Finding my UNI (University Network ID)
Every Columbia University student, faculty member, permanent staff
member, and alumnus has a unique identifier, consisting of two or three
letters, followed by a sequentially-generated number.
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Lost UNI or password
If you've lost your UNI or password, please visit the UNI information page
on the Alumni@Columbia Web site.
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Login not working
Your user ID and password are case sensitive. They must be typed exactly as you entered them at enrollment. If your login is still not working, please e-mail Customer Service at help@dkv.columbia.edu with your full name and the name of the site you are trying to access.
If you are an alumnus and your login is still not working,
visit the Help page on the Alumni@Columbia to request assistance.
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Digital certificate prompt
A digital certificate is a form of electronic identification for computer
services, such as Web servers or e-mail servers. Installing digital
certificates on your computer will allow you to set up "trusted"
connections with the network services you want to use. back to top
Description of an e-seminar
E-seminars are three- to five-hour learning experiences that provide in-depth, self-paced study. back to top
Using this site Watching Multimedia Tools
To view some of the interactive elements in this site, you will need the free Macromedia Flash Player, version 5 or later. Download the latest version and follow the downloading instructions. back to top
Printing screens or documents
Some screens in this site may have print buttons on them. If not, use the browser's "File" menu and select "Print." Alternatively, you may use Ctrl-P on the PC and Cmd-P on the Mac.
If the right-hand side of the page is being cut off, on a Mac you can reduce the print size or, on a PC or Mac, change the layout to "Landscape" following the directions below.
On the Mac: Reduce the print size
Select "Page Setup" option from the "File" menu
Click the "100%" next to the "Scaling" option. Change the setting to "90%."
On the PC: "Landscape" format
Select "Print" from the "File" menu.
If you use Internet Explorer, click on "Layout" and then select "Landscape." If you use Netscape, click on "Properties" and then select "Landscape."
Click "Print" (Internet Explorer) or "OK" twice (Netscape). These new print settings will remain until you close your browser.
Saving documents
To save a PDF, you may use Ctrl-S on the PC and Cmd-S on the Mac. Alternatively, use the browser's File menu to select Save. To save a web page or a transcript, you may use Ctrl-S on the PC and Cmd-S on the Mac. back to top
Using search
Search terms in lowercase will match words in any case; otherwise, an exact case match is used. If you want an exact case match, use uppercase; if you want a more general search that is case neutral, use lowercase. back to top
Viewing video
In order to view video you will need the free RealPlayer plug-in, version 7 or higher. To get the plug-in, download now, and look in the fine print for the "Free Player" link. Click on the link and follow the downloading instructions. Long download times (up to 30 minutes) may be expected on a 56K modem.
It is not necessary or recommended that you purchase the premium versions of the RealPlayer plug-in that are featured on the RealPlayer site.
Macintosh users browsing with Internet Explorer may experience errors when playing RealPlayer files. You may want to use Netscape 4.7 or higher instead.
Some users may be prompted for login. Please enter your user ID and password to hear the audio. RealNetworks is working to fix this bug. You may either enter your user ID and password each time to watch the video or disable the Real browser by following these directions.
Video bandwidth options
We offer video at two rates in order to accommodate users with
different connection speeds. If you are using a 56K modem, you'll need
to use the low bandwidth selection because the high is too large a stream for
56K modems to handle, causing hang-ups and stuttering.
If you do have a high-speed connection (Cable, DSL, T1) and
you are still having problems playing video on high, then it's possible that
your RealPlayer preferences are set to play only at lower speeds. Upon
installation, set RealPlayer for the type of connection you have and
adjust its preferences accordingly.
To easily change your settings, follow these steps:
RealOne Player
Launch the RealPlayer application.
From the menu, select "Tools" and then select "Preferences."
In the "Category" window, select the "Connection" tab.
From the pull-down menu titled "Normal Bandwidth," select the type of connection you are using.
Click "OK."
Close the RealPlayer application and try replaying the video in the e-seminar.
Note: Directions may vary slightly for Mac users.
Previous RealPlayer applications
Open the RealPlayer application.
From the menu, select "View," and then select "Preferences."
In the "Preferences" window, select the "Connection" tab.
From the pull-down menu titled "Normal Bandwidth," select the type of connection you are using.
Click "OK."
Close the RealPlayer application and try replaying the video in the e-seminar.
Note: Directions may vary slightly for Mac users.
Keep in mind that with streaming video there may be some interference which can cause some dropout. This is not related to connection speed, but rather may be due to high traffic over the internet, and is therefore unavoidable. back to top
Listening to audio
In order to hear audio, you will need the free RealPlayer plug-in. To get the plug-in, download now, and look in the fine print for the "Free Player" link. Click on the link and follow the downloading instructions. Long download times (up to half-hour) may be expected on a 56K modem.
Macintosh users browsing with Internet Explorer may experience errors when playing RealPlayer files. You may want to use Netscape 4.7 or higher instead.
Some users may be prompted for login. You may either enter your user ID and password each time to watch the video or disable the Real browser by following these directions.
If you have the RealPlayer plug-in and still cannot hear audio, make sure the volume of your computer is turned on. If it is and you can't hear anything, make sure you have a sound card and speakers. If you have a Mac, they're both built-in, but if you have a PC check your computer's documentation. Almost any computer built in the past five years has a sound card. If your machine has a sound card but no speakers, you can use a set of headphones from a Walkman or portable CD player—if your computer has a headphone plug-in port. You can find that port on your monitor or the back of your CPU. Note: The headphone jack on the front near CD-ROM drives only works for audio CDs. back to top
Viewing portable documents (PDFs)
Some excerpts are PDF files that require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in. Download now and follow the downloading instructions. back to top
Troubleshooting Making the text larger
The target resolution for this site is 800x600 pixels. To change your resolution on a PC, right-click on the desktop and choose "Properties." Then, select the "Settings" tab and change the "Screen Area" slider. To change your resolution on a Mac, select "Control Panels-Monitors" from the Apple menu. Change the selection for the "Resolution." back to top
Flickering bar at the top or bottom of video window
If you experience distortion, such as white flickering bars while viewing video, try the following:
Close the window in which the clip appears. Locate the RealPlayer application on your computer. Click on the icon to launch RealPlayer. In RealPlayer, select "Help" and choose "Check for Upgrade/Update" in the pull-down menu. A small window titled "AutoUpdate" will appear and check RealPlayer's site for updates.
Once "AutoUpdate" has queried RealPlayer's site, it should return with a menu of options. Select "Video Drivers Update" if it is an available option. If it is not an available option, you have the latest update and should proceed to the section below.
Click "OK."
"AutoUpdate" will download a small file and automatically install it onto your machine.
Attempt to play the video that was giving you trouble again. If it still does not display correctly, please proceed to the instructions below.
If "AutoUpdate" does not solve your problem:
Select the "View" menu and choose "Preferences" from the pull-down menu.
Click on the "Performance" tab from the list of menu items.
In the "Video card compatibility" section, deselect/uncheck "Use optimized video display."
Making a page load faster
Downloading files and viewing pages mostly depends on your modem's connection speed. You might want to try logging in when fewer people are online—such as late at night or early in the morning. Also, faster computers will be able to display and run applications quicker. If your machine seems to be having problems or you experience delays running Netscape 4.x or higher, you may want to download Internet Explorer 5.x/6.x (PC) or 5.x (Mac). As a general rule, Internet Explorer is less memory-intensive than Netscape. back to top
Strange colors while playing sample video
Your display adapter may only be capable of rendering 256 colors, or, more likely, your display's control panel is set to 256 colors. If that is the case, set your display's control panel to thousands/millions of colors (Mac: select "Monitors" or "Monitors & Sound") or high color/16 bit (PC: select "Display" or right-click on the desktop and choose "Properties") to correct the problem. You'll need to quit and relaunch your browser to reset the colors. If your video hardware is not capable of displaying more than 256 colors at your chosen resolution, the video will still work, but it may be oddly colored and/or look slightly fragmented. back to top
JavaScript error messages
Make sure that you are using one of the required browsers for this site. For PC: Netscape 4.7 or above or Internet Explorer 4 or above. For Macintosh: Netscape 4.7 or above or Internet Explorer 5 or above. If you are still getting this message, make sure JavaScript is enabled. With Internet Explorer, look in "Internet Options–Security" in the "Tools" menu and use the "Custom Level" option to enable active scripting. With Netscape, look in "Preferences" in the "Edit" Menu and use the "Advanced" option to enable JavaScript. back to top
Plug-in error messages
If you cannot view a video, slide show, interactive or PDF, you will receive a plug-in error. You will need to download the appropriate plug-in. Please select one of these to be taken to more detailed help information: RealPlayer Video, RealPlayer Audio, Flash Interactive, or Adobe Acrobat PDF. back to top
Broken link or site not found
While we make an effort to keep links to external sites up-to-date, they may change without our knowledge—or be temporarily offline. If you encounter a problem linking to an external site, please e-mail Customer Service at help@dkv.columbia.edu.
