Technical FAQs

• The game screen is too big to fit on my screen.
• How do I change my screen resolution?
• I get a "RUNTIME ERROR" or a "CAST MEMBER NOT FOUND" or an "OBJECT EXPECTED" message.
• I get an "UNKNOWN PUBLISHER ERROR" when trying to run the game.
• I get an error saying I need an "Xtra (Vector Shape)" or "(Flash Movie)".
• The game screen is blank except for a little box in top left hand corner which says "RICH MEDIA BLOCKED" when I put my cursor over it.
• I can not see some of the graphics / The claim bingo button is missing.
• Does FreeBingo.co.uk run on a Mac and a PC?
• Do I need a powerful computer to play FreeBingo.co.uk?
• What browser should I use?
• I cannot log in.
• I cannot load the game. What am I doing wrong?
• I have the shockwave player but still cannot load the game.
• I have a Macintosh computer and cannot load the game.
• I keep getting disconnected from the game.
• I cannot connect to the game.
• What Firewall settings should I use?
• What browser settings should I use?
• What is latency?
• How do I reduce delays in my Internet connection (latency)?

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The game screen is too big to fit on my screen.

If the game screen is larger than the size of your screen you could try pressing the F11 button on your keyboard. Depending on your browser this should maximise the window to use the full screen.

Alternatively you could try changing your screen resolution (see below).

How do I change my screen resolution?

To change your screen resolution on a Windows PC follow the steps below

1. Go to the Start menu
2. Choose Control Panel
3. Double-click the Display icon
4. Click the settings tab
5. There is a section called Screen Resolution. Drag the slider to increase or decrease your screen resolution.
6. Click the apply button. Your screen resolution will change and you will be asked to confirm the change. If you do not wish to confirm the change the screen will revert back to the previous setting after a few seconds.

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I get a "RUNTIME ERROR" or a "CAST MEMBER NOT FOUND" or an "OBJECT EXPECTED" message.

Some users have reported having errors such as problems with Shockwave, Runtime Errors, graphics not loading or incorrect graphics in the game. This mainly effects AOL users. If you are an AOL user click here.

Users of other browsers should try clearing your browser's cache/temporary files. This will stop your browser from trying to load up any old images it had already cached.

Check your version of the Shockwave Player. Ensure you have the latest FULL version of the Player.

If your version is up to date your Shockwave player may be corrupted. Uninstall the player and reinstall the latest FULL version.

I get an "UNKNOWN PUBLISHER ERROR" when trying to run the game.

When trying to run the game after updating Microsoft Windows XP to Service Pack 2 (SP2) you may see a security warning similar to the following:-

Windows XP Service Pack 2 alerts users before running executables, like our game software, that were downloaded from the internet. This is to verify that you are requesting to run a program from a trusted source. You should select the Run button to allow your computer to launch our game software application.

I get an error saying I need an "Xtra (Vector Shape)" or "(Flash Movie)".

If you get an error that reads something like, "This application requires an Xtra (Vector Shape) that either does not exist or failed to initialize properly. Please make sure the appropriate Xtras are in the Xtras folder(s)." you should follow the following advice;

Check your version of the Shockwave Player. Ensure you have the latest FULL version of the Player.

If your version is up to date your Shockwave player may be corrupted. Uninstall the player and reinstall the latest FULL version.

The game screen is blank except for a little box in top left hand corner which says "RICH MEDIA BLOCKED" when I put my cursor over it.

This is caused by AOLs built-in "pop up blockers". Go to block up poppers on the bottom of your page. Click browse. If it says AOL had blocked animated media from free bingo, remove the block to allow the game to load.

I can not see some of the graphics / The claim bingo button is missing.

This mainly effects AOL users. See the "Runtime Error" FAQ above. You should try clearing your browser's cache/temporary files. This will stop your browser from trying to load up any old images it had already cached.

Check your version of the Shockwave Player. Ensure you have the latest FULL version of the Player.

If your version is up to date your Shockwave player may be corrupted. Uninstall the player and reinstall the latest FULL version.

 

Does FreeBingo.co.uk run on a Mac and a PC?

Yes, you can enjoy FreeBingo.co.uk on either Mac or PC. Intel based Macintosh users should read this FAQ.

Do I need a powerful computer to play FreeBingo.co.uk?

No, FreeBingo.co.uk will run on the average home computer. If you can surf the net with no problems, you should be able to play FreeBingo.co.uk. Here are the technical specs in more detail:

• Minimum Requirements
• Shockwave plug-in
• Pentium II Class PC (233Mhz) or iMac
• Internet Explorer 5.5, Mozilla Firefox 1.0 or Safari
• 64 MB RAM
• 56 K Internet Connection

 

• Recommended
• Latest Shockwave plug-in
• Pentium III Class PC (500Mhz+)
• Internet Explorer 6, Mozilla Firefox, Opera or Safari
• Mac G3 or G4
• 128 MB RAM
• Cable/DSL Internet Connection

What browser should I use?

