Frequently Asked Questions - SanDisk Community

How does the Community Forum work?
The Community Forum provides a place for customers to discuss support topics and learn. At its heart are the message boards, where members post questions and answers.

Guests (un-registered visitors) may browse or search the boards for information. Registered members can post messages, track discussions, and get e-mail notifications on new posting activity.

What is my role in the Community?
You are essential to the Community. By posting questions and sharing answers, not only do you contribute to a unique, customer-built knowledge base, but you also become part of a virtual support network extending across literally hundreds of thousands of potential users.

We encourage you visit often and participate. Come with your toughest issues - the chances are someone has a solution or can point you in the right direction. If you find a solution that works, let others know, and pass on your own tips and insights - you may just have the answer someone else has been looking for!

Please remember to thank fellow users who have assisted you. Show your appreciation by rating helpful messages, posting thank-you replies, or sending positive feedback to Community management.

What is my responsibility in the Community?
We want the Community to be appropriate, friendly, informative, and fun for all users. The Community Terms of Service sets forth Rules and Guidelines so that you know what is expected of you, and what you can expect from other participants, when using the Community.

Registration and Logging In

Why should I register?
Registration allows you to fully participate in the community. After you register, you can:

Post new messages
Post responses to existing messages
Receive e-mail when someone responds to a specific post or thread
Exchange Private Messages with other members
Personalize your experience on the boards
Post comments on blogs that don't allow anonymous comments

What can I do if I don't register?
Even if you don't register, you can still browse and read messages as a "guest." You can't interact with the other members or personalize the way boards are displayed. Blogs are the one exception. Depending on the blog, you may be able to post comments even if you're not registered.

How do I register?
To register, just click the Register link.

On the registration page:

Enter a Screen Name.
Your screen name is your Forum identity. It appears whenever you post to the message boards or send private messages. Most members create anonymous names for the sake of privacy and to help them feel more comfortable participating. Be creative, have fun with it, but choose carefully: you cannot change your screen name once registration is complete.
Enter a Password.
Your password is a secret word that no one else knows. That way, no one else can pretend to be you. Your password should be something you can remember, but that no one else will guess. It's a good idea to include numbers in your password. For example, your password might be f0rh3sajgf.
Note: Your password will be hidden by asterisks when you type it. This is to prevent someone from looking over your shoulder to see it.
Note: Passwords are case-sensitive. When you log in to the Forum, you must type the letters in upper or lower case exactly as you did when you registered.
Enter your Password again.
This is to ensure that you typed the password the way you meant to the first time.
Enter your e-mail address.
Certain features of the site, such as subscriptions, will only work if you enter your real e-mail address. Also, you must validate your e-mail address by replying to an e-mail sent to the address you enter. Making sure that all users have valid e-mail addresses helps the administrators maintain a helpful community.
Enter your e-mail address again.
This is to make sure you typed it correctly. (A common mistake with new registrations.)
If you're using a secure computer (one other people can't use), you can check the Remember Password check box.
If this box is checked, you won't have to log in every time you come to the site.
Read the Terms of Service and check the I have read and accept the terms of service check box.
If you want, enter your First Name and Last Name in the optional fields.
Make sure the Time Zone indicated matches your location.
Click Register.
As soon as you receive the confirmation e-mail, click the activation link.
Note: You must have cookies enabled in your browser to register and to log into the Forum.

How do I log in?
Once you've registered and confirmed your registration, you can log into the boards and begin personalizing your experience.

At the top of any Forum page, click Login.
Enter your login in the Screen Name field.
Enter your password in the Password field.
Click Sign In.

If you don't want to keep having to enter your password, and you're at a computer that other people can't get to, you can check the Save My Login check box before clicking Sign In.

If you forgot your password, click the link at the bottom to have it sent to your e-mail address.

How do I get back a lost password?
If you've forgotten your password, you can have the system send it to your e-mail address.

Go to the login screen.
Click the link at the bottom of the page.
You'll be taken to a screen that will ask for your e-mail address. The login and password associated with that e-mail address will be sent to the given e-mail address.

Browsing and Searching

How are the message boards organized?
The community is divided up into different categories that are based on broad topics. Each category contains boards that get more specific about the topic or subject. Find the category and title title that best describes your question or comment.

