TASKSTREAM FAQs. 2. I have downloaded a lesson attachment, but I cannot open it. What is wrong?

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1 TASKSTREAM FAQs Why do I not receive s from TaskStream? It could be that your program is interpreting incoming TaskStream mail as spam, which is a term for junk mail Spam is not typically stored in your Inbox, but rather in a folder specifically designed to hold unwanted mail Begin by checking your unwanted mail folder for TaskStream-related s Secondly, examine your mail options and check for spam blocking software If possible, add TaskStream as an accepted source for s In the event that you are using AOL as an Internet provider, add taskstream_subscriptions@taskstreamcom and help@taskstreamcom to your address book This will help AOL in recognizing TaskStream as an accepted site I have downloaded a lesson attachment, but I cannot open it What is wrong? There can be a number of causes of such a situation The most common cause is that your computer does not have the software application that created the file For example, if you download a student sample product attachment that was created in Inspiration, you need a copy of this software application to be able to open the sample Some software applications provide a trial or viewer version of the program that you can download from the Web and use to open the file that you downloaded from TaskStream For example, if you do not own Microsoft Word, you can download a Word Viewer from Microsoft that will allow you to open and view Word files

2 How do I print my work? To print pages, you need to make sure to select the frame that contains the information you want to print To select a frame, click somewhere on the page with the information you want to print and then click File on your menu bar and select Print You can also click the print icon on your browser's toolbar or right click somewhere on the page that contains the information you want to print and select Print from the resulting pop-up menu What is a browser? Does it matter which one I use for accessing TaskStream? Your browser (such as Netscape or Internet Explorer) is a computer application that allows you to access and view various Websites on the Internet TaskStream is a highly dynamic environment that responds slightly differently to each browser Supported Browsers PC Internet Explorer 50 and above Netscape 7x AOL 60 and above FireFox 0 and above Mac Internet Explorer 50 and above Netscape 70 and above AOL 0 for OS X FireFox 0 and above Safari 0 and above Optimal Browsers PC Internet Explorer 50 and above Netscape 70 AOL 90 and above FireFox 0 and above Mac Netscape 70 and above AOL 0 for OS X FireFox 0 Safari 5 How can I tell what browser I have?

3 Depending on your browser and platform (PC/MAC), follow the directions below To find out what version of Netscape Communicator is being used on a PC: Open Netscape Communicator; Click Help on the tool bar; Click About Communicator; A new screen will appear that indicates the version of Netscape Communicator being used To find out what version of Netscape Communicator is being used on a MAC: Open Netscape Communicator; Click the Apple icon, located on the upper left corner of your screen; Click About Communicator; A new screen will appear that indicates the version of Netscape Communicator being used To find out what version of Internet Explorer is being used on a PC: Open Internet Explorer; Click Help on the tool bar; Click About Internet Explorer; A new window named About Internet Explorer will pop up that indicates what version of Internet Explorer is being used

4 To find out what version of Internet Explorer is being used on a MAC: Open Internet Explorer; Click the Apple icon, located on the upper left corner of your screen; Click About Internet Explorer; A new window named About Internet Explorer will pop up that indicates what version of Internet Explorer is being used To find out what version of AOL is being used on a PC: Open AOL; Click Help on the tool bar; Click About America Online; A pop up window will come up on your screen that indicates what version of AOL is being used To find out what version of AOL is being used on a MAC: Open AOL; Click the Apple icon, located on the upper left corner of your screen; Click About America Online; A new window named About America Online will pop up that indicates the AOL version that is being used

5 6 I have a pop-up blocker enabled in my web browser Will it effect my use of TaskStream? Yes TaskStream utilizes pop-up windows in order to deliver our tools in the most efficient manner possible Luckily, in most browsers TaskStream can be added as an accepted site This will allow TaskStream s pop-up windows to appear as you browse wwwtaskstreamcom The instructions for your specific pop-up blocker can be found below Please keep in mind that your pop-up blocking software may be installed on your computer as a separate piece of software or as part of a security software package Internet Explorer (XP SP) Click 'Tools' in the IE menu bar Select 'Pop-up Blocker' and then 'Pop-up Blocker Settings' Enter *taskstreamcom in the address of website to allow' text box, and click the Add button Yahoo Click the pop-up icon on the Yahoo toolbar Select Always allow pop-ups from A list appears of pop-ups that were blocked during the current session Highlight taskstreamcom s website and click the Allow button Google MSN Click the pop-up blocker button on the Google toolbar The current webpage will re-load and the pop-up blocker button should say Site pop-ups allowed Click the options button on the MSN toolbar Click the Pop-up Guard Settings button Click the Allow list tab 5

