If you are having problems with the operation of the interactive portions of the CNP web site, there are several steps listed below that may help resolve the problem. If you feel that you need further help please feel free to call the Department of Education ISS section during normal business hours at cnp@alsde.edu.

First:
The first thing to do if you suspect technical problems is to reboot your computer and restart the web browser. If you have to frequently reboot and restart, then you should call for help or follow the other troubleshooting procedures.

We will be able to provide a quicker and more accurate answer if you have the following information available when you call:
1.  What kind of virus scanner is installed on this computer?
2.  Are all patches installed?
3.  Type of computer.
4.  Memory available on the computer.
5.  Type, version, and service pack of operating system.
6.  Type, version and service pack of the web browser.
7.  What specific function is he/she doing when the computer crashes?
8.  Does this problem occur with any other programs?

To determine the type of operating system, right click the mouse on the "My Computer" icon on the desktop, select the "Properties" entry from the pop-up menu, and then read the text under "System" on the dialog box (stay on the "General" tab) that was displayed with the "My Computer">"Properties" selection.

The same dialog box also displays the memory. At the lower left of the "General" tab there is a number followed with the letters "KB RAM". That number is the memory that is in the computer.

You can find the version of the web browser by starting the browser, selecting the "Help" menu item, and then selecting the "About Internet Explorer" sub-menu item. The menu selection will display an information box in the middle of the screen. There is some text in the middle of the box. The text immediately to the right of the word "Version:" is the version of the browser. The version must be 6.0 or higher. The numbers after the first two numbers of the version do not matter. If you have version 6.0 or higher then you are set to go. If you do not have Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, then you will need to go to Microsoft's web site and download the latest version of Internet Explorer.

If you have problems viewing the SWP site:
You may need to upgrade your web browser if you are not using Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher. The SWP website only supports Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher. The upgrade is free and can be obtained from the Microsoft website. Instructions for updating to IE6.0 are at the bottom of this page.

Proxy Servers / Cache Engines:
The interactive portions of the CNP web site (SWP, CNP Claim entry, and reports) must refresh all pages back to the ALSDE servers on each submit. Some Proxy Servers / Cache Engines can be set to store a copy of each web page, and then reissue the page at the next request rather than going back to the server. This scenario will cause the same web page to be returned to the browser each time. Fixing this problem requires that you notify the ISP or the technical person responsible for the internet connection that you are using an interactive site that must bypass page caching. The ISP or technical person can call (334) 353-1250 for further information.

Common symptoms of a proxy problem are things such as getting a partial page and not being able to reload the page, or seeing the same page after making a new selection. A common symptom for the SWP program is the display of a “You have no outstanding orders” message when there are outstanding orders to approve.

Browser Cache:
Your web browser may be "caching" or saving previously viewed pages. Follow these steps to clear the browser cache:
1.  Select Tools, then Internet Options.
2.  Select the General Tab at the top.
3.  Select the Clear History button.
4.  Select Yes to confirm.
5.  Select Delete Files.
6.  Click the Delete All Offline Content option.
7.  Select OK.
8.  Select OK to close the Internet Options Screen.

Virus Infections:
Virus infections can cause unexpected crashes, resets, and errors. If you do not have a current, up-to-date virus protection system, you can go to http://www.AntiVirus.Com/, pick the "Trend Micro Housecall" selection at the top left, and run the free virus check.

Missing Updates:
You should make sure that all applicable updates are installed on your computer by going to http://WindowsUpdate.Microsoft.com (no www). Say "Yes" to the dialog box that asks for permission to load software. Select the “Scan for updates” URL (next to the green arrow) to check your computer for available upgrades. When the scan is complete, go to the menu on the left side and select all items under the “Critical Updates and Service Packs” and “Windows “ entries. Do not attempt to upload any drivers without the help of your technical people. You add items to the install list by using the “Add” button. Critical updates will be added automatically.

Problems with the hard disk:
Certain problems can occur with the hard drive (the storage device on your computer) that may cause problems with the operation of your system. Run the check disk program (chkdsk.exe) to verify that your hard disk is operating correctly.

Slow Internet connection speed:
If CNP web pages take a long time to load and the response time is slow, a slow Internet connection is a possible problem. You can check your connection speed by going to http://tech.msn.com/products/speedtest.armx.

Adware:
Certain web pages may automatically load software to track your interaction with the Internet. This tracking software can interfere with the normal operation of your computer and can be a major security risk. Programs such as Ad-Aware can scan your computer and remove the offending software. Refer to http://www.lavasoft.de/ for instructions on how to download a free copy of Ad-Aware.

