If you cannot login to Java Chat or Flash Chat, please check the following information before contacting us.

For JAVA CHAT problems:

1. Check to see that you have the latest Sun Java, installed on your browser. Sun Java is true Java and it will correct most any chat related problems you may experience. Sun Java is free and easy to get. Microsoft Internet explorer uses Active X, which is not true Java. Downloading and installing Sun Java should correct any problems you are experiencing.

2. Check to make sure you do not have a Firewall blocking access to BummerChat.com.

Our dedicated chat servers must be able to talk to your computer during a chat session. In addition, Bummer Hosting servers also need to download a chat applet to your computer. So, if you can't get on our chat pages, a firewall may very well be blocking access to your computer! Please make sure your firewall is configured to allow www.BummerChat.com to talk to your computer.

3. If you are having problems logging into chat (especially the chat register login), using Internet Explorer (I. E.), you may need to configure your settings. Check the following settings on Internet Exporer (I.E.)

1) Open Internet Explorer

2) Go to "Tools", then "Internet Options"

3) When the little window pops up, click on the "Privacy" tab.

4) Move the setting to "Low", click "Apply" and "Ok".

5) You must click "Apply", or the setting will not stay.

The above steps should allow you and your chatters the ability to login to your chat (chat register login) with NO problems using Internet Explorer.

If you are using Mozilla or Mozilla Firefox, then you will notice you will NOT have any problems logging into the chat with a chat registration login.

~If you are still having problems...KEEP READING~

4. Your Internet browser may be corrupted. If you browse the internet using Microsoft I.E. (Internet Explorer), Mozilla, Netscape or Mozilla Firefox, and are experiencing problems logging into chat, your browser may be corrupted.

Most internet browsers will get partially corrupted over time. As a result, they may work fine on some Java chat rooms and not work on others. There may also be other browser functions that won't work either. As time goes, all internet browsers will slowly get worse. It's at this time, we recommend that you upgrade to the latest browser. Once you do, you'll find that surfing the internet will be faster. You may also find that you have a lot more surfing options than you did before!

The Bummer Hosting Chat Client is a Java applet which can be accessed with any Java 1.1 enabled browser, such as Netscape Communicator 4.08+ or Internet Explorer 4+. For the best experience we recommend that you upgrade to the latest browser version available. You can download the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Netscape or Mozilla Firefox here:

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Netscape Communicator

Mozilla

Mozilla Firefox

5. Make sure Java is enabled.

If you have downloaded and installed the latest version of Sun Java, #1 above, then make sure you have your Java enabled on your browser.

To enable java for Internet Explorer 4/x and up:

1. Click "Tools" --> "Internet Options"
2. Select the Advanced Tab, and scroll down to "Java (Sun)"
3. Check the box next to the "Use Java 2" version
4. Next, select the Security Tab, and select the "Custom Level" button
5. Scroll down to "Scripting of Java applets"
6. Make sure the "Enable" radio button is checked.
7. Click OK to save your preference.

To enable java for Mozilla Firefox 0.8 and up:

1. Start Mozilla Firefox browser or restart it if it is already running.
2. Select Tools > Options.
3. Dialog box: Options
4. Click Web Features > Select Enable Java

To enable java for Mozilla 1.x

1. From the menu bar, choose Edit --> Preferences
2. Select the Advanced category
3. Check the box labeled "Enable Java"
4. Click OK to save your preference.

To enable jave for Netscape 7.x

1. From the menu bar, choose Edit --> Preferences
2. Select the Advanced category
3. Check the box labeled "Enable Java"
4. Click OK to save your preference.

For more on JAVA CHAT problems and information, click here:

For FLASH CHAT Problems:

The Flash Chat login page contains the following items prior to entering the Flash chat page.

Nickname - This is the name that will be displayed in chat when you enter the chat room.

Profile URL - You can enter a web site that you want other chat users to see in chat and they can visit. This can be your personal web site or a favorite domain. When you're on the chat login page, select the Advanced Options link under the Join Chat button to add your web site URL.

Avatar URL - It is here that you can enter the web site address for a picture that will be displayed by your nickname in the chat room. The picture should be 80x80 pixels. When you're on the chat login page, select the Advanced Options link under the Join Chat button to add your avatar picture.

