Troubleshooting Information & Technical Support

For many people, the most daunting aspect of online courses is the technical one. Those who are not comfortable with computers -- as well as those who live in utter fear of them -- may feel that they don't have the skills to troubleshoot problems when something unexpected comes along. This page contains information on troubleshooting the most common problems associated with online courses. Questions to frequently asked questions can be found at the WebCT Student FAQ.

Browser Types and Version Information

How to obtain your browser version

There are several different web browsers available for use on the World Wide Web today. Depending on the computer, one or all of the browsers may be installed. While most browsers work with WebCT, only a few are supported. The Washburn WebTechs recommend Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox as the two primary browsers for use with WebCT. Other browsers that work with WebCT include Netscape Communicator and Mozilla Suite. When troubleshooting problems, the WebTechs may ask the user for their browser information and/or version number. Finding out the version and type of web browser that is used is simple. To learn how to obtain version information, please follow the steps under the particular type of browser installed on the computer. Since most of the steps are the same, only Internet Explorer and Firefox instructions are provided.

Internet Explorer

Open Internet Explorer (it is not necessary to connect to the Internet).
Along the top is a menu starting with File, Edit, etc. Click "Help."
At the very bottom of the "Help" menu, select "About Internet Explorer."
A new window will pop up with the type of browser; Internet Explorer, and version number (e.g. 6.00.2600.0000).
Close the window and browser when finished.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Firefox (it is not necessary to connect to the Internet).
Along the top is a menu starting with File, Edit, etc. Click "Help."
At the very bottom of the "Help" menu, select "About Mozilla Firefox."
A new window will pop up with the type of browser; Firefox, and version number (e.g. 0.9.3).
Close the window and browser when finished.

What Operating System is installed?

Occasionally it will also be necessary to determine what Operating System is installed on the computer. This usually ranges from Windows 98 to Windows XP and Macintosh 9 to X (ten). The most common way to determine the OS is to restart the computer. Most of the time, the splash screen will indicate what is installed. Windows users can also right click "My Computer" and choose "Properties." Macintosh users can select "Apple" then "About this Computer."

Problems accessing online courses from MyWashburn

When students click on an online course from the MyCourses page in MyWashburn, it will load in a new window. To the computer, these new windows are pop-up windows. Students with pop-up blocking software will need to do one of the following:

Please note that some systems can contain more than one pop-up blocker. Other examples of pop-up blockers may be named "Ad Blocker" or "Window Killer," etc. In addition, students who need additional help should consult the program help files, computer documentation, the Internet, or seek assistance from a certified computer technician.

Among the various pop-up blocking utilities, the following programs have known pop-up, and ad blockers:

Configuring internal pop-up blocking for Internet Explorer (post-Windows XP SP2) and Firefox

With the addition of Windows XP Service Pack 2, Internet Explorer now contains a pop-up blocker. In addition to this, Mozilla Firefox also contains a built in pop-up blocker. In order for components of online courses to function properly, these blockers must be configured to allow pop-up windows from washburn.edu domains.

Internet Explorer

Open Internet Explorer.
From the menu bar select "Tools - Pop-up Blocker - Pop-up Blocker Settings"
Click the Add button.
Enter "washburn.edu" (without the quotes) into the text field. Click the Ok button.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox.
From the menu bar select "Tools - Options"
Click the "Web Features" category.
Click the Add Site button.
Enter "washburn.edu" (without the quotes) into the text field and click the Ok button.
Click the Ok button to exit the Options window.

Students still having difficulty opening or using certain aspects of WebCT may still have pop-up blocking software installed on the computer. All programs and toolbars that contain pop-up blocking must be configured to allow "washburn.edu" domains to pop-up windows. The WebTechs do not provide support for personal computers. Students are encouraged to search program help files, computer documentation, the Internet, or seek assistance from a certified computer professional regarding additional pop-up blocking issues.

It's Refreshing!

Setting the browser cache options

In whatever browser you use, you will need to change one of the settings. Most browsers will (by default) only look for updates to a page once per session. That is, once you've opened a browser, it will only look to see if there is changes to a page once. It won't check again until the browser is closed and reopened. Users can change this setting quite easily.

Internet Explorer:

From the menu bar select "Tools - Internet Options"
From the General Tab, under "Temporary Internet Files", click the Settings button
Select the option under "Check for new versions of stored pages:" to "Automatically"
Note: Occasionally it may be necessary to set "Check for new versions of stored pages:" to "Every visit to the Page."
Click the Ok button.

