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Web School of Science Common Questions

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Common Questions

Q. Why does it say "Sorry, you cannot access this lab at this time because only 1 user may access this lab from this account at one time."?

A: Only one user can access purchased items (except site licenses) at one time.  If you didn't sign out the last time you accessed your account, Web School of Science may think you're still signed in.  In this case, wait about ten minutes for the old access to time out.

To avoid this in the future, always sign out when you're done.

Note that access is determined by a session with your browser (Firefox, Internet Explorer, Opera, etc.).  You can open multiple windows to Web School of Science within your browser at the same time, but you can't access your account from multiple browsers at the same time, even from the same machine.

Also, if you left "Remember me" checked when you signed in, your account information was saved on that specific computer.  If the computer is shared, the next person who visited Web School of Science on that computer would be automatically signed in to your account.  You can clear your account information by signing out, and clicking the "Click to remove sign-in cookies from this browser on this computer." link, it if appears.  If the link does not appear, your account information was not saved on the computer.

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Q: Why does it say "This site requires cookies. Please enable cookies in your browser."

A: Cookies are pieces of data stored in your web browser. Most web sites with user accounts, including Web School of Science, use cookies to identify the signed-in user each time a page is loaded. Our web site has determined that cookies are disabled in your browser, and they are required for you to sign in. Please enable cookies in your browser and try again.

Note: If, after enabling cookies in your browser and restarting, you still see the "This site requires cookies" message, the page may be cached. Clear the cache in your browser, using the browser's online help, if necessary. Finally, please see the cache problem topic for further suggestions.

Note: Other programs on your computer, such as firewall or internet security software, could also be blocking cookies. If enabling cookies in your browser does not fix the problem, or cookies are already enabled, please check the settings in your firewall or internet security software. Common internet security products include Norton, McAfee, and ZoneAlarm.

Depending on your browser, one of the following may help you enable cookies:

Mozilla Firefox 1.5, 2.0
  1. Go to the "Tools" menu.
  2. Select "Options".
  3. Select the "Privacy" icon at the top of the page.
  4. Check the box corresponding to "Accept cookies from sites".
  5. Click "OK" to save changes.
  6. Restart your computer.
Mozilla Firefox (1.0 final release and earlier)
  1. Go to the "Tools" menu.
  2. Select "Options".
  3. Select the "Privacy" icon in the left panel.
  4. Check the box corresponding to "Allow sites to set cookies".
  5. Click "OK" to save changes.
  6. Restart your computer.
Netscape 7.1/Mozilla 5.0
  1. Select "Preferences" from the Edit menu.
  2. Click on the arrow next to "Privacy & Security" in the scrolling window to expand.
  3. Under "Privacy & Security", select "Cookies."
  4. Select "Enable all cookies".
  5. Click "OK".
  6. Restart your computer.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7
  1. Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
  2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
  3. Click the "Default" button (or manually slide the bar down to "Medium") under "Settings".
  4. Click "OK".
  5. Restart your computer.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Alternate Method
  1. Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
  2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
  3. Click the "Sites" button.
  4. Type "webschoolofscience.com" (without the quotes) into the "Address of website" box.
  5. Click the "Allow" button.
  6. Click "OK".
  7. Click "OK" again.
  8. Restart your computer.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0+
  1. Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
  2. Click on the "Privacy" tab.
  3. Click the "Default" button (or manually slide the bar down to "Medium") under "Settings".
  4. Click "OK".
  5. Restart your computer.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x
  1. Select "Internet Options" from the Tools menu.
  2. Click on the "Security" tab.
  3. Click the "Custom Level" button.
  4. Scroll down to the "Cookies" section.
  5. To enable:
  6.   Set "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer" to "Enable".
  7.   Set "Allow per-session cookies" to "Enable".
  8. Click "OK".
  9. Restart your computer.
Netscape Communicator 4.x
  1. Select "Preferences" from the Edit menu.
  2. Find the "Cookies" section in the "Advanced" category.
  3. To enable:
  4. Select "Accept all cookies" (or "Enable all cookies").
  5. Click "OK".
  6. Restart your computer.

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Q: Why does it say "Could not log you in. Please try again." even when I enter the correct username and password?

A: The problem could be that cookies are not enabled. Even though Web School of Science checks to ensure cookies are enabled before sign-in, in some situations the cookie check may be fooled. Please see the cookie question, above.

If enabling cookies didn't solve the problem, it could be caused by browsers or web accelerators incorrectly caching the sign-in page (and other pages) causing incorrect pages to be displayed.  First, reload the page using the Reload or Refresh command in your browser:

Internet Explorer: use the Refresh command on the View menu.