6 Enter in the text field and click the Add button 5 Click the OK button the bottom of the page Earthlink AOL Click the Earthlink Pop-Up Blocker button on the toolbar Select the Always allow pop-ups for this Web site option Go to AOL keyword: Pop-up Preferences Enable the Suppress pop-ups from web sites checkbox Enter in the Allow only these sites text box, and click the Add button Click the Save button 7 Why is my computer unable to get pop-ups from taskstreamcom? If pop-up windows do not appear within TaskStream, more than likely you have a pop-up blocker installed on your system A pop-up blocker prevents websites from opening additional windows while you surf TaskStream employs pop-up windows to make our tools easier to use To allow pop-up windows from TaskStream, first find out what type of pop-up blocker is installed The instructions for your specific pop-up blocker can be found here Please keep in mind that your pop-up blocking software may be installed on your computer as a separate piece of software or as part of a security software package 8 When I click on a button it seems as if nothing ever occurs, why is this happening? Certain web browsers have software that regulates the creation of new windows within a website, this software is commonly referred to as pop-up blockers If you re not getting any pop-up windows, more than likely you have a pop-up blocker installed on your system TaskStream employs pop-up windows to make our tools easier to use To allow pop-up windows from TaskStream, first find out what type of pop-up blocker is installed The instructions for your specific pop-up blocker can be found here 6

7 9 What if my browser shows a message that says I need "JavaScript"? TaskStream uses JavaScript to enhance the interactivity and functionality of our site Your Web browser comes with JavaScript capability If you have received this message, it means that your browser's JavaScript feature has been disabled You will have to manually enable this feature and restart your browser Depending on your browser, follow the directions below Netscape Navigator Click "Edit" on the menu bar Click "Preferences" Select "Advanced" Check the "Enable JavaScript" checkbox 5 Click "OK" Internet Explorer x Click "View" on the menu bar Click "Internet Options" Click the "Advanced" tab 7

8 Find the Java VM section 5 Check the "Java JIT Compiler enabled" box 6 Click "OK" Internet Explorer 5x Click "Tools" on the menu bar Click "Internet Options" Click the "Advanced" tab Find the Microsoft VM section 5 Check the "Java JIT Compiler enabled" box 6 Click OK This issue may also be caused by certain security software You may need to disable or adjust your preferences on your computer while working in TaskStream 0 What do I do if my page does not load properly? Sometimes you may navigate to a page and as it loads a picture or text might be missing or seem out of place You can try to reload the page by clicking the Reload/Refresh button on your browser 8

9 How can I get my TS (Instant) Messenger to chime? In order to enable the sound feature, your computer must be equipped with sound card/speakers, and either a Flash or QuickTime plugin Additionally, the following configurations do not support this feature: IE 0-5 (MAC), AOL All versions (MAC) To download the Flash plugin, go to the Macromedia website, and follow their download instructions It may take a few minutes to install To download the QuickTime plugin, go to the Quicktime website, and follow their download instructions It may take a few minutes to install What does it mean when I get an "Error 0, Page/File not found" message? When browsing the World Wide Web, there are many reasons why you might see such a message Most likely the link you clicked or the URL (web address) you typed in no longer exists, has been changed, or is no longer valid Make sure the URL that was entered is correct and try again If you received this message in TaskStream please contact us Which is the better connection for using TaskStream, dialup or broadband? TaskStream s site performs under both conditions; However, because broadband operates at least 5x-50x faster than dial-up, broadband is the preferred connection type 9

10 When I am viewing TaskStream's website with an increased font size setting, why do certain pages continue to display in small fonts? Some TaskStream pages disregard the increased font size setting because it would lead to a loss of tool functionality An increased font size setting tends to shift page elements, often times hiding buttons and/or tabs critical for work completion If your browser text size setting is set at Larger or Largest, you may have difficulty viewing the TaskStream site Changing the text size setting to Medium will ensure that the entire TaskStream site is visible To make the text size smaller, follow the directions for your browser To reduce the font size in AOL: Minimize the AOL browser window Open Internet Explorer Follow directions below for Internet Explorer Restore AOL and refresh the page To reduce the default font size of Internet Explorer: Go to the View menu Click on Text Size Select Medium To reduce the default font size of Netscape Communicator, use either Ctrl-[ or: Go to the Edit menu Select Preferences Go to the Appearance -> Fonts Category On the line that says Variable Width Font, set the size to 0 5 Is TaskStream's site accessible to users with disabilities? 0