Mozilla Firefox

There is no direct setting for Firefox that relates to checking for newer versions of web pages. Instead, students may clear the cache to obtain the latest version.

From the menu bar select "Tools - Options"
Click the "Privacy" category.
Find the "Cache" selection and click the Clear button to the right.
The button will remain depressed until the process is complete.
Click the Ok button to exit the Options window.

C is for Cookie

Configuring Cookies for WebCT

When set incorrectly in WebCT, cookie settings can be the source of a major headache for students and faculty members. Follow the directions below to set cookies up correctly:

Internet Explorer

Click "Tools - Internet Options" from the menu bar.
Select the "Privacy" tab.
The slider should be set to "Medium."
Click the Advanced button.
Check the selection box of "Override automatic cookie handling"
Mark "Enable" for First-pary cookies and Third-party cookies.
Check "Always allow session cookies."
Next, in the Web Sites section, click the Edit button.
In the "Address of web site" text field, enter "washburn.edu" (no quotes)
Click the Allow button.
Click the Ok button to exit.
Click the Ok button one more time to exit the Internet Options.

Mozilla Firefox

Select "Tools - Options" from the menu bar.
Click the "Privacy" category.
Click the plus (+) symbol to the left of "Cookies" to expand it.
Click the Exceptions button.
In the "Address of web site" text field, enter "washburn.edu" (no quotes)
Click the Allow button.
Click the Ok button to exit.
Click the Ok button to exit the Options window.

One Hot Cup of Java

Downloading Java

When WebCT chat sessions fail to load properly, the most common solution is to download and install the latest version of the Java software. To ensure an accurate download, the manual installation method is suggested.

- Download Java for installation (Manual Installation)

Point the web browser to http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
If instructions are needed, follow the "Instructions" link on the manual download page. The link appears next to the download link.

The download is about 15MB. Dial- up connections can expect up to one half an hour wait. High speed connections will take a few minutes.

Selecting browser choices to enable Java/JavaScript

- Enable Java in the browser

Internet Explorer

Select Tools then choose Internet Options. The Internet Options screen appears.
Select the Security tab.
Click the Custom Level button. The Security Settings screen appears.
Scroll down to Java Permissions and choose either Low, Medium or High safety
Click OK. The Internet Options screen appears.
Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox.
From the menu bar select "Tools - Options"
Click the "Web Features" category.
Ensure that the "Enable Java" and "Enable JavaScript" options are selected.
Click the Ok button to exit the Options window.

- Switch to the Sun Java Virtual Machine

Internet Explorer & Mozilla Firefox

Open the Windows Control Panel by clicking Start > Settings > Control Panel. The Control Panel appears.
Locate and double-click Java Plug-in. The Java(TM) Plug-in Control Panel appears.
Click the Browser tab.
Under Settings, select the checkbox next to the browser (Firefox is listed as Mozilla)
Click Apply to save settings.
Restart the browser.

- Enable Javascript

Internet Explorer

Select Tools then choose Internet Options. The Internet Options screen appears.
Select the Security tab.
Click the Custom Level button. The Security Settings screen appears.
Scroll down to Scripting, and enable Active Scripting and Scripting of Java Applets.
Click OK. The Internet Options screen appears.
Click OK.

Mozilla Firefox

Open Mozilla Firefox.
From the menu bar select "Tools - Options"
Click the "Web Features" category.
Ensure that the "Enable Java" and "Enable JavaScript" options are selected.
Click the Ok button to exit the Options window.

Firewall Software

With the increasing popularity of broadband Internet access, firewall software is also becoming increasingly popular. With an "always on" connection, many users may feel that they need the advanced protection of a firewall. Firewalls come in two different types; hardware and software. Most hardware firewalls act differently than software firewalls and will not usually cause difficulty using WebCT. Software firewalls on the other hand, could cause accessibility problems with WebCT. If users have software like Tiny Personal Firewall, Black Ice, WinGate, ZoneAlarm, McAffee Firewall, Norton Personal Firewall or Norton Internet Security Suite, it is highly recommended that the user disable the software while using WebCT, or give permission for "washburn.edu" to be a trusted site. Almost all firewall software programs allow the user to disable and enable protection on the fly via an icon in the task bar at the bottom of the screen. Consult the documentation of the software for additional information.

Technical Contacts

You can contact a Washburn WebTech via e-mail, the WWW, or by calling Washburn. When you contact a WebTech, please include the class you are taking (with course number), your MyWashburn ID, and a description of the problem, including any error messages. Please allow 24 hours for a response.