Participating in a chat room:
From the login page, click the Join Chat button to enter the chat page. In the chat room, the top left pane displays the current conversation, which is sometimes called a session. The right pane of the chat window displays a list of nicknames for the people that are currently on chat. Some of the nicknames may be displayed in different colors or formats:

* Red nicknames are administrators
* Orange nicknames are operators
* Black nicknames are regular chat users
* A nickname displayed with gray italics means that the user is away from the chat
* A gray nickname with a line through it means that you have blocked the user

You can type messages to other users In the pane at the bottom of the chat window. You can format the text in your messages by clicking one of the buttons on the toolbar. You can select the text to format and then click one of the buttons. Or, you can click the button and start typing to add text with the formatting that you selected.

Tip: You can create custom actions by using the /me {action} command, or by starting what you type with a : (colon) character.

Bold, Italic and Underline Buttons - Type your message text in a different font type. Press Ctrl+B, Ctrl+I or Ctrl+U on your keyboard to do this quickly.

Colors Button - Adds color to your message text. Click the button and select a shade on the Colors palette.

Emoticons button - Add small faces that show emotion to your messages. Click the button and choose a face that is sad, happy, embarrassed, and more. Emoticons are useful for conveying how you feel without typing any words. When you select a face on the Emoticons palette, a code appears in your message text. When you click the Send button to send the message text, the code is replaced with the emoticon that you selected.

Clear Chat Area button - This removes all previous text from the chat area. If you click this button, you cannot save the current conversation using the Save Chat button.

Save Chat Conversation - You are able to save the current conversation, or session, to your computer as a text file (.txt ) or web page (.html). This is useful if you want to read the conversation later or refer to information in the conversation. For example, you may use it to remember web addresses that were mentioned.

Change Room Button - This allows you to enter another room to chat with a different group of people.

Pause/Resume Auto-scroll Button - Stops or starts the scrolling in the chat conversation. Scrolling automatically advances the window as people send messages to the conversation. Pause makes the window stop so you can easily read the conversation.

Send Button - Click this button to send your message to the current chat conversation. You can also press the Enter key on your keyboard.

I am Available/I Am Away Button - Click this button to display a message that lets others know you are available to chat. Click the button again to let them know that you are away from your computer or that you do not want to chat. You can still read the conversation while you are away.

Interacting With Other Users:
You can click on the name of a chatter to display a menu with the following commands:

Whisper - Select Whisper to send a quick private message without leaving the group chat tab. You can also double-click a name.

Private Chat - This command starts a private chat with the person whose name you selected. Private chats open in tabs in your browser. The group chat is always the first tab on the left. To select a private chat, click the corresponding tab at the bottom of the chat area.

Tip: To navigate through the tabs quickly, you can press the following keys on your keyboard:
* Alt+Left arrow
* Alt+Right arrow

You can also display different tabs by pressing Alt+0, Alt+1, and so forth.

When new messages appear in a chat, a balloon appears on the chat tab. When another user is typing, a pencil appears on the chat tab. To close a chat, click the close button on the tab.

View Profile - Displays the web page for the profile of the user whose nickname you clicked. You can setup your profile website on the Bummer Hosting Flash Chat login page by clicking the Advanced Options link.

Block User - Allows you to ignore the user whose nickname you clicked. The nickname appears in plain text with a line through it. When you block a user, you cannot see messages from that person. If you want to resume viewing messages from someone you blocked, click their nickname and select the Unblock User command on the menu.

Main Toolbar:
In the top right corner of the chat area, you can click one of four buttons to switch rooms, modify the chat settings, display the Help, or close your Bummer Hosting Flash chat session.

Door Button: Rooms (if equiped) - Opens the Rooms dialog which allows you to switch rooms or to create a new room.

Gear Button: Settings - Allows you to set options for the following items:

* Chat area avatars, fonts, colors, and emoticons
* Options for showing people leaving, private messages, and using large fonts
* Showing avatars
* Sorting participants in the right pane by alphabetical order or by status
* Alert sounds for people joining, public messages, and private messages

Tip: To read the chat text more easily, clear the Show Custom Fonts and Colors check box. You can also select the Use Large Fonts check box.

Question Mark Button: Help - Displays a help dialog with information about commonly used functionality.

Red Button: Exit - This closes the Bummer Hosting Solutions Flash chat page.

For more FLASH Chat related problems or questions, please check our Flash chat  Information page