School Library Technical Support
Knowledge Base

I try to reset my password on my email and it says it sent the new password to the email I cant get in. I have contact windows live and they are no help. I desperately need to get into my email. What should I do?

I don't recognize your name as one of my students, and I'm not even sure you are an MU student. Unfortunately, if you rely solely on the Windows Live Hotmail web site for resetting your password, and you have never created an alternate address to which to send the new password, you may be out of luck.

Also, you should wait at least an hour for the reset to work. It's theoretically possible that if you expect immediate results and reset it over and over the email with the new password never catches up with the rush to reset it again. But if you never received an email at your Yahoo account then it's most likely that you never provided that address in your preferences as the alternate address (which is where reset passwords will go).

If you are an MU student you do have a better alternative for resetting your password that is immediate and does not involve email. The preferred reset procedure for MU students is to login to the My Accounts page (https://info.mansfield.edu/myaccount/), click reset then see a temporary password right then and there.

For a screen shot of the reset link and further instructions see our Help page (http://library.mansfield.edu/help.asp#Reset).

Good luck,

Larry Schankman
SL&IT Instructor and Adviser

If I am trying to post an assignment in Word format. I don't want to cut and paste because it changes the layout of my document (ie, the highlights and italics are all missing and the document is shifted to the left). How can I get it onto blackboard with out it being an attachment - and still visible as how I typed it in MS Word Format?

When pasting Word documents (or any Office-type document) into Blackboard, you are pasting highly formatted code by default into a plain text editor, which is why you lose all of the formatting. The preferred method is to submit the document as an attachment, as it that maintains the formatting. But if you must submit it as a formatted document there is one option.

Assuming your version of Blackboard allows you to edit submissions as HTML (I don't believe you are one of our students, so I don't know what version of Bb you use or what features are available), you could save your Word document as HTML, then paste the code into the HTML editor of Bb. To do this, you must perform two separate operations (first in Word then in Bb):

1. In Word, click File, Save As (if you use Word 2007, click the big Windows button in the left corner then Save As, Other Formats).

2. Save as a web page (html)

3. In older versions of Word, you can then click the View menu and HTML Source. Paste that into the Bb visual editor, following step 4 below.

If you use Word 2007, this is more complicated since the source view is not easily accessible. Either follow the instructions at http://www.brighthub.com/computing/windows-platform/articles/26119.aspx or open the document in Notepad (as long as it has an htm or html extension, NOT .doc) and copy the HTML code there. If you open the document in Firefox (which I believe you are using), click View, Page Source to copy the code.

4. In Bb, open the visual editor (depending on version) and make sure you click the icon for "Toggle HTML Source Mode. The icon looks like a pair of left and right angle brackets, like this: <>. Then submit.

Assuming the code isn't incompatible with Bb that should theoretically work, though Word HTML is very bloated and does not always work well with Bb. Don't be surprised, in fact, if it doesn't work, as Word uses style "classes" which are not supported in Bb.

If you really want to be safe, you'd have to create your submission entirely in HTML either in the Bb editor, or in a stand alone web editor like Dreamweaver, but that will be very time consuming. All you can do is try the method above and hope Word doesn't mess it up too badly. Otherwise, I'm afraid an attachment is your best bet.

Good luck,

Larry Schankman
Mansfield University

I am an instructor in the SL/IT program and want to access Bb as a student. I need my to clarify my login so that I can do so. My first name is Margaret but I have always used Veanna. This has been a problem since I began teaching here 5 years ago. I beleive it is also the reason that I cannot get into the classes that I am teaching as a student.

All student accounts for faculty begin with 00 followed by your first name. You actually don't need to know it because you can look it up by your last name. Besides, you can't access the course until you enroll your student account as a student.

In Control Panel click "Enroll User" then search by your last name to enroll yourself. Your student account should be listed there, unless you are already enrolled (in which case you need to view everyone enrolled in the class already). I just checked in my course and see that your student account is 00veanna, as expected. Your password should be the same as your instructor account.

p.s. you do realize that the Ask Us form goes to me don't you, not Blackboard or the MU Help Desk?

Larry

I am having trouble accessing my accounts information through the My Accounts page. I have logged in the necessary information many times with no success.

Actually, it's probably too early for you to access the account information. The IT people usually don't build new accounts until 2-3 weeks before the semester starts, and you don't start officially until May 19. For the orientation we'll cover setting up accounts so you need not worry about the details yet. We'll cover it once all of the accounts are ready.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

I would like to allow my administrator to access the webpage regarding the Leader50 scholarship. (He has agreed to participate.) I am unable to open the page - http://libweb.mansfield.edu/lapis/principals.asp

The address for the scholarship program was changed last fall to reflect the new name (Building Leaders). I'm not sure if someone accidentally gave you an old address, or perhaps you're using an old address from an earlier announcement last year. At any rate the site is now at:

      http://libweb.mansfield.edu/leaders/principals.asp

Sorry for the confusion.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

I have Microsoft Word on my computer but am unable to open the profile template even though I have it. Is there something else I need to be doing?

Where did you try to access it, and did you try to open it from the web or did you save it first to your computer. A common troubleshooting trick is to see if you can save it and open it as a file from Word (rather than trying to open it from the web as if it were a regular web link). If you can open it in Word (without the browser), then that suggests the problem is your browser or security software blocking web access.

A simpler possibility is that you may not have access privelges yet in Blackboard (which is why I need to know where you tried to access it, in the course or in the Student Lounge). Also, did you get an error message, a blank screen, or did you try to open it and nothing happened at all? There are many possible causes, but I'd need to know more about the exact conditions.

Meanwhile, I was able to get you finally enrolled in Blackboard, so you should now have access to the course. Try again there and see if you can open it. First try clicking on the link, and if that doesn't work, try to save it and open it in Word.

p.s. one last possibility: if you tried to save it by clicking the link from the right click menu it's quite possible that what you saved wasn't the file itself but merely the link (which is not a Word document). Usually you have to left click the link to get the browser to ask whether you wish to open or save. Did that happen, or did you try to save from the link itself (without opening)?

Please try again, and if it doesn't work also consider calling the Blackboard Help Desk.

Cheers,
Larry

I need my Graduate login passwrod so that I can access survey comments.

I just emailed it to you. If you like I can change it.

Larry

After completing the mid-semester survey I was taken to a page of my contact information. I tried to delete my cell number and employer information, as I no longer have a cell phone and am now not working (I am a full time grad student) but the information was not removed when I went back in to check. Could you please remove those details from my profile?

Ok, I took care of it. I guess I never considered this possibility, but when I created the database and student contact checker I never considered the possibility of students needing to delete data, only adding and revising data. Technically, I believe you can replace the data with empty text, but at any rate I deleted the cell and employer info from my end. Thanks for the update and letting me know.

Larry S.

Is the turnin program working? I can't submit my paper. It keep turning into a blank page.

As far as I know Turnitin is working. However, in general any time you try to submit anything in a web page (that uses popup windows) and get a blank page it is about 90% certain that you have a popup blocker preventing the page from opening. Check your browser for any messages or warnings alerting you to a popup, and add mansfield.edu as a safe site in the popup and privacy sections of your browser (Tools > Popup Blocker > Popup Blocker Settings and also Tools > Internet Options > Privacy).

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am having difficulty transfering documents that I create on the new campus Word system to my Microsoft Word 2003 on my home computer. Other than changing it into a PDF file, how can I transfer them home and keep them in a word document form? Thank You Very Much

The problem is that Word 2007 uses a different file format than all previous versions of Word. To share the file with another computer with Word 2003 you need to save the file to the old format. If you click the big round Office button in the top left corner of the Word window you'll see a menu that resembles the old File menu of previous Word versions. Click on Save As, then Word 97-2003 Document. If you are already on the Word 2003 computer and can't access it all you can still open it in Word 2003, but you'll need to install Microsoft's free Office Compatability Pack (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/products/HA101686761033.aspx).

When our class has a discussion in the group user section of the "communication" link; how does it work? I am not sure how to use this feature, and I cannot seem to find any directions for it.

Unfortunately, your instructors have not given me access to their courses, so I can't really see where they put the group pages. But usually in Blackboard the group pages are accessed by clicking the Communications button on the the left side of the screen (underneath the buttons), then the item, Group Pages. That should give you access to the group forums, assuming you have been assigned to one. Also, some instructors create a separate button marked Group Forums that goes to the same place (it's just a shortcut). If you still can't access the page you'll have to call Blackboard's 24/7 Help Line, since I can't see what you see.

I am a new student for the summer and just last night was able to access "My Accounts" to get my login and password for Blackboard. I tried to login to Blackboard to work on the tutorial, but have been unable to get the login to work, even though I checked both my login and password very carefully. Am I doing something wrong, or do I just not have access to Blackboard yet since the semester hasn't started? Thank you. Allison

I'm working on some new orientation material as we spea, and I'll send an announcement later this week. As for logging in, right now no new student is able to access their account. Unfortunately, the university does not load students until just a few days before the semester begins. I'm trying to get the IT Dept to reconsider, but they have their reasons. As a compromise, they have created a couple of guest accounts, and in a few days I'll let you know about that so we can practice Blackboard skills. Please stay tuned.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

First Email: I was wondering if you might be able to provide me with a solution to a problem I am having with the forum section in Blackboard. I first experienced it during the last forum with my previous class. I thought it may have just been associated with that class, but apparently not so. Also, this only seems to be happening with my computer at home. I do not have the same problem when I use my computer at school.

When I go into the forum and I try to post a New Thread, only a subject space, a toolbar, and an attachment bar space appear. There is absolutely no text area in which to write any message. If I try to send just an attachment, I get the pop-up message to "Provide a Message," but I cannot do that because there is no textbox area. It's possible that I may have inadvertently hit something that caused the forum to operate this way, but if I did, I do not know what it would have been.

Follow-Up:
Just thought I'd let you know that I finally had to call the Blackboard support to "fix" this problem. The other method of adding Mansfield to the list did not work. Even though my home computer was running Windows xp, I still needed to install Mozilla Foxfire to use as a secondary site to access Blackboard.

First Reply:
Hmm, this is the second mention of this exact same problem and I wonder if there is something else going on. Normally, I would immediately suspect the presence of ad-blocking or security software, as it sounds to me like something is preventing a popup window to open. But the text box isn't really a window. So, if you don't mind, could you please call
the Blackboard help line. Their toll-free number is 866-766-5969. They'll no doubt ask specific questions about your computer and what you see, and they generally don't like to speak with third parties who don't really know what you see.

Follow-Up:
I'm still not sure what the problem could be with XP, but I just upgraded to Vista this weekend and learned that the new operating system will not allow Internet Explorer to support the Blackboard visual text box at all. That means that Blackboard will eventually have to create a new tool that works with all browsers. Yes, you can use another browser, but you won't have the same functionality. Only Internet Explorer supports the full capabilities of the visual editor. But since you are using XP the problem must be security related. There is apparently some sort of security software (most likely a popup blocker) on your home computer, and it could be IE itself. Are you using version 6 or the new version 7?

The newer version of Internet Explorer has its own popup blocker, and the settings for that are separate from the privacy setting. Also, if you have a third-party toolbar that works only with IE (e.g. Yahoo, Google, or even a spyware-installed search tool that is used for finding merchandise) that too will have its own settings for allowing the mansfield.edu domain to load popup windows without incident.

p.s. there is yet another alternative that I just discovered, though I'm not sure students have access. When you first login to Blackboard there is a menu on the far left that allows you to change personal settings. Once in personal settings select "Set Visual Text Box Editor Options" and set the editor to Unavailable. That will allow you to use a no frills text box in IE (the same one used by other browsers).

Would you please let me know how do I access a material for my class. It is on electronic reserve (online library use).

E-reserves are scanned articles or book chapters that are stored in our library's online catalog, Pilot. You can access e-reserves from our home page by either clicking the link for the MU library (http://lib.mansfield.edu/) or the specific link under library resources (bottom left menu on our home page):

      http://pilot.passhe.edu:8040/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?DB=local&PAGE=rbSearch

Once there you'll need to identify your instructor and follow the menus to get to the article. At some point you'll also need to enter your 18-digit barcode, which I hope you received in the mail (did you receive the packet yet, with the mouse pad? The barcode should be on your mouse pad).

I am unable to submit my information needed for class butcause after I attach it and hit submit, it says that I need to adda message and it wont let me. What do I need to do or what am I not doing properly?

Where exactly are you trying to submit the assignment (Blackboard?), and in what format is the submission (e.g. Word)? Can you describe the page that you're on? Are you sending a profile in a forum?

If this is a Blackboard issue you'll probably have a faster answer by calling their 24/7 toll-free help line, listed on our Portal page. But I suspect it's your browser blocking a pop-up window from loading (the window with the message box). You may need to set your browser to accept popups from mansfield.edu web pages.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I tried to logon to update my personal contact information at http://library.mansfield.edu/gradlogin.html and was denied access.

Wouldn't you know it, I made a very "harmless" change to our database the other day and didn't realized that a simple change affected the login for this page. I just corrected the problem and you should now be able to login. Thanks for letting me know (you were the first).

Cheers,
Larry

What is my library bar code?

Your barcode number should be listed on the mousepad that we sent when you first started (assuming Antioch students receive the welcome packet). If you did not receive a mouse pad then you'll have to contact the library, as only they can look it up. Just tell them that you are an online student and were not issued an ID card.

