Many of the most common questions are described below. If you don't find what you're looking for, our Customer Technical Support team is ready to help.
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Tips on using the Browser Check and Installation Wizard
Your computer needs to be properly configured to run your MyStatLab course. Depending on your course, you will either need to run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard to install the components you need to view exercises and multimedia content in your course.
Tips
Where do I find the Browser Check or Installation Wizard?
It's best to run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard from inside your MyStatLab course. When you log into your course, you will see a Browser Check or Installation Wizard link on the Announcements page.
You can also run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard from this Support site.
Go to the Installation Wizard or Browser Check page.
Select the textbook for your course from the drop-down menu.
Click Submit. Either the Browser Check or the Installation Wizard appears in a new window, depending on which tool is used in your course.
Note: Before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard, you should review the information below. You must have administrator rights to install software on your computer. You will also need to confirm pop-up blocker and cookie settings. If you are unfamiliar with these topics, the information below will give you guidance.
Administrator Rights
Administrator rights allow you to install software on a computer. Before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard, make sure you have full administrator rights on your machine. If you are on a lab computer or a computer at an institution or business, you probably do not have administrator rights and you cannot install courses components from the Browser Check or Installation Wizard. In this case, you need to contact your lab administrator, network administrator, or the owner of the computer so that person can run the Browser Check or Installation Wizard to install plug-ins and players for you.
To check for admin rights on a Windows system:
Right-click the Windows Start button.
If you see the text "Explore All Users" you have administrator rights.
To check for admin rights on a Macintosh system:
From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
From the View menu, choose Accounts.
Under My Account you should see your computer user name. If you have administrator rights, Admin appears directly below your user name.
If you try to install components using the Browser Check or Installation Wizard without administrator rights, you may see a message saying that you are missing a key component. If you click the link to install the component, nothing happens.
Managing Pop-ups
Pop-up blockers or ad-blockers may prevent you from installing components and from using your course. You should configure these programs to allow pop-ups from mathxl.com and coursecompass.com before running the Browser Check or Installation Wizard or trying to use any part of your course.
Commonly used pop-up blockers:
All the supported browsers - Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari - include pop-up blockers.
MSN offers the MSN Toolbar, which includes a pop-up blocker.
EarthLink offers a pop-up Blocker for Internet Explorer.
Google offers a toolbar with a feature to block pop-up windows.
Yahoo offers a toolbar with features to block pop-up windows.
Netscape 7.1 offers a pop-up blocker feature that can be turned off by selecting Preferences from the Edit menu and then selecting Popup Windows under Privacy and Security.
How to allow pop-ups from specific locations:
Most popular pop-up blockers let you allow pop-ups from specific locations. For example, if you are using the Google toolbar pop-up blocker, you can click the Popup Blocker button on the toolbar when you are using the Installation Wizard. The button text will change to read "Allow site popups" indicating that the Popup Blocker is disabled for the MyStatLab site. For specific instructions, please refer to the online help for your pop-up blocker.
Tips for managing pop-up blockers:
Most pop-up blockers produce an audio alert when they block a pop-up window. If you have speakers installed, raise your volume so you can hear whether a pop-up has been blocked.
Many pop-up blockers let you use the "Ctrl" key on your keyboard to allow an individual pop-up window. If you are unsure how to configure your pop-up blocker, hold down the "Ctrl" key when clicking the Install or Detect buttons in the Browser Check or Installation Wizard.
If you have multiple pop-up blockers, you will need to configure each pop-up blocker. For example, you may have Internet Explorer 6.0 (with Service Pack 2), the Google Toolbar, and Norton Internet Security. Each has its own, independent pop-up blocker.
How to disable pop-up blockers:
If pop-ups are still blocked after you configure your pop-up software, you should temporarily disable your pop-up blockers. You can temporarily disable many pop-up blockers by clicking the program's icon in either the Windows System Tray or in the browser. You can re-enable the software when you are not using your course.
In extreme cases, you may need to uninstall a pop-up blocker completely. If the pop-up blocker is not part of your browser, you probably can remove it using the Add/Remove Programs in the Windows Control Panel.
If you still need help, contact Customer Technical Support. (Contact information is at the top of this page.)