Malfunctioning “Active-X” installable modules:
You can clear the “Active-X” controls that have been automatically downloaded by opening Internet Explorer, selecting Tools > Internet Options > Settings (button on the General tab) > View Objects (button on the Settings box). This will result in the display of the Active-X controls that have been installed by Internet Explorer. You can safely remove any control listed here. If the control is needed it will be automatically downloaded from the Internet when needed. If you are not sure what the control is used for, right click on the name, select properties, and the source of the control will be displayed.

SWP Reports (Crystal Reports) Trouble:
1. Make sure that you are using IE 6.0 or higher. The America Online browser will not function correctly.

The problem is that the Active-X control did not load. The control may not load if your security settings are set to prevent Active-X controls from loading.

b. Select “Internet” and then click the “Custom Level” button to open the “Security Settings” window.

c. Make sure that, under “ActiveX controls and plug-ins”, ”Download signed ActiveX controls” is set to “Enable” or “Prompt” and NOT “Disable”.

d. Setting the select box to “Medium” and clicking the “Reset” button in the “Reset custom settings” section will automatically set the above settings to an appropriate level to download and use the Report Viewer for ActiveX.

e. When the computer asks you to approve the installation of “Crystal Smart Viewer for ActiveX” say “Yes”.

f. You must have administrative rights to the computer or the Active-X control will not install successfully.

3. Have you ever accessed a web application that is using a previous version of the Crystal Reports web components?

If this is the case, your computer may have an old version of the Report Viewer for ActiveX already installed. Removing this ActiveX object from the “Downloaded Programs Files” folder and downloading a new copy from the present application may resolve the problem.
You can access the “Downloaded Programs Files” folder from within Microsoft Internet Explorer. Follow steps 2a to 2d above and then take the following steps to remove and reinstall the Report Viewer for ActiveX from this client computer.

e. Right-click on “Crystal Smart Viewer” or “Crystal Report Viewer Control” (or something similar depending on the version) and choose “Remove”.

f. Search for and unregister (using regsvr32 / u ) all instances of the Crviewer.dll file on your computer. Reboot the computer and load a report.

h. Call the report again through the browser. You will be prompted to install the new Report Viewer for ActiveX. Click “Yes” and it will be installed. The report will then be displayed.

4. If there is no prompt to install the viewer and no report is displayed, then you have probably disabled the browser's automatic install facility. To correct that condition follow these steps.

b. In the “Content” tab click on the “Certificates”, ”Personal”, or “Publishers” button in search of an entry called “Seagate Software”.

d. Call the report again through the browser. You will be prompted to install the new Report Viewer for ActiveX. Click “Yes” and it will be installed. The report will then be displayed.

5. If you receive the following message: “This page provides potentially unsafe information to an ActiveX Control. Your current security settings prohibit running controls in this manner. As a result, this page may not be displayed correctly” then check to make sure that comcat.dll is version 5.0 or higher. See Microsoft Q177943 for more information.

6. If you are using Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, make sure that you have security rights to the installation directory for Internet program downloads. You must have administrative rights to the computer or the Active-X control will not install successfully.

7. Are you using a “proxy server” or a firewall? Ports 6401 and 6403 must be open (this is a “CORBA” connection that will be used if the ISAPI connection is not available). The proxy server must not cache data or web pages for the report client machine. In addition, the following file types must be permitted: .rdp, .etf, .emf, .epf, .cab, .tmp, .rpt

To upgrade to Internet Explorer 6:
1.  Go to Windows Update. The address for this site is http://WindowsUpdate.Microsoft.com.
2.  Point to the All Products option. This option is located in the top left hand corner of the page. On the menu that appears, click on Downloads.
3.  On the Download Center page, find the section labeled Search for a Download. In that section, find the area labeled Product/Technology. Click on the arrow next to the box located under the Product/Technology heading and select Internet Explorer from the list. Click on the Go button.
4.  On the Search results page, find the heading labeled Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 1 and click on the link.
5.  Click the Download link to start the download.
6.  To start the installation immediately, click Open or Run this program from its current location.
7.  Select the "I accept the agreement" option of the software agreement and click next.
8.  Select the Install Now (Typical set of Components) option to begin the download.
9.  Windows will handle the remainder of the update. Once the update is complete, restart you computer.
10.  After the restart, check to see what version of Internet Explorer you are running. Open your web browser, Click on Help and then About Internet Explorer. The window that appears will tell you what version you are running. If the version shown is not at least Internet Explorer 6, contact your Technical Support Staff or us at cnp@alsde.edu.