Troubleshooting Common Issues

Moving to a spot that is closer to your router can improve connection speeds. A hardwired connection is recommended whenever possible. If your wireless router is located on a different floor, you may experience a weaker connection.

ProctorU’s minimum and recommended ranges:

For slower connections, it’s recommended that you temporarily stop any video streaming services while taking exams. It is strongly recommended that you take your exam using a connection that meets or exceeds the recommended range (as opposed to the minimum). You can take your exam in a reserved room on campus, or at the library. If this is not possible, contact your instructor.

If you have other connection issues, please submit a support request to the Boise State help desk by completing the support ticket form.

Be sure to include the following information in your request:

• The course name and number (e.g. Biology 228)

• Your instructor’s name

• A description of the issue

• A screenshot of your compatibility-check results

Some students have reported a camera width/height errors when testing their compatibility. This problem is limited to the compatibility-check tool, ProctorU has been made aware of the issue and are working to resolve it. Students have been to take their exams with issues. If your compatibility results indicate other problems, these still need to be addressed. However, if you only see the following errors, you shouldn’t have an issue on the test itself:

• Camera width: Your camera width could not be found.

• Camera height: Your camera height could not be found.

As a precaution, check to make sure your browser has access to your camera and other devices.

Windows 10

1. Click the Start menu > Settings > Privacy > Camera.

2. Under Allow apps access to your camera, turn access On.
   

   

3. Close down the browser and restart your computer.

Mac

1. In your system app menu, click  > System Preferences > Security & Privacy.

2. Under the Privacy tab, click the lock icon (bottom left corner) and type your local user password. This will allow you to make changes if needed.

3. On the left-hand column, select Camera. You will see a list of apps that have previously requested access to the Camera. Click the checkbox next to your browser to allow it, then repeat this for the Microphone, and Screen Recording settings. Your browser must have access to all three.

   

4. Close the Security & Privacy panel when finished.

5. Close down the browser completely (From the Application menu: Chrome > Quit Google Chrome).

6. Restart your computer.

If you’re taking a Review+ exam, do not look for the test on ProctorU’s website. Follow the steps for installing the Review+ extension, then start the exam in Blackboard like a normal assignment.

Some courses at Boise State use Live+, a different service from ProctorU which requires tests to be listed on the site for scheduling. Since Review+ exams are administered without scheduling, they will not show up in any searches on the ProctorU website.

ProctorU does not currently support tablet-style computers with multiple cameras (such as Windows Surface RT). You may find that you’re unable to use your front-facing camera on tablet-style PCs. Ideally, this issue should be identified when running the compatibility-check at the start of the semester.

If you do not have access to a supported device, please submit a support request to the Boise State help desk by completing the support ticket form.

Be sure to include the following information in your request:

• The course name and number (e.g. Biology 228)

• Your instructor’s name

• A description of the issue

• A screenshot of your compatibility-check results

If you installed the extension, but are no longer able to see the blue icon, try the following:

For Google Chrome

• Verify that the extension is active. To see all of the active and inactive extensions in Google Chrome, check your extensions settings page. You can get there by typing chrome://extensions/ into the address bar and pressing the Enter key.

• If the extension has been removed from your toolbar, use the Chrome extensions menu (looks like a puzzle piece) to pin it back.

For Mozilla Firefox

• Verify that the extension is active. To see all of the active and inactive extensions in Firefox, check your addon settings page. You can get there by typing about:addons into the address bar and pressing the Enter key.

• If the extension has been removed from your toolbar, check the Firefox Overflow Menu.

First, make sure that you have followed the steps for installing the extension. If the extension is installed, the problem may be due to a permissions issue in Google Chrome.

When you first install the extension, Chrome will ask whether you would like to allow it to run on specific sites or all websites. The ProctorU extension will not work unless you grant access to all websites. This issue doesn’t seem to occur in Firefox since it grants all extension permissions automatically.

The problem is most likely a permission issue if:

• You are using Google Chrome.

• You are trying to sign in but the extension continues to indicate that you’re logged out.

• You are seeing a password screen when you try to start your Blackboard exam.

Solution

1. Type chrome://extensions/ into the address bar and press the Enter key.

2. On the ProctorU Extension, click the Details button.

3. Under Site Access, change the permission to All Sites.

4. Close the tab or window. Changes are automatically saved.

5. Click the extension icon in your toolbar and try signing in again. Remember to enable the Stay signed in option.

This error can be misleading. It can occur if your browser (Google Chrome or Firefox) does not have permission to access your camera, microphone, or the contents of your screen. Follow the steps below to make sure that you’ve granted the needed permissions in your system preferences.

Instructions

Windows 10

1. Click the Start menu > Settings > Privacy > Camera.

2. Under Allow apps access to your camera, turn access On.
   

   

3. Close down the browser and restart your computer.

Mac

1. In your system app menu, click  > System Preferences > Security & Privacy.

2. Under the Privacy tab, click the lock icon (bottom left corner) and type your local user password. This will allow you to make changes if needed.

3. On the left-hand column, select Camera. You will see a list of apps that have previously requested access to the Camera. Click the checkbox next to your browser to allow it, then repeat this for the Microphone, and Screen Recording settings. Your browser must have access to all three.

   

4. Close the Security & Privacy panel when finished.

5. Close down the browser completely (From the Application menu: Chrome > Quit Google Chrome).

6. Restart your browser and try to access the test again. The browser will also ask permission to share your screen when you launch the exam. Be sure to click inside the popup window to select your screen, then click Share.

Disconnecting during a test

If your exam session closes prematurely, this could be caused by either a sudden drop in connection speed or an expired Blackboard session. In either case, you should be able to sign back into Blackboard and resume where you left off. If you are not able to resume, please contact the help desk, and be sure to include the following:

• The course name and number

• Your instructor’s name

• A detailed description of the issue

Connection speed issues

Sudden drops in connection speed may cause you to disconnect. If you’re having connection issues, Moving to a spot that is closer to your router can improve connection speeds. A hardwired connection is recommended whenever possible. If your wireless router is located on a different floor, you may experience a weaker connection.

ProctorU’s minimum and recommended ranges:

For slower connections, it’s recommended that you temporarily close any video streaming services while taking exams. It is strongly recommended that you take your exam using a connection that meets or exceeds the recommended range (as opposed to the minimum).

You should run a connection speed test using one of the many available online tools (fast.com or speedtest.net) to independently confirm your connection speed. Be sure that you are close to your router, or are using a hard-wired connection. If you need a stronger connection, exams can be taken in a reserved room on campus or at the library. If this is not possible, contact your instructor.

Expired Blackboard session

You may experience an interruption due to an expired session if you have been using Blackboard for an extended period of time (longer than 3 hours). You should be able to resume your test by logging back into Blackboard and picking up where you left off.

If you were not able to resolve the issue, please submit a Support Ticket to the Boise State Help Desk. Be sure to include the following:

• The course name and number

• Your instructor’s name

• A detailed description of the issue

• A screenshot of your compatibility-check results

Keep in mind that it may take some time to receive a response (depending on the number of current support requests). Completing the compatibility-check and attempting to troubleshoot before contacting support can help prevent delays.