| Tips on using the Browser Check and Installation Wizard |
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Your computer needs to be properly configured to run your MathXL course. Depending on your course, you will either need to run the Installation Wizard or the Browser Check to install the components you need to view exercises and multimedia content in your course.
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| Where do I find the Browser Check or Installation Wizard? |
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It's best to run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard from inside your MathXL course. When you log into your course, you will see a Browser Check or Installation Wizard link on the Announcements page.
You can also run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard from this Support site.
- Go to the Browser Check page.
- Select the textbook for your course from the drop-down menu.
- Click Submit. Either the Browser Check or the Installation Wizard appears in a new window, depending on which tool is used in your course.
Note: Before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard, you should review the information below. You must have administrator rights to install software on your computer. You will also need to confirm pop-up blocker and cookie settings. If you are unfamiliar with these topics, the information below will give you guidance.
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| Administrator Rights |
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Administrator rights allow you to install software on a computer. Before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard, make sure you have full administrator rights on your machine. If you are on a lab computer or a computer at an institution or business, you probably do not have administrator rights and you cannot install courses components from the Browser Check or Installation Wizard. In this case, you need to contact your lab administrator, network administrator, or the owner of the computer so that person can run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard to install plug-ins and players for you.
To check for admin rights on a Windows system:
- Right-click the Windows Start button.
- If you see the text "Explore All Users," you have administrator rights.
To check for admin rights on a Macintosh system:
- From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
- From the View menu, choose Accounts.
- Under My Account you should see your computer user name. If you have administrator rights, Admin appears directly below your user name.
If you try to install components using the Browser Check or Installation Wizard without administrator rights, you may see a message saying that you are missing a key component. If you click the link to install the component, nothing happens.
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| Managing Pop-ups |
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Pop-up blockers or ad-blockers may prevent you from installing components and from using your course. You should configure these programs to allow pop-ups from mathxl.com and coursecompass.com before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard or trying to use any part of your course.
Commonly used pop-up blockers:
- All the supported browsers - Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari - include pop-up blockers.
- MSN offers the MSN Toolbar, which includes a pop-up blocker.
- EarthLink offers a pop-up Blocker for Internet Explorer.
- Google offers a toolbar with a feature to block pop-up windows.
- Yahoo offers a toolbar with features to block pop-up windows.
- Netscape 7.1 offers a pop-up blocker feature that can be turned off by selecting Preferences from the Edit menu and then selecting Popup Windows under Privacy and Security.
How to allow pop-ups from specific locations:
Most popular pop-up blockers let you allow pop-ups from specific locations. For example, if you are using the Google toolbar pop-up blocker, you can click the Popup Blocker button on the toolbar when you are using the Installation Wizard. The button text will change to read "Allow site popups," indicating that the Popup Blocker is disabled for the MathXL site. For specific instructions, please refer to the online help for your pop-up blocker.
Tips for managing pop-up blockers:
- Most pop-up blockers produce an audio alert when they block a pop-up window. If you have speakers installed, raise your volume so you can hear whether a pop-up has been blocked.
- Many pop-up blockers let you use the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard to allow an individual pop-up window. If you are unsure how to configure your pop-up blocker, hold down the "Ctrl" key when clicking the Install or Detect buttons in the Browser Check or Installation Wizard.
- If you have multiple pop-up blockers, you will need to configure each pop-up blocker. For example, you may have Internet Explorer 6.0 (with Service Pack 2), the Google Toolbar, and Norton Internet Security. Each has its own, independent pop-up blocker.
How to disable pop-up blockers:
If pop-ups are still blocked after you configure your pop-up software, you should temporarily disable your pop-up blockers. You can temporarily disable many pop-up blockers by clicking the program's icon in either the Windows System Tray or in the browser. You can re-enable the software when you are not using your course.
In extreme cases, you may need to uninstall a pop-up blocker completely. If the pop-up blocker is not part of your browser, you probably can remove it using the Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel.
If you still need help, contact Customer Technical Support. (Contact information is at the top of this page.)
