What are the minimum system requirements for using Morningstar.com?

Browsers

Morningstar officially supports Internet Explorer 5 and above and America Online version 6 and above. To check what operating system you have, click on Start, then My Computer, then go to Properties. You should see a General tab that will display your operating system and most current service pack.

While we don't officially support Netscape, Firefox or Safari, we have found that most of the site functions well in these browsers.

Operating Systems

We support Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP with Service Pack 2.

Connection Speed

A 56.6 kbps modem connection is the minimum required for nominal page load times on the site.

Computer RAM

Your computer should have at least 128MB of RAM or greater. To check how much you have, click on Start, then My Computer, then go to Properties. You should see a General tab that will display how much RAM your machine has.

Monitor Resolution

For optimal viewing, your screen resolution should be set at 1024 by 768 pixels. To check or change your screen resolution, right-click on an empty place on your desktop, to open the Display Properties window. Click on the Settings tab. Then view or move the slider.

Monitor Size

In order to view the pages correctly, you should have at least a 256-color 15" monitor.

How do I figure out what browser version I’m using?

To find your browser version, follow these steps:

For Internet Explorer:

1. Go to the top bar and click on the Help tab.
2. Next, click on the About Internet Explorer tab.
3. The screen you see will display your browser version.

How do I clear my cache?

To optimize your site experience, it is recommended that you periodically clear your cache. Following find instructions on how to clear cache for both AOL as well as Internet Explorer.

To clear cache in AOL, please follow these steps:

1. Open your AOL browser.
2. Click on the Settings Icon (check mark.)
3. Under the Essentials tab, Choose Internet [Web} Options.
4. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Files.
5. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Settings. Make sure that "Check for newer store pages" is set to Automatically.
6. Under History, click on Clear History.
7. Click OK.
8. Restart your browser.

If you are using an Internet Explorer browser, please follow these instructions to clear your cache:

1. Open your Internet Explorer browser.
2. Click on Tools.
3. Choose Internet Options.
4. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Files.
5. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Settings. Make sure that "Check for newer store pages" is set to Automatically.
6. Under History, click on Clear History.
7. Click OK.
8. Restart your browser

Do I need to use cookies to use Morningstar.com?

Your browser must be set to accept "cookies" in order to log in and navigate through Morningstar.com. Cookies, as you may know, are pieces of identifying information created by the site and temporarily stored on your hard drive.

If your browser is set to not accept cookies, you will unfortunately continue to experience problems logging in and navigating through the site.

Depending on what browser you have the choice of enabling cookies is usually located under an Internet Options or Preferences tab. To enable cookies or check to see if they are enabled, please use the following steps:

For Internet Explorer 5.5 or lower:

1. Click on Tools.
2. Choose Internet Options.
3. Click on the Security tab.
4. Click on Custom Level.
5. Enable all Cookies options.

For Internet Explorer 6.0:

1. Click on Tools.
2. Choose Internet Options.
3. Click on Privacy tab.
4. Click on Advanced.
5. Check the over-ride box.
6. Enable Cookies.
7. Click on Always allow session cookies.

For AOL 9.0:

1. Click on the Settings Icon (check mark icon.)
2. Click on the Essentials tab in the Pop-up box that appears.
3. Click on the Internet [Web] options box.
4. Click on Privacy tab at the top of the box.
5. Click on Advanced.
6. Check the over-ride box.
7. Enable Cookies.
8. Click on Always allow session cookies.

Here is a link to our Privacy Policy, which contains additional information about the use of cookies on the site:

How do I enable Java on my browser?

Please make sure you have Java and JavaScript enabled when using Morningstar.com.

If you are using Internet Explorer, please follow the steps below to enable Java:

1. Click on Tools.
2. Choose Internet Options.
3. Click on the Advanced tab.
4. Scroll down to Microsoft VM and enable all Java options.
5. Click on the Security tab.
6. Click on Custom level.
7. Enable all Scripting options.

Why do I keep getting a popup for Macromedia Flash?

The reason that you are receiving this pop up is that there are areas of Morningstar.com that require the most recent version of Macromedia Flash to be installed on your computer in order to view them. Unfortunately, the only way to eliminate this pop up is to download the program. The download is available for free via the link below.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Why can’t I scroll up or down on the webpage?

In order to resolve this issue, it may be necessary to clear your cache. Here are the steps to take for both Internet Explorer and AOL.

To do this in AOL, please follow these steps:

1. Open your AOL browser.
2. Click on the Settings Icon (check mark.)
3. Under the Essentials tab, Choose Internet [Web} Options.
4. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Files.
5. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Settings. Make sure that "Check for newer store pages" is set to Automatically.
6. Under History, click on Clear History.
7. Click OK.
8. Restart your browser.

If you are using an Internet Explorer browser, please follow these instructions to clear your cache:

1. Open your Internet Explorer browser.
2. Click on Tools.
3. Choose Internet Options.
4. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Delete Files.
5. Under Temporary Internet Files, click on Settings. Make sure that "Check for newer store pages" is set to Automatically.
6. Under History, click on Clear History.
7. Click OK.
8. Restart your browser.

In addition, if you are accessing the site via a bookmark, please be sure you use the home page in setting your bookmark. This address is http://www.morningstar.com.