A browser is software used to display the internet on your computer. Examples include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari, and Google Chrome.

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How can I tell which system and browser version I'm using?

Most people launch their web browser by double-clicking an icon on their desktop, in their Dock, or on their Taskbar. To find out which browser and version you're using:

Windows users

If you double-click an icon that looks like a big, blue "e," you're probably using Microsoft Internet Explorer. Click Help in the toolbar and select About Internet Explorer to find out which version of Internet Explorer you're running.
If you double-click a triangular icon, you're probably using America Online. Click Help at the top of your AOL screen and select About America Online to find out which version of AOL you're running.
If you double-click an icon that looks like a blue ball with an orange fox wrapped around it, you're probably using Mozilla Firefox. Click Help in the toolbar and select About Mozilla Firefox to find out which version you're running.
If you double-click an icon that looks like a blue, yellow, and red ball, you're probably using Google Chrome. Click the wrench icon and select About Google Chrome to find out which version you're running.

Macintosh users

If you double-click an icon that looks like a blue ball with an orange fox wrapped around it, you're probably using Mozilla Firefox. Click the Firefox menu and select About Mozilla Firefox to find out which version you're running.
If you double-click an icon that looks like a compass, you're probably using Apple Safari. Click the Safari menu and select About Safari to find out which version you're running.

There are many other web browsers available for accessing the internet. The steps used to check the browser and version are similar for all of them. If you don't see your browser listed above, check the Help menu or the application's menu for an "About" choice.

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Which browsers and operating systems does Vanguard support?

Currently, our site is optimized for the following operating systems and web browsers:

Microsoft Windows operating systems:

Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7

Microsoft Windows web browsers:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0x or higher
Firefox 3.6x or higher
Google Chrome 13.x or higher
AOL 9.x

Macintosh Operating Systems

10.5 (Leopard)
10.6 (Snow Leopard)
10.7 (Lion)

Macintosh web browsers:

Safari 5.x or higher
Firefox 3.6x or higher
Google Chrome 13.x or higher

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Can I use a Favorite or Bookmark to access vanguard.com?

If you would like to make your return visits quicker and easier, we recommend adding our homepage (https://www.vanguard.com) to your browser's Bookmarks or Favorites. We do, however, recommend against bookmarking our secure pages (pages with addresses beginning with "https" instead of "http") as those links can become invalid when you log out or if we make changes to our site.

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What are temporary internet files?

When you visit a website, your computer stores tiny pieces of data from the site so that its pages will display faster during return visits. Most computers store such files in a cache file or a folder called "Temporary Internet Files." Occasionally the files can become corrupt or outdated and need to be deleted. For assistance with how to delete these files, please visit the Browser Troubleshooting section of this page.

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What are cookies and why must my browser accept them?

Cookies and other similar data files are tiny pieces of information that we ask your browser to store. If your browser doesn't accept cookies, you won't be able to view your account information online. Vanguard.com uses two types of these data files:

Session cookies. These data files are temporary cookies that are deleted when you shut down your browser, when you log off, or after your computer is inactive for 15 minutes. These cookies let us know that you have logged on and they allow us to maintain your privacy as you move from page to page. They also act as timers, logging you off after prolonged inactivity to prevent unauthorized account access.

Permanent or persistent cookies/data files. These types of data files are stored on your hard drive and are read by your browser each time you visit our website. They are used to remember which investments you entered in your Watch List, which funds you're tracking through Outside Investments, the results from your last visit to our Narrow Your Fund Choices tool, and to help verify your identity when you try to access your account information or initiate an online transaction. We also use them if we need to send you important messages while you're online.

Important notes:

We use data files such as cookies only when alternative means are not practical or available.
We disclose all uses of these data files on this page.
We do not use these data files to gather demographic or personal information for marketing purposes. We will not share information in these data files or give others access to it—except to help Vanguard better serve your investment needs. For example, we use cookies to support website enhancements that involve the participation of third-party vendors; in such cases, we restrict the use of cookies to protect your privacy. We may also use cookies and similar data files to verify authorized activity on your account.
We limit the size of our cookies to 4 kilobytes. (It would take about 20 million cookies to fill a 2-gigabyte hard drive.)
You may receive multiple cookies or similar data files during each visit to vanguard.com. For example, when you navigate within a secure area, temporary cookies may be created each time you leave a page.

