Trouble Shooting Section

I have problems logging in

Check the expiry date of your log-in details. If your details are still valid, try accessing the site from a different computer.

If your computer will not let you log in, check than your computer's security settings (or ask your ICT technician to do so): Go to 'Internet Options'

Then select the "Privacy" tab. Make sure your privacy setting is set on "Medium" or lower.

If you persistently get a 'Page cannot be displayed' or 'The requested URL could not be retrieved' error message immediately after you've entered your login details, the problem lies with local caching on your school server. Unfortunately, this is not something we can help you resolve and you should seek advice from your ICT technician.

If you still have problems, it could be a problem linked with Macromedia Flash. Your network administrator needs to be made aware that the code to embed Flash on a webpage includes instructions to send the browser to the Flash download page if the player is not installed ("http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0"). This address is actually a .cab file, an installation file to install Flash. In some IE setups, it's flagged up as an unknown and potentially dangerous file.
Network administrators should treat that file as safe and to add it to their 'allow' list on the school servers.

Make sure you have the latest version of Flash Player on your computer. Some pages or activities will not display correctly with older versions. If you are accessing the site from your school network, talk to your ICT technician who will be able to install or upgrade Flash Player for you.

If you are temporarily unsuccessful logging in, there could be a number of reasons for this:

  • The problem may have been caused by an Internet wide network issue outside of our control;
  • The may have been a temporary problem on your PC or local connection;
  • It may have happened during a maintenance period on the server - and so be very unlikely to occur again.

If you get an error message starting "Warning: session_start():..." it means the database is momentarily unavailable. This sort of problem is totally outside our control but fortunately only occurs on rare occasions. It usually resolves itself rapidly (within the hour).

Be persistent and try to log on later and/or from a different computer before you contact us.

 
I have installed a firewall/Virus protection software and I've been unable to access the website or some activities ever since

It is usually possible with that sort of programme to set a specific website as 'safe' or 'trusted', which would solve the problem.
You should refer to the programme's instructions for details.

In addition, you must add www.macromedia.com in your list of trusted websites since the code to embed Flash on webpages links to the Macromedia website.

 
The website is very slow

The Linguascope website is hosted on multiple servers to guarantee that the load of traffic is always balanced. The site can therefore cope with intense traffic and we rarely have reports of widespread problems. If you experience persistent 'slowness', the problem is likely to be at your end. It is your responsibility to ensure that your local server and Internet connection can cope with multiple connections to the site. Talk to your ICT technician for advice. Note that we are unable to advise you on this sort of problem as we are not familiar with your local network and settings.

Note that loading time for the activities usually improves after the first run on a machine, as the game file is normally cached by the browser on your computer.
 
I subscribe to Linguascope.com but I cannot access all websites with my login details
Schools are issued with two sets of login details : one for pupils and one for staff. Only your staff login details allow you to access the staff sections (Linguashare, Linguamate, Linguahelp). Make sure you are using the right set of login details.
If you are using the correct staff login details but are still experiencing problems, refer to the previous section ("I have problems logging in").
 
I have problems viewing the worksheets.

All worksheets are pdf documents and you need the latest version of Acrobat Reader in order to view them. To download Acrobat Reader or free, click here.

If you have Acrobat Reader set up on your computer but are still experiencing problems:

  • Make sure you the version you have is the latest one. If it is not, uninstall your current version of Acrobat Reader and install the new one.
  • If all you get when trying to view a worksheet is a blank screen, try clicking on the "Refresh" or "Reload" button of your browser: it often does the trick.
  • If you manage to open one pdf document, but then have problems opening any subsequent document (blank page), this is because Acrobat Reader is set by default to automatically check for updates online. That means it will freeze and wait for you to authorise (or not) the update. But because you are online, the window inviting you to authorise the update is likely to be hidden behind your browser's window. To avoid this sort of problem, you can change the settings to prevent Acrobat Reader from automatically checking for updates. To do so, launch the Acrobat Reader programme. The 'Auto-Update' window will appear. Simply tick the box saying 'Do not automatically check for any updates'.
  • Check that you are using the latest version of Internet Explorer. It appears versions 4 and 5 have problems displaying pdf documents under certain conditions. To download the latest version of Internet Explorer, click here.