How do I browse for information?
Many users like to get started by exploring the message boards. Choose a category that best fits your topic. Next, look over the list of boards, find one whose title pertains to your question or comment, then click on its title. Take some time to read ones that look promising by clicking the message title or subject. You can use the Previous/Next buttons to browse to other pages and messages.

Use the Jump to a Title pull-down menu to go directly to boards in any category of the Forum. (This menu is found near the top of most Forum pages.) If you can't find what you need by browsing, use the Search Forum tool, as described below.

How do I search for information?
To search the Community, type keywords for your topic into the Search Community text box and click the search icon. (This text box is found near the bottom of most pages). A page of search results will be displayed. Browse the search results in the same manner you would a title.

To perform a more in-depth search, click the Advanced link found on the left side of most pages. This search allows you to limit your query to a specific board, specific parts of the message (subject vs. body) and other advanced parameters.

You can also search for Community members by clicking the Users tab on any search results page and using the search options on this page.

Personalization

How do I change the icon next to my name?
The icon (also known as an avatar) is a way to personalize your user name a bit. You'll get one as a default, but you can change it to something you like better.

Login to the Community.
Click the My Profile link.
Click the Icons tab.
A list of available icon categories will be displayed on the left side. When you click on a category, the icons in that category will display on the right.
Click on any icon to use it as yours. Your current icon always shows up at the top of the icons page.

How do I create a signature for my posts?
Your signature is text that appears at the bottom of every message you post to the boards.

To create a signature for your posts:

Login to the Community.
Click the My Profile link.
Click on the Personal Profile tab.
On the Personal Profile tab, fill in the text you want for you signature in the Signature field.
If the administrator allows it, you'll be able to use HTML in your signature. If not, you won't.
Click Save Changes.

How do I tell other users about me?

Login to the Community.
Click the My Profile link.
Click the Personal Profile tab.
Find the Personal Profile section and fill in any fields you want to share.
By default, any information you type in this section is shown to everyone. However, you can limit display to only members on your Friends List by choosing the Friends Only option in the Profile Privacy section at the bottom of the Preferences tab.

What is my Friends List and how do I add users to it?
Your Friends List has three functions in the Forum:

If you have entered personal information on your Personal Profile page, and if you have checked the Friends Only option for Profile Privacy on your Preferences tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see your personal information.

Similarly, if you have checked the Friends Only option for Online Status on your Preferences tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see whether you are online.

When you send a message in the Private Messenger, all your friends will appear in a drop-down menu that you can select from. You can then send one of them a message without having to type their user name into the Send to field.

How do I set my viewing preferences?
There are a number of display preferences that affect how forums appear. These are described in the table below.

To set your viewing preferences:

Log into the Forum.
Click the My Profile link.
Click the Preferences tab.
Make any changes you wish to the settings described in the table below.
Click Save Changes.

Personal Preferences	These preferences include your local time zone, language, and default help settings. You can also select viewing options for HTML and signatures, as well as choose the editor you use for posting messages and whether you see a comfirmation page when you post a message.
Display Settings	These preferences let you set the appearance of community elements, including board format (linear or by message threads), emoticon type, font settings, menu bar settings, and leaderboard locations.
General Settings	These preferences let you select when to mark messages as read, how to sort messages, and how often to refresh the community page you're viewing.
Linear Format Settings	These preferences let you set the appearance of linear boards, including how messages are sorted, the number of messages or threads per page, the space at the top and bottom or the page, and navigation within a thread.
Threaded Format Settings	These preferences let you set the appearance of threaded boards, including how messages are sorted, the number of messages or threads per page, and the space at the top and bottom or the page.
Portal Style Home Page Settings	These preferences let you select the style and contents of your portal-style home page.
Personal Privacy Settings	These preferences let you control how much of your profile information is available and to whom. You can also choose to display your online status and whether you want to receive private messages.
Private Messenger Settings	This preference lets you set the number of messages that appear on a Private Messenger page.
Kudos Settings	These preferences let you choose whether to view kudos counts in messages and boards, and set the time ranges for kuods leaderboards.

Posting Messages

How do I post a message?
Go to the board you want to post on, and click the New Message link near the top of the message list.

On the Post Message page, you will see a Subject area and a Body area.