To make the request use their web form at http://lib.mansfield.edu/askref.html (but I'm not sure if they're open today due to the holiday).

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I made the mistake of following a Windows update that was sent to me that had me update to Internet Explorer 7. After realizing that this was not supported by Blackboard, I removed the program. Even though IE 7 has been removed, I can get to the Blackboard login page but when I try to login after adding my username and password, nothing happens. I cannot enter, and I get no message telling me what the problem is. I also cannot access the Help option in Blackboard. I have tried reinstalling IE 6 Special Pack 2 for home Windows XP systems...but am still not able to login. Do you have any idea what might be causing this problem?

Your symptoms sounds more like a security issue than the IE 7 browser itself. Even though it's technically not supported I have used it since last Spring when it was still a beta product (pre-release) and haven't had any problems. If anything changed it was probably the security settings or ad-blocking options. When you say nothing happens is there a narrow bar across the top of the screen that says anything about ad or popup blocking? Similarly, when you installed the browser did it possibly install a search toolbar from Google or Yahoo? Those often include their own ad blockers that often block password-protected sites (if so there is a button indicating a block that you can click to turn off blocking for that site).

I also suggest you clear your browser cache (Tools, Internet Options, Delete) and cookies, and add "mansfield.edu" to your privacy zone to make sure its a trusted site (from Tools, Internet Options click the Privacy tab then click the Sites button to enter mansfield.edu as an allowed site). You might also include the backup server: passhe.edu

If that still doesn't work call Blackboard's toll-free 24x7 help line, at 1-866-766-5969 (listed on the Portal page).

Everytime I start up my computer, Microsoft wants me to install IE 7. And I would really like to do that. Is there a possibility that Blackboard is working on supporting it? Any suggestions?

That's a good question. The official word is that we should not use IE7, but I have used it since last Spring when it was still a beta product (pre-release) and haven't had any problems. The only real issue is that the installation routine has been known to mess up computers really badly. Even in my case it caused some damage that took me a couple hours to fix (it destroyed all of my desktop links and worse yet, the ability to run executable programs--that took me the longest to fix). In most cases this can be prevented by temporarily disabling security software (the usual culprit in installations that behave badly).

If you'd like to wait for Microsoft to address this there is a way to tell the Windows Update feature to ignore specific upgrades. If you go to the Windows Update page (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com) select the option for a Custom update. Click the description for the update (IE 7) and at the bottom of the text you'll see an option button that you can select to Don't show this update again. That should prevent the automatic reminder (though I could be wrong).

Note: if you really wanted to, you could click Change Settings from any Update window and accept the option (check box) to Disable Microsoft Update software and let me use Windows Update only. This would make you responsible for manually going to the update page to check for updates. But if you don't regularly think of updating your computer with important security and operating system patches I would not suggest it.

what is j-peg?

JPEG is a common file format used for graphics, quite often photos or other images displayed on the web. The initials stand for the Joint Photographic Experts Group (the techies who created the format). Many digital cameras use this format when recording images.

p.s. I don't believe you are one of the school library students, how did you happen to end on this question form?

I am trying to post my powerpoint in the FORUM as an attachment for my class 5540 and it isn't working. The file is large 7MB - I have never had a problem before posting or attaching documents and I am wondering if the size of the file is the issue and how can I fix it. Please help!

Well, there could be at least a couple explanations. I don't believe there is a file size limitation in eCollege, though there might be. Rather, I suspect one of three things. Either your connection is timimg out before the upload is complete (even with a fast connection, upload speed is always relatively slow); your network is blocking large outgoing files; or this could be the presence of adware.

The web form that you submitted for this question includes a small script to identify your computer and browser (to help me troubleshoot), and that suggests that your browser has been taken over by ad-ware that could very well be the cause of the problem (spyware and adware are very troublesome programs that usually install without your knowledge or permission and cause all sorts of browser and computer problems, especially affecting the functionality of popup windows).

The particular product is identified as FunWebProducts, and you can read more about it by searching Google. Also check out the article at:
           http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/web/2003/1208web2.html

I suggest you try to uninstall the adware and see if that helps. If you do not own an anti-spyware program (which I recommend), there are a couple very good freebies that will do the job (though for $30 you can get full-time protection that will prevent this stuff from installing in the first place-the freebies only work to clean up the mess, after the fact).

For more details about spyware, see an old announcement (or search our Knowledge Base from the Portal's Help Page) at:

      http://library.mansfield.edu/announcement.html#spyware

If that still doesn't help try to email the file to either me or your instructor and see if that helps.
If you have access to cpmpression software, like WinZip or Stuff-It, you could also try sending it in a compressed format, to reduce file size.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am about to start classes on Monday, I do not know how to access my mansfield e-mail address, nor do I know my login and password for the portal page. Please help!

You should have received from us a packet of information, along with a mousepad. That pad includes an insert with all of your MU logins and passwords. If you have not received that please let me know.

Meanwhile, I will email you separately your login and passwords, as a response from this form is publically accessible by anyone.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

It seems my computer is not up to snuff. I only have an intel Pentium II and 64MB RAM. I Do have Flash Player, Adobe Acrobat and Real one and I took online coursrs last year through the Pa. Dept of Education and had no problems. Do I really need all of the things listed on the Minimum Computer Requirements? While looking for computers I saw very few with Intel Pent 111, a lot of them have AMD 64 Anthlonx2 instead. Whats that? I do not have a lot of time left at this point Please give me your advice on what I need and what reasonalbly priced system would suffice.

In general the type of processor isn't really the big deal with efficient computing, at least with normal office type applications (i.e. not a lot of heavy duty video, graphics or mathematical calculating that require a lot of processing power). In most instances memory is really the key.

Now, you say that you have only 64 Mb but I find that hard to believe. According to my browser sniffer on the mail form, your computer has Windows XP as the operating system, and that wouldn't even install on a computer with less than 128 Mb (though in reality 256 Mb isn't even enough to function properly).

You might want to verify your memory. If you right click on the My Computer icon and select properties that will identify your operating system, processor speed and memory. If everything else works fine, you could save money by simply buying new and more plentiful memory (assuming your computer allows upgrading).

But I generally recommend newer computers, as all old components fail eventually, and if you don't regularly clean and maintain your hard drive over time it gets very cluttered and begins to slow down due to a process known as fragmentation. Also old junk from programs that you may have uninstalled still lie around causing potential conflicts.

Now days you can buy a very functional computer for less than $1,000. I prefer name brands, as they have better support, but even Wal Mart sells good computers (though I'd stick with HP, Toshiba or Sony if you buy at Wal Mart). Also note that Dell and Gateway offer academic discounts. If you go to their web sites they should have a special section marked Education (or some combination of Education and Government). Go that route to save 20% or so.

If you buy from an office supply store it wouldn't hurt to ask if they have a student discount either. You never know (likewise, as long as you are a student you should never have to pay retail for software, especially if you buy from a student discount site, as mentioned in our help page, at http://library.mansfield.edu/help.html#Software).

As for specs, I always prefer more memory to more processor. For normal use you probably don't need a state-of-the-art processor, like the AMD 64 or Intel equiavlent (e.g. dual-core or 64 bit). My favorite advise is to buy online and use the following strategy.

Customize your own computer by specifying the components. Select a computer whose base price is about 50% more than you'd want to pay, and lower the specs this way: start with their recommended process and drop down to the one or two lower priced; accept their memory spec if at least 526 Mb, and if you can afford it, specify even more (memory is cheap these days); if you like your current montor specify a computer with no monitor option (though you could get a very inexpensive flat panel these days if you buy with the computer, including very large ones, which I could not live without--and the bigger the better).

If you go with a flat panel get at least a 17 inch if you can afford it. If you don't intend to use your computer for hard core multimedia production or play back, you can also save money by lowering the quality of the video and audio cards. Usually the least expensive ones are the kind that are built into the motherboard. Unless you are Steven Spielberg or his equivalent in the concert world you probably won't notice a significant difference and will save a few hundred dollars.

Continue to go through the customization options and save money that way. In the end you'll have a dream machine with less than the sales driven special features, but still with all of the same essentials as expesnive computers.

Good luck,

Larry Schankman, PhD
School Library and Information Technologies Program
Mansfield University
314-395-0050 (Home Office)
314-956-0662 (Cell)
lschankm@mansfield.edu

I am having trouble using the Web Advisor. It says I have an invalid password when I typed in my first name and the last four digits of my ss#. I am also having trouble with my MU email since I don't know my MU email address or my password. Please help!

I'm not sure if WebAdvisor is open yet, but if it is, the password should be the last 4 digits of your social security number, and the login should be your MU email name (not your first name).

If you did not receive a packet yet with your login and password please let us know, as that should include a mousepad with all of your IDs. Our Help page (http://library.mansfield.edu/help.html) also provides the formats for all logins and passwords.

If none of those work, you'll need to contact the Registrar's Office, as faculty have no access to the accounts or passwords: call 570-662-4202 or email registrar@mansfield.edu

As for your email, the same holds true. If the information on your mousepad or the Help page does not work you'll need to contact the IT Dept, as again we have no priveleges to change or assign email addresses or passwords. The IT's Help Line is 570-662-4357 (or email helpline@mansfield.edu).

Good luck,

Larry Schankman, PhD
School Library and Information Technologies Program
Mansfield University
314-395-0050 (Home Office)
314-956-0662 (Cell)
lschankm@mansfield.edu

OK, dumb question #2395. How do I find out which of my 530 students completed the survey? D

If you login to the survey (from the button on the Portal) your instructor password will take you to a blank survey with links to results, comments, and an item that reads: check for Students who completed the survey. The latter allows you to browse for students in each course.

Cheers,
Larry

I've been trying to take the professional development survey but the submit button doesn't work in order to take me to the survey (after entering my name and e-mail address).

This is a rather strange problem. I looked at the email sent by Helen Adams, and apparently the underlying link embedded in the email message is not to the survey, but our university's Microsoft Exchange mail server. The text of the link is correct, just not the site it sends you too if you click it.

Please try again using the link: http://libweb.mansfield.edu/pdsurvey.asp

If that still doesn't work, then you might have a more common problem with a firewall or Internet security software that prevents one page from opening another, which is what the link above does. If so, see if you can disable that software (there is usually an icon in your task tray that allows you to temporarily disable the security so you can open the blocked page).

Good luck,

Larry Schankman
Mansfield University

The "Take the Survey" link is not working.

Normally I would say that problems like this are due to security software restricting access. In your case I can be more specific. The form that you used to send your question provides me with some information about your browser, and it identifed the presence of a filter program called Crayon Crawler.

According to Family Internet (http://familyinternet.about.com/library/weekly/aa082201a.htm) :

"Crayon Crawler works by using an acceptable list of sites; if they try to access a site that is not on the list, it will not allow them to visit it. You can however over-ride this by using the parental controls and add the site to the list. If you (the parent) want to surf to all the sites on the Internet, all you have to do is turn it off by entering your password."

This is generally how all such Internet security programs work. It's doing exactly what it's supposed to: it will refuse to open any page not on its list. Since the survey is on a different server as the other school library pages you'll need to add the domain libweb.mansfield.edu to the list of acceptable sites. Alternatively, you could temporarily disable your filter to allow the page to load.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I cannot log-in to the web advisor to register for course #5535 for the summer 2006 session. Please correct this problem asap.

WebAdvisor is used only for current students and unless I'm mistaken you have not yet begun the program. Weren't you just admitted? If so, only your adviser, Cindy Keller, can register you. Please email Cindy (ckeller@mansfield.edu) to see which course is available for new students. She'll take good care of you.

All the best,
Larry Schankman

I am trying to get a pop-up window to come up to check my spelling during a Forum Discussion but a responce comes up saying "the pop-up window has been blocked" How do I unblock this window? Thanks Toni

Most likely you have on your computer some sort of Internet security software. It's great that you protect your computer, but uinfortunately security software assumes that all sites are evil and dangerous and prevent legitimate sites from displaying without extra work on your part.

I can't say what product you have, but hopefully you are aware of your own software. The usual suspects are products like Norton Internet Security, a personal firewall, or even an ad-blocker that could be a third-party add-on for your web browser (e.g. the Yahoo or Google toolbars include ad blockers).

Once you identify the software blocking the popup window you'll need to disable it, or better yet, add the eCollege URL to the settings for web sites NOT to block. The procedure depends on the software blocking the page, but most stand alone security programs have an icon in your Windows task tray that you can RIGHT click to display a menu that contains the option to temporarily disable the security or change settings to add an allowed site.

If that still does not help you'll need to identify the software and hope that you have a manual or help page that describes the procedure for unblocking web sites. There could also be a chance that the problem is the browser's own internal security, if you have the security settings on high. In Internet Explorer click Tools, Internet Options then Privacy. I'd suggest keeping security set to medium. And if you have the version of XP that includes its own ad blocker you can disable it on this page as well.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am having troubling connecting to the course work page. I will login and enter my password but the course page comes up blank. What could be the problem? Lorine

In my experience, blank pages that result after a login attempt to a password-protected site are almost always the result of security measures, whether a firewall or Internet security software. Are you trying to access the page from a school computer?

Most likely that is your school's firewall "protecting" you from an unknown web site. If you are at home, do you use any type of security, such as Norton Internet Security or even a browser ad-blocker? They will also block web pages from loading, especially if they open a new (pop-up) window.