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RealOne login prompt
The most recent version of RealPlayer is equipped with its own browser which requires your user ID and password to play certain audio and video files. You may either enter your e-seminar user ID and password each time or disable the RealOne browser by following these directions to change your preferences:
Start the RealOne Player.
In the "Media Browser" window, select the menu "Tools" and the "Preferences" option.
Set "On Startup Display" pull-down menu to "Player only (no Media Browser)."
Browser and System Requirements System requirements
For IBM-Compatible PC Windows 95 or later. Windows XP users, please read this important information. 64 MB of RAM (128 or higher recommended) Monitor: 800x600 pixel resolution recommended Connection: Internet service and 56K modem minimum Browser: Internet Explorer 4 or above (Internet Explorer 5 strongly recommended) or Netscape 4.7 or above. Netscape 6 is not recommended, click here for more information. Sound Card (if you can hear audio you have a sound card) Plug-ins: RealPlayer 7 or later, Flash Player 5 or later, Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 or later
For Macintosh MAC OS 8.6 or higher 64 MB of RAM (128 or higher recommended) Monitor: 800x600 pixels resolution recommended Connection: Internet service and 56K modem minimum Browser: Internet Explorer 5 or above or Netscape 4.7 or above. Netscape 6 is not recommended, click here for more information. Sound Card (if you can hear audio you have a sound card) Plug-ins: RealPlayer 7 or later, Flash Player 5 or later, Adobe Acrobat Reader 5 or later back to top
We don't recommend Netscape 6 as it represents a major departure from previous Netscape browsers. As such, the web pages may not display as intended. These problems should not occur with earlier (e.g., Netscape 4.7) or later versions (e.g., Netscape 7 or above). back to top
Using Internet Explorer
The Internet Explorer browser is free. Download Internet Explorer 5.x/6.x (PC) or 5.x (Mac) and follow the simple download instructions. PC users, please be aware if you have a previous version of Internet Explorer, it will be overwritten if you download a later version. back to top
Using AOL
If you use AOL, you will need to use Netscape or Internet Explorer, not AOL's default, internal browser. Among other things, AOL's browser has known compatibility problems with Microsoft's new operating system, Windows XP.
After logging on to AOL, open Netscape or Internet Explorer in order to use this site. You may need to contact AOL to configure Netscape or Internet Explorer to work with AOL's proprietary software. Both Netscape and Explorer are free to download and use. In this scenario, you are connecting to the Internet with AOL's network but using Netscape or Internet Explorer to surf this site. You may prefer to use Internet Explorer 4.x and above because AOL's browser has the same look and feel. Just make sure you're still logged on to AOL. Do not log off when using Netscape or Internet Explorer. back to top
Using Safari
The Safari browser is a new browser for the Macintosh OS X platform. The web page you are viewing was not tested to work with this browser. If you experience problems viewing the site with Safari, please try a different browser. See the beginning of the "Browser and System Requirements" section for a list of supported browsers. back to top
Using Windows XP
Windows XP has known compatibility problems with several programs, including Microsoft's own Internet Explorer 6 and Outlook. Windows XP also doesn't work well with AOL 6, McAfee VirusScan (through 5.21), Symantec Norton AntiVirus 2001, and Quicktime 5. It's impossible to say with any certainty that this is what is causing your problems. The best place to find out is to go to Microsoft's Windows XP Support Center website. If you're still having problems, you can e-mail Customer Service at help@dkv.columbia.edu. back to top
Using Mac OS X
If you are using Mac OS X, you will need the free RealOne player from RealNetworks (look in the fine print for the free player link) in order to watch the video. back to top
Contact Information Contact Customer Service
Please direct your comments, questions, and suggestions to Customer Service: help@dkv.columbia.edu. back to top
Providing feedback on this site
We welcome feedback on your experience. To provide comments on a specific e-seminar, select "Feedback" in the navigation. To provide general comments, e-mail Customer Service at help@dkv.columbia.edu. back to top
America Since 1945: The Rise of the Right
In The Rise of the Right, the final e-seminar in the ten-part series
America Since 1945, historian Alan Brinkley discusses the emergence of
conservatism as a powerful political and cultural force in the United
States during the past quarter-century.