Firefox: use the Reload command on the View menu.

Opera: click the Reload button on the toolbar, or press Ctrl+R.


Second, configure your browser to make sure it is not caching the pages incorrectly.

Internet Explorer 6
  1. Click on the Tools menu and choose Internet Options.
  2. In the section titled "Temporary Internet Files", click the Settings button.
  3. Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages," check "Every visit to the page".
Internet Explorer (older versions)
  1. Click on the View menu and choose Internet Options.
  2. In the section titled Internet Files, click the Settings button.
  3. Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages," check "Every visit to the page".
Netscape Navigator
  1. Click on the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
  2. Under the Category panel, click on Cache.
  3. Under "Document in cache is compared to document on network," choose Every Time.
Opera 9
  1. Click the Tools menu and select Preferences.
  2. Click the Advanced tab in the Preferences window that appears.
  3. Click History in the topics box on the left side.
  4. Under "Check if cached page is updated on the server", select "Always" for documents.
If the above solutions don't fix the problem and you're using web accelerator software, disable it.  PeoplePC and EarthLink are just two examples of dial-up accounts that may be using web accelerators.  Contact your ISP for details on disabling this.

Finally, remember that you may be entering the wrong email address or password, or may be entering it incorrectly.  The password is case sensitive.  If you cannot remember your password or are not sure about it, you can reset your password.  A confirmation will first be sent to your email address.  You must confirm the reset within 30 minutes or the request will be canceled.  After confirmation, the new password will be sent to your email address.  The confirmation and new password will be sent by passwordbot@webschoolofscience.com.  If your email account cannot receive messages from this address, you will not see the confirmation.  Our password bot cannot answer any spam trap or whitelist requests!

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Q. How do I access the labs?

A: You must log in for access.
  • If you have already purchased the labs, click the Sign In link on any page.  You will be prompted for your user name and password.  Once you log in you have full access to the labs you have purchased.
  • You may purchase labs through the catalog and receive your user name and password for logging in.
  • Instructors may register for a user name and password for signing in.

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Q. How do I download my E-book with software?

A. You must log in for access.

If you have already purchased the E-book with software, you will receive an email with your password and the link for downloading your book. Click on the link and log in using your email address and the password provided. You will be prompted for a location to save the file on your computer. Once the download is complete, click on the downloaded file (*.exe) and the installer will start. Both the book and software will be installed together on your computer. Please note that the link for downloading the file will expire so download your book as soon as possible after purchasing.

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Q. How do I change my password?

A: You may change your password by visiting the Change Password page and entering your old password and your new password. The change will be effective immediately.

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Q. How do I enable JavaScript?

A: Enable JavaScript in the preferences of your browser:

Windows Platform
Internet Explorer
  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Make sure the Internet Zone is selected and click "Custom Level...".
  4. Scroll down to the "Scripting" section (near the bottom), and enable "Active scripting".
  5. Click OK to save the change and close the Security Settings window.
  6. Click OK to save the change and close the Internet Options window.
Firefox
  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Options.
  2. Click the Content tab.
  3. Make sure "Enable JavaScript" is checked.
  4. Click OK to save the changes and close the Options window.
Opera:
  1. Press F12 to bring up the quick preferences menu.
  2. Make sure "Enable JavaScript" is checked.
Netscape Navigator
  1. Click on Edit in the menu bar and select Preferences.
  2. Select Advanced from the list of categories and make sure that the checkbox enabling JavaScript is checked.

Macintosh Platform
Internet Explorer
  1. Select Preferences from the Edit Menu (select from the Explorer Menu if you are using OS X).
  2. Select Web Content from Web Browser.
  3. Make sure that the checkbox enabling Scripting is checked.
  4. Select Security Zones from Web Browser.
  5. Set security level to anything except Custom.
  6. Click OK to save the changes and close the Internet Options window.
Firefox
  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Options.
  2. Click the Content tab.
  3. Make sure "Enable JavaScript" is checked.
  4. Click OK to save the changes and close the Options window.
Netscape Navigator
Note: You must have at least Netscape 6.0 to run our Applets on the Mac.
  1. Click on Edit in the menu bar and select Preferences.
  2. Select Advanced from the list of categories and make sure that the checkbox enabling JavaScript is checked.

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Q: How do I install Java?

A: Java for all supported operating systems can be found at
http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Once installed, you can verify that Java is working at
http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp
(Click the blue "Verify Java version" button.)