At this point you'll need to examine your computer and if you have a security product, you'll need to add the URL of the page you are attempting to access to the list of allowed (non-blocked) sites. Without knowing what software or firewall setup affects you it's nearly impossible to tell you how to do this. But most software of this type has a small icon in the bottom right corner of your Windows screen. If you right click the icon a menu should pop up that will allow you to temporarily disable the security.

If you do that and the web page loads, then that proves the presence of the software. Next you'll need to find the settings and look for the option of registering allowed web sites. For possible solutions see our aging page on fixes for unusual probelems like this, at:

      http://library.mansfield.edu/announcement.html#login

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

For LSC 5545 we are to watch a video using Flash player. I've downloaded flash player and followed the links. I click on Rebbecca Butler and then get the screen on installing flash player. What do I do?

Apparently, you are using a Mozilla browser, which is fine, except that it requires you to manually install the player. Yes, you downloaded it, but you have not installed it (Internet Explorer would automatically do that for you). What you need to do now is locate the downloaded file and execute it (double click the icon or file in My Computer until the install program executes).

If you can not find the file, you'll need to go into the settings for your browser and identify the folder for downloads, then locate in My Computer. I'm not familiar with Mozilla, but somewhere probably under Edit, Preferences (or Tools, or perhaps Options), or somewhere are settings for where downloaded files go. I won't know how your computer is setup.

Alternatively, you could try to search for it. This form indicates that you have a Windows computer, so either search (Start, Search, All Files and Folders) for any file with a name ending in exe (search for *.exe) saved in the last day (in the search window specify "When was it modified" and enter either the date you downloaded it or check the option for the last week). You might also try searching for the name, which might be:

      install_flash_player.exe

(if you downloaded the Shockwave Player, which is a more powerful version of Flash, the file might be called Shockwave_Installer_Slim.exe).

If you can't find it, try downloading it again and if you can, save it to your desktop so you will be sure to find it (though again, you'd need to change your browser preferences for where downloads go). The download site for Windows is:

      http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/get/flashplayer/current/install_flash_player.exe

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am attempting to view the Rebecca Butler video for 5545. I successfully downloaded Flash Player but am still unable to view the video. Help. Patricia

Howdy. Are you sure you installed it, or did you simply download it? I recall that you asked me that while I was in Seattle. Do you recall installing it from the browser, or did it save the installation file to your computer somewhere (and do you know where that is?). To find the download location, you'll need to look at the preferences for your browser and see where it saves downloaded files. That location will depend on your specific browser and version (and whether you have a mac or PC). Do you know what it is (e.g. Internet Explorer 6.0, Netscape 7.2, etc.).

If you installed Flash, does the video open at all, or do you just get a blank screen? Also note that the Flash plugin usually works only in the specific browser from which you installed it (e.g. Internet Explorer).

I suggest you download it again, from:

     http://sdc.shockwave.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?

If it still does not play, then it's possible that your computer does not support video. What kind of computer do you have, and how old is it? Also, which operating system do you use (Windows XP, Mac OS X, etc.).

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am not able to send e-mail through my classes (MU account) or receive any.

When you say you can't send/receive through your classes, do you mean via eCollege? Does that mean that the MU account does works outside of eCollege? I checked your account information in eCollege and your address seems to be correct. Just in case the problem was the address itself, I re-entered it in eCollege, but we need to figure out if there is another common denominator.

For example, do you check for email at both home and work, or only in one location. If your school has a very restrictive firewall, it's possible that it blocks email from MU.

Do you use a regular email program, like Outlook, or rely on WebMail (the web-based program). One likely possibility is that your school's security blocks the use of WebMail. This particular program uses a non-standard port (8080) for Internet traffic, and it's quite possible that your school blocks ALL traffic on any port other than the standard port 80 used by most web sites. You should ask your IT people if thats the case and whether they can unrestrict port 8080 for MU.

I also suggest that you verify whether your email works at home or elsewhere, outside of the security of your school. The K-12 world is notorius for very tight, restrictive security to keep kids safe from the Internet, and firewall restrictions affect all computers, including faculty and staff.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I'm having trouble logging into Webadvisor. It doesn't seem to recognize my account. What can I do?

Make sure that you're using the correct information. According to our Help page the WebAdvisor login and password should be:

Login: your MU email name (up to the @ sign)
Password: last 4 digits of social security number

I checked the system and you are in there, so it's a matter of using the right login information. Also note that the first time you login it will probably ask you to change the password. If you did that already and forgot the password, you'll have to reset the password from the main menu (click on the link to change password).

If you still can not login let me know.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

Hello Larry, I am trying to post my profile. All goes well until I get to "and then select the profile name from your computer" ....nothing happens. I am unsure which profile name I am suppose to select. I will be home tomorrow and up very early. Therefore, I will await your reply. Many thanks for all of your support!

Keep in mind that eCollege has no idea what your profile is called or where it is stored on your computer. You must identify it by clicking Browse after you select the "Upload New File" link in Doc Sharing and finding the file on your computer.

All you are doing is selecting the file on YOUR computer, which should be named as your last name followed by the word profile. I also suggest adding the extension ".doc" else non Mac people may not be able to open it.

Also remember that when you first go to Doc Sharing in eCollege you have to change the "Select View" to the folder "5545 Course Profiles" before browsing and selecting your profile to load.

If you still have trouble call me tomorrow (though I'm usually at the gym around lunch time).

Cheers,
Larry

Hello: I have two questions. 1) I received an email attachment this morning that I could not find when I opened the message. The attachment symbols was in the heading, but I could find the attachment. and 2) I have now set up Outlook to retrieve my campus mail. Is there a way to have that mail go into a separate "INBOX" in Outlook instead of mixing with my other personal mail? Thanks for your help.

With Outlook you have to save the attachment, else it resides in a temporary folder, buried deep in your hard drive (and probably deleted once Outlook is closed).

If you still have the email, you should be able to either right click on the header (name of file) and select save, or click File, Save Attachment. You could also double click to open it, and then save from the program that opens it (e.g. Word, Excel, etc.). If you do save it, make sure to note where it is, and what it is, so you can later open it manually in the corresponding program (e.g. Word).

For your second question, yes, Outlook allows you to create rules for incoming email. A common one is to move email from a certain person to a folder other than Inbox. To do this, right click on any email from a person for whom you want to create the rule, select Create Rule, check the box "Move email to folder" then select the folder (or create a new one).

Hope that answers your questions.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

In trying to configure the forwarding of e-mail, when I click on Options and Forwarding, I get a click sound, but no box in which to write my e-mail address.

My response has two dimensions. On the one hand, I don't recommend that you use the forwarding option in MU's WebMail. Our IT Dept does not support it, due to the large number of problems that it is known to cause. Instead, you should use a regular email program, like Microsoft Outlook, to retrieve email from all of your accounts. Though slightly outdated, we do have a page that describes the procedure, at:

      http://library.mansfield.edu/popmail.html

That page also describes the mail forwarding option, though again, I do not recommend it.

Also, the form that you submitted for this question includes a small script to identify your computer and browser (to help me troubleshoot), and that suggests that your browser has been taken over by ad-ware that could very well be the cause of the problem (spyware and adware are very troublesome programs that usually install without your knowledge or permission and cause all sorts of browser and computer problems, especially affecting the functionality of popup windows).

The particular product is identified as FunWebProducts, and you can read more about it by searching Google. Also check out the article at:
     http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/web/2003/1208web2.html

If you do try to use mail forwarding, I suggest that you first remove the adware and consider purchase of anti-spyware software to better protect yourself (or at least download one of the reliable free products, such as Spybot or Adaware, though they do not offer continuous protection). See an old announcement at:
      http://library.mansfield.edu/announcement.html#spyware

Good luck, and Happy Holidays,

Larry Schankman
School Library & Information Technologies Program

It is my understanding that the e-mail problems should be fixed and we should be able to access our accounts. I still cannot access mine. I am an online student in the Library Science program and live in Kansas. Could you tell me if some of the codes have been changed (which might not cross our schools firewall). I thought I would get on and have my e-mails forwarded to my classroom computer but I couldn't do that either. Please help me be able to get to my messages at this crucial time in the semester. Please reply to the above address as I can't get to Mansfields.

Ok, I had to ask our IT Dept for help on this, since they have sole responsibility for the email system. What I learned is this: after several problems, they re-routed the student server temporarily to an alternate port/address, and if your firewall blocks port 8080 that could cause lack of access (web servers usually use port 80).

I suggest that you ask your IT people at school to unblock outside access to http://hedwig.mnsfld.edu:8080. Likewise, if you have a computer with a personal firewall at home, you may need to add that address to the settings for unblocked sites.

Also, you mentioned email forwarding. Though I realize that is convenient, our school does not support this common technique and I would suggest that you configure a mail browser, like Outlook, to retrieve MU mail directly. Most mail programs allow you to retrieve multiple accounts, and if you need help, we have a web page in our FAQ section that describes the process, at http://library.mansfield.edu/popmail.html

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

i cannot access the hotmail account as the page keeps disappearing and the email is very important can you help please

I'm not sure if an emai reply will help, since if you can't access your Hotmail, and since I don't know who you are, I probably can't get a message to you. Also, you are not one of my students, so I don't even know if you have an MU email account. Are you an MU student?

As for Hotmail, I don't know enough to determine whether the problem is theirs or perhaps your computer. Does the same problem occur on any computer, or have you just tried yours? What about a different web browser? I'd first try another computer and see if the same problem occurs. If just yours, you may want to try clearing your browser cache, as that often fixes bizzare problems like this.

Assuming you have Internet Explorer, click from the menu Tools, Internet Options, delete temporary files. If that doesn't help, then you may have to check your computer for spyware or viruses. But for now, that's all I can suggest without knowing more about your computer.

p.s. if you can reply, I'd appreciate if you could tell me how you ended up at this form. Lately I've received several computer questions from people who are not affiliated with our program, and this service is for students only in the MU School Library program (I'm faculty, not tech support, and provide this service for our students only).

All the best,
Larry Schankman
School Library and Information Technologies Program
Mansfield University

I am trying to log into WebAdvisor to register for Spring courses. Evertime I click on Webadvisor, it says the page can't load. I've been able to log into Webadvisor before without a problem. How should I register for classes? Emily Dawley

Normally I can't help with WebAdviser questions, but I happen to be on campus this week (I live in St. Louis) and learned that many students are experiencing this problem. We called the Registrar and they admit that there is a problem affecting registration. Among other things, there are more students logging on than the system can handle. Bottom line: the university is aware of the problem and hope to fix it within the next day or so. I'll ask Doris to alert everyone.

Sorry for the trouble, but please keep trying.

Cheers,
Larry Schankman

Hi, April -- I am writing on behalf of Marie Seymour (seymoura@mansfield.edu) who still cannot use her barcode to access databases nor e-reserves, according to her account. She says she has talked to someone at the library -- but didn't say who. And the problem still exists. Could you please contact her and see if you can help? Thanks -- Jane

Hi, this is Larry. April should still follow-up, but for what it's worth, the student's barcode does work. I just tried it with several databases and got into all of them (including e-reserves). Is she using her 18-digfit barcode or some other password?

There is a problem right now with Galenet, which I informed April and Sheila about yesterday, and of course she could always be experiencing the common problem with Internet security software or firewalls. But I can confirm that the problem is not her barcode (unless someone fixed it this evening, which I doubt).

Cheers,
Larry

I am unable to log in. I should be able to use my first two letters of my last name and the last four of my social security number but that doesn't work. When I received my e-college info my password does not have the last four digits of my social security number, it has different digits. I know that is what it is supposed to have but it does not. I also tried those numbers and that does not work either. Please help!

Could you tell me what you are trying to log into? We have several resources that all use different passwords, and I assume you don't mean eCollege since you know the correct password for that.

Also, have you looked at our Help page, which describes how to login to various resources (e.g. email, library databases, and WebAdvisor). Library resources generally require an 18-digit barcode number, and email has a different password altogether. Unfortunately, we do not use a consistent password for everything.

As for your eCollege password, I checked the roster and apparently the university shows your last four SSN numbers as the same. I'll look into this, but you may need to personally request a change in your record, unless we can determine that they entered it wrong. However, if we change your SSN, that should change your eCollege password, else we'll all be confused. Do you want me to change it?

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

your web page does not reconize my user name. Thanks 4 your help.

What page, exactly, are you attempting to log into? Also, what user name are you using to access the page?

Thanks,
April Case
Library System Administrator

I can't log in to review my contact info.

Are you a new student? If not, what user name are you attempting to use to log in? I will check the database to make sure you are in there.

Thanks,
April Case
Library System Administrator

I need to download Citrix so that I can access MARC magician. I am a novice and I need some help. Can someone call me to walk me through the steps of completing this download? Maria

Candy Blessing forwarded your emails to me regarding this issue. I believe you told her that you were attempting to download the os x version of the citrix client. Are you sure you do not require the powerPC version? If you haven't already tried the powerPC version, I recommend giving that a try. From the www.citrix.net homepage, you should click on downloads, clients, scroll down to macintosh and click on powerPC, click on the "get software" link next to Version 6.20.150 - PowerPC only, and then click the download link to download the software. You should click "save" and save the file on your hard drive in a directory that you will remember. After the download, you will need to go to the directory where you saved the file and run the program. Follow the prompts to install the citrix client.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Thank you.

