This document contains troubleshooting tips for common scenarios tutors might experience while using technology from home.
When troubleshooting issues, you may need to contact you Internet Service Provider or a local hardware repair store for some connectivity and hardware/device issues.
Scenario 1 – Computer is running slow
User: “My computer is running slow.”
Response: This could actually mean a variety of things and the goal is to narrow down what the actual problem is. Does it run slow when using the web browser or just in general?
- If answered “Web Browser”: See Scenario 2
- If answered “General”:
- Try rebooting your computer/device. Devices should be rebooted at least once a week.
- Try shutting some tabes. Reduce the number of tabs you have open in your web browser.
- Your machine may have low RAM which would cause things to run slower in general. Follow these steps to find the amount of RAM your device has, then Follow the suggested solutions in order.Find the amount of RAM (memory) your computer has:
- Windows: In the Search bar, search and click “About Your PC”. Under “Device specifications”, check to see how much “Installed RAM” there is.
- Mac: Click the “Apple” symbol on the menu bar. On the drop-down Click “About this Mac”
- Chromebook: On Chrome, enter: chrome://systemCreate more space on your computer:
- Close all tabs and windows except the Reading Partners Connects window
- Reboot your laptop
- Clear desktop icons
- Clean up downloads folder
- Remove applications you no longer use
- Empty the trash
Scenario 2 – Web browser loading slow or websites won’t load all the way.
User: “My web browser keeps loading slow/website(s) won’t load all the way.”
Response: “Does that happen when going to specific websites or in general?”
- If things are running slow only on specific websites, first try clearing your web browser cache.
Instructions for clearing web browser cache:
- Google Chrome: Google Chrome Cache
- Windows: Microsoft Edge Cache
- Mac: Safari Cache
- If your browser is generally running slow and you’ve already tried clearing your cache, then check your internet speeds and take steps to optimize your internet performance.
Internet
- Where is their wireless router located? Make sure they’re near the router. The closer they are, the better their performance will be
- Have them hardwire into their router with an ethernet cable if possible.
- Have them check their bandwidth by running a speed test. If their download speeds are less than 10Mbs then bandwidth could be an issue. Make sure that they’re close to the router and/or hardwired if possible. If low speeds persist, they should check with their Internet Service Provider.
- How many devices are connected to the network? Too many devices on one network can slow down performance considerably. Try switching the Wi-Fi off your other devices that you are not currently using (phone, tv, tablet, etc.) on to another network or on airplane mode during the session.
Scenario 3 – Error message reading “Chrome Update needed” when trying to log in to your session.
User: “My Chromebook is not logging into the Reading Partners Connects system and gives me an error message reading I need to update Chrome.”
Response: “Can you update Chrome? If not, is there an error not letting you update to the latest version? ”
- If answered “No”. Check if there are any updates to Chrome.
- If answered “Yes”. Follow this documentation to uninstall and reinstall Google Chrome, the application may be experiencing backend problems
- To Update Chrome, follow these instructions.
