Thanks to pop culture, it is well known that one of the best steps when trying to solve a computer problem is ‘turn it off and on again’. But what about when there is a problem with the web? Unfortunately for the sufferer, but fortunately for everyone else, there is no restart button for the internet. So what is the quick problem solving step for web pages that aren’t loading the way they should? SHIFT + REFRESH

To understand this, we need a basic idea of what web caching is and what it does. Web caching takes data from a web site the first time it is accessed and stores it locally on your computer. Your browser does this automatically for data that would not be changing on the web page, like the files that dictate the pages style and files that detail what happens when a button is pressed, etc. This is usually beneficial, as it dramatically reduces the time it takes to load a web page, in turn saving resources like bandwidth. However occasionally, bad data will be cached, or the browser will load old data from the cache even though the page has been updated. If this happens you may find problems on the web site like missing formatting or links not going anywhere.

The solution is to hold shift and click the refresh icon in your browser, or alternatively use the following shortcuts:

Windows
CTRL + SHIFT + R
CTRL + F5

Mac
CMD + SHIFT + R

**Does not work for the browser safari

This is essentially a quick way of clearing the cache, but only for the web page you are currently on. You can also clear everything manually in the browser settings or preferences. Sadly this is not the be-all and end-all solution to internet problems and if this doesn’t help, then continue diagnosing your connection as you normally would, but always remember this quick first step you should take if a web page is not working as it should.. SHIFT + REFRESH