FreeBingo has been successfully tested in a variety of browsers. However, in some situations some people have encountered problems when using the AOL browser. We suggest making sure you are using the latest version of whichever browser you choose to use. Make sure you have the correctly installed the Shockwave plug-in specifically for your browser.

I cannot log in. What am I doing wrong?

Check you have entered your username and password correctly. If you have any security software that blocks sites check that the url http://www.freebingo.co.uk is not on the list of blocked sites or that it is on the list of allowed sites. Check to see if you are behind a firewall or personal firewall (Windows Firewall, Norton Personal Firewall, McAfee, ZoneAlarm etc.) or are connecting through a proxy server. Check your firewall settings, browser settings, and internet connection. Have you got a pop-up blocker running? When you click to enter a room our games load up in a new window. It is possible that a pop-up blocker may be stopping the new window from launching. Check that you have javascript switched on at our Javascript FAQ page

I cannot load the game. What am I doing wrong?

In order to play bingo at FreeBingo.co.uk, you need to have Macromedia Shockwave installed on your computer. Click here to read step-by-step instructions on how to install Shockwave.

 

Also try clearing your browser cache/temporary internet files.

 

If you are an AOL user click here.

I have the shockwave player but still cannot load the game.

Try clearing your browser cache/temporary internet files.

Ensure you have the latest FULL version of the Player. Check your version of the Shockwave Player.

If this doesn't work your Shockwave player may be corrupted. Uninstall the player and install the latest FULL version.

Intel based Macintosh users should read the next FAQ.

I have a Macintosh computer and cannot load the game.

If you are on a new Intel based Macintosh you may need to run the browser in Rosetta emulation mode to install and use Shockwave Player.

1. Quit out of the browser.
2. Go to your Applications folder and control-click on the browser application bundle.
3. In the context menu that appears select Get Info.
4. Under the General heading of the Info dialog select "Open using Rosetta".
5. Close the Info dialog box.
6. Re-install the shockwave player.

For more details follow the instructions on the Adobe site on how to launch your browser in Rosetta emulation mode

I keep getting disconnected from the game.

Firstly, try turning off the sound inside the game (from the options menu). Check that you are not running any Peer-to-Peer (P2P) filesharing programs (LimeWire, Kazaa etc). If you receive Network Congestion errors or you cannot connect at all, check to see if you are behind a firewall or personal firewall (Norton Personal Firewall, McAfee, ZoneAlarm etc.) or are connecting through a proxy server.

I cannot connect to the game.

Check that you are not running any Peer-to-Peer (P2P) filesharing programs (LimeWire, Kazaa etc). If you receive Network Congestion errors check to see if you are behind a firewall or personal firewall (Windows Firewall, Norton Personal Firewall, ZoneAlarm etc.) or are connecting through a proxy server. Check your firewall settings, browser settings, and internet connection.

What Firewall settings should I use?

If your computer system connects to the Internet through a firewall or proxy server, certain TCP ports may need to be opened in the firewall or proxy server in order for you to connect. To open these ports, consult the help files for your firewall software or contact your network administrator or IT technician for assistance.

What browser settings should I use?

Check to see if your modem or Internet connection settings are configured to automatically disconnect you from the Internet. This may cause FreeBingo.co.uk to lose its connection to your computer.

You may have connection problems if required Internet browser settings (for ActiveX controls) have become disabled. On Windows PC's try resetting your computer system's Security Settings to the default system settings.

1. Go to Start > Control Panels > Internet Options
2. Click the Security tab.
3. Click the "Custom Level" button
4. In the Reset custom setting section, change the Reset to: option to Medium or Medium-low.
5. Press the Reset button
6. Close all windows and close your browser.
   (You must restart your browser before the changes take effect).

What is latency?

Internet delays (sometimes called "latency" or "lag") may increase the time a game takes to load, interrupt the loading process of a game, or cause FreeBingo.co.uk to lose its connection to your computer. You should take steps to reduce internet connection delays as outlined below.

How do I reduce delays in my Internet connection (latency)?

1. Restart your computer.
2. Close all unnecessary open programs.
3. Restart your Internet connection and keep your Web browser windows to a minimum
4. Check your internet connection settings. For dial-up users some ISPs supply you with more than one local dial-up telephone number. Try connecting using one of the other numbers.
5. Check your network settings.
   If your network settings have changed on your system you may need to revert back to your default settings. Contact your ISP or network or IT administrator for assistance with setting your system back to its default network settings.
6. Update your ISP software.
   If you use special program to connect to your ISP (eg. AOL) check to see if your ISP has provided any updates.
7. Check for Firmware or driver updates.
   Firmware or driver updates are often available for network hardware and modems to increase speed or to correct issues. Contact the manufacturer of your hardware to inquire about availability of updates. If no updates are available, you may want to upgrade your hardware.
8. Spyware and AntiVirus often slow down the PC. Scan your PC to check for Spyware.

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See the full list of FAQs here