MSU
WebCT - Troubleshooting Guide:
Solve problems you may be having in regards to WebCT.
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General
rule:
For most
students, their MSU WebCT ID is their 8 digit MSU student ID number.
*Remember--
when entering your MSU Student ID number (A.K.A. Banner GID) to log in
you do not include the dash ( - ) that precedes the leading zeroes,
just enter the 8 digit number (which includes all leading zeroes)!
About
MSU WebCT IDs:
MSU students note: Your WebCT ID is the same as your MSU Student ID number (A.K.A. Banner GID). This holds for all cases unless the student is enrolled in a special course. *If a student is enrolled in a special course and is unsure about his or her MSU WebCT ID, these students should contact the instructor of the course.
IMPORTANT!
Burns Technology Center affiliated programs (includes various programs like MSSE, NTEN, NPTT, Blackfeet Community College and so forth) - students note: If you have registered for the course through MSU as an official MSU student, your WebCT ID will be your MSU Student ID number (A.K.A. Banner GID) as described above. If you have registered for your course through other means there is a chance that your MSU WebCT ID is not an MSU Student ID number. Generally, when registering for a BTC affiliated course, you receive a confirmation letter/email indicating your MSU WebCT ID. This letter/email contains details about what you need to do in order to log in and also (usually) contains information regarding your MSU WebCT ID.
If you are experiencing difficulty logging in after using information contained in your confirmation letter, please contact the instructor of your course; ITC Help desk at 1-406-994-1777 (M-F, 7AM-9PM, Mountain Time)- email: helpdesk@montana.edu; or call the Burns Technology Center at 1-406-994-6550 (M-F, 9AM-5PM, Mountain Time)- email: msuwebct@montana.edu.
Your WebCT ID is the same 8-digit number as your MSU Student ID (8 digits - includes all leading zeroes but does not include the minus sign at the front of the 8 digit number).
To log in to your "myWebCT" page:
- Go to the MSU WebCT Homepage: http://webct.montana.edu
- Select
the "Log in to my WebCT" hot link.
- Hover over the blue, underlined words "Log in to". Click.
- Enter username and password in the supplied textboxes.
- Select the "Log in" hotlinked button.
Don't know your ID?
- If you don't know your MSU WebCT ID - find out your MSU WebCT ID.
- Note: For most students, their MSU WebCT ID is their MSU student ID number.
2 important things to remember:
- Your Student ID number is different than your social security number.
- Your MSU One Card has your MSU Student ID number on it.
The URL to get to the MSU WebCT entry page, so you can log in to your "myWebCT" account is http://webct.montana.edu
Students and faculty access the WebCT course management system through a web browser such as Safari, Mozilla, Netscape or Internet Explorer. The MSU WebCT course you are enrolled in resides on the MSU WebCT server (a central host computer). Your computer, through it's browser, must send and receive electronic data to and from this server. In order for this system to work effectively, you must make sure that your browser settings are optimized for WebCT.
The page at the URL directly below will lead you through the procedure to set up your browser for use with WebCT. Read and follow the instructions to make sure your browser is validated and able to work properly with WebCT.
Go here: http://www.webct.com/tuneup
Students (or any computer user) may experience being sent to other sites or be advised that they are not authorized when they attempt to log in to MSU WebCT.
You may have
spyware or adware on your local machine if you are unable to login to
WebCT and/or receive a message that reads something like this:
"You are not authorized to view this page. You might not have
permission to view this directory or page using the credentials you supplied.
Please try the following: sites organized by subject."
Under the above message is a long list of search category links, you are being redirected to an external (SCCS) page by software installed on your computer. This is not a WebCT error.
Causes:
This is a problem with the computer you are using to connect to WebCT.
The computer may have some 'adware' software installed on it which intercepts
URLs entered by you, and redirects them through an adserver proxy host,
which in turn tries to send them to WebCT. This periodically creates problems
for people who use Internet Explorer. Sometimes you may be able to connect
without a problem, and other times you won't be able to connect at all.
Such software is often bundled with 'free' versions of 'ad-supported'
software available for download from the Internet, usually as an alternative
to paying for a full-featured version with no ads. Depending upon your
security settings in IE, such software may also be installed automatically
when visiting certain web sites.
There are many different types of adware, and some of them are necessary for the proper functionality of some software with which they may have been installed. For example, many 'free' software programs downloaded from the Internet have managed to offer their software for free because they have signed distribution agreements with the adware companies to bundle the adware with their own product. In some cases, you are free not to install the accompanying software, but in others you are obligated to use it if you wish to use the 'free' software as well. Also, not all adware-related software programs are easy or visible to uninstall, nor have we been able to identify which programs come with such software.