In the first field, the Subject field, type a title for your message.
This is the only part of the message that shows up on the message listing page, so try to make it something that will be clear and concise. Use keywords about your topic.
In the second field, the Body field, type your message. Put details about your topic here. If you are posting on a technical topic, it is helpful to include all pertinent information regarding your inquiry in the body.
You can use the controls to change the fonts, colors, and other aspects of your message. You can add smiley faces using the smiley menu. And you can format the text at the character or paragraph level.
If you want, you can click Check Spelling to look for misspelled words, or you can click Preview Post to see what your post will look like on the boards.
When you are happy with your message, click the Submit Post button.
Your message will be added to board and everyone else on the board will be able to read it.

How do I reply to a message?
Use the Reply button in a message to write a response to a particular post. You'll see a screen similar to the Post Message screen. There are a few differences:

When you reply to a post, the subject line will be filled in for you automatically. You can change it if you want.
You can use the Quote Message button to paste the message to which you are replying into the body of your reply.

Also, when you post a message as a reply, it will be added to the existing thread. It won't create a new thread.

How do I rate a message?
Please take the take the time to rate helpful messages. To do so, log into the Forum and look for the Rate This Message (Thread) feature at the bottom of messages and threads.

Note: authors cannot rate their own messages and users may rate a specific message only once. All ratings are automatically averaged.

What is a "thread?"
When one or more people reply to a particular message, a "thread" is created. A thread is a series of posts that go together. If you've ever heard of someone "following the thread of a conversation," you get the idea.

If you post a new message, then that starts a new thread. If you reply to an existing message, then that message becomes part of the original message's thread.

How do I use macros?
The Macros feature allows you to create boilerplate text that you can paste into any message with the click of a mouse.

To set up a macro:

Log into the Forum.
Click the My Profile link.
Click the Macros tab.
Fields for entering up to nine (9) macros will be displayed.
In the Macro 1 Title field, enter a short title for your first macro.
The title should be short because it will show up in a pull-down menu. Make sure it is distinctive enough that you will remember which title belongs with which macro.
In the Macro 1 field, enter the text you want to be able to paste. If your boards allow HTML, you can use HTML tags in the field.
Enter any other macros you wish.
Click Save Changes.
Your macros will be saved to your profile in the database.

Note: If there is particular text that you wish to appear at the bottom of every message you post, put the text in a signature instead of a macro.

To use a macro

Log into the Forum.
Navigate to a board where you want to post a message.
Click New Message.
(Or, you can reply to an existing message by opening that message and clicking the Reply button.
Once the post message window has loaded, you will see a Macros menu.
Click in the Body field where you want to paste your text.
If the text is short, you could also paste it in the Subject field.
Click on the Macros menu to open it.
Select the macro you wish to paste.
The text of your macro will paste where you have your cursor.
Type any other text you wish in the message body.
Click Submit Post.

Note: If there is particular text that you wish to appear at the bottom of every message you post, put the text in a signature instead of a macro.

Advanced Board Usage

How do I use bookmarks?
Bookmarks allow you to list boards, threads, and individual messages on a special page so you can easily find them again.

To Favorite a Board:

Log into the Forum.
Go to the board you want to bookmark.
Open the Board Options menu and click Add this board to my bookmarks.

To add a thread or message to your bookmarks:

Log into the Forum.
Open the message you want to bookmark.
Open the Message Options menu and click Add this Thread/Message to my bookmarks

To view your bookmarks, click My Profile, and then click the Bookmarks tab.
To delete any of your Bookmarks, click My Profile, and then click the Bookmarks tab. Place a checkmark in the bookmark you want to delete from the list and click the Remove option for that section.

How do I use subscriptions?
If you add a board, thread, or message to your subscriptions, the system will send you an e-mail every time someone posts to the board, or replies to the message or thread.

To add a board to your Subscriptions

Log into the Forum.
Go to the board to which you want to subscribe.
Open the Board Options menu and click Add board to my subscriptions.

Add a message to your Subscriptions

Log into the Forum.
Open the message to which you want to subscribe.
Open the Message Options menu and click Add this Thread to my subscriptions or Add this Message to my subscriptions.

To view or delete your Subscriptions, click My Profile, and then click the Subscriptions tab.

To delete any of your Subscriptions, click My Profile, and then click the Subscription tab. Place a checkmark in the subscription you want to delete from the list and click the Remove option for that section.

