Weird Westlaw Problems . . . and Solutions!

Sometimes things don't work like they should, or like you would like them to work.

Sometimes these things include features on Westlaw and Internet Explorer.

PROBLEM: PDF images fail to open.

SOLUTION: Add *.westlaw.com to your trusted sites list.
From the browser's command line at the top of your screen), click on Tools > Popup Blocker > Popup Blocker Settings


In the box under Address of website to allow type: *.westlaw.com. Then click Add then Close.

Another work-around for the failure of PDFs to open uses keystrokes. Before you click on a PDF link, hold down both the Ctrl and Alt keys from the time you click on the link all the way until you click on Save.

PROBLEM: When using Copy /w Ref, multiple popup messages ask if you want to allow the function.
SOLUTION: Again for IE, here are the steps to take to eliminate the problem:

1. Click on Tools
2. Internet Options
3. Click on the Security Tab
4. Select Trusted Sites (assuming you've added westlaw.com as a trusted site already)
5. Click on Custom Level
6. Scroll down to the Scripting section (a little more than 3/4 of the way down the list)
7. Under Allow Programmatic clipboard access, select enable and click on OK
8. Click OK
9. Click OK

Do this and you will never see those pesky popups again!

I just learned of a little collection of these technical workarounds at the lawschool.westlaw.com site. At the very bottom of the page, click on Help.

This link takes you to a searchable knowledgebase of technical (and research) questions and answers, for different browsers and operating systems.

Thanks to Westlaw rep Zach Gose for these and other Westlaw tips!