sure you have the latest version of Flash running on your computer. 
2. Please turn off any other programs, virus protection, ad block, or energy saving settings as they may interfere with video playback.
3. Try closing other browser taps if you have many opened.
4. Try another browser (some of the more popular browsers are Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari) and see if that helps.

If an audio or video link doesn’t play, it usually means that you lack the correct “player” software. If you already have a multimedia player, it may be out of date. Common players are RealNetworks’ RealPlayer, Microsoft’s Windows Media Player, and Apple’s Quicktime Player. To download and install one or the other of these players, go to the player website and follow the instructions provided by the vendor:

• To install or upgrade RealPlayer, go to Real website and look for the “Download RealPlayer” option. RealNetworks also sells a Premium Player, but any of our RealPlayer content will work on the free player.
• To install or upgrade Windows Media Player, go to Microsoft’s Windows Media Player page and look for the “download” option.
• To install or upgrade Quicktime Player, go to Apple’s Quicktime Player page and look for the “download” option.

This site offers a number of word-processed files for downloading, along with occasional slide shows. Many of these appear in conjunction with the annual convention, when speakers make their handouts and presentation materials available online. These materials are prepared by the speakers themselves, who select the formats they prefer. We do not modify these materials and so cannot make these files available in any “universal” format.

To access such documents, you will need to have appropriate software on your computer. In the case of word-processed documents, we do try to use “RTF” (“rich text format”), which can be read by almost all text editors and word-processing packages. On occasion, however, we must use documents prepared in a proprietary format such as Microsoft Word. In these cases, you will need software able to open these files.

Almost all slide shows are prepared in Microsoft PowerPoint. To view them, you will need to have software on your computer capable of opening these files.

You can usually fix PDF printing problems by obtaining and installing the most recent print driver available for your particular printer. Most printer manufacturers, such as Hewlett Packard, provide free printer driver updates from their Web sites.

For more detailed information about PDF files, Adobe Reader, and related issues, visit the Adobe Reader technical support page.

If you cannot load PDFs in your browser you probably need to install or upgrade Adobe Reader. Go to Adobe’s Adobe Reader page and follow the instructions there for downloading and installing the software.