Frequently asked questions and answers

1. I can get to http://www.hazmatschool.com but when I try to get to http://classes.hazmatschool.com I only get a DNS error message and no log-in page.
   1. It's amazing that the web works at all. It relies on numerous name servers of your ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to route your http request to our web site. Sometimes a name server will suddenly point to old information and lose track of some web sites. When this happens, send us email so that we may address it. Until the name server in question is updated, you may reach the same classes page by pointing your browser to http://198.31.87.16
   
   
2. When I try to login for my class I just get the empty login screen returned to me. I know I am using the correct ID and password.
   1. Cookies! You need to allow cookies in your browser. Our course software uses a session cookie installed during login to verify that you are allowed to see pages. The cookie is checked with each request you make from the course site. Our session cookies are temporary and expire after 90 minutes of no course activity. You may turn on session cookies or first party cookies in your IE browser by choosing the menu Tools>Internet Options>Privacy. A setting of "Medium" is appropriate. Also, see question 8 below.
   2. The difficulty may also be caused by Microsoft's Content Advisor, which is a tool for protecting users from offensive or inappropriate content. In order to view our course material, it's necessary to turn off Content Advisor. Adding hazmatschool.com as an approved site does not seem to be adequate. Content Advisor must be off. In your IE browser, choose Tools>Internet Options>Content. If set correctly, you will see an "Enable" button, indicating that Content Advisor is currently off. If there's a "Disable" button, select this to turn off Content Advisor. (And remember to re-enable it later if you're using it.)
   
   
3. When I am in course pages, I get a 'scripting' or 'javascript error' message.
   1. You need the correct browser and you need javascript enabled. Our course management software supports Netscape^® 4.x and 6.2 or IE^® 4.x to 6.2 browsers with java and javascript enabled. If you have an early version of one of these browsers, we strongly suggest that you upgrade to IE 6.x. We do not support the early releases of Netscape 6. Click here to learn how to enable java and javascript in Netscape 4.x+ and here to learn how to do it in IE 4.x-6.x.
   2. See comment 6 below.
   
   
4. I cannot seem to open the DOT Hazmat Table pdf document. It won't open in my browser or, it won't download.
   1. You may need the free Acrobat plugin for your browser. You may get the plugin here. Many Federal government documents are distributed on the Internet in Acrobat pdf format.
   2. Your Internet Service Provider (ISP) may be closing your connection due to inactivity before your download is finished. A very large file download is not considered activity by many ISPs, which are looking for http web requests from your computer. You probably need a program that runs in the background on your computer and sends random http requests to the Internet. This appears as an active session to the ISP. We recommend 'Alive and Kicking', a freeware program which you may obtain from http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/ . After you are finished, save your DOT Hazmat Table locally for future reference.
   
   
5. I could not finish the Final Quiz. The software stopped responding.
   1. You may have exceeded the alloted time for your quiz. If the instructions say you have 60 minutes to finish the quiz, the software may lock you out after 60 minutes. You will need to retry again and it will count against your number of tries allowed. This is one reason we give you more than one try on a Final Quiz.
   2. Your ISP may have closed your connection. See 2 above.
   3. You may have inadvertantly moved your browser away from the quiz to look something up. This can close your Quiz session uncompleted. If you need to look up something, open a new browser instead.
   
   
6. I could not submit the end of section review questions.
   1. Your ISP may have closed your connection. See 2 above.
   2. Perhaps you have been on your computer a while and suddenly you cannot get into the review section. This often is a resources problem in Windows. The browser quiz window is opened in addition to whatever else you have running. If you are starting to get low on resources (not the same thing as memory) new browser windows may stay empty or additional programs may hang. The first solution is to close other open programs to free resources, but you may end up rebooting.
   3. In the selected chapters where Review answers are submitted to the instructor, your browser may have lost its cookie and our software then cannot authenticate your right to submit an assignment. In this case you must login again.
   
