BLUBBERBUSTERS CHAT ROOM HELP

If you see the message that, "You have been banned from this site.", and you feel that you have been banned by mistake or unfairly, please enter the information requested below and click "REMOVE BAN".  If you did not see the "You have been banned" message, please skip the form below and read the Trouble Shooting Suggestions under the form.

Trouble Shooting Suggestions:

"Parental Controls" on some Internet services, such as AOL and MSN, may block access to our chat rooms.  "Mature Teen" level on AOL parental controls does not seem to block our New Chatroom, but lower levels may.  If you are not able to enter our New Chatroom, ask your parents to try the chatroom with parental controls turned off or at a more mature level.

The new chat room uses software called "Java".   We have found that about one out of five kids using the blubberbusters site does not have a computer that can use the new chat room.  WebTV and net machines like Iopener do not support Java.  The new chat room requires a PC or MacIntosh computer using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or higher, Netscape Navigator 4 or higher, or AOL 4 or higher.  See instructions below for checking Java settings on your computer and for how to obtain the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape and AOL.  AOL's Java sometimes has trouble with our chat rooms.  If you have trouble with AOL and our chatroom, we suggest that you log on with AOL as usual and then open Internet Explorer (click on the blue "e" in the lower corner of your screen). Then type http://www.blubberbusters.com in the address box, and go to the chat room page.  Internet Explorer is included in Windows.  It actually is easier to use and better than AOL's web browser.

Not all versions of Windows come with Java.

If you get the message, "The Chat Room requires a Java Compatible web browser to run", or the chat room just stays all blue and you have a PC computer or MacIntosh, here is how you can install or reinstall Java on your computer.  (You may need your parents help to do this.):

1) Download Microsoft Java (Microsoft VM) from our site at: http://www.blubberbuster.com/java/msjavx86.exe . To download the file, make sure you are connected to the Internet and right click on the above link.  On the little menu that comes up click on "Save target" or "Save link target".  It may also work to left double click on http://www.blubberbuster.com/java/msjavx86.exe and then click on the "Save" button in the window that comes up..

2) Save the msjavx86.exe file to your desktop or your hard drive and remember where you are saving it.  It takes about 15 minutes to download using a dialup modem, or only about 30 seconds on a high speed connection, like a cable modem or DSL.

3) After downloading the msjavx86.exe file, find it on your computer and left double-click the msjavx86.exe file name.  Follow the instructions to install it. After installation try the chat room again.

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How to check Java settings on your computer:

If you do not see a message that "You need a Java browser", then make sure that Java is turned on for your computer.  Here's how to check:

a) For Netscape Navigator go to the Edit menu, select Preferences, then select Advanced, then click on Enable Java, if it is not checked.

b) For Internet Explorer:

1) At the very top of the Internet Explorer screen, click on "Tools", then click on "Internet Options"
2) At the top right of the little box that comes up, click on the "Advanced" tab.
3) Scroll down until you see "Microsoft VM".
4) Under Microsoft VM make sure the box is checked next to "JIT Compiler for virtual machine enabled".  Scroll down further and see if you have "Sun VM" on your computer and uncheck the box if it is checked.  You probably don't have Sun VM on your computer, but if you do, then Microsoft VM and Sun VM should not both be checked. 
5) Then restart your computer and try the chat room again.

c) If you still have a problem, then select Internet Options again as above, then select the Security tab, then click on Custom Level, then scroll down to Java and Java Permissions and click on the Medium Safety circle.  Then scroll down to Scripting, then to Scripting of Java Applets and check the Enable circle for Scripting of Java Applets.  

d) For America Online go to the MyAOL menu (AOL5) or the Settings menu (AOL6), select Preferences, then select WWW or Internet Preferences(WWW):

If the chatroom will still not work with AOL, select Preferences again as above, then select WWW or Internet Preferences(WWW), then select the Security tab, then click on Custom Level, then scroll down to Java and Java Permissions and click on the Medium Safety circle.  Then scroll down to Scripting, then to Scripting of Java Applets and check the Enable circle for Scripting of Java Applets. 

AOL uses an older version of Java, which is the software that most new chat rooms use.  Therefore, if you're having problems using Java chat rooms like ours, we suggest that you use Internet Explorer, as explained above.  After installing Internet Explorer you just log on to AOL as usual and then use Internet Explorer to surf the web or to use Java chat rooms. 

If you would like the new versions or Internet Explorer or Netscape on your computer, you can get them for free at:

Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6  

Netscape Navigator Version 6 

If downloading seems too hard, you can order the CD disc from Microsoft or Netscape from the same links above for only about $5.00.   

If the above suggestions do not help, please email us at and tell us what happened when you tried to use our chat room.

We hope that our new chat room is helpful to you.  
Blubberbusters.com Management