April Case
Library System Administrator

I am trying to set up my account for the netlibrary. I click on the box for "first time users" and it sends me to the oxford english dictionary site. I am rather certain this is not where i go to set up an account. Please let me know what i am doing wrong. Thanks, Rachel Sparks

Hmm...I checked the official NetLibrary page at the library and it worked correctly, so I wonder which page you used to login. Did you access that page from the library, or from your course (it could be an outdated link). The page from where you should login is:

      http://lib.mansfield.edu/netlib.html

If that is the page you used and you still can't access NetLibrary please let me know and we'll have to try troubleshooting. Also try the link again, just in case the library people were making changes.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I can't access my MU e-mail. I did everything suggested in your tutorials and on the email site, but it still keeps telling me it's invalid.

If you followed the instructions and still couldn't get in, then I'd have to assume that because you registered late, your email account hasn't been built yet. I'll check with the I.T. people tomorrow to see what the status of your account is.

Hang in there,
Larry Schankman

Larry, Marjorie Pappas told me to contact you with a problem I am having that started yesterday (Thursday). I am enrolled in LSC5520 and 5535 for the summer. Up to yesterday, I could access those classes but yesterday they disappeared and it appeared that I had no summer courses. Marjorie checked with Web Advisor and it showed that I am enrolled in 5520 and 5535 for the summer and 515 and 525 in the fall of 2005. Today on my computer, I can access 5520 but my 5535 is still gone. Can you make it reappear by Monday so I can turn in my assignments? I would really appreciate it. p.s. I received an e-mail that I was enrolled in LSC5000. I didn't know there was a class with that number. Could you let me know what it is?

Curious, I'm not sure why you were kicked out, but apparently you were. Since no one is around to confirm that you should be in the course (or explain why you were removed in the first place), and since it is now Friday afternoon, I went ahead and put you back. You now should have access again.

I'll also alert the registration people and Marjorie, so if there is a problem, we can deal with it on Monday. Meanwhile, go ahead and do what you need to do. If there are any further problems, you know where to find me.

p.s. LSC 5000 is the Student Lounge that every student is enrolled into. It's not really a course but an open space for all students and faculty to meet.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am a new student and am trying to access my webmail account. I have been in contact with Dr. Pappas about my concerns and she recommended this Form. I work during the day and am unable to contact webmail support by phone. The webpage for them appears to be down. If you could help in any way I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Can you tell me exactly what happens when you try to access WebMail? In other words, is the problem that it does not accept your password, or can you not even get to the page? If the latter, do you get an error message or just a blank page?

If you get a blank page, that could indicate the presence of Internet security software or a firewall. It appears that you are using the Mozilla browser, so you might try Internet Explorer and see if that makes a difference (some Microsoft-centric web applications are fussy about browsers, and if you do indeed use Mozilla, note well that it may not work with several features of eCollege).

I keep strange hours, so feel free to reply tonight, or give me your phone number and I'll call you.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman
School Library program

I can't register for Fall 05 class (Instructional Collaboration). I log in to Webadvisor, select the class, but when I click register, I receive a "can add this class" message.

Unfortunately, I really don't know much about WebAdvisor, as I don't use it myself. Is it possible that the class is full? Another possibility, since I see that you use the Firefox browser (you might want to upgrade to the official version 1), is that WebAdvisor works only with Internet Explorer. Have you successfully used it before with Firefox? If not, try registering again with Internet Explorer.

If that still doesn't help, and you get the same error, I suggest you ask Marjorie to confirm availability and if it is full, ask if she can let you in. Otherwise, you might need to contact Mary Jo Jones (570-662-4870), mjones@mansfield.edu.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am struggling to find out POP mail server details for configuring this with myway.com. Please send me POP Server Details for Excite Mail Box.

The most important settings, besides your user name (sorry, I can't identify who you are so I don't know what that is), is the server name.

For students, that's hedwig.mnsfld.edu (note the official server name, mnsfld, not mansfield which you can use in your address). This is used for both incoming and outgoing mail. If the setup asks for the name of an SMTP server, they mean hedwig.mnsfld.edu. All other settings should be personal (your name, address, etc.).

If you still have trouble, you might wish to contact MU's Help Line: (570) 662-4357 or helpline@mnsfld.edu

Good luck,
Larry Schankman
Mansfield University

my log in password does not work for my contact access. I used [deleted]

Sorry about that. Unfortunately, I never got the social security numbers for new students admitted since last Fall, so I had no password for you. But since you told me your password (with last four SSN numbers) I was able to manually add you to the list. You should now be able to login.

Thanks for your patience,
Larry Schankman

I'm not sure who to contact about the drop box in the course software. I have been able to submit assignments fine in my 5530 course, but my 5560 course tells me to rename my file. I tried renaming it 6 different ways but it will not take it. What should I do? Thanks. Karen

Karen,

What type of document is it (e.g. Word, Excel, graphic, etc.), and what extension are you giving it (e.g. .doc, .xls, .gif). eCollege is pretty picky about the document type, as identified by the extension. Also, could you send me a copy of the file so I can see if I can recreate the problem or otherwise determine the cause.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I have typed my email login and last four SSN numbers, as instructed, to attempt to get into web advisor. It tells me my password needs updating. It also says I need a pin of 6 or more chracters. According to the mousepad instructions I've received in the mail , the last four digits of my SSN should work. They do not. How can this be fixed? Thank you.

If WebAdvisor told you to change the password, then you have in fact logged in. The way the system works, you must manually change the password every semester the first time you login. At the end of the semester, the password is supposed to change back to the last 4 social security numbers, as you entered the first time.

If for some reason you changed the password but can't remember what that was (only the Registrar can check on passwords), I believe you can reset the password back to the original last 4 SSN somewhere on the initial login screen (there should be a link to reset passwords).

If you still can not access WebAdvisor, you will need to contact the Registrar's Office, as I have no access to WebAdvisor myself. Their number is 570-662-4870, or you can email Mary Jo Jones at: mjones@mansfield.edu.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I have gone to the popmail site several times in an attempt to have my webmail forwarded to my comcast outlook email address. I keep cycling through the same page, but I cannot seem to actually type the address that I want my messages forwarded to. What am I missing? Thank you.

Can you verify whether you have gone to WebMail at http://hedwig.mnsfld.edu and entered your non-MU address in the window that should open when you select the forwarding option from the Options and Styles dropdown box (top right corner of WebMail screen)? If you go to the page and select the option but the window does not open, then it's most likely that your browser or computer is restricting access to additional browser windows.

The most likely cause of this is security software, especially ad-blocking programs that treat secondary pop-up windows as unwanted advertisements. The particular technique for temporarily or permanently disabling this software for MU addresses (mansfield.edu or mnsfld.edu) depends on your computer and software. So, first, please verify that the window does in fact fail to open, and then tell me what security software you use, if any.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I accidently hit return before I responded completely to the survey. Is there any way I can redo it?? Thanks!

Ok, I deleted your entry and you should be able to login and re-take the survey. Thanks for letting us know, so you can count! We really appreciate the support.

All the Best,
Larry Schankman

Where do I find the Faculty Lounge? Thanks.

The faculty lounge is in eCollege, listed under Special Courses (on the top of the courses menu). I just checked with your login to make sure you're enrolled and the lounge is there.

Cheers,
Larry

I can't edit the PA application for Dr. Dorwart's 560 class or copy it into the assignment. I first went to Ecollege to get this. I opened it and could not copy and paste so I saved it to my desktop from "file". I could work with it and resaved it. Now, I want to copy it to my first part of assignment and again,it will not let me copy and paste, nor highlight anything. I right click but I only get the gray box and cannot copy. Attached is the PA application that I filled in after saving it. I hope you can figure out what I did because in 9 courses I have not had this problem before and I hope it doesn't happen again. p.s. Page 7 is the only one that allows me to copy and paste to another word document. I use Word 2000. Thanks for all your trouble.

Apparently, this is a "protected document," probably created to make unintended changes more difficult. I'm not sure about Word 2000, but in Word XP you can turn this option off by clicking Tools, Unprotect Document. If that option isn't' under Tools in your version of Word, look in the Edit menu (then everywhere else).

Also, if you double click within a field, you should be able to make it "hot" (i.e. you should be able to copy and paste, but only if you double click).

Give that a try!
Larry Schankman

I can't edit the PA application for Dr. Dorwart's 560 class or copy it into the assignment. I first went to Ecollege to get this. I opened it and could not copy and paste so I saved it to my desktop from "file". I could work with it and resaved it. Now, I want to copy it to my first part of assignment and again,it will not let me copy and paste, nor highlight anything. I right click but I only get the gray box and cannot copy. Attached is the PA application that I filled in after saving it. I hope you can figure out what I did because in 9 courses I have not had this problem before and I hope it doesn't happen again. p.s. Page 7 is the only one that allows me to copy and paste to another word document. I use Word 2000. Thanks for all your trouble.

Apparently, this is a "protected document," probably created to make unintended changes more difficult. I'm not sure about Word 2000, but in Word XP you can turn this option off by clicking Tools, Unprotect Document. If that option isn't' under Tools in your version of Word, look in the Edit menu (then everywhere else).

Also, if you double click within a field, you should be able to make it "hot" (i.e. you should be able to copy and paste, but only if you double click).

Give that a try!
Larry Schankman

I can't edit the PA application for Dr. Dorwart's 560 class or copy it into the assignment. I first went to Ecollege to get this. I opened it and could not copy and paste so I saved it to my desktop from "file". I could work with it and resaved it. Now, I want to copy it to my first part of assignment and again,it will not let me copy and paste, nor highlight anything. I right click but I only get the gray box and cannot copy. Attached is the PA application that I filled in after saving it. I hope you can figure out what I did because in 9 courses I have not had this problem before and I hope it doesn't happen again. p.s. Page 7 is the only one that allows me to copy and paste to another word document. I use Word 2000. Thanks for all your trouble.

Apparently, this is a "protected document," probably created to make unintended changes more difficult. I'm not sure about Word 2000, but in Word XP you can turn this option off by clicking Tools, Unprotect Document. If that option isn't' under Tools in your version of Word, look in the Edit menu (then everywhere else).

Also, if you double click within a field, you should be able to make it "hot" (i.e. you should be able to copy and paste, but only if you double click).

Give that a try!
Larry Schankman

I couldn't get to e-reserves from Keystone so i went to Mansfield and that worked. I got some weird message when I tried to get on e-reserves from Keystone that said call the information desk. The message was, "There is a problem. Call the information desk." What can I do to get to e-reserves without leaving my course?

How exactly were you trying to get to e-reserves? When you say Keystone, do you mean from within your course, in eCollege? If so, what I strongly suspect is the presence of security software or the security settings of your browser, as these often prevent passwords from being sent from one site (e.g. eCollege) to a second site (e.g. Mansfield), and then forwarded to yet a third site (e.g. Pilot/e-reserves).

Before doing anything, check the security settings of your browser. In Internet Explorer, click on Tools, Internet Options, then select the Privacy tab. If the setting is higher than medium, that will block "third party cookies" which would cause this problem (i.e. the password can't be passed from one web page to another). If the setting is medium, then check if you have security software, such as Norton Internet Security, McAfee Personal Firewall, or even an ad-blocker or anti-spyware program. Any of these can block access unless you go into the settings and specify sites that you wish to allow. Settings for this type of software vary with the software, but if you have this kind of program, try to find the settings where you can specify URLs or addresses that you want unblocked. A list of databases and their URLs is available at:

http://library.mansfield.edu/norton.html#URLs

Yet another possibility is the new Windows XP Service Pack 2, which includes its own internal ad blocker and enhanced security. If you know that you downloaded Service Pack 2, try pressing the Control key as you click the link to e-reserves. That's the easy way to temporarily disable it for a single site.

If none of that works or make sense, then the simple answer is that you should just open a separate browser window and use the link to e-reserves from the Portal page.

Larry Schankman

please send me the basic problems encountered in usung pcs and the solution, problems in keyboard, monitor, cpu, printer and scanner.

Hmm, I'm not sure if this is really an honest question, a probe for homework work, or what. I'm not even sure you're one of our students (your name isn't on our roster). If you are an MU student and have a more specific question that can be answered in one page or less, please try being more specific. I honestly don't beliveve I can answer your question as it is now, since you are basically asking me to tell you everything there is to know about computer hardware. Sorry.

Larry Schankman

please send me the basic problems encountered in usung pcs and the solution, problems in keyboard, monitor, cpu, printer and scanner.

Hmm, I'm not sure if this is really an honest question, a probe for homework work, or what. I'm not even sure you're one of our students (your name isn't on our roster). If you are an MU student and have a more specific question that can be answered in one page or less, please try being more specific. I honestly don't beliveve I can answer your question as it is now, since you are basically asking me to tell you everything there is to know about computer hardware. Sorry.

Larry Schankman

It's a comment for the webmaster: I went to eBooks for the first time today. Looked at your page entitled "eBook Access via NetLibrary." At the bottom of that page is a button to click for first-time users. Its hyperlink doesn't take me anywhere -- it took me to an "Oxford English Dictionary" page with an error message (Error 404 -- Not Found). The hyperlink for first-time users at the TOP of your page does work, however. Just thought you should know.

I just tried the page and it worked for me. But I suspect I know the reason why it doesn't work for you, which has an easy fix.

