Resolving Technical Problems

Many issues can be resolved quickly by checking the following:

• Check your firewall or proxy server. If your network uses a firewall or proxy server to monitor and restrict internet traffic, make sure no restrictions are placed on traffic to/from TypingTraining.com. ALL TYPES of traffic must be allowed, including streaming audio and video, JSON data, XML files, and websocket connections.
• Check the filtering software on your computers. Filtering / parental control software (for example, K9 Web Protection) can get in the way if not set up properly. Make sure no restrictions are placed on TypingTraining.com. If your software has a list of safe sites, then try putting TypingTraining.com on this list.
• Make sure your internet connection can handle the load. If you are experiencing any of the following issues, then your internet connection or local network may be unreliable or overloaded:
  • The audio spoken by the coaches does not play, or starts and stops.
  • You see a "loading" or "saving" message that either takes a long time to disappear, or doesn't disappear at all.
  • The videos on the web site start playing but then freeze.
  • You see an error message on your screen saying that you should check your internet connection.

  See below for tips on handling an overloaded network or internet connection.

Here are the possible reasons this can occur:

• Clicking on another window or program with the mouse. This causes the keystrokes to go to the wrong place. When this occurs, the student should simply move the mouse pointer to the area where they should be typing and then click the mouse button. This will send the keystrokes to the right place again.
• Pressing the Caps Lock key. The training modules (which use the on-screen keyboard) are case-sensitive. The Caps Lock key will prevent keystrokes from being recognized as correct.
• Accidentally pressing a key combination which goes to another program. For example, on Windows, pressing Alt-Tab or Windows-Tab switches to another program, causing the keystrokes to go to the wrong place.
• Incorrect keyboard settings on your computer or tablet. Go to the settings area on your computer or tablet and check to see what type of keyboard has been specified. If this does not match the actual keyboard you are using, then problems will likely occur. In most cases, the keyboard type should be set to a standard US keyboard. Note that you may have to restart your web browser and/or device after making a keyboard settings change.
• Malfunctioning web browser extensions / add-ons. Examples include toolbars, popup blockers, monitoring, and filtering software. See below for tips on troubleshooting these.

Tips for solving this issue:

• Make sure your computer is REALLY not responding. Check the following:
  • It is possible that your computer or internet connection is just running slow. Watch your web browser carefully to see if its indicator appears to show that it is loading a web page.
  • If your computer's hard drive indicator light starts flashing rapidly, the computer may be working but just needs more time.
  • Also, check your screen carefully for any error messages or warnings. For example, your browser may have a popup blocker that is getting in the way. If it blocks our web site, it may display a message on your screen to let you know.
• Check your web browser add-ons / extensions. One of these may be getting in the way. See below for tips.
• Check your internet filtering software. You may have internet filtering or antivirus software that is blocking our web site. Try disabling this software or adjusting the settings. We recommend adding TypingTraining.com to the software's list of safe web sites.
• Try restarting the web browser or rebooting your computer.
• Try switching web browsers. For example, switch to Chrome or Firefox if you are currently using Internet Explorer. Switching web browsers can help to determine if the problem is with a specific browser, or with software that runs outside of the browser (such as antivirus software).

If you suspect that you have older computers that are struggling with the web site, or that your network or internet connection cannot handle the load, there are ways to work around these issues until upgrades or fixes can be installed.

One quick workaround is to disable the coaches. Removing the coaches will reduce network load by eliminating their streaming audio. It also reduces strain on older computers by reducing the number of graphic elements being displayed.

The coaches can be disabled in the settings area under the "My Account" menu at the top-right of the screen.

If the web site does not immediately respond when clicking on a button or link, then we recommend waiting 5 minutes before trying again. Often, a slow computer will respond if you give it enough time.

For slow computers, closing down and uninstalling unneeded programs can help. This includes removing or disabling unnecessary web browser add-ons / extensions (see below). Rebooting may also solve the problem.

You can check to see if a web browser add-on or extension is causing problems by running your browser with add-ons and extensions disabled. Here's what to do:

• Chrome: Go to the menu at the upper-right and choose "new incognito window". This opens a new Chrome Window with extensions disabled.
• Firefox: Go to Firefox's "help" menu and choose the option to restart with add-ons disabled.
• Internet Explorer: Go to Start Menu-> All Programs-> Accessories-> System Tools-> Internet Explorer (no Add-ons). Or go to Start Menu -> Run and type: iexplore.exe -extoff

If the web site functions normally with all add-ons / extensions disabled, then you will need to experiment to see which one is causing the problem. All browsers have the ability to enable or disable specific extensions.

If you work for a school or organization: A student can be set up for one-handed typing by making a settings change within your administrator account. Here's what to do:

1. Go to TypingTraining.com and log into your administrator account.
2. Click on the "Users and Groups" button.
3. Select the student by clicking on the check box next to his/her name. (If needed, click on the + signs next to the folders to open them and make the student visible.)
4. The student's information should appear on the right side of the screen. Click on the "Settings" tab.
5. Change the Training Program setting to one of the one-handed options. Also make sure the Mode setting is self-guided. (Sorry, only self-guided mode is supported when using one-handed training.)
6. Save the changes. The student is now configured for one-handed typing.
7. Log into the student's account and click on the "Training Modules" button. You will see a chart with one-handed typing activities that can be taken.

If you signed up for an individual account yourself: You just need to adjust the training program setting in the settings area of your account. Here's what to do:

1. Go to TypingTraining.com and log into your account.
2. Go to the "My Account" menu in the upper right corner of the screen and choose "Status and Settings".
3. Change the Training Program setting to one of the one-handed options. Also make sure the Mode setting is set to Self-Guided. (Sorry, only self-guided mode is supported when using one-handed training.)
4. Save the changes. You are now configured for one-handed typing.
5. Click on the "Training Modules" button. You will see a chart with one-handed typing activities that can be taken.

Here are the possible reasons this can occur:

• The student typed with poor accuracy or slow speed and missed the coach's instructions. It is very normal to have to repeat an activity multiple times in order to pass, and the student didn't hear or understand when the on-screen coach explained this.
• The activity has multiple repetitions. Some of the activities in the computer-guided mode are supposed to be taken more than once before moving on. The student should pay attention to the prompts on the screen and the coach's instructions, which will explain how many repetitions remain.
• The web browser's "Back" button is being pressed. The "Back" button should NEVER be pressed when logged into the web site. Under certain conditions, doing so can send the student to a previous activity with no way to skip forward to the correct one.

If you also see an error message saying that a particular user ID "is no longer logged in", then this is an issue with multiple students using the program on the same computer. The issue is with having multiple browser windows or tabs open - with each window or tab logged in under a different student's account. To prevent one student from accidentally doing work in another student's account, the site detects multiple logins and automatically goes back to the login screen. To prevent this problem, encourage your students to either log out or close the web browser when done.