Known programs identified include:
Kazaa Media
Desktop v2.6 - comes with something called PerfectNav (and maybe others);
MySearchBar (and other 'hotbars') - various programs like IEFeatl!(?)
and SubmitURL;
Other custom tool bars and launch bars may cause similar problems.
Internet Optimizer - not sure which software is installed but removing
it apparently fixed the problem in at least one case.
This is not a static list...
Things to do to fix these types of problems:
Make sure your Internet browsers have been configured correctly for use with WebCT. To do that, you should follow the instructions at this website: http://www.webct.com/tuneup
Make sure you do not have any parasite (adware/spyware) software on your computer. For more information about this, you should visit the following website: http://www.doxdesk.com/parasite
There is also some good info on these types of problems here: http://www.download.com/Spyware-Center/2001-2023_4-0.html
If
you find adware/spyware and need to remove it:
If you want to try and remove these types of programs, the easiest way
(for PC) is if they are listed in the Add/Remove Programs applet of your
Control Panel (Start -> Settings -> Control Panel -> Add/Remove
Programs). Look for programs which may be unfamiliar to you, or have something
in their title about searching, Internet, URL, optimizer etc. If you are
sure you wish to try and remove it, uninstall it and reboot the computer.
Try to access WebCT and see if the problem has resolved itself, otherwise
you can try to uninstall another one. Note that many of these shifty programs
do not present an add/remove option. Then you may need to move to a special
program. Read on....
If you detect
adware/spyware and can't remove it by other means, or if you want to inoculate
your system against adware/spyware, you should try downloading and running
a program that detects and removes spyware/adware from your computer.
There are two well known free spyware remover programs:
- SpyBot S&D at www.safer-networking.net,
and
- Adaware at http://www.lavasoft.com
Both of these programs will attempt to identify and offer to remove adware
that is known to its database, which is regularly updated.
MSU WebCT
does not directly support any of these software packages but most are
highly rated by trade magazines as being effective in removing and preventing
ad/spyware from computers. Note that they warn that some software you
have installed may cease to function properly if you remove any adware
upon which it may depend, so be sure to read the details.
*adapted
from a composite of sites-- chiefly Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
WebCT relies on pop-up windows to display messages and other tools. WebCT corp specifies that you disable popup blockers/ad blockers while using WebCT. Some of these products allow you to specify which sites to allow popups from - you will need to consult your documentation to see if this is an option. Otherwise you will have to disable the feature completely while using WebCT. NOTE: Some antivirus software (such as Norton/Symantec) includes popup blockers which may be activated upon installation or upgrade. You should check your documentation to see if this applies to your software.
Popup
blocker: Internet Explorer--
XP (specifically Service Pack 2) includes a popup blocker for Internet
Explorer that will be enabled by default - it's on until you turn it off
or tweak it's settings. While this is a very useful feature for general
web surfing it will cause problems for MSU WebCT.
Working
with the Popup Blocker:
If you wish to disable the Popup Blocker entirely you can do so directly
from the Tools menu:
Go to the Tools menu in Internet Explorer. In the "Popup Blocker"
section choose "Disable Popup Blocker".
If you wish
to keep it running but allow certain sites to send pop-ups (like webct.montana.edu)
you can do so directly from the Tools menu:
Go to the Tools menu in Internet Explorer. In the "Popup Blocker"
section choose "Popup Blocker Settings". Follow the directions.
Common
problem: Quiz or Survey won't work-
If you are having trouble with quizzes and surveys there may be a problem
generated by the use of pop-up blocker software used to stop ad pop-up
windows. If you are running one, turn it off before you attempt to take
a quiz or survey.
Circa February 23, 2006: A new level of security has been applied to the WebCT server so that all communications to and from the server are more secure. If you log in and the page returns blank (with “Done” on the bottom) refresh the browser. Note: It may take a bit longer for the page to load initially - after refresh, the connection should resume normal behavior.
Note: Dependent upon the browser you are using you may get a pop-up security notice that says "This page contains both secure and non-secure items..." when you click the link to the MSU WebCT Login Page or any page inside a course. If this occurs, please click "Yes". If you click "No", the page might load but some links may not work properly. If this happens, go back to your "MyWebCT" area and re-enter your course... then click "Yes" on any security notices.
Also:
Getting a not authorized message when trying
to log in to WebCT while using Internet Explorer?
Try this: On the menu bar at the top of the browser go into Tools/Internet
Options - a dialogue box will appear. Bring the "Advanced tab"
forward, scroll down - under the "Browsing" area, deselect the
"Show friendly HTTP error messages" checkbox. Select "Apply"
and then try to log in again.
The links directly below connect you with self-help problem checklists developed by MSU WebCT.
Self-help MSU WebCT problem checklist - HTML version
Self-help MSU WebCT problem checklist - PDF version (59k)
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