Configuring your browser's cookie settings
To use MyStatLab, your browser must accept cookies, which are used to keep track of who you are when you move from one web page to another.
To enable cookies for Internet Explorer:
From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
In the Internet Options window, click the Privacy tab.
Click Advanced.
Set your cookie handling as follows:
Select Override Automatic Cookie Handling.
Accept 1st party cookies.
Accept 3rd party cookies.
Select the checkbox Always allow session cookies.
To enable cookies for Firefox:
From the Firefox menu, choose Tools > Options (PC) or Firefox > Preferences (Mac).
At the top of the window, click the Privacy icon.
In the Cookies section of the window:
Make sure "Accept cookies from sites" is checked.
Make sure "Accept third-party cookies" is checked (Firefox 3 only).
From the "Keep until" dropdown list, choose either they expire or I close Firefox.
Click OK to save your settings
To enable cookies for Safari:
From the Safari menu, choose Safari > Preferences.
At the top of the window, click the Security lock icon.
Under Accept Cookies, make sure Always is selected.
Dismiss the Advanced window.
If you still need help, contact Customer Technical Support. (Contact information is at the top of this page.)
Changing your QuickTime settings if videos won't play
If you are having trouble playing the videos in your MyStatLab course, you may need to adjust your QuickTime settings. Click the links below for instructions:
How do I give students access to my course? Where can I find my course ID?
When you are ready to give your students access to your course:
Log into CourseCompass.
Distribute the Course ID to your students, which they will need to enroll in your MyStatLab course. You can always find your Course ID by logging into CourseCompass and clicking the Courses tab. Your Course ID is also emailed to you when you create your course.
Make sure each student can purchase a MyStatLab Student Access Kit with his or her textbook. Students can also purchase access directly online using a credit card.
How do students enroll in another MyStatLab course based on the same textbook (often a second semester course)?
How do I create my own exercises using the MathXL Exercise Builder?
The best way for you to begin learning is to sign up for a training session with our MyStatLab trainers.
If you need additional guidance, log into your course, and click the Online Instructor Help link to open the Help system within MyStatLab. The Help system provides detailed information about how to use this new feature.
Why can't I run MyStatLab in my browser?
In most courses, you and your students can use recent versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, or Safari to work in your course. A few older courses, however, are only available using Internet Explorer. If your course uses the Installation Wizard, you must use Internet Explorer 6 or 7 to work in your course. If your course offers the Browser Check, you can use any of the three standard browsers.
Some Internet providers, such as AOL, offer their own proprietary browsers, which are not compatible with MyStatLab. To work in your course, you must minimize the proprietary browser and open a standard browser supported for your course.
How do my students enroll in another MyStatLab course based on the same textbook?
Students do not need a new student access code to enroll in a course based on the same textbook as their current course. In any of the following situations, all they need to enroll is a new Course ID :
The student is switching to a different section of your course
The student is re-taking the same course
The students is enrolling in the next semester of a course that is taught over multiple semesters
Enter their Login name and password and click Log In.
Click the Enroll in another course button
Enter the new Course ID from the new instructor and follow the on-screen instructions to complete enrollment.
Tip for Students
When you try to login and enroll in the next semester of your course, you may see a message saying that you cannot Login to CourseCompass because your most recent course has ended. As long as you are enrolling in another course based on the same textbook you used last semester, you can still login and enroll in the new course, as follows:
Click the link contained in the message to your Account Summary
Enter the same login name and password you used last semester, and click Log In.
On the account summary screen, click Enroll in Another Course
Enter your instructor's course ID for the new course and click Next.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete enrollment of your new course.
Are there user guides for MyStatLab?
These interactive User Guides include step-by-step instructions and videos to ensure a seamless implementation of your MyStatLab in New Design Courses.
Can students get temporary access to MyStatLab/MyStatLab while they get their financial aid in order?
Yes, when students register at www.pearsonmylab.com, they will see the option for “Temporary Access” at the bottom of the payment page. They should follow the directions
for access to the product for 17 days, and keep the emails that explain how to pay for access for the duration of your course. If students haven’t paid after 17 days, they will become inactive in your course until they complete the payment process; no work will be lost during this time, however students won’t have access to their course either.