The fact that the page is trying to login to the Oxford Dictionary suggests to me that your browser is trying to access the proxy server (which authenticates your password and directs your browser to the appropriate database) using a "cached" version of the login page (each database is assigned a "port" by the proxy server, and those assignments change frequently, so quite possibly the OED had the port now used by NetLibrary).

What this means is that your browser is not using the current, dynamic web page, but an old one from when you logged in to the server once before. The problem should correct itself IF you clear your browser's cache.

In Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options, then select the option to Delete temporary files. This is actually a good thing to do on a regular basis, as it will prevent your browser from trying to access old versions of web pages (which your browser does because it thinks it's saving you time from downloading new pages, which was a convenient feature in the days of super slow modems but not very helpful when you access pages that change content frequently or use time-sensitive sessions, like eCollege or a database).

If that doesn't work, let me know.

Larry Schankman

It's a comment for the webmaster: I went to eBooks for the first time today. Looked at your page entitled "eBook Access via NetLibrary." At the bottom of that page is a button to click for first-time users. Its hyperlink doesn't take me anywhere -- it took me to an "Oxford English Dictionary" page with an error message (Error 404 -- Not Found). The hyperlink for first-time users at the TOP of your page does work, however. Just thought you should know.

I just tried the page and it worked for me. But I suspect I know the reason why it doesn't work for you, which has an easy fix.

The fact that the page is trying to login to the Oxford Dictionary suggests to me that your browser is trying to access the proxy server (which authenticates your password and directs your browser to the appropriate database) using a "cached" version of the login page (each database is assigned a "port" by the proxy server, and those assignments change frequently, so quite possibly the OED had the port now used by NetLibrary).

What this means is that your browser is not using the current, dynamic web page, but an old one from when you logged in to the server once before. The problem should correct itself IF you clear your browser's cache.

In Internet Explorer, click Tools, Internet Options, then select the option to Delete temporary files. This is actually a good thing to do on a regular basis, as it will prevent your browser from trying to access old versions of web pages (which your browser does because it thinks it's saving you time from downloading new pages, which was a convenient feature in the days of super slow modems but not very helpful when you access pages that change content frequently or use time-sensitive sessions, like eCollege or a database).

If that doesn't work, let me know.

Larry Schankman

Staci can't get to PILOT or EReserves from the SLIS portal. She gets a page cannot be displayed message for both. She can display the databases page and was able to get to Google, but not the North Hall Library page. I had her clear her cache, didn't make a difference. She is using Windows XP, IE version 6, says she is not using any anti-virus software. I'm baffled. Any ideas?

Pilot and E-Reserves are hosted on the same server, so if one was unavailable, so was the other. If those were the only resources that you couldn't access, then there is a good chance that Pilot was simply down. So, the question is, can you access it now?

If not, then the next question is whether you have installed any security software (other than anti-virus). Common programs that block access to password-protected sites include Norton and McAfee Internet Security, anti-spyware products, and personal firewalls.

If you recently upgraded XP to the new Service Pack 2, you could also be affected. That has a built-in firewall and popup blocker, and the easiest way to get past it is to press the Control key while clicking on a web link. If you aren't sure about your version of XP, you can right click on the My Computer icon and select Properties. That will identify your exact version of XP (along with other information about your computer).

If you do have it, you might need to register the URLs of all databases that you use in Internet Explorer. Service Pack 2 creates a popup blocker section in Tools, Internet Options, Privacy. If you select the settings button for popup Blocker, you'll see a place to enter allowed web sites. Just type http://pilot.sshe.edu for Pilot and E-Reserves and see if that helps. For a full list of database URLs see our guide to configuring Norton Internet Security, at: http://library.mansfield.edu/norton.html

If these tips don't work, contact me directly.

Larry Schankman

How come I'm not seeing how to view my class work, I was told I would be able to do that before 8/30. Is it because none has been sent for course 5510 and 5505. Thank You

Have you received a welcome packet yet? That should have given you instructions for logging in to eCollege. I just logged in as you, and both of your course are on the course menu (click the top tab marked Courses). If you can't log in to eCollege let me know. You can login directly from our home page (http://library.mansfield.edu), by entering your login and password where it says to Go to Class.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

How come I'm not seeing how to view my class work, I was told I would be able to do that before 8/30. Is it because none has been sent for course 5510 and 5505. Thank You

Have you received a welcome packet yet? That should have given you instructions for logging in to eCollege. I just logged in as you, and both of your course are on the course menu (click the top tab marked Courses). If you can't log in to eCollege let me know. You can login directly from our home page (http://library.mansfield.edu), by entering your login and password where it says to Go to Class.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

This question is for Larry: You've put out several alerts about e-mail security, warning us to be careful of opening certain types, etc. A couple of times you've mentioned checking our quarantine folder for e-mails that may actually be "real" ones we need. Where is my quarantine folder? I'm searching around on my e-mail page, and I'm just not seeing it. Thank you.

The quarantine folder is only available in WebMail (http://webmail.mnsfld.edu), unless you create a special account in a full-featured mail program like Outlook, using the IMAP format (you'd still have to "subscribe" to the quarantine folder to make it appear). Since that might seem too advanced for most people I generally recommend using WebMail instead.

Now, if you have looked in WebMail and there is no quarantine folder in your mail folders, there is one possibility for why it's not there. Apparently, the mail server creates the quarantine folder on the fly, only AFTER you actually receive a quarantined message. If true, that means if you have no folder for it, you've never received a quarantined message. But you should still check regularly. On any given day I receive at least 2-3 legitimate messages that are filtered into the quarantine folder. If I didn't look, I would never know they were sent.

p.s. our IT Dept told me today that they plan to send out an important message about spam and mail viruses soon. Stay tuned (I have no idea what their news is).

This question is for Larry: You've put out several alerts about e-mail security, warning us to be careful of opening certain types, etc. A couple of times you've mentioned checking our quarantine folder for e-mails that may actually be "real" ones we need. Where is my quarantine folder? I'm searching around on my e-mail page, and I'm just not seeing it. Thank you.

The quarantine folder is only available in WebMail (http://webmail.mnsfld.edu), unless you create a special account in a full-featured mail program like Outlook, using the IMAP format (you'd still have to "subscribe" to the quarantine folder to make it appear). Since that might seem too advanced for most people I generally recommend using WebMail instead.

Now, if you have looked in WebMail and there is no quarantine folder in your mail folders, there is one possibility for why it's not there. Apparently, the mail server creates the quarantine folder on the fly, only AFTER you actually receive a quarantined message. If true, that means if you have no folder for it, you've never received a quarantined message. But you should still check regularly. On any given day I receive at least 2-3 legitimate messages that are filtered into the quarantine folder. If I didn't look, I would never know they were sent.

p.s. our IT Dept told me today that they plan to send out an important message about spam and mail viruses soon. Stay tuned (I have no idea what their news is).

I would like to know how to find a required DLL file, CPQ MIXER.dll. Thank you, Carol

That file is probably a driver for some sort of audio software or sound card, and I suspect there is no space in the name (dll files are usually less than 8 characters in length). Many dll files are located in the windows\system32 folder, though specialized drivers like this could be anywhere. Your best bet is to use Windows Search (Start, Search) and look for any dll file that comes close. In the search box specify: cpq*.dll

Once you find it, exactly what do you plan to do with it? Messing with dll files can be risky if you aren't 100% sure why you're messing with them. I also believe you're still using Windows 98, so that file could be related to software or hardware that has been abandoned many years ago.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I am wondering if it is okay to switch my browser to Mozilla from Internet Explorer. I have heard that Mozilla is better for avoiding spyware and pop-ups. But I want to be sure I can access my courses with Mozilla. Let me know ASAP. Thanks!

Personally, I use a newer version of Mozilla called Firefox (Mozilla will eventually stop development, I believe). Currently, they both have some compatibility problems with various web sites. For awhile, neither seemed to work 100% with eCollege, but lately I've used Firefox and it has worked fine (the eCollege folks may have upgraded their software to provide more support of non-Microsoft browsers). I haven't tested Mozilla lately.

My advise is go ahead and use either and see if it works. You might also call the toll-free eCollege Help Desk and ask them (866-313-3164), since they have the official answer. Technically, Mozilla is more stable than Firefox, as the newer browser is still in beta mode, but I like it much more and haven't had any trouble. Both are available from http://www.mozilla.org/

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I still can't open Kidspiration files in my attachment. The message I get is that the file, with kid extension, does not have a program associated with it. What should I do to open this. I do have Inspiration, which includes Kidspiration.

Generally, when you install new software it's supposed to register the extension that it uses to identify which program to open. If a computer does not recognize an extension (e.g. kid), it will usually do nothing, or give an error message. Apparently the installation of Inspiration/Kidspiration failed to register the extension. That happens sometimes.

Before manually registering the extension, let's first verify if that is in fact the problem. The easiest way to verify the extension problem is to simply open the document directly in Kidspiration (don't click on the link in email, but actually start Inspiration and do a file, open to open the file). If Kidspiration can't recognize its own file, then there is probably a problem with the file.

If it does open the file, then the problem is most likely the extension. To get it to open automatically, you'll need to change the file type settings in Windows Explorer by following this procedure:

1. Open Windows Explorer: either by a) Start, Windows Explorer (or My Computer), b) by clicking My Computer on the desktop, or c) by pressing the keyboard shortcut, Windows Key + E.

2. Click Tools, Folder Options

3. Click the File Types tab

4. Scroll down the list of registered file types and see if there is a KID entry. If there is, you might need to check the properties (click the Change button) to make sure it launches Kidspiration and not something else. If KID isn't listed, then you'll need to add it manually (read on).

5. To register a new file type, click on New, then type the extension (KID, no period or dot) and click OK.

6. Assuming KID is now highlighted (if not, highlight it), click the button marked Change.

7. In the dialogue window that results, click Select the program from a list then click OK. If Kidspirastion is listed, select it, otherwise click browse and find it in the browser window (C:\Program Files is always a good place to start). The file you select should be the main executable file; I don't know what it's called, but look for something obvious like kidspiration.exe. If that doesn't exist, you'll have to right click on the desktop icon to view properties to see what the excecutable file is called (and where it's located).

8. Close out of all of that and then try to open it again. You may need to re-boot, but possibly not.
Try that and let me know if it fixes the problem.

I still can't open Kidspiration files in my attachment. The message I get is that the file, with kid extension, does not have a program associated with it. What should I do to open this. I do have Inspiration, which includes Kidspiration.

Generally, when you install new software it's supposed to register the extension that it uses to identify which program to open. If a computer does not recognize an extension (e.g. kid), it will usually do nothing, or give an error message. Apparently the installation of Inspiration/Kidspiration failed to register the extension. That happens sometimes.

Before manually registering the extension, let's first verify if that is in fact the problem. The easiest way to verify the extension problem is to simply open the document directly in Kidspiration (don't click on the link in email, but actually start Inspiration and do a file, open to open the file). If Kidspiration can't recognize its own file, then there is probably a problem with the file.

If it does open the file, then the problem is most likely the extension. To get it to open automatically, you'll need to change the file type settings in Windows Explorer by following this procedure:

1. Open Windows Explorer: either by a) Start, Windows Explorer (or My Computer), b) by clicking My Computer on the desktop, or c) by pressing the keyboard shortcut, Windows Key + E.

2. Click Tools, Folder Options

3. Click the File Types tab

4. Scroll down the list of registered file types and see if there is a KID entry. If there is, you might need to check the properties (click the Change button) to make sure it launches Kidspiration and not something else. If KID isn't listed, then you'll need to add it manually (read on).

5. To register a new file type, click on New, then type the extension (KID, no period or dot) and click OK.

6. Assuming KID is now highlighted (if not, highlight it), click the button marked Change.

7. In the dialogue window that results, click Select the program from a list then click OK. If Kidspirastion is listed, select it, otherwise click browse and find it in the browser window (C:\Program Files is always a good place to start). The file you select should be the main executable file; I don't know what it's called, but look for something obvious like kidspiration.exe. If that doesn't exist, you'll have to right click on the desktop icon to view properties to see what the excecutable file is called (and where it's located).

8. Close out of all of that and then try to open it again. You may need to re-boot, but possibly not.
Try that and let me know if it fixes the problem.

I have been trying for 3 days to submit a document into the Document Sharing box. It lets me do everything but when I put in a description it then says there has been an error, please try again later. Is there a special description I should be putting in? I have done this numerous times and can not figure out what I am doing wrong.

I tried to recreate this problem as much as possible (without incident), though I don't have the actual document. Before even continuing, can you confirm that the document was in fact created by Microsoft Word and not something "similar" (like Microsoft Works, Word Perfect, Appleworks, etc.). The eCollege software is very picky and won't accept non-Microsoft files. That would be my first suspicion. Perhaps you might need to send me the file via email.

Also, have you ever successfully uploaded any file via eCollege? And do you use any sort of Internet security, popup blocker or other utility software (e.g. Norton Internet Security is a constant headache)? Those products will cause all sorts of problems.

Finally, which web browser are you using (e.g. Internet Explorer 6.0), and which operating system (Windows XP, Mac OS X, Windows 98, etc.). If your browser is not a standard one (listed in our minimum computer requirements page on the Portal), or you use an obsolete operating system (which personally, I believe is anything more than a few years old, such as Windows 98) you could likewise have problems with advanced functions like uploading files.

p.s. you mentioned to your instructor: "when I tried to attach it, the computer would automatically add on another .doc so it would come up as 9_2xyz5520.doc.doc."

