Is Activ ebook affecting my browser ?

For a few weeks now I find that Internet Explorer (6.0)
is periodically switching to the "smallest" text size
instead of remaining at medium.

I can't pin down when it is happening but it does seem
that often it occurs after running (i.e reading not
building) my Activ ebooks.

Now I've been using  Activ ebooks for years without a
problem so it would  seem unlikely to be the cause but
I just wonder if there is some problem with my Internet
Explorer which is made worse by Activ ebook.

Harvey

By any chance are you using XP? Have you recently upgraded your OS?

I'm using XP (Service Pack1) and
have not recently upgraded

The small text effect definitely occurs, every time,
when I run Book 1.

It never occurs when I run Book 2.

So I am now trying to see what the differences are in
the configuration of these 2 books.

My first thought was maybe the initial window size on
startup but that was not the cause.

Any ideas anyone before I investigate further ?

Harvey

Have you found a solution yet?  If not look for javascript coding that changes the font size.  Something has to be triggering the change in font size and javascript seems to be the best place to start.

One technique that I find helpful in debugging is to work from a duplicate copy of the problem file. Start deleting sections of the scripting, compile, and run. Eventually, you will delete whatever was changing the font size.

After you think you know the problem source go back to the original and copy the section that you last deleted in the working backup file, then paste it back in where you previous deleted it from. Compile and run.

This time it should recreate the original problem and change the font size. From this point on you can delete line by line (or remark out) until you find the culprit.

Well I don't use any Javascript in my books but I have
been doing something similar to your suggestion.

I've removed everything in Book 1 except for one page
and made all the configuration parameters the same as
Book 2 but it's still causing the problem.

And if so which version?

This was my first thought.

I rebuild them with the same version 4.22 (i.e I run an
aep file) but they were not originally created with the
same version. Would this make a difference ?

(The problem books were all
- I think - originally created with 4.22)

You *did* rebuild it, or you *can* rebuild it?

1) The only book that works OK is the first one, created
in August 2001 under an earlier version.

I can rebuild it now with 4.22 and it still works OK.

2) My 6 subsequent books (created from June 2002 onwards)
all cause the problem.

(I don't know if the early ones of these started with 4.22)

The plot thickens...

Have you recreated the single page from scratch? I've run into quirky problems with other programs and find the only solution is to start with a clean slate.

Also, restart your system in safe mode and see if you get the same results. This is to assure that there isn't something running in the background that might be doing something goofy.

>>Have you recreated the single page from scratch

I've just tried it - with an interesting result.

(I'll use the phrases 'fails' instead of saying
that when I run the book it switches Internet Explorer
to the smallest text size)

We can now just concentrate on one book (Book 1)
which was failing.

From before:

- When I rebuild the book (i.e click on the aep file)
it fails.

- When I remove all pages except one it still fails.

Now:

- if I create the book from scratch it works

- if I make every configuration parameter the
same, so that the 2 books are identical, it still works

If I understand you correctly the problem does not manifest when you recreate the ebook. If that is the case, then there is something wacky with the original file--but you knew that.

Is it possible to rebuild the ebook from scratch?

Well I've now recreated (ie. started from scratch)
the whole of that book not just one page and it works.

So the solution will be to recreate them all.

But just to comment on your statement

>>If that is the case, then there is something
>>wacky with the original file--but you knew that.

They all used to work until a few weeks ago and I did
not make any major software change on my PC.

Then the 5 latest books all failed while the earliest
worked.

I haven't tried this myself, but will consider doing so in the future and that is going into the file properties (for the source file(s)) and convert them to read only.

The source of the problem is not isolated to Activ e-Book. It could be that data was either lost or changed on the hard drive, virus, etc.