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What is a Flash object?

Adobe Flash objects store data on your computer, similar to cookies. If you deleted all your cookies and you have Adobe Flash installed, we can use Flash objects to recognize your computer. This allows us to identify you without you having to answer one of your security questions.

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Web browser troubleshooting

How do I upgrade my browser?

You can download most browsers for free directly from the manufacturers' websites. Be sure to choose the most recent version that will run on your computer's operating system and follow the installation instructions carefully. If you have technical problems, contact the manufacturer for support.

Some manufacturers offer beta versions (or test versions) of web browsers through their website. We cannot guarantee that a beta version of a browser will be compatible with our website, and we recommend that you use only final-release versions of operating systems and web browsers.

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Download Internet Explorer 8 (If you're experiencing difficulty and want to reinstall, please contact Microsoft for support.)

America Online

Windows users: Go to keyword "Browser" to upgrade to America Online 9. Please make sure to upgrade both America Online and the web browser (Internet Explorer), not just the America Online software, when prompted.

Mozilla Firefox

Windows or Mac users: Download the latest version.

Apple Safari

Click your Apple menu and choose Software Update. Run the updater to get the latest version of Safari.

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How do I clear my browser's cache and cookies?

To clear your browser's cache (temporary internet files), locate your browser below and follow the instructions:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x

Click Tools in the browser toolbar, then select Internet Options.
In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete Files, then click OK in the Delete Files window.
Click OK again.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.x or higher

(Please note: If you're using Internet Explorer 8 or higher, you may need to press the Alt key to view your menu bar.)

Click Tools in the enhanced browser toolbar and select Internet Options.
In the Browsing History section, click Delete.
Click Delete Files in the Temporary Internet Files section of the Delete Browsing History window. Do not click Delete All. The Delete All feature will remove all cookies, passwords, and history from all other websites as well as Vanguard's.
Click Yes in the Delete Files window and click Close.
Click OK to close the Internet Options window.

America Online 9

Click the Settings button in your AOL toolbar.
Click Internet [Web] Options.
Click the Internet Explorer Settings link on the right. The Internet Options window will open.
In the Temporary Internet Files section, click Delete Files, then click OK in the Delete Files window.
Click OK again.
Once you've changed the settings and closed the Internet Options window, you can close the various AOL windows by clicking the X in the top right corner of each window.

Google Chrome 13.x and higher

Click the wrench icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Select Options.
Click the Under the Hood tab.
Under the Privacy heading, click the "Clear browsing data" button.
Uncheck all options except "Empty the cache," set the "Clear data from the period" drop-down menu to "Everything," and click "Clear browsing data."

Firefox 3.6.x (Windows or Mac)

Click the Tools menu and select Clear recent history.
Set the "Time range to clear:" dropdown menu to "Everything."
Uncheck all options except "Cache."
Click Clear now.

Safari 5.0 or higher

Click the Safari menu, then choose Empty Cache.
Click Empty to confirm. For best results, quit Safari and relaunch it.

To clear your browser's cookies, locate your browser below and follow the instructions:

Internet Explorer 6

Under the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
On the General tab, under Temporary Internet files, click Settings.
Select View files.
Hold down the Control key (Ctrl) and select the Vanguard cookies you want to delete. (They will be .txt files that start with "Cookie:.")
To delete the cookies, drag them to your Recycle Bin, hit the "Delete" key, or select "Delete" under the "File" menu.

Internet Explorer 7 or higher

(Please note: If you're using Internet Explorer 8 or higher, you may need to press the Alt key to view your menu bar.)

Under the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
On the General tab, under Browsing history, click Settings.
Select View files.
Hold down the Control key (Ctrl) and select the Vanguard cookies you want to delete. (They will be .txt files that start with "Cookie:.")
To delete the cookies, drag them to your Recycle Bin, hit the "Delete" key, or select "Delete" under the "File" menu.