Can you confirm when you saw the above message. It sounds to me like a function of the word processor (probably NOT Microsoft Word), not the eCollege upload application, which generally shouldn't try to rename files. And did you try to rename the file itself, or just the description? If this does happen again (renaming the file) you might try an old trick, placing quotes around the filename, like this:

"9_2xyz5520.doc"

That trick will usually tell the computer not to add an extension. But without knowing more details I'd suspect your word processor first, and security software second.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I have been trying for 3 days to submit a document into the Document Sharing box. It lets me do everything but when I put in a description it then says there has been an error, please try again later. Is there a special description I should be putting in? I have done this numerous times and can not figure out what I am doing wrong.

I tried to recreate this problem as much as possible (without incident), though I don't have the actual document. Before even continuing, can you confirm that the document was in fact created by Microsoft Word and not something "similar" (like Microsoft Works, Word Perfect, Appleworks, etc.). The eCollege software is very picky and won't accept non-Microsoft files. That would be my first suspicion. Perhaps you might need to send me the file via email.

Also, have you ever successfully uploaded any file via eCollege? And do you use any sort of Internet security, popup blocker or other utility software (e.g. Norton Internet Security is a constant headache)? Those products will cause all sorts of problems.

Finally, which web browser are you using (e.g. Internet Explorer 6.0), and which operating system (Windows XP, Mac OS X, Windows 98, etc.). If your browser is not a standard one (listed in our minimum computer requirements page on the Portal), or you use an obsolete operating system (which personally, I believe is anything more than a few years old, such as Windows 98) you could likewise have problems with advanced functions like uploading files.

p.s. you mentioned to your instructor: "when I tried to attach it, the computer would automatically add on another .doc so it would come up as 9_2xyz5520.doc.doc."

Can you confirm when you saw the above message. It sounds to me like a function of the word processor (probably NOT Microsoft Word), not the eCollege upload application, which generally shouldn't try to rename files. And did you try to rename the file itself, or just the description? If this does happen again (renaming the file) you might try an old trick, placing quotes around the filename, like this:

"9_2xyz5520.doc"

That trick will usually tell the computer not to add an extension. But without knowing more details I'd suspect your word processor first, and security software second.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

What exactly is spyware and how can I get rid of it?

A growing menance to online computer users is the presence of spyware on your computer. For the most part, spyware is fairly harmless, though unsolicited and undesirable. Many legitimate web sites, businesses, and slick marketing companies install this software on your computer without your knowledge to place advertising banners on web pages, examine your purchasing or surfing habits, give you new search tools to find their products, or otherwise help change your surfing habits.

Spyware is software that snoops into your computer and transmits information about you or your computer to a third-party without your permission. In contrast, adware is software that displays advertising banners and pop-up ads. Unfortunately, both types can often interfere with your computer, and most commonly, your web browser. Usual symptoms include sluggish performance, problems logging in to password restricted web sites like eCollege, obnoxious pop-up ads appearing when least expected, and in less common instances, computer crashes.

To get rid of spyware, there are basically two types of anti-spyware: free and not free. The best free software is Spybot and Ad-Aware (Basic). The reputable free stuff works great, but beware of unsolicited pop-up ads and spam that suggest you download their free software to get rid of spyware, as quite often they are actually spyware themselves. For $20-30, fee-based software runs in the background and stops spyware from installing in the first place, which is the better solution. We recommend the Plus or Pro versions of Ad-Aware ($27 and $40 respectively). Another program that is highly rated is Spy Sweeper.

Yet another program that is very small and super fast is Hijack This. Intended for advanced users, it is helpful for troubleshooting, as it allows users to create a log file with a list of all of the background applications running on your computer. Most of these are necessary and desirable, which is why it's dangerous to delete programs identified by Hijack This unless you know what they are. But what will help Tech Support people is for you to scan your computer (it takes about 4-5 seconds) and then click Save Log. That file, which you can email to a technician or savvy friend, will help identify problem applications, which you can later delete.

To guard against unwanted computer attacks, every student should develop a computer security plan, consisting of these steps:

1. Buy and install anti-virus software
2. Buy or download for free anti-spyware software
3. Scan your computer with these tools at least twice a month, if not weekly
4. Update the software above by checking their web sites for updates and new definition files (weekly if possible); note that most good software provides it own automated update and scan features
5. Update your operating system at least monthly, or whenever you hear about major Internet security problems. In Microsoft systems look for Windows Update link in Start menu, or go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Mac users can also check for security updates in system preferences (location dependent on Mac OS version).

For more details about spyware and viruses, with even more suggestions, see the guide at MajorGeeks.com: http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=35407

I am having difficulty logging into the courses. I have been trying on and off all day. Is the program down?

I don't know about earlier today, as I'm out of town, but I just logged in to eCollege now and it seems to work fine. To be sure it's not a browser cache problem (where your computer tries to login in to a new session with saved data from a previous day, which is no longer valid), I suggest that you clear your cache. In Internet Explorer click Tools, Internet Options, then select Delete Files (Temporary Files).

If you still can't login, let me know if you recently installed Internet security software, such as Norton Internet Security or spyware software, like Ad Aware. Sometimes these programs try to protect you by denying access to password protected sites, like eCollege and library databases. In other cases, spyware itself installs from a web site without your knowledge, and that sometimes causes problems. But hopefully, that isn't the problem (it is fixable, but more complicated).

p.s. the web form indicates that your computer is running Windows 98. If true, I strongly recommend that you upgrade if possible. In computer years, 1998 is ancient history, and older operating systems will often give you problems with many newer web applications and software. Also, older operating systems generally suggest that the computer itself is outdated and susceptible to problems. You can probably get by with Windows 98 for now, but within another year or two, it will become obsolete.

Follow-Up

Student:
I have deleted temporary files, restarted my computer, my husband has reformatted everything - wiped it all clean and restarted, and I still can't get from the portal to class. I can get into the library, email, databases, and everything else! HELP! We are considering buying a new computer, but will be really upset if we do that and it's a simple problem we've overlooked...any more suggestions?

Response:
To narrow down the problem, please try accessing eCollege directly, either by clicking the blue eCollege button on the top of the Portal page or going directly to http://keystone-university.net/

What I'd like to know is whether the problem is restricted to the login just from the Portal page or whether the problem occurs with any access into eCollege. And do you get an error message, or does the page simply not load? What exactly do you see?

Also, when you say that your husband "reformatted everything" exactly what does that mean? I'd be saddened to hear that you wiped out your entire hard drive and re-installed all of the software, including the operating system. Another reason why I'm concerned about your operating system is the fact that you are apparently running Internet Explorer 6.0 on Windows 98, which may not be able to fully support it. If your hard drive was not completely reformatted, then we may have to look for signs of spyware or a virus. Does your computer have any anti-virus software, and if so, do you update it regularly (i.e. at least twice a month)?

I should also ask, is this login problem new, or have you always had trouble logging in? If new, has anything changed to suddenly cause you not to login?

I'll be around all day tomorrow, and if necessary I can give you a call.

I am operating on an iMac OS 9 and have not been able to open any of the attached documents. I have recently purchase a Dell Inspirion, but it is not up and ready for use yet. What can I do until it is? I use Appleworks for my word processor.

Those files are probably Word documents. I wish I could be more accommodating and nice about this, but our program pretty much depends on students using Microsoft Word on a regular basis, and in some courses, Excel and PowerPoint as well (which are all part of the Office package). Owning (or at least accessing) Office isn't really an option, and is indicated as a requirement on our Computer Requirements page, at:

http://library.mansfield.edu/hardware.html

If Office is pre-installed on your Dell, then you have no worries (unless you don't get it for awhile), but you might want to check your order and see what software is shipping with it. If it doesn't come with Office, I urge you to buy a copy immediately (the Standard academic version costs about $150). Sorry to sound like a grouch, but keep in mind that if your instructor can't open your files, and you can't read the files of your instructor and fellow classmates, you will probably receive a failing grade. And we want you to be successful!

I can’t access my grades via WebAdvisor. The announcement says that grad students’ passwords have been set to the last four digits of the students’ SSNs, but that is not working for me at all. Can you help me? Can you put me in contact with someone who can?

Unfortunately, for reasons I've never understood, some students who are supposed to be in the system seem to be locked out. If you tried both your old password and the last 4 SSN (and assuming you haven't changed the password to something that you have since forgotten), you'll have to contact the Registrar's Office to add you back into the system. The initial contact person for WebAdvisor is Mary Jo Jones, mjones@mansfield.edu (570-662-4870). If she can't help let me know and I'll speak with her boss, Carol Alexander (calexand@mnsfld.edu).

I can’t access my grades via WebAdvisor. The announcement says that grad students’ passwords have been set to the last four digits of the students’ SSNs, but that is not working for me at all. Can you help me? Can you put me in contact with someone who can?

Unfortunately, for reasons I've never understood, some students who are supposed to be in the system seem to be locked out. If you tried both your old password and the last 4 SSN (and assuming you haven't changed the password to something that you have since forgotten), you'll have to contact the Registrar's Office to add you back into the system. The initial contact person for WebAdvisor is Mary Jo Jones, mjones@mansfield.edu (570-662-4870). If she can't help let me know and I'll speak with her boss, Carol Alexander (calexand@mnsfld.edu).

In my course, we have been posting comments in a discussion forum about the uses of poetry. I would like to save the forum electronically. I've tried saving it by highlighting the text and clicking "Save As." It then asks me in what format I want to save. It gives me three choices (all web-related). None of them have given me satisfactory results. How do I save pages from our course electronically?

What it sounds like is that you tried to save your discussion by clicking File, Save from the web browser. Unfortunately, this will save only the web page (and depending on where your cursor is, possibly only the top frame of the page), NOT the contents of the Forum window. Although there is no super convenient tool for saving discussions, there are two ways to do it. One method saves the entire forum, the other saves just a specific message or group of messages.

To save the whole discussion for one module, click on Show Options in the eCollege Forum, then select Printer Version. This will display all of the text for one series of forum discussions in a separate browser window. If you save that window (File, Save), you'll finally have the option to save as text only or as html (a web page on your hard drive). Save to a folder on your hard drive where you normally save school work.

If you want to save just your own work, I suggest that you first sort the Forum by author, then request the printer view. This will display all text in a new browser, but in alphabetical order of author. Then you can highlight (block) just the postings you want to copy. Next, you'll have to manually copy and paste the text into a word processor (e.g. Word or Notepad). If you are using a PC, you can copy any text to the clipboard, from any software application, by highlighting the text with your mouse and clicking the Ctrl and C keys together (C for copy). To paste, use Ctrl and P (p for paste). If you have a Mac, I believe you use the apple key instead of Ctrl.

(note: if you don't like the format of the text that pastes into Word, which often happens when you paste from the web or documents with tables, click Edit, Paste Special and select Unformatted text, which will paste just the plain text and not all of the special formatting that came from the web page--this is a good Word trick in general)

See if that works. If not, let me know and we'll see what other tricks we can come up with.

In my course, we have been posting comments in a discussion forum about the uses of poetry. I would like to save the forum electronically. I've tried saving it by highlighting the text and clicking "Save As." It then asks me in what format I want to save. It gives me three choices (all web-related). None of them have given me satisfactory results. How do I save pages from our course electronically?

What it sounds like is that you tried to save your discussion by clicking File, Save from the web browser. Unfortunately, this will save only the web page (and depending on where your cursor is, possibly only the top frame of the page), NOT the contents of the Forum window. Although there is no super convenient tool for saving discussions, there are two ways to do it. One method saves the entire forum, the other saves just a specific message or group of messages.

To save the whole discussion for one module, click on Show Options in the eCollege Forum, then select Printer Version. This will display all of the text for one series of forum discussions in a separate browser window. If you save that window (File, Save), you'll finally have the option to save as text only or as html (a web page on your hard drive). Save to a folder on your hard drive where you normally save school work.

If you want to save just your own work, I suggest that you first sort the Forum by author, then request the printer view. This will display all text in a new browser, but in alphabetical order of author. Then you can highlight (block) just the postings you want to copy. Next, you'll have to manually copy and paste the text into a word processor (e.g. Word or Notepad). If you are using a PC, you can copy any text to the clipboard, from any software application, by highlighting the text with your mouse and clicking the Ctrl and C keys together (C for copy). To paste, use Ctrl and P (p for paste). If you have a Mac, I believe you use the apple key instead of Ctrl.

(note: if you don't like the format of the text that pastes into Word, which often happens when you paste from the web or documents with tables, click Edit, Paste Special and select Unformatted text, which will paste just the plain text and not all of the special formatting that came from the web page--this is a good Word trick in general)

See if that works. If not, let me know and we'll see what other tricks we can come up with.

I have been receiving a ton of unusual e-mails at my MU address. I never gave it out and use it only for school. I haven't opened any. What should I do? They seem to vary also.

Unfortunately, spam, email spoofing (i.e. bogus email from senders whose names are legitimate or known by you) and virus attacks are more or less a way of life these days. For the last two weeks I've also been receiving dozens of these obnoxious mailings, and all you can do is delete them, or depending on your email program, use a filter to automatically move them to the trash can. The problem is determining what is junk and what is legitimate.

Many modern virus attacks are clever these days and use real names and addresses of people you know as the sender, usually with a cryptic message (often in bad, unnatural English), and almost always with an attachment that contains the virus.