11 TaskStream is committed not only to providing quality tool sets, but also to making those tool sets available to everyone with Internet access We have begun the process of making our site compliant with Web Accessibility standards, and will be releasing a compliant version of our tool set in the near future We thank you for your patience while we work on improving the TaskStream experience for all users 6 Why does the TaskStream Messenger icon flash (blink) all the time? The section of the menu bar with the TaskStream Messenger icon is programmed to check every ten seconds to see if you have received any instant messages and to announce if you have received one The flash occurs because the frame holding the icon is reloading to check for messages; however if the icon is blinking at a fast pace then it is informing you that you have received an instant message 7 My file is too large to upload What can I do to reduce the size of the file? The following tips on optimizing files should help reduce file size: When using a scanner, the scanning resolution determines the size of the scanned image Use a resolution of 7 dots per inch (dpi) to get a life-size image when displayed on the screens of most computers Since computer screens display only about 7 pixels per inch, using a resolution higher than this will make your file size unnecessarily large Use digital imaging software to crop unnecessary parts of the image Note: Cropping the image in PowerPoint will not reduce the file size Use gif format when you do not need a lot of colors For example, simple line drawings, shapes, and small icons work well in this format You can optimize gif images by reducing the number of colors The fewer colors you use, the smaller the file size will be Start with 56 colors, and reduce the number of colors until just before you notice a difference in the image Note: Save your original images separately Use jpg format, when you are working with photographs You can optimize jpg images by using a lower quality choice when prompted The default save for a jpg in most programs will be set to 0, the highest quality You can try reducing it to a

12 smaller number, depending on the necessity of a sharp image for your project The lower the quality, the smaller the file size will be Start with the maximum quality and reduce the image quality until just before you notice a difference in the image Note: Save your original images separately! Reduce image size using a graphics-editing program (such as Adobe Photoshop, or Microsoft Photo Editor) The smaller the dimensions of the image, the smaller the file size will be Since computer screens display only about 7 pixels per inch, using a resolution higher than this will make your file size unnecessarily large When you resize the image in a program such as PowerPoint, you are only making the picture appear smaller on the screen - the actual file size of the image has not been reduced at all Graphics in PowerPoint - Individual images should be no larger than 00kb whenever possible Maximum size of all the images in the presentation should be no more than mb whenever possible Include a blank slide at the beginning of the presentation It would seem as though adding a blank slide at the beginning of a presentation would increase file size; however, the opposite is true The blank slide serves as the preview image -- the image PowerPoint displays when you select a file in the Open dialog box Since a blank slide is far less complex than the real first slide, the preview image is much smaller, thereby reducing the size of the presentation file If you open and save a PowerPoint presentation without making any changes, the file size may increase Repeating this process will result in file size increases up to 00% of the original file To fix this problem: From the Tools menu, click Options, on the Save tab, click to clear the Allow Fast Saves check box, click OK, and save your presentation 8 How do I underline, bold or italicize text? We do not currently have a tool that allows you to format text If you would like to change the format of your text to include italic, bold, and underline, you may wish to experiment with the following html tags These tags are inserted before and after the text you wish to format as shown: Bold: <b>your text here<b> Italics: <i>your text here<i> Underline: <u>your text here<u> Please feel free to experiment with any other html tags with which

13 you are familiar 9 I uploaded a file with my Mac Now the attached file will not open What should I do? An error of this nature may occur if the document has been saved and then uploaded without the proper file extension because of the way Mac handles files and file extensions I recommend you remove the file from your folio, and then re-save it to your computer, ensuring that the extension is included in the document path Once this has been done, you should re-attach the file to your folio and then re-submit the work product for evaluation 0 Can I have TaskStream open in more than one window at the same time? At times, subscribers may find that they wish to have TaskStream open in two distinct windows However, because of a known issue with multiple instances of TaskStream, you should not open a second instance of TaskStream, especially to copy work from one window to another This may cause permanent loss of data to occur TaskStream expects to have this issue resolved in the near future