Google Chrome 13.x or higher

Click the wrench icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Click the Under the Hood tab.
Under the Privacy heading, click the Content settings button.
On the Cookies tab, click the Show cookies and other site data button.
In the Search box, enter "Vanguard." Then select all your Vanguard cookies and click Remove.

Firefox 3.6.x or higher—Windows

Click the Tools menu and select Options.
Click the Privacy icon.
Click Remove individual cookies.
In the Search box, type "Vanguard."
Select the cookie you want to remove and click Remove Cookie. To remove multiple cookies, hold down the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard while selecting the cookies you want to remove. Then select Remove Cookie.

Firefox 3.6.x or higher—Macintosh

Click the Firefox menu and select Preferences.
Click the Privacy icon.
Click remove individual cookies.
In the Search box, type "Vanguard."
Select the cookie you want to remove and click Remove Cookie. To remove multiple cookies, hold down the Command/Apple key on your keyboard while selecting the cookies you want to remove. Then select Remove Cookie.

Safari 5.0 or higher

Click the Safari menu, then choose Preferences.
On the Security tab, select Show Cookies.
Type "Vanguard" into the search box.
Hold down the Command/Apple key on your keyboard and select the Vanguard cookies you want to remove.
Select Remove.

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How do I clear Flash objects?

Flash objects can be managed or deleted by adjusting the settings of the Flash software installed on your computer. You won't find a control panel for these settings on your computer, however. To make these changes, please visit the Adobe Flash Player Settings Manager.

The Website Privacy Settings tab allows you to control access to your computer's camera, microphone, and ability to store information on your system. Vanguard does not need to access your camera or microphone but will need this permission in order to store information on your computer. To grant this access, click vanguard.com in the list of visited websites, then make sure that either Always allow (recommended) or Always ask is chosen.

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What can I do if I'm having trouble with my browser?

If you are experiencing difficulty with your browser, please verify that it is a browser that we currently support. If it is, we recommend upgrading to the newest version of that browser or possibly trying an alternative browser. For a list of supported browsers, please visit the Help section labeled “Which browsers and operating systems does Vanguard support?”

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How do I disable my popup blocker?

In order to use our site you may need to disable your popup blocker(s). First, you need to locate the applications, then disable the popup blockers. There are three major types of popup blockers that may be installed on your system:

Blockers built into your web browser: Internet Explorer 6 and higher, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome all have popup blockers built into the applications. See below for instructions for specific web browsers.
Blockers you add through a toolbar: Some of the most popular web browser toolbars, such as Google Toolbar and Yahoo! Companion include popup blockers you can control in the toolbar window. We recommend that you check the toolbar manufacturer's website for instructions for disabling the popup blocker, as most manufacturers keep this information in their online help files.
Stand-alone blockers: You can also purchase or download applications that block popup windows and other advertisements as part of an overall security package. These include applications such as Popup Stopper, Ad-Subtract, and Ad-Aware, as well as firewall or antivirus applications including Norton Internet Security and Zone Alarm. We recommend that you check the manufacturer's website or the help files for the application for instructions for disabling the popup blocker.

Note: Most popup blockers running on Windows computers can be temporarily disabled by holding down the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard while clicking a link. This is the fastest and easiest first step.

To disable a popup blocker on your web browser, locate your web browser below and follow the instructions:

Windows users:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher

(Please note: If you're using Internet Explorer 8 or higher you may need to press the Alt key to view your menu bar.)

Click the Tools menu.
Click Popup blocker.
Click Turn off popup blocker.

Mozilla Firefox 3.6.x or higher

Click the Tools menu, then select Options.
Click the Content icon at the top of the Options window.
Uncheck the Block popup windows option.

America Online 9

Click the Safety icon in your toolbar.
If Web popups are enabled, click Web popups.
Click Allow all Web popups.

Google Chrome 13.x or higher

Click the wrench icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Select Options.
Click the Under the Hood tab.
Click the Content settings button.
Click the Pop-ups tab.
Click Allow all sites to show pop-ups.

Macintosh users:

Safari 5.0 or higher

Click the Safari menu.
If the menu has a checkmark to the left of the Block popup windows option, the popup blocker is enabled. Select Block popup windows to clear the check mark.