How do I use the dashboard?
Your Dashboard is a little window that displays a lot of information. It is launched when you click your boldface screen name (link) that appears near the top of most Forum pages. The Dashboard displays:

Your current icon.
Click on it to choose another one.
Your current statistics.
A link to the Web Private Messenger.
Click the envelope to launch the Private Messenger and reply to your messages.
Your Subscriptions and bookmarks, including recent activity.
Click on a Subscription or bookmark to see what's new in those areas.
Quick links to Search, Chat, your Profile, and other things.

To launch your Dashboard, log in, then click on your username in the header bar, or click on Dashboard.

What is RSS and how do I use it?
RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It is a way for you to get the latest content from this community, along with many other sites that you visit, all in one place. With an RSS feed reader, you subscribe to Web sites, and those sites feed you headlines so you can stay up to date. To use RSS, you'll need a feed reader, such as Bloglines, MyYahoo, or the Live Bookmarks feature of Firefox. There are many free options. Once you have your feed reader set up, you can find RSS feeds in the community by going to a board, blog, thread, or message and selecting Subscribe to RSS Feed from the options menu. There you will see a preview of the feed. Most RSS readers give you a button to click at this point. Once you click it, the RSS feed will appear in your reader, and you will see new content from that section of the community whenever it becomes available.

Accepted Solutions

What is an Accepted Solution?

Accepted Solutions is a way for you to choose the reply that best answers a question that you've posted. When you accept a solution, both the question and the solution get special icons and links that take you directly from the question to the answer and back again.

An Accepted Solutions icon also appears on boards and in search results so you can see which messages have solutions.

You can mark a solution as accepted only for questions that you've posted (you started the thread). Community moderators can also mark one of the replies to a message as an accepted solution.

How do I mark a message as a solution?

If you've posted a question to a forum, you can choose the reply that best answers your question and mark it as an accepted solution.

To mark a message as a solution:

Click the Solution? icon on the reply.

If you change your mind about the quality of the answer, or if another reply provides an even better answer, you can revoke the first selection and accept the second reply.

To revoke an accepted solution:

Choose Options > Unmark as Accepted Solution.

You can choose another solution or leave the question unsolved.

Blogs

What's a blog?
A blog is an online journal written by one or more authors. Blog articles usually appear in reverse-chronological order, so you see the most recent article first, followed by earlier articles. Some blogs have comments from readers, which you can read by clicking the Comments link at the bottom of the article. You may also be able to post comments to those blogs.

How do I post a comment on a blog?
It's easy. Posting a comment on a blog is a lot like replying to a message on a board. If the blog is open for comments, you'll see a Post a Comment link or a Comment count link at the bottom of the article.

To post your comment:

Click the Post a Comment or Comment count link.
You can post a comment to an article or to someone else's comment.
Type your comment in the Post a Comment area.
You can use simple HTML and quote the article you're commenting on. You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first.
When you're happy with your comment, click Post Your Comment.

Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

Can I post a blog comment without registering or logging in?
Yes, you can!

All we ask is that you give us your name (which we'll show) and your email address (which we won't). You may also be able to enter a website URL to display with your comment.

Then, simply type your comment and click Post Your Comment.

You won't be able to edit or delete a comment once it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and check your spelling first. And since you're not a registered member of the community, you may be asked to take a test to prove that you're a person and not a robot.

Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

Where is my blog comment? I posted a comment, but don't see it.
Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

If your comment doesn't appear immediately, check back in a few minutes. If it still doesn't appear, your comment is most likely in the approval queue.

Can I edit or delete my blog comments?
No, you can't. Be sure to check your spelling and preview your comment before you post it; you can't edit a comment once it's posted.

How do I share a blog article with friends?
If you want to tell your friends about blog articles, you can use any of dozens of shared bookmarking, social network, or other tracking services, such as Del.icio.us, Digg, Reddit, Facebook, MySpace, Google, StumbleUpon, Technorati, or Twitter. All you need is an account with the service and friends to share with.

To share a blog article:

When you get to an article you want to share, click the Bookmark button.
Click the service you want to use.
The next steps depend on the service. You may need to log in. If you don't already have an account, you'll probably be asked to register and create one. The way you share the article also depends on the service.

Just choose a service and go. That's all there is to it.

Can I subscribe to a blog?
Yes. You can subscribe directly to a blog or an article, or you can subscribe to their RSS feeds. If you subscribe to an RSS feed, you can use an RSS reader to view new content that's added to the blog. If you subscribe directly to a blog or article, you receive an email alert when new articles or comments are posted.