Depending on your browser, you may also need to change the browser settings to enable Java.

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Q: How do I enable Java in my browser?

A: The following instructions assume Java is already installed on your system. If not, please install Java first.

Windows Platform
Internet Explorer 6, 7:
  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Make sure the Internet Zone is selected and click "Custom Level...".
  4. Scroll down to the "Scripting" section (near the bottom), and enable "Scripting of Java applets".
  5. Click OK to save the change and close the Security Settings window.
  6. Click OK to save the change and close the Internet Options window.
Internet Explorer (versions before 6):
  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Make sure the checkbox enabling scripting is checked.
  4. Click the Advanced tab and select "Restore Defaults".
Firefox 2, 3:
  1. Click on Tools in the menu bar and select Options.
  2. Click the Content tab.
  3. Make sure "Enable Java" is checked.
  4. Click OK to save the changes and close the Options window.
(If you have an add-in installed that allows quick enabling and disabling of Java (such as QuickJava), make sure Java is enabled through it.)

Opera:
  1. Press F12 to bring up the quick preferences menu.
  2. Make sure "Enable Java" is checked.
Netscape Navigator:
  1. Click on Edit in the menu bar and select Preferences.
  2. Select Advanced from the list of categories and make sure that the checkbox enabling Java is checked.

Macintosh Platform
Internet Explorer: Select Preferences from the Edit Menu (select from the Explorer Menu if you are using OS X).  Select Java from Web Browser.  Make sure that the checkbox enabling Java is checked.  Select Security Zones from Web Browser.  Set security level to anything except Custom.

Netscape Navigator: Same as on PC.   Note: For version 4.76 and higher you will need a plug-in to run Java (available here). Netscape 6 and higher does not require this plug-in.

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Q: When I try to start an applet, the following window appears: Java version query window

A: Newer versions of Java added this window if multiple versions of Java are installed. It's harmless, and if you click "Run" the applet will run normally. If you want to get rid of the prompt, please follow one of the following sets of instructions.

Remove Extra Java Versions Manually:
  1. Sign out of Web School of Science.
  2. Close all browser windows.
  3. Uninstall all Java versions in the "Add or Remove Programs" control panel (Windows XP), "Programs and Features" control panel (Windows Vista) or other appropriate location (other OSs).
  4. Install the latest version of Java from
    http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
Remove Extra Java Versions Automatically:
  1. Sign out of Web School of Science.
  2. Close all browser windows.
  3. Download and run JavaRa from
    http://raproducts.org/ or
    http://raproducts.org/click/click.php?id=1

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Q: Why does nothing happen when I press the buttons that are supposed to launch the Web School of Science laboratories?

A: JavaScript is not enabled in your browser. Please follow these instructions to enable JavaScript.

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Q: How do I contact technical support?

A: If your questions have not been answered here, email technical support. We will need your name, user name, the labs you are trying to access and a description of the problem. Please also indicate which browser and operating system you are using, including versions.

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Q: How do I send a screenshot to technical support?

A: "A picture is worth a thousand words" applies to diagnosing and fixing technical issues. If you send a picture of the browser window to our technical support department, we can usually diagnose and correct the problem much faster.

Windows Platform
  1. With the problematic web page in the foreground, press Alt+Print Screen
  2. Start Windows Paint
  3. Paste the clipboard into Paint (choose "Paste" on the "Edit" menu)
  4. Save the image to a JPEG (.jpg) file on the desktop (choose "Save As" on the "File" menu, and change "Save as type" to "JPEG")
  5. Attach the file to your support email
Macintosh Platform
  1. With the problematic web page in the foreground, press Command-Shift-3
  2. Locate the screen shot file on your desktop
  3. Attach the file to your support email

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Q: How do I clear the cache in my browser?

A: Please follow the instructions below for your browser. If your browser is not listed, please look for instructions in your browser's help, under "cache" or "clear".
Before clearing your cache, be sure to sign out of Web School of Science first, so you can sign in without delay once your cache is cleared.