Mozilla Firefox 3.6.x or higher

Click the Firefox menu, then select Preferences.
Click the Content icon at the top of the Options window.
Uncheck the Block popup windows option.

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How do I set my browser to accept cookies?

To check your browser's cookie configuration, locate your browser below and follow the instructions:

Windows users:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x or higher

(Please note: If you're using Internet Explorer 8 or higher you may need to press the Alt key to view your menu bar.)

Click Tools from the Internet Explorer menu, and select Internet Options.
Click the Privacy tab.
Make sure you're not set to "Block all cookies."
Click the Edit button at the bottom of the window. (If you're using Windows XP Service Pack 3, click the Sites button instead.)
Type vanguard.com into the address box and click Allow. You should see vanguard.com listed as "Always allow." Click OK at each window to close it.

America Online 9

Click the Settings button in your AOL toolbar.
Click Internet [Web] Options.
Click the Internet Explorer Settings link on the right. The Internet Options window will open.
If you see a Privacy tab, follow the cookies instructions for Internet Explorer 6.x for Windows. If you don't see a Privacy tab, you need to upgrade your America Online software. Please see How do I upgrade my browser? After the upgrade, come back and follow the Internet Explorer 6 instructions above.
Once you've changed the settings and closed the Internet Options window, you can close the various AOL windows by clicking X in the top right corner of each window.

Google Chrome 13.x or higher

Click the wrench icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Select Options.
Click the Under the Hood tab.
Click the Content settings button.
Choose the option for Allow local data to be set. Also make sure the option for Block all third-party cookies without exception is not checked.

Firefox 3.6.x or higher

Click the Tools menu and select Options.
Click the Privacy icon.
In the History section, set the “Firefox will:" dropdown menu to "Use custom settings for history."
Make sure that both "Accept cookies from sites" and "Accept third-party cookies" are checked, and that the "Keep until:" dropdown menu is set to "they expire."

Macintosh users:

Safari 5.0 or higher

Click the Safari menu, then choose Preferences.
Click the Security tab.
Make sure "Accept cookies" is set to "Always."
Close the window by clicking the red button in the top left corner.

Firefox 3.6.x or higher

Click the Firefox menu and select Preferences.
Click the Privacy icon.
In the History section, set the "Firefox will:" dropdown menu to "Use custom settings for history."
Make sure that both "Accept cookies from sites" and "Accept third-party cookies" are checked, and that the "Keep until:" dropdown menu is set to "they expire."

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How can I adjust the font size in my browser?

To change the way your browser displays text, locate your browser below and follow the instructions:

Windows users:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x

(Please note: If you're using Internet Explorer 8 or higher you may need to press the Alt key to view your menu bar.)

Click the View menu.
Select Text size.
Choose the size you prefer.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.x or higher

Click the Page menu.
Select Text size.
Choose the size you prefer.

America Online 9

Close America Online.
Double-click Microsoft Internet Explorer on your desktop or in your Start menu. (You may get a message that you're not connected to the internet. Click Work offline if prompted.)
Follow the Internet Explorer instructions above.
When complete, close Internet Explorer and reopen your AOL browser.

Google Chrome 13.x or higher

Click the wrench icon in the upper right-hand corner.
Select Options.
Click the Under the Hood tab.
Scroll down to the Web Content section and press the Change font and language settings button.
Choose the Fonts and Encoding tab.
Use the Change buttons to change the font sizes.

Mozilla Firefox 3.6.x or higher

Click the View menu.
Select Text size.
Select Increase or Decrease until you reach a comfortable text size. (Choose Normal to set the browser back to the default.)

Macintosh users:Safari 5.0 or higher

Click the View menu.
Select Make text bigger or Make text smaller until you reach a comfortable text size.

Mozilla Firefox 3.6.x or higher

Click the View menu.
Select Text size, then select Increase or Decrease until you reach a comfortable text size. (Choose Normal to set the browser back to the default.)

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Need technical assistance?

Contact Web Technical Support Services at 888-353-0547, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Eastern time.

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