To Do this

Subscribe to a blog Go to the blog page and choose Blog Options > Subscribe to this Blog.

Subscribe to an article Go to the article and choose Article Options > Subscribe to this Article.

Subscribe to an RSS feed Go to the blog or article and choose Blog Options > Subscribe to this Blog's RSS Feed or Subscribe to this Article's RSS Feed.
Then, save the live bookmark or whatever you usually do to add an RSS feed.

What's a Blog Reaction?
The blogosphere is a very interconnected place where bloggers constantly react -- comment on and refer -- to the work of other bloggers. Technorati^TM is a specialized search engine that tracks reactions to more than 100 million blogs, including the one you're reading. Blog reactions, like comments, tell you what others think about a blog article and can be interesting to read.

To view reactions to an article:

Click View Blog Reactions at the bottom of a blog article.
The link takes you to a Technorati page that lists all the reactions (if any) to the article you were reading.
Click any of the links and start reading.

That's all there is to it.

What's a Permalink?
A permalink, short for permanent link, is the URL for a specific blog article. In an active blog with lots of entries, a particular article will only stay on the blog's front page for a short period of time. It becomes hard to bookmark a specific blog article or to email a link when the article you want is replaced with something new.

This is where permalinks, which alway stay the same, come in handy. They take you directly to an article, rather than to the blog's front page, which typically shows only the last few articles.

To use a permalink:

Click Permalink at the bottom of a blog article.
Copy the URL that appears in your browser's navigation toolbar.
Paste the link wherever you need it.

That's all there is to it.

Private Messenger

What is the Private Messenger?
The Forum Private Messenger allows you to send private notes to other members of the Forum. Private Messenger has two big advantages over e-mail:

You don't have to know the other member's e-mail address to send the note. (Also, you don't have to reveal yours.)
Private Messenger is more interactive than e-mail. It's easier to hold a quick conversation through it.

To use the Private Messenger, you have to have an account and you have to be logged in. If you're logged in, a Messages link will appear on the top of your page. If you have any new messages, a yellow envelope icon will appear next to the link and the number of new messages will be indicated.

If you click on the link, the Private Messenger window appears.

How do I send a private message?

Log into the Forum.
Click the Messages Link
In the private messenger window, click Compose New Message.
If you have created a Friends List, and you want to send a message to a listed friend, click the Friends tab and click the Send Message icon beside the friend's name.
If you want to send a message to someone not in your Friend List, type the person's user name in the Send To field.
Type the subject of your message in the Message Subject field.
Type the body of your message in the text editor area.
Click Send Message at the bottom of the page.
The message will be sent to the other user. The message will also appear in your Outbox.

How do I read a private message?

Log into the Forum.
If you have any new messages, a yellow envelop icon will appear next to the Messages link and the number of new messages will be indicated.
Click the Messages Link.
The Private Messenger window will be displayed.
Click the Inbox link.
Your Inbox will be displayed.
Click the Subject of the message you want to read.
The full message will be displayed.
After you have read the message, you can click on links to Reply to the message or Delete the message buttons at the bottom of the page.
You can also click on the Add User to Friends List link to add the sender to your Friends List.
Or, if you don't want this user to send you any more messages, you can click on the Add User to Ignore List link to add the person to your Ignore List.

How do I reply to a private message?

Log into the Forum.
Click the Messages Link.
Click the Inbox link.
Your Inbox will be displayed.
Click the Subject of the message you want to read.
The full message will be displayed.
Click the Reply link at the bottom of the window.
The Send Message window will be displayed with the Send to and Subject fields pre-populated.
Enter your message in the Note field.
Click Send Message.

How do I delete a private message?
While reading a message, you can click the Delete link at the bottom of the window to delete the current message.

While viewing your Inbox, you can delete several messages at once by checking the check boxes next to the messages you want to delete, then clicking Delete Checked.

How do I see private messages I've sent to others?
When in the Private Messenger, click the Outbox link to see all the messages you sent to others.

What is my Friends List and how do I add users to it?
Your Friends List has three functions in the Forum:

Similarly, if you have checked the Friends Only option for Online Status on your Preferences tab, then only people on your Friends List will be able to see whether you are online.

What is my Ignore List and how do I add users to it?
Most users in an online community get along very well. Sometimes, however, you might encounter someone you consider a nuisance. If such a user is sending you messages and won't stop when you ask them, you can tell the system to not deliver their messages to your Inbox by adding them to your Ignore List.

