Frequently Asked Questions

Click on a question to go to the response.

1. What is OnTrack?
2. Which browsers can I use with OnTrack?
3. How do I print a form using my browser?
4. Does OnTrack leave a "cookie" on my desktop to support its navigation?
5. I am getting slow response to my OnTrack queries. What is the problem?

1. What is OnTrack?
OnTrack is a Web interface that allows you to access information contained in the administrative database used by your institution. The application system that creates this database, Colleague or Benefactor, is the product of Datatel Inc. of Fairfax, Virginia. OnTrack, also a product of Datatel, consists of the forms and supporting infrastructure to extract and deliver information from this database to your desktop browser. Your institution may rename the forms and tailor them to be harmonious with the colors, fonts, and organization of your institution?s existing Web site. Your institution may also intersperse the OnTrack forms with other forms created at your institution to provide a complete Web presence that achieves its functional and strategic goals. All of the forms and infrastructure comprising OnTrack are the product of, and are supported by Datatel. The terms and restrictions of use may be found by clicking on the "Powered by Datatel" icon found on the Login page.

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2. Which browsers can I use with OnTrack?
OnTrack will operate effectively with the Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer browsers on PCs or Macintoshes. For best results the browsers should be Release 4.x level or later. While Internet Explorer Release 4.x functions satisfactorily on Macintosh platforms, you will achieve a more aesthetic appearance with Release 5. OnTrack has been installed on other platforms, such as X Windows, but it has not been rigorously tested on these platforms and the results may be problematical.

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3. How do I print a form using my browser?
For PC Users - You can print a form by clicking the Print icon on the Toolbar of your browser. Alternately, you can click File, and then click Print in the drop-down menu. Then click OK in the displayed Print dialog box. The document will be printed on the printer indicated in the text field Name in the Print dialog box. You can change the destination printer by selecting another printer in the Name drop-down list box and then click OK. Some of the forms will be more legible if you print them using Landscape mode. To print a form in Landscape mode, click File, then click Print, and then click Properties in the Printer dialog box. A Document Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Page Setup tab and then the Landscape radio button in the Orientation section of the dialog box. Click OK to set the Landscape mode and OK once more to cause the form to print. After the form has printed you might want to reset your system back to Portrait mode by following the same procedure you used to set Landscape mode.

For Macintosh Users - You can print a form by clicking the Print icon on the Toolbar of your browser and then click Print in the pop-up dialog box. Alternately, you can click File, and then click Print in the pop-up dialog box. The document will be printed on the printer indicated at the top of the pop-up dialog box. You can change the destination printer by clicking on the Apple icon in the upper left-hand corner of the window and then clicking Chooser in the drop-down menu. The Chooser dialog box will display a graphic of all the printers set up for your Macintosh. Select the new printer by clicking on the appropriate icon and then close the dialog box by clicking the upper left corner of the box. Some of the forms will be more legible if you print them using Landscape mode. To print a form in Landscape mode, click File and then Page Setup in the drop-down menu. Click the Orientation icon to change the printer setting from Portrait to Landscape mode. The accompanying graphic will illustrate that you made the change. Click OK to enable the setting and print the form using the instructions presented previously.

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4. Does OnTrack leave a "cookie" on my desktop to support its navigation?
OnTrack puts a session cookie on your desktop when you log into the system. When you close your browser, the cookie is erased.

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5. I am getting slow response to my OnTrack queries. What is the problem?
There are a number of conditions that might affect your response time in OnTrack. Often an increase in the response time is related to traffic over the communication lines. Depending upon your location, OnTrack uses your campus Intranet, the Internet or both. The number of users on any portion of those systems will often slow the response time for everyone. Downloading large files via your institution's communications lines will drastically increase response time for all other users on the system. High levels of OnTrack use by other members of your institution also affect your response time. This is caused not only by increased user traffic, but also by the additional processing required of the institution's host machine to respond to OnTrack queries. An example of a high-use time period would be during your institution's Web registration period. You may also experience slower performance during peak usage periods for your Internet Service Provider (ISP). You should notify your IT staff if you continue to experience poor performance during non-peak usage periods.

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