Q1: When loading course why is there a white box with a broken plugin symbol in the middle?

A: This means you do not have the proper Shockwave™ plugin installed on your browser to view the course. The course is entirely in Shockwave™ so you must have a browser capable of loading shockwave in order to view the course. We recommend downloading the latest version of Shockwave™ from here.

Once downloaded and installed correctly, try the Shockwave™ plugin test before coming to our course. This test page loads automatically in your browser after you restart once the plugin has been installed.

Q2: Why do I not hear audio for the course?

A: This means one of three things:

• You do not have a sound card installed on your machine;
• You do not have speakers, or they are not plugged into the right port on the computer; or
• Your audio is being controlled by another application on your computer (like an mp3 player or audio CD player).

We recommend restarting your computer before partaking in the course to ensure nothing you had viewed or listened to previously impacts your computer's performance.

Try listening to audio from another site to see if you can hear Flash audio. Try going to http://www.flashkit.com/loops/Easy_Listening/Classical for sample music to listen to. If you cannot hear these clips, then the problem lies with your computer and not our courseware.

Be aware that the slides have a mute button that you could have accidentally depressed. If the slide speaker button (located to the right of the slide controls console) has a line through it, this means you have muted the audio. Click on the button again to restore audio to the course.

Q3: Why can I not gain access to the chat room, bulletin board or whiteboard?

A: These programs require your computer to be free from firewall or restricted access. They use multi-user server technology that allows your computer to send and receive data to and from our server, thereby allowing you to collaborate with others. If you are behind a firewall, then your computer cannot take part in these collaborative sessions.

If you are not behind a firewall and you still cannot gain access, then the server may be down temporarily. Try back in a few hours. If the problem persists, contact us.

Q4: Why do the calculators not function correctly?

A: We have created electronic versions of two commonly used financial calculators for the purposes of these online courses. The calculators have been partially programmed with the most important and widely used functions for this version of the interface. Future versions will include new features.

Q5: Why does my computer crash when viewing the course?

A: From time to time a computer can crash, and this can result from various things. You may have programs still running in the background that take up your computer's working memory; or you may not have enough memory in your computer to have it run reliably. (View our minimum requirements document for details on what we recommend for viewing our courses.) IE and Netscape cache (or store to your computer's RAM) web sites you have visited previously in that session. This can also take up free memory.

To alleviate most problems, we recommend a hard reboot (restart) of your computer before undertaking our courses to ensure your computer is running at its optimal levels. Our courses have been rigorously tested to ensure they are compatible with the majority of systems and software, and free from bugs that can cause a computer to crash.

Q6: Why does it take so long to view the slides on a modem?

A: We have attempted to deliver the highest quality courseware to you, our students. In doing so we have pushed the envelope in terms of our use of multimedia and emerging technologies. Our slides are rich with audio, still graphics and animated content, all of which take up memory and bandwidth. While our courses are optimized for 56K modem viewing, they are experienced best over a high-speed Internet connection. Please note, however, that this loading time will happen only once. The next time you view the same slide it will load much faster, as it is already stored in your computer.

We have implemented an innovative slide loading system that pre-loads the next slide into memory. However, if you move around non-linearly through the lesson, slides will not pre-load. We have also included printable slide materials for you to view off-line should you need to refresh your memory of the lesson material but not be able to go-online.

Q7: Why am I unable to view the videos?

A: You must wait for the video to download completely before it plays. You will notice a loading circle in the video window as well as the progress in the bottom left-hand corner of the browser. Refer to these as a guide for the progress of the videos.

If you still cannot view after the video loads completely, ensure that your computer has a video card and that it is properly installed. Try viewing other videos on the Internet to ensure your computer is operating correctly.

Q8: Why does the course window stretch beyond my monitor?

A: The course has been optimized for 800 by 600 pixel screen resolution. To view your screen resolution (in windows 98 and 2000 as an example), right mouse click anywhere on your desktop, go to properties option, select settings tab, and look at your monitor resolution. There should be a slider bar that allows you to increase or decrease your screen setting. Experiment with this to achieve an optimal setting (in most cases 1024 by 768 pixels).

Q9: Why does my test score not appear on my student profile for the course?

A: In order to receive a score in your records, you must complete the course's final slide. This sends a signal to the course management system that you have completed the course and the test score you receive is subsequently saved in the student records database.

Return to the course tutorial, and ensure you view all content in the final slide before undertaking the test.

Q10: Who can I contact if I am having further technical difficulties?

If you still have problems, please contact us by email with your question or concern.