To add someone to your Ignore List:

Log into the Forum.
Click the Messages Link.
The Private Messenger window will be displayed.
Click the Find Users link.
Enter the user's screen name in the Search box.
Click Search.
When the user's name is displayed, click the Add to Ignore List link on the same line as the user's name.

You can also click the Add User to Ignore List link in any message the user has sent you to add that person to your Ignore List.

To see who's on your Ignore List, click the Ignore tab in your Private Messenger. You can remove them from your Ignore List if you've changed your mind.

Chat

What is Chat?
Lithium Chat allows users to directly interact in real-time with site staff or with each other. Read below for answers to some common issues related to Lithium Chat.

How do I find and join a Chat?
While browsing community pages, such as the front page, you will sometimes see a "Chat" link. Click the link to enter the Chat. If the link is not clickable, then the room is closed. In most cases you will need to sign in before being allowed into the Chat. Once you've signed in using the e-mail address or login and password associated with your community account (the details of how to log in depend on the site), agreed to the Terms of Service and the User Guidelines, you may enter the Chat. Lithium Chat Service uses Java applets technology, which runs in a secure environment within your web browser. Answer "Yes" if your browser prompts you for authorization to install the Java applet.

Now you are ready to type questions or comments to other people in the same Chat.

Your presence in a Chat will be indicated in the control window on the right-hand side. Of course, you do not have to chat yourself and may choose just to watch the conversations as they happen.

What are the System Requirements for using the Chat? (Java)
Lithium Chat Service is a Java-enabled application that is designed to work across many browsers and operating systems. When you first try to enter a Chat, your browser may ask you if you want to install the Java applet. This is a security measure created by the developers of java and your browser to ensure that you know a new program is being installed. The download is completely free and should take only a few seconds depending on your connection speed. If prompted, you must answer "Yes" to use the applet and begin chatting.

Java 1.4 (and up) and JavaScript 2.0 (and up) work satisfactorily for Internet Explorer 5.0 (and up) and Netscape 4.7 (and up). Most computers manufactured in the last few years will be able to run this configuration. The Java applet will work on the latest Safari browser and Java version on the Mac as well, which you can get on OSX through "Software Update".

Java will not automatically install on Windows XP. If you have Windows XP, or are having trouble with the automatic install on any Windows platform, you can download the latest version of Java at www.java.com. This is a free download.

Java is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

What about security in Chat?
We take your security seriously and strive to provide the most secure possible environment. The only piece of Lithium-specific information that is ever seen by other users is your personally selected community login/nickname, which is also viewable in your user profile. Items that you have chosen to make public in your profile may also be seen by other users. On some forums, anonymous watching or chatting is permitted, in this case if you are not logged in you will be assigned a name automatically such as "Anonymous-42" for the duration of your chatting session.

At the same time, there is no expectation of privacy for any form of communication that is provided to you on the Chat, and you should assume that the content of your conversations within the Chat is not private. In particular, never disclose your personal contact information, credit card numbers, or other personal information via the Chat Service.

Who am I interacting with in Chats?
You are chatting with site staff (such as moderators or support engineers) and your fellow community members. Everyone has the same user name and icon in Chats as they do on the rest of the community site.

When are Chats available?
Hours of operation vary depending on the particular community site. From time to time, we take down the service in order to perform regular maintenance or to upgrade features. In addition, certain popular rooms may be unavailable if they are already full.

What are the Terms and Conditions of Use for Chats?
All customers using Lithium Chat must first read, understand, and agree to abide by the site's Terms of Service and the User Guidelines. Violations of these terms may be reported to the site administrators. Please include the login of the participant you're reporting, the name of the Chat you were in when the incident occurred, the date and time of the incident, and any other details you feel may be relevant. We will take appropriate action; however, for reasons of account privacy, we cannot notify you of the outcome.

I'm having trouble using Chat, what do I do now?
Please check the System Requirements for using Chat.

Blank frames, no applet appears, a large grey box (the applet background) remains but no chat window appears: You may not have the right version of Internet Explorer or Netscape, Java or JavaScript, or you may have disabled Java or JavaScript. Try enabling these features and/or upgrading your browser and/or Java versions.

"Connection refused" messages: Your company or ISP may have a firewall that limits the kinds of connections your computer can make to the outside world. Try accessing the Chat Service from somewhere outside the firewall.