A recent example that looked very real is one that contained the important-sounding message: "your mail account has expired. See the details to reactivate it" (with an attachment called readme.exe). Tech support people generally won't tell you to open an attachment instead of just telling you what you need to know, nor will legitimate people send such a message without their name or contact information. Even worse in this case, the reply address was noreply@lschankm, which is a dead giveaway for trouble.

Suspect especially any attachment with an extension of any of these types:

     .bas or .bat
     .com
     .exe
     .pif
     .ras
     .reg
     .scr
     .vb or .vbs
     .zip (unless you were told to expect it)

My usual advise is to open only those messages that you know are legitimate or that you're expecting (i.e. newsletter from Doris, returned assignment from your instructor, draft from classmates, etc.). And of course, always keep your anti-virus software up to date.

If you have any question about the authenticity of an e-mail, either ask the supposed sender to confirm that s/he in fact sent it, or just send it to me to check out. Also, check out some of these informative web sites:

     Email Help Center (About.Com)
     Email Spam and Attachments (James Cook University)
     E-Mail Worms 2004
     Executable File Extensions (About.Com)
     List of Banned File Extensions (Lancaster University)

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

I have been receiving a ton of unusual e-mails at my MU address. I never gave it out and use it only for school. I haven't opened any. What should I do? They seem to vary also.

Unfortunately, spam, email spoofing (i.e. bogus email from senders whose names are legitimate or known by you) and virus attacks are more or less a way of life these days. For the last two weeks I've also been receiving dozens of these obnoxious mailings, and all you can do is delete them, or depending on your email program, use a filter to automatically move them to the trash can. The problem is determining what is junk and what is legitimate.

Many modern virus attacks are clever these days and use real names and addresses of people you know as the sender, usually with a cryptic message (often in bad, unnatural English), and almost always with an attachment that contains the virus.

A recent example that looked very real is one that contained the important-sounding message: "your mail account has expired. See the details to reactivate it" (with an attachment called readme.exe). Tech support people generally won't tell you to open an attachment instead of just telling you what you need to know, nor will legitimate people send such a message without their name or contact information. Even worse in this case, the reply address was noreply@lschankm, which is a dead giveaway for trouble.

Suspect especially any attachment with an extension of any of these types:

     .bas or .bat
     .com
     .exe
     .pif
     .ras
     .reg
     .scr
     .vb or .vbs
     .zip (unless you were told to expect it)

My usual advise is to open only those messages that you know are legitimate or that you're expecting (i.e. newsletter from Doris, returned assignment from your instructor, draft from classmates, etc.). And of course, always keep your anti-virus software up to date.

If you have any question about the authenticity of an e-mail, either ask the supposed sender to confirm that s/he in fact sent it, or just send it to me to check out. Also, check out some of these informative web sites:

     Email Help Center (About.Com)
     Email Spam and Attachments (James Cook University)
     E-Mail Worms 2004
     Executable File Extensions (About.Com)
     List of Banned File Extensions (Lancaster University)

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

Hi Larry, Just an observation - it's really hard to find the dates of the semesters on this site! I've entered all sorts of keywords and tried all the tabs and so far nothing leads me to when summer semester starts. I know I have it somewhere on an email or a newsletter from Dr. Dorwart but I thought I'd just sit down and call it up quickly here, but no luck! You might want to find a way to fix that for others who might look in the future. And incidentally, how WOULD I find them? Because I still haven't. =)

I assume you're referring to our course schedule, which isn't really designed to replace the official university calendar. Our schedule is a generic guide to courses, and applies to all years, which have different dates.

To find the official dates, there is a link from the Portal under the MU Resources button, marked "Academic Calendar." This should tell you the exact dates that all courses follow. As for access to eCollege, our policy is to allow entry one week prior to the start of the semester.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

Hi Larry, Just an observation - it's really hard to find the dates of the semesters on this site! I've entered all sorts of keywords and tried all the tabs and so far nothing leads me to when summer semester starts. I know I have it somewhere on an email or a newsletter from Dr. Dorwart but I thought I'd just sit down and call it up quickly here, but no luck! You might want to find a way to fix that for others who might look in the future. And incidentally, how WOULD I find them? Because I still haven't. =)

I assume you're referring to our course schedule, which isn't really designed to replace the official university calendar. Our schedule is a generic guide to courses, and applies to all years, which have different dates.

To find the official dates, there is a link from the Portal under the MU Resources button, marked "Academic Calendar." This should tell you the exact dates that all courses follow. As for access to eCollege, our policy is to allow entry one week prior to the start of the semester.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman

Can't find recommended "What Do I Read Next?" from the Library Homepage. Believe it's a database.

You are correct, What Do I Read Next is a database, though it's available only to School Library students. To access the custom menu for your course work you must use the databases link on the Portal page. The regular library menu will not display this database since regular library users aren't licensed (we actually get it for free, as a library school).

From the Portal page (http://library.mansfield.edu) simply click on the blue button marked Databases.

Cheers,

Can't find recommended "What Do I Read Next?" from the Library Homepage. Believe it's a database.

You are correct, What Do I Read Next is a database, though it's available only to School Library students. To access the custom menu for your course work you must use the databases link on the Portal page. The regular library menu will not display this database since regular library users aren't licensed (we actually get it for free, as a library school).

From the Portal page (http://library.mansfield.edu) simply click on the blue button marked Databases.

Cheers,

I am not able to open any of the attachments in the Forum that contain pictures. What am I doing wrong?

If you can't open the jpg graphic it's probably because your computer doesn't know which software is supposed to open it. Depending on your version of Windows, you can open it with one of the free paint, Photo Editor or graphic editors in Windows. If you just want to view it and not edit it, you can view jpg files in any web browser. To get it to open automatically, you'll need to change the file type settings in Winodws Explorer by following this procedure:

1. Open Windows Explorer from either a) Start, Windows Explorer (or My Computer), b) by clicking My Computer on the desktop, or c) by pressing the keyboard shortcut, Windows Key + E.
2. Click Tools, Folder Options
3. Click the tab, File Types
4. Scroll down the list and select jpg -- in some versions of Windows, file types are listed by extension, in others by description (e.g. JPEG image)
5. Highlight JPG and in the section where you can edit the default program to open this type, click Change (in some version it might say something else)
6. In the dialogue window that results, select Internet Explorer (or your favorite browser), or Microsoft Photo Editor, then click OK. If you don't see the program on the list, click browse and find it (C:\Program Files is always a good place to start).
7. Close out of all of that and then try to open it again.

I am not able to open any of the attachments in the Forum that contain pictures. What am I doing wrong?

If you can't open the jpg graphic it's probably because your computer doesn't know which software is supposed to open it. Depending on your version of Windows, you can open it with one of the free paint, Photo Editor or graphic editors in Windows. If you just want to view it and not edit it, you can view jpg files in any web browser. To get it to open automatically, you'll need to change the file type settings in Winodws Explorer by following this procedure:

1. Open Windows Explorer from either a) Start, Windows Explorer (or My Computer), b) by clicking My Computer on the desktop, or c) by pressing the keyboard shortcut, Windows Key + E.
2. Click Tools, Folder Options
3. Click the tab, File Types
4. Scroll down the list and select jpg -- in some versions of Windows, file types are listed by extension, in others by description (e.g. JPEG image)
5. Highlight JPG and in the section where you can edit the default program to open this type, click Change (in some version it might say something else)
6. In the dialogue window that results, select Internet Explorer (or your favorite browser), or Microsoft Photo Editor, then click OK. If you don't see the program on the list, click browse and find it (C:\Program Files is always a good place to start).
7. Close out of all of that and then try to open it again.

When I type my password to access eCollege or access certain databases with my barcode I get a blank screen (or the page doesn't open). I believe the sites are blocked by Norton Internet Security. How do I allow Norton to access these sites?

Unfortunately, Internet security software does exactly what it was intended to do: block access to suspicious pages, to include "referral" web sites. This is what happens when you log in to one site (e.g. keystone-university.net), which then passes you to a third or referred site (e.g. eCollege), a common technique used by malicious or dangerous hackers or hacker web sites. Internet security and firewall software suspects all referred sites as malicious and therefore blocks access.

To bypass security permanenetly you need to add the URLs that you want to access to Norton's list of allowed (unblocked) sites. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open Norton Internet Security


2. Click on Options/Internet Security


3. Click on Web Content


4. Click on User Settings


5. Scroll the left window and click on the first occurence of the desired web site to highlight it


6. Under Pop-up Ads unclick Use Ad Blocking settings


7. Repeat the above steps with each additional occurence of the web address


8. Click OK

When I type my password to access eCollege or access certain databases with my barcode I get a blank screen (or the page doesn't open). I believe the sites are blocked by Norton Internet Security. How do I allow Norton to access these sites?

Unfortunately, Internet security software does exactly what it was intended to do: block access to suspicious pages, to include "referral" web sites. This is what happens when you log in to one site (e.g. keystone-university.net), which then passes you to a third or referred site (e.g. eCollege), a common technique used by malicious or dangerous hackers or hacker web sites. Internet security and firewall software suspects all referred sites as malicious and therefore blocks access.

To bypass security permanenetly you need to add the URLs that you want to access to Norton's list of allowed (unblocked) sites. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Open Norton Internet Security


2. Click on Options/Internet Security


3. Click on Web Content


4. Click on User Settings


5. Scroll the left window and click on the first occurence of the desired web site to highlight it


6. Under Pop-up Ads unclick Use Ad Blocking settings


7. Repeat the above steps with each additional occurence of the web address


8. Click OK

How do I do I login to NetLibrary?

NetLibrary requires users to create their own accounts. If you haven't yet created an account start from the Portal page (click the MU Library button). This page allows you to access NetLibrary from our proxy server, which makes NetLibrary think you're physically on campus, since only campus users can be authenticated as authorized users. If you already registered once before but can't remember the login and password, you'll have to create a new account.

Once you get into NetLibrary click the link labeled "Create an account" underneath the red login button (on the right side of the page). After you setup your NetLibrary account you can then access the regular page (http://www.netlibrary.com) and check out books for 3 days, as long as no one else has checked it out. But you must create an account first.

The Portal link to the setup page follows:

      http://library.mansfield.edu/netlibrary.html

How do I do I login to NetLibrary?

NetLibrary requires users to create their own accounts. If you haven't yet created an account start from the Portal page (click the MU Library button). This page allows you to access NetLibrary from our proxy server, which makes NetLibrary think you're physically on campus, since only campus users can be authenticated as authorized users. If you already registered once before but can't remember the login and password, you'll have to create a new account.

Once you get into NetLibrary click the link labeled "Create an account" underneath the red login button (on the right side of the page). After you setup your NetLibrary account you can then access the regular page (http://www.netlibrary.com) and check out books for 3 days, as long as no one else has checked it out. But you must create an account first.

The Portal link to the setup page follows:

      http://library.mansfield.edu/netlibrary.html

This past week I have been dealing with an attachment issue. I am not able to attach documents to my Hotmail account and also the Forum through eCollege. I am able to successfully submit assignments, though. I am not sure what the problem is. Everytime I try to attach from Hotmail, I get a page that says "Page can not be displayed", and it mentions "due to an internal error" we can not process. When I try to attach through the forum, it keeps running "Attaching file" but nothing ever seems to happen. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to resolve this problem.

What sort of file is it, and how large is it. If the attachment is very large (e.g. PowerPoint with lots of graphics or media, such as audio or video), you could be running across a file size limitation, or possibly the upload process is so slow that your connection times out before the upload is complete. To test this possibility, try attaching a test Word document, with just a page or less of plain text (no graphics). If that works, then it would appear that the file size or type is an issue.

A related possibility is that you have some sort of security software that blocks attachments of unknown types. Here the file extension is what would determine for your security software whether the file is "suspicious" or not. Does the file contain an extension that is NOT a common one (e.g. .doc, .txt, .ppt, .gif, etc.). Or perhaps it has no extension at all, which is a common problem for Mac users. If that is the case, try renaming the file and see what happens.

If you still have problems, tell me what the file is and how large it is. If you can locate the file on your hard drive (My Computer or File Manager), view the Properties to see how large it is. Also, do you have a dial-up connection or a fast connection (DSL, Cable or T1 at school).

This past week I have been dealing with an attachment issue. I am not able to attach documents to my Hotmail account and also the Forum through eCollege. I am able to successfully submit assignments, though. I am not sure what the problem is. Everytime I try to attach from Hotmail, I get a page that says "Page can not be displayed", and it mentions "due to an internal error" we can not process. When I try to attach through the forum, it keeps running "Attaching file" but nothing ever seems to happen. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to resolve this problem.

What sort of file is it, and how large is it. If the attachment is very large (e.g. PowerPoint with lots of graphics or media, such as audio or video), you could be running across a file size limitation, or possibly the upload process is so slow that your connection times out before the upload is complete. To test this possibility, try attaching a test Word document, with just a page or less of plain text (no graphics). If that works, then it would appear that the file size or type is an issue.

A related possibility is that you have some sort of security software that blocks attachments of unknown types. Here the file extension is what would determine for your security software whether the file is "suspicious" or not. Does the file contain an extension that is NOT a common one (e.g. .doc, .txt, .ppt, .gif, etc.). Or perhaps it has no extension at all, which is a common problem for Mac users. If that is the case, try renaming the file and see what happens.