If you have tried all this:
 
I have problems printing the worksheets.

Again, make sure you the version you have is the latest version of Acrobat Reader.

If you have tried to print and all you get is a blank page, it is probably because you pressed your browser's printing button instead of the printing button on the document itself:

If you have printed a worksheet but some images are missing, try again but make sure all images have laoded up on screen before you hit the 'Print' button.

If you have tried all this:

Related Troubleshooting section:
 
Some activities do not display or work properly

Most of the site's activities need at least version 8 of the Macromedia Flash plug-in to be installed on your computer. You can download and install Flash Player for free. Ensure that you have the most up-to-date version installed, as older versions will not work correctly and the activities may not appear.

If you are accessing the site from your school network, talk to your ICT technician who will be able to install or upgrade Flash Player for you.

Many of the activities load in vocabulary, sounds and pictures from external files, so if you are experiencing difficulties check with your ICT technician that MP3 and XML files are not blocked for Flash to load.

If all you get when trying to view an activity is a blank screen, try pressing the 'F5' key on your keyboard to reload the page: it often does the trick.

If some games display in very small format, ensure that the browser you are using is Internet Explorer. Other browsers may contain bugs that prevent pages from being displayed properly. We do not warrant that the activities will work with these browser and we strongly recommend you use the latest version of Internet Explorer when viewing our pages.

 
Activities do not display

Many of the activity pages now make use of JavaScript to embed the Flash activities in a more accessible way. If you cannot view the activities, asking your technician to ensure that JavaScript is enabled across the network will usually solve the problem. On a private or non-network PC, you can enable JavaScript in the following ways:

Internet Explorer (6.0)
  1. Select Tools from the top menu.
  2. Choose Internet Options.
  3. Click Security.
  4. Click Custom Level.
  5. Scroll down till you see section labeled Scripting.
  6. Under Active Scripting, select Enable and click OK.
Internet Explorer (7.0)
  1. Select Tools > Internet Options.
  2. Click on the Security tab.
  3. Click the Custom Level button.
  4. Scroll down to the Scripting section.
  5. Select Enable for Active Scripting and Scripting of Java Applets.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Select YES if a box appears to confirm.
  8. Click OK. Close window.
  9. Reload page.
Mozilla Firefox (1.x)
  1. Select Tools from the top menu.
  2. Choose Options.
  3. Choose Web Features from the left navigation bar.
  4. Select the checkbox next to Enable JavaScript and click OK.
Mozilla Firefox (2.x)
  1. Open Firefox.
  2. On the Tools menu, click Options.
  3. Click Content in the Options list.
  4. Under the Content section, check the box next to Enable JavaScript.
  5. Click the Advanced button to open the Advanced JavaScript Options box.
  6. Check the appropriate boxes under Allow scripts to.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Click OK.
Apple Safari
  1. Select Safari from the top menu.
  2. Choose Preferences.
  3. Choose Security.
  4. Select the checkbox next to Enable JavaScript.

Please bear in mind that upgrading your browser or installing new security software may affect the JavaScript settings in your browser.
 
We have problems with sound
This is very likely to be caused by your school's firewall. We use MP3 files to load sound - and the uploading and downloading of those kinds of files are sometimes blocked by school networks. The sound in most games is downloaded into the SWF file dynamically from a folder on the server. The firewall sees that as an infringement of the MP3 ban and stops the process. The only way to go around that problem is to allow MP3 files on your network, although in some cases it may be possible to leave a ban in place but allow the Flash player to load these files. Talk to your IT technician – the only person who can help in this instance.
 
My problem is not listed above
Your first step should be to approach your IT technician as more often than not, it is just a matter of changing simple settings on your school network.
If you continue to struggle, you can send us an e-mail to let us know what your problem is. We'll be happy to help when we can. In your message, please be very specific and give as much information as possible to help us identify the problem.

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