   
7. I was reading my course sections and suddenly I received a message that the next section was "forbidden"
   1. Our course delivery software tracks your progress and keeps your login current through the use of cookies. If your cookie has expired (after approximately 90 minutes of no page requests) your login will be voided. In that case you would need to login again to continue with your course.
   2. We have received reports that IE 6 may lose the session cookie early if your browser's home page is a file on your computer and not an Internet URL address. It has happened to us but it is an intermittent problem and does go away. No fix from Microsoft yet.
   
   
8. I use IE6 browser and I am constantly having to log in again, especially after I have opened a new window from a course window.
   1. This fix comes from the Microsoft Internet Explorer newsgroup. Apparently many persons are having problems with cookies and IE6. You need to set your privacy rules to allow session cookies from Hazmat School. Go to Tools>Internet Options>Privacy>Edit [button]> enter the following domain - hazmatschool.com and save. This should allow your browser to save session cookies while you are at Hazmat School. Also, make sure your computer's date and time are correct. If they are not correct, this could be cause for rejecting a cookie. Also see 7b above.
   
   
9. I cannot see my Final Quiz grade.
   1. You may not have saved each answer individually. Please retake the exam.
   2. Your Final Quiz session may have timed-out. In that case the instructor needs to release the grade. Send us email with your name, course number and explaining the situation to sharonm@abag.ca.gov .
   3. You may not have pressed the 'Finished' button when you were finished with the Final Quiz. In that case the clock keeps running and for sure you are timed out. We need to stop the timer and evaluate the grade. Send us email with your name, course number and explaining the situation to sharonm@abag.ca.gov.
   4. If you want to see your final exam as graded, give the computer time(several minutes may be needed) to reconstruct your exam with your answers.
   
   
10. I don't understand, or I disagree with, some of the material presented.
    1. Each course content page has been created with an easy to use email link to the instructor of that course. Our instructors are eager to hear from you, with good or bad reviews 8-) and yes, we have changed material based upon student input.
    2. After you have completed a course, you can always continue your dialogue with the instructor or ask a question via email.
    
    
11. I am having trouble with my connection and I am using AOL.
    1. Maybe our information about AOL may help you, but it is older information.
    2. See comment 6 above.
    
    
12. I can't find the correct login page to start my class.
    1. Our courses are located at http://classes.hazmatschool.com/.
    
    
13. When I try to get to the login page it comes up blank/empty.
    1. This appears to be a bug in Internet Explorer. Until we can figure out how to program around it you need to do the following: In your browser go to Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > Security Settings and Enable the option for "Allow META REFRESH", then click OK.
    
    
14. I am finished. How do I get my certificate?
    1. If you have completed the end-of-section reviews and have a passing grade on your Final Quiz, your course home page will create a "Send Certificate" button. Press the button and fill out the form to let us know you are finished. We will verify your work within 24-hours and send you a certificate via email or US mail, depending upon your selected option.

Tool tips

The following links give you access to the software and plugins used in various courses at Hazmat School:

• Internet Explorer browser, but note that early versions of Windows XP shipped without a javascript program. An update for this is available from Microsoft.
• Netscape browser, remember that Netscape 6.0 was reported to have problems with javascript.
• Adobe Acrobat reader
• Macromedia Flash plugin, check here to see if you have the newest Flash plug-in on your computer.
• Alive and Kicking for keeping your Internet connections open.

Email us

You may send us an email message explaining the problem you are having. We will attempt to reply that same day (weekdays) or by the next work day (weekends and holidays). Just fill out and submit the email form below with your name, course number, and explaining the situation.

Telephone contact

When you call us with a course problem, we need to track it down. Therefore, you will have to wait for an answer. If you try some of the tips above you may be able to solve your problem much faster. If those tips do not work for you, please send us an email message with your name, course number and explaining the problem. This will give us a chance to find out the cause and remedy it before you call. If you must contact us directly, the directions are: