Common Problems and Solutions
I receive a warning message after logging in and choosing my program.
Solution:
This is a security feature that allows you verify that the program you are running is from us. You will see "essentialskills.net" as part of the applet name in the warning. Check the 'Allow all applets from...' checkbox and then click the "Allow" button. You will not see this warning again unless we update the software.
Problem:
Sometimes there are missing images and sounds. Sometimes sounds take a long time to play.
Solution:
Web based applications suffer the same network dependant limitations as web pages. Sometimes web pages, or parts of web pages just fail to load.
If you encounter missing sounds or images simple repeat your last action or return to the previous menu using the program's, not the browser's, back button. This will cause the media to load again.
Problem:
I'm having problems using the web application with Mac OS X Lion 10.7
Solution:
With Mac OS X 10.7 Apple changed a number of things about how Java (the language our software is written in) and Certificates (how you can be sure the web application you are running is really from us) are handled.
The first thing Apple changed is that Applets, how our software is delivered, are disabled by default. This follows a trend in web browser design whereby users must choose to allow different kinds of web content to run on their computer, like Java Applets and Flash, rather than have it enabled by default. The solution to this is simple. Once you login to our software and choose a program you will be shown the following window. Just click on the text "Inactive plug-in".
This will bring up the following window where you can enable the Java plug-in. You must restart your browser after this step.
The second thing Apple changed is how Certificates are handled. Some settings that used to be off by default are now on by default. As a result, you might be seeing messages like "The publisher cannot be verified by a trusted source. Code will be treated as unsigned" and then the program will not load
To fix this you will need to open the Keychain Access application in the Utilities folder. The Utilities folder is inside the Applications folder. If the keychain is locked you will need an Administrator login and password to finish this step. Under the Keychain Access menu, at the top left of the screen, select 'Preferences...'. In the window that opens click the Certificates tab. Select 'Off' in the 'Online Certificate Status Protocol (OCSP)' menu. Select 'Off' in the 'Certificate Revocation List (CRL)' menu.
Now you will be able to run our web application without further issue
Problem:
The program takes a long time to load on every login.
Solution:
Make sure your Java cache is set to the default of 1 GB (1000 MB).
You can adjust the cache size by opening the Java Preferences application which is in the Utilties folder inside the Applications folder.
Java Preferences for Mac OS X
By default any Java based program or resource loaded by the browser will be added to the Java cache. If the cache size is set too low this will cause the program to reload more frequently. Increasing the cache size to the default of 1 GB will ensure that all the programs will remain in your cache.
Note that some program updates performed by Essential Skills may cause your system to reload some resources, regardless of your cache size.
Problem: (PC only)
The windows taskbar overlaps my program window.
Solution:
Set your windows taskbar to auto-hide.
Problem: (PC only)
Receive a warning message when accessing the Marks Manager Help.
Solution:
You're receiving this message because the Applet opens the Marks Manager help in another browser window. You can simply check the box "Do not show me the warning for this program again" and then click the "Allow" button to remove this warning.