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| Configuring your browser's cookie settings |
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To use MathXL, your browser must accept cookies, which are used to keep track of who you are when you move from one web page to another.
To enable cookies for Internet Explorer:
- From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
- In the Internet Options window, click the Privacy tab.
- Click Advanced.
- Set your cookie handling as follows:
- Select Override Automatic Cookie Handling.
- Accept 1st party cookies.
- Accept 3rd party cookies.
- Select the checkbox Always allow session cookies.
To enable cookies for Firefox:
- From the Firefox menu, choose Tools > Options (PC) or Firefox > Preferences (Mac).
- At the top of the window, click the Privacy icon.
- In the Cookies section of the window:
- Make sure "Accept cookies from sites" is checked.
- Make sure "Accept third-party cookies" is checked (Firefox 3 only).
- From the "Keep until" dropdown list, choose either they expire or I close Firefox.
- Click OK to save your settings
To enable cookies for Safari:
- From the Safari menu, choose Safari > Preferences.
- At the top of the window, click the Security lock icon.
- Under Accept Cookies, make sure Always is selected.
- Dismiss the Advanced window.
If you still need help, contact Customer Technical Support. (Contact information is at the top of this page.)
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| Changing your QuickTime settings if videos won't play |
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If you are having trouble playing the videos in your MathXL course, you may need to adjust your QuickTime settings. Click the links below for instructions:
> Settings for QuickTime 7 (recommended for MathXL users)
> Settings for QuickTime 6
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| What do I need before I start using MathXL? |
- a Course ID from your instructor
- a student access code, included in the MathXL Student Access Kit (If you don't have a code, you can buy access to MathXL online using a credit card.)
- a valid email address that you check on a regular basis
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| How do I get my course ID? |
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To register and enroll in your MathXL course, you need a valid Course ID. If you don't have a Course ID, please contact your instructor to get it.
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| How do I enroll in a new course? |
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Visit the Getting Started section for more information.
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| Why can't I run MathXL in my browser? |
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In most courses, you can use recent versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari to work in your course. A few older courses, however, are only available using Internet Explorer. If your course uses the Installation Wizard, you must use Internet Explorer 6 or 7 to work in your course. If your course offers the Browser Check, you can use any of the three standard browsers.
Some Internet providers, such as AOL, offer their own proprietary browsers, which are not compatible with MathXL. To work in your course, you must minimize the proprietary browser and open a standard browser supported for your course.
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| How do I register and enroll in my instructor's MathXL course? |
- Go to www.mathxl.com and click the Register button for students.
- Enter your student access code in the fields provided. A sample access code looks like this: SMPLE-FRILL-TONLE-WEIRS-CHOIR-FLEES
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration process.
If you do not have a student access code, you can purchase online access to MathXL using a credit card or PayPal and your instructor's Course ID. After you have registered and enrolled, you are ready to log in to your instructor's MathXL course!
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| How do I login and access my instructors MathXL course? |
- Go to www.mathxl.com.
- Enter the login name and password you created during registration.
- Click the option that says "I am taking a course that is using MathXL...".
TIP: If your teacher has not set up a course for you in MathXL, you can still study on your own by selecting the option that says "I am studying on my own.…". You can then choose your textbook from the Book list and click Enroll. You can use pre-loaded sample tests to generate a study plan and work through practice exercises to master the topics in your textbook.
- Enter your course ID and confirm that you are enrolling in the correct course. (If you do not know your course ID, ask your teacher.)
- Click the Enroll button and follow the on-screen instructions to run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard for your course.
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| I forgot my login name and password for MathXL? How can I get it again? |
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You can retrieve your login name and password by submitting an online request form (also available from the MathXL log-in page). When completing this form, be sure to enter the email address you used to register for MathXL. Your login information will be sent only to this email address. If you need additional assistance, call Product Support at 1-800-677-6337.
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| What version of Flash do I need? |
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Students do not need the absolute latest version of the Flash player to use the eText. They need only version 10.2 or higher, which they can download from http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/142/tn_14266.html, about halfway down the page.
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