Windows Platform
Internet Explorer 7:
  1. Select "Internet Options" on the Tools menu
  2. Click the "General" tab
  3. Click the "Delete" button under "Browsing history"
  4. Click the "Delete files..." button under "Temporary Internet Files"
  5. Click "Yes" in the confirmation window
  6. Click "Close" to close the "Delete Browsing History" window
  7. Click "OK" to close the "Internet Options" window
  8. Close and restart Internet Explorer

Internet Explorer 6:
  1. Select "Internet Options" on the Tools menu
  2. Click the "General" tab
  3. Click the "Delete Files..." button under "Temporary Internet Files"
  4. Click "OK" in the confirmation window
  5. Click "OK" to close the "Internet Options" window
  6. Close and restart Internet Explorer

Firefox 3:
  1. Select "Options" on the "Tools" menu
  2. Click the "Privacy" tab
  3. Click the "Clear Now" button in the "Private Data" section
  4. Uncheck all items except "Cache"
  5. Click the "Clear Private Data Now" button
  6. Click "OK" to close the Options window
  7. Close and restart Firefox
Firefox 2:
  1. Select "Options" on the "Tools" menu
  2. Click the "Privacy" tab
  3. Click the "Clear Now" button in the "Private Data" section
  4. Uncheck all items except "Cache"
  5. Click the "Clear Private Data Now" button
  6. Click "OK" to close the Options window
  7. Close and restart Firefox
Opera:
  1. Select "Preferences" on the "Tools" menu
  2. Click the "Advanced" tab
  3. Select "History" in the list on the left side of the window
  4. Click "Empty Now" next to "Memory cache" and "Disk cache" (one button)
  5. Click OK to save the changes and close the Preferences window
  6. Close and restart Opera

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Q: I've installed and enabled Java, but I still get a red 'X' in the applet window instead of the applet?

A: Some users install and enable Java but still get just a red 'X' in the applet window. The red 'X' is what Internet Explorer uses to indicate that it can't display a Java applet. Assuming you properly followed the instructions for installing and enabling Java, please try restarting your computer.

Before restarting your computer, be sure to sign out of Web School of Science first, so you can sign in without delay once your computer restarts.

If restarting did not fix the problem, please try the free Firefox web browser:
  http://www.firefox.com
This will help determine whether the problem is related to an Internet Explorer setting or related add-on. Even if you don't want to use Firefox this is important to try to narrow down the possible cause of the problem.

After installing Firefox, try to access the applet again, or try the test applet on our test page:
  http://www.webschoolofscience.com/help.php#TestPage

If the applet works in Firefox, then the problem is related to Internet Explorer. You can either complete your exercise using Firefox, or try to fix the problem. It could be an Internet Explorer setting (you might want to re-check the Internet Explorer settings to enable java) or a toolbar or other add-on. We do not support toolbars or add-ons, so if you have one that is blocking Java applets, you will need to investigate to determine how to enable Java or remove or disable the toolbar or add-on.

If the applet does not work in Firefox, then either Java is not installed or something else is blocking Java applets. This could be internet security software installed on your computer (some examples are Symantec/Norton, McAfee, ZoneAlarm, and Comodo) or a network device. For example, some routers and hardware firewalls can block Java applets before they even reach your computer. In either case, you will need to enable Java applets in the program or on the network device. If you are accessing Web School of Science from work or another location where you do not have access to enable Java applets, please talk to your network administrator or access Web School of Science from another location.

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Q: I filled out my answer sheet and saved it but the answers weren't saved!

A: Unfortunately some PDF readers, including some versions of Adobe Reader, do not support saving answers to PDF forms. Most warn you first, but some may not.

Please test your reader first by answering one question with a dummy answer and saving it to your desktop or another easy-to-find location. Close the answer sheet and your PDF reader, then double-click the saved answer sheet document. If the answer is gone, don't rely on the answers being saved!

Note that clicking the answer sheet link on our website will download another blank answer sheet! Be sure to use the saved PDF file from your computer unless you want to start over.

If your PDF reader doesn't save the answers, you may be able to print to a PDF document instead. If your system does not have this capability, ask your instructor whether you can paste the questions into an email and answer them there.

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Q: I forgot (or don't know) my password!

A: If you forgot or never received your password, the system can reset it and send the new password to your email address. Of course, you must already have an account on Web School of Science.

You can reset your password from the sign in page using the "Forgot your password?" link, or by using this reset password link.

Note that if you never received the original email containing the password, you might not receive the reset password email. The email will come from passwordbot@webschoolofscience.com. You might need to add it to your email address book to guarantee delivery.

Resetting your password is a two-step process to prevent other people from resetting your password. When you submit your email address for a password reset, you will receive an email with a link to reset your password. You must click the link in the password reset email within 30 minutes or it will expire without resetting your password.

If you can't receive the password reset email in time to reset your password, please email technical support and request that we reset your password. Please include the email address used for your account and your order number for verification, or we will not be able to help.
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