If you still have problems, tell me what the file is and how large it is. If you can locate the file on your hard drive (My Computer or File Manager), view the Properties to see how large it is. Also, do you have a dial-up connection or a fast connection (DSL, Cable or T1 at school).

I recieved an email from staff@mansfield.edu that instructed me to open an attachment and now I have a virus. Can you tell me why?

Recently, there have been a large number of e-mail hacker attacks that are especially sneaky, as they look very official and come from addresses that you would think are legitimate. A recent one is from staff@mansfield.edu that warns of e-mail viruses (theirs!) and then instructs you to click on an attachment to read further. This attachment is a deliberate attack on your computer, as is the case with many unsolicited e-mails with attachments. In almost all cases, it is the attachment that contains the virus.

As always, the rule of thumb is to own anti-virus software and keep it up to date (i.e. check for new virus definitions at least twice a month). Most of the good products, like Norton, remind you to update their virus "definitions," which are files that identify the newest viruses. If your definitions haven't been updated for months or years, new viruses can't and won't be detected and cleaned.

I also recommend this all-purpose guide to detecting suspicious e-mails:

1. The sender has no signature block
2. The message doesn't seem to make sense or have any context (e.g. "see this attachment" is the entire message)
3. The message seems to have no purpose
4. The attachment has a supicious extension (e.g. .exe, .zip, etc. -- see below)

My overall advise regarding attachments is simply this: if you don't expect an attachment and don't recognize it, DON'T open it.

For example, strongly suspect any e-mail from an unknown person with friendly messages like, "Hi, watch my movie" or "You received a greeting card, click here to view it." Today, in fact, I received an innocent-sounding e-mail (and suspect attachment) that simply read: "please confirm the document." Unless you know exactly what it is, or why you received it, be especially suspicious of any attachment with any of these file extensions:

.bas or .bat
.com
.exe
.pif
.ras
.reg
.scr
.vb or .vbs
.zip (unless you were told to expect it)

In most cases, with the exception of zip files (compressed files using programs like WinZip, PCZip or Stuffit for Mac users), the files associated with the extensions above are rarely files you need to mess with. They are "executables" that run or install programs on your computer, which is how about 90-95% of viruses infect your computer (viruses are rarely spread through text documents, and generally can't harm you just by sitting in your inbox--it's only if you try to open or run them that they spread their damage).

To partly counter these attacks, the Mansfield University Information Technology Dept has started fighting back, though they rarely announce their security measures. I just learned recently, after not receiving emails that I was expecting, that they quarantine messages that they suspect contain viruses, many of which are harmless and legitimate.

In the case of quarantined messages, the easiest way to retrieve these is by going directly to WebMail, the official MU web-based mail program (http://webmail.mnsfld.edu). These messages will not be forwarded to your personal account, nor will they be delivered to your own e-mail program, such as Outlook, Eudora, Netscape, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. Once you login to WebMail check the folder (on the left side of the WebMail screen) marked _Quarantine_.

[Advanced computer users can also retrieve quarantined messages by creating an MU e-mail account using the IMAP protocol instead of the more common POP3, as long as you use an IMAP compatible mail program, like Outlook or my new favorite, Thunderbird, available for free at http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/]

As always, if you have questions, just ask!

I recieved an email from staff@mansfield.edu that instructed me to open an attachment and now I have a virus. Can you tell me why?

Recently, there have been a large number of e-mail hacker attacks that are especially sneaky, as they look very official and come from addresses that you would think are legitimate. A recent one is from staff@mansfield.edu that warns of e-mail viruses (theirs!) and then instructs you to click on an attachment to read further. This attachment is a deliberate attack on your computer, as is the case with many unsolicited e-mails with attachments. In almost all cases, it is the attachment that contains the virus.

As always, the rule of thumb is to own anti-virus software and keep it up to date (i.e. check for new virus definitions at least twice a month). Most of the good products, like Norton, remind you to update their virus "definitions," which are files that identify the newest viruses. If your definitions haven't been updated for months or years, new viruses can't and won't be detected and cleaned.

I also recommend this all-purpose guide to detecting suspicious e-mails:

1. The sender has no signature block
2. The message doesn't seem to make sense or have any context (e.g. "see this attachment" is the entire message)
3. The message seems to have no purpose
4. The attachment has a supicious extension (e.g. .exe, .zip, etc. -- see below)

My overall advise regarding attachments is simply this: if you don't expect an attachment and don't recognize it, DON'T open it.

For example, strongly suspect any e-mail from an unknown person with friendly messages like, "Hi, watch my movie" or "You received a greeting card, click here to view it." Today, in fact, I received an innocent-sounding e-mail (and suspect attachment) that simply read: "please confirm the document." Unless you know exactly what it is, or why you received it, be especially suspicious of any attachment with any of these file extensions:

.bas or .bat
.com
.exe
.pif
.ras
.reg
.scr
.vb or .vbs
.zip (unless you were told to expect it)

In most cases, with the exception of zip files (compressed files using programs like WinZip, PCZip or Stuffit for Mac users), the files associated with the extensions above are rarely files you need to mess with. They are "executables" that run or install programs on your computer, which is how about 90-95% of viruses infect your computer (viruses are rarely spread through text documents, and generally can't harm you just by sitting in your inbox--it's only if you try to open or run them that they spread their damage).

To partly counter these attacks, the Mansfield University Information Technology Dept has started fighting back, though they rarely announce their security measures. I just learned recently, after not receiving emails that I was expecting, that they quarantine messages that they suspect contain viruses, many of which are harmless and legitimate.

In the case of quarantined messages, the easiest way to retrieve these is by going directly to WebMail, the official MU web-based mail program (http://webmail.mnsfld.edu). These messages will not be forwarded to your personal account, nor will they be delivered to your own e-mail program, such as Outlook, Eudora, Netscape, Hotmail, Yahoo, etc. Once you login to WebMail check the folder (on the left side of the WebMail screen) marked _Quarantine_.

[Advanced computer users can also retrieve quarantined messages by creating an MU e-mail account using the IMAP protocol instead of the more common POP3, as long as you use an IMAP compatible mail program, like Outlook or my new favorite, Thunderbird, available for free at http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/]

As always, if you have questions, just ask!

I need some advice. I have Spybot and Norton Anti-Virus. Spybot keeps finding 2 suspected problems, but it won't delete them because a window pops up and says something like, "There may be some problems that are attached to your system and won't be deleted except by Re-start. May Spybot run again on restart?" I click yes, and the same thing happens all over again!! With Norton AV, I make sure auto-protect is on and run a full-system scan about once a week. When I run it, I get 104 threats, which I click to delete. But they DON'T delete, and a window comes up to click on each threat individually to exclude from future scans. Of course, I do not do that, and it informs me that I have not dealt with the problem and there are still 104 threats. I am stymied

Yikes, your troubles with spyware seem frustrating. For years, viruses were the greatest threat, so I'm glad that you update your Norton regularly. That is very wise. But the more common problem these days is spyware, which is that nasty junk that installs automatically, without you noticing, when you visit certain commercial sites. In most cases you don't even know it, and the usual symptoms are the presence of obnoxious popup boxes (mostly about buying stuff) or search bars on your browser. Most of this stuff is harmless, and rarely malicious, but nevertheless it may cause problems and in some cases, may crash certain programs (mostly web browsers).

Spybot is free software that looks for this stuff and will delete it. But it's not perfect. Sometimes you need more than one spy detector program. And Norton will do little good, since it is designed to look for viruses, not spyware. Another program that I recommend is Ad-Aware (http://www.lavasoft.de). There is a free version, though I prefer the Pro version (there is also a Plus version, that does most of what Pro does, for about $27). The pay versions run in the background and catch spyware before it installs. The free version only cleans spyware that has already installed itself, which is probably what is happening to you.

The other question is whether there is a particular web site where this stuff is constantly installed from. Several legitimate sites, including many online vendors and stores, turn a blind eye to Spyware, or even spring it on you themselves. They would argue that they're doing you a favor (there are times when I detest free enterprise and capitalism).

Another useful tool that is free, though more designed for techies, is a small utility called HijackThis. The name sounds scary, but it identifies all of the programs running on your computer. 95% of those programs are legitimate, so you want to be very careful about deleting anything. But if you run the application, there is a save feature that allows you to save the data and send it to someone who can review the applications for spyware. If you'd like to run this application and send the file to me, I'll take a look.

The download is available from:

      http://www.spychecker.com/program/hijackthis.html
          
A tutorial is available at:

      http://mjc1.com/mirror/hjt

Library Literature Full Text will not allow me to use its services. (EbscoHost accepted my barcode with no problem.) Any suggestions?

Hi. Your request for help was forwarded to me but I need to figure out exactly what the problem is. Both your barcode and Library Lit worked for me, so the question is, what is happening or not happening for you.

Are you able to login at all to the larger product, WilsonWeb? Or are you able to login but get an error message? Or do you not get an error message but are unable to execute a search? Do you get a blank screen or does the menu look normal? At what point does the problem occur?

Off the top of my head the three most likely causes would be:

1. Internet connection somewhere between your computer and WilsonWeb was temporarily unavailable

2. You may need to clear your browser cache, which is a temporary archive of old web page snapshots that your browser uses instead of live pages. In Internet Explorer select Tools, Internet Options, then click Delete Files to clear the cache.

If you use Netscape select Edit, Preferences then click the menu on left side of preferences window marked Advanced; then select Cache and click both buttons for Clear Memory Cache and Clear Disk Cache.

3. You could be using Internet Security software, to include popup ad blockers or personal firewalls that prevent secure web pages or pages with multiple windows (frames) from loading. Do you know whether you have installed anything like that? The most usual suspect is Norton Internet Security (not simply the anti-virus program).

Let me know more details and I'll have a better idea about what might be happening.

It appears I can no longer click on the words as I have been doing. Now I must click in the blue empty space to the far right of the word forum. I think my computer is alive and it does this stuff just to confuse me and make me look like an idiot.

This really sounds exactly like the problem that you experienced in January (and I'm sure ad blocker software was the cause, whether intentionally installed or loaded by "friendly" spyware without your knowledge). If you know for certain that you use ad blocker software (not counting Ad-aware, which isn't really the same thing), you'll have to open the settings and see if there is an option to specify sites that you do NOT want blocked (and we might have to experiment with a variety of URLs, since the www.keystone-university.net address may actually mask a third party site, perhaps eCollege.com).

If I recall, another experiment that I suggested in January was to install a different Web browser (Netscape is really the only other one "officially" supported by eCollege) and see if the problem goes away. If the problem is spyware, there is a chance that it only affects Internet Explorer. But if the problem occurs with Netscape too, then I'd suspect ad blocker software, which could definitely interfere with windows within windows, or frames, from opening (i.e. Forum). The URL for the Netscape download is: http://channels.netscape.com/ns/browsers/download.jsp

There are newer alternate browsers that I have tested successfully with eCollege, and they are less prone to spyware and viruses because they are public domain software created by computer students and hacker types, and these products tend not to be targeted by evildoers (who almost exclusively target Microsoft products, like Internet Explorer). I don't have much respect for Netscape anymore, so you might consider the alternatives (early versions of Netscape were great, up to about 4-5 years ago, and really revolutionized the Internet for public use, but the product has not kept up to date). If you do install Netscape, make sure its at least version 7, as older versions no longer work on many web sites, including eCollege.

There are two alternates that I recommend. Mozilla (http://www.mozilla.org/start/1.6/), is actually a semi-official successor to Netscape and is fairly stable (Netscape will eventually die off since the parent company that bought it, AOL, doesn't wish to support it). To verify, I just used it to view the Forum and it worked great. If you want to be even more daring, I'm tempted to suggest a browser that I've used for a month now called Firefox. It will eventually be the official successor to Mozilla, though it is still in beta testing (though very stable). I may even start using Firefox more than Internet Explorer. It is also available from the Mozilla site: http://www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/

Good luck, and keep me posted,

I am unable to access the summary section of each mod. I assume that this section contains a list of the assignments, due dates and rubrics as it has in previous classes. Is there something that I should do. I am able to open the second section of each mod which contains the actual course content.

I see that you're enrolled in LSC 5540 and took a look at the course, but didn't see any summary sections. Is this the right course, and if so, can you give me a better idea regarding what I should look for. And where exactly are you trying to open these sections, from the module menu on the left side of the eCollege page or from within the module itself (I didn't see any references to summaries there either)?

The most common explanation for oddities is the interaction of Internet security software that prevents browsers from opening additional windows or frames. Do you have anything installed like Norton Internet Security, Personal Firewall, or ad blocker software? Another possibility is the presence of so-called spyware, which is a common curse these days and can cause browser to work improperly. There is free software to detect and destroy this evil stuff (the two best are Ad-Aware and Spybot), which usually show themselves in unwelcome popup ads and strange tool bars opening in your browser when you don't expect them (i.e. randomly and often).

If necessary, let me know when I call you, since this might require more detailed troubleshooting for me to figure out what's going on.

p.s. I did notice some bad html code in the course, which shouldn't cause the problem, unless your security settings are set to high and block JavaScript functionality. In Internet Explorer select Tools, Internet Options, Security and make sure the security is medium (not high). If you have Internet security software, try temporarily disabling it to see if the problem goes away. With most of these programs, there is an icon in the bottom right corner of Windows (task tray), that allow you to disable and enable them by right clicking and selecting the option form the menu. If you're suing a Mac, let me know that too, as Macs have their own problems with eCollege.

Good luck,
Larry Schankman