Possible SAM Issues and Resolutions

Possible SAM Issues and Resolutions

Installation

When I install SAM 2003 I get the error "The wrong volume is in the Drive. Please insert volume S2K3_2.0_Instr01" when I insert the second installation disk. What should I do?

Detailed instructions can be found here.

How do I install SAM 2003 on a drive other than the default C: drive?

You can change the default install location by selecting and running SETUP.EXE on the SAM 2003 CD, instead of using the auto-run to install. It is a good idea to uninstall the previous 2003 version before running the new install.

Do I need to uninstall an earlier version of SAM 2003 in order to install a new version?

We recommend you uninstall SAM 2003 before installing a new version. To uninstall SAM 2003 from your machine, go to the Control Panel in Windows, and select Add/Remove Programs, then uninstall the SAM 2003 software.

I access SAM through a firewall. What port setting should I use?

Please note that SAMXP uses Port 80, the standard HTTP. This port has to be open if you are using a firewall. SAM 2003 incorporates SSL and uses port 443. This port has to be open if you are using a firewall.

Can you run SAM XP and SAM 2003 on the same workstation?

Yes. You can run SAM 2003 and SAM XP on the same workstation.

SAM is asking me for an Institution key when I try to create my account. It will not
accept the Code that came with my CD. What code do I use?

Students using SAM 2003 will need an Institution key. You will be prompted for this when you click "New User" at the SAM Home Page. This is different than the Key Code (which is an 18-character alpha-numeric string). The Institution Key (which is an 8-character alpha-numeric string) tells SAM 2003 which database to connect to on our server. Your Instructor will provide this Institution Key to all students. After you have created your account, you will not need the Institution key again.

When I try to launch a SAM Exam, a dialog box comes up asking me if I want to Save
or Open the file. No matter which option I choose SAM will not launch the exam.

SAM is a Client\Server Application. This message indicates that you do not have the Client software installed on your machine. If you have a SAM 2003 CD, please install the software. If you don’t have a SAM 2003 CD please click the "Request CD" link at the bottom of any page in SAM 2003. We will ship you the latest version of SAM.

When I try to launch an exam I get the following message "C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files can't find content_interface[1].sif". What should I do?

You will need to clean out your temporary internet files to launch the exam. Please follow the directions below:

In Internet Explorer go to the Tools Menu and select Internet Options
Under the General tab click Delete Files and Clear History
Close the window and try SAM again

Note, the location of your Temporary Internet Files folder is typically user-specific, something like:
C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
(where {username} is replaced with actual username)

This location, as applicable to the current user login, can also be checked by, in IE, selecting: Tools, Internet Options, Settings (button).

I am having trouble launching an exam, logging into SAM, or saving my results
up to the server. What should I do?

SAM 2003 is a program that runs through your Microsoft Internet Explorer Web browser. There are several settings inside of Internet Explorer that you can alter to alleviate these issues. Please follow the steps below

Check to be sure you are using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer version 5.0 or higher to access SAM.

Adjust your Internet Explorer security settings for optimum performance of SAM. Please follow the directions below:

The Tools Menu in Internet Explorer and select Internet Options
Under the General tab, in the Temporary Internet Files section, please click on the Settings button
In the Settings Box, please select Automatically from the list of 4 choices and click OK
Click the Security tab and then Custom Level at the bottom
In the Security Settings box, please select Medium Low from the drop down menu under Reset Custom Settings and then click Reset and OK
Close out of Internet options and try to log into SAM again

SAM uses "temporary internet files". If you get the error message: "Can't find content_interface[1].sif", you will need to delete/empty your temporary internet files.

In Internet Explorer go to the Tools Menu and select Internet Options
Under the General tab click Delete Files and Clear History
Close the window and try SAM again

SAM also requires the use of cookies. You will need to allow third party cookies to be written to your machine.

Open the Tools menu in Internet Explorer and select Internet Options
Click the Privacy tab and then the Advanced button in the Settings box.
Select Override automatic cookie handling, Third-party Cookies: Accept, and Always allow session cookies. Then click OK.
Close out of Internet options

Another thing that can cause issues with SAM are pop up blockers. If you are using one, please disable it before using SAM.

Why do I receive a Security Alert when I try to access SAM 2003?

The first time a you visit the new SAM 2003 SSL site at https://sam2003.course.com you may have to click through a verification page acknowledging that you are going to a secure site. This is standard Web practice.

Can I change my SAM 2003 username?

Due to security restrictions placed on SAM 2003 users; usernames can never be changed. You will need to continue using your current username.

When I try to click on Training inside of SAM why am I prompted for a key code?

There are two components to the SAM software you are using, an Assessment portion and a Training portion. They are not necessarily purchased together. Please check to see that the product that you purchased includes SAM Assessment and Training. If required, you can purchase SAM Training separately at www.coursedirect.com.

SAM Version Upgrades

If I upgrade my SAM 2003 database, will I lose any of my data?

If you upgrade your SAM 2003 database, none of your data will be lost or compromised.

I'm trying to upgrade my SAM Database to the latest version.

Follow the steps below to update your SAM Database to the latest version.

Please login to SAM with the Supervisor Account.
Click the Admin button
Select "Update SAM 2003" from the drop down Menu

Please note that you will only need to do this once and it will be active for all users. Also, users will need to have the latest version of SAM 2003 installed on their machines in order to take exams with the updated database.

SAM 2003 Exams/Training

I am having difficulty running SAM Training assignments. What should I do?

Training requires Macromedia Flash 7.0 or higher. If you do not have the Macromedia Flash player installed, click here to install the free plugin.

After taking an exam it is still showing on their Assignments page, and it is set to be available only once. Why is this happening?

The student needs to refresh their page, and the exam they have launched will disappear from the list of available assignments. They can refresh the screen using the Refresh button in SAM, or by clicking the Refresh button in their browser’s toolbar, or by hitting the F5 key on the keyboard. It is also possible that the exam was mistakenly set for multiple retakes. If the exam is still visible after a refresh, and the student has completed this exam, check the exam options under the Scheduling screen to be sure it was scheduled for once only.

What does it mean if an assignment is listed in red text on the Assignments page?

This means the student has crashed or did not properly complete the assignment. The student should be able to re-launch the assignment (exams or training) by clicking on the red hyperlink.

Why don't my students see any remediation to a textbook in their Study Guide
report?

It is possible you did not select a textbook for remediation. To check this, look at the section in the Sections menu, and be sure a text is selected. Then, be sure the remediation is selected for their exam or training under the Scheduling screen.

I used to use SAM XP and my students had a Training button on their left menu bar.
Now it is gone. How can students access training?

Training can be scheduled now in SAM 2003, just like an exam. Alternately, you may wish to make training "always available" for a selected section. To do this, enable the option on the Sections screen.

What is the difference between the total task count on the canned exam page and the total task count on the training page?

You may notice a discrepancy between the total task count for a pre-packaged (canned) exam and its corresponding training assignment. This occurs because some of the tasks in the pre-packaged exam may not have corresponding training content available at this time.

When should training complete appear on the Exam Study Guide?

For the training complete to be visible on the exam study guide the following has to be true:

The training topic Apply has been completed successfully AND
That training topic has to be in a scheduled training that is currently scheduled.

What happens to my training result if it is not showing up on the Exam Study Guide?

If the training topic is launched and completed from the exam study guide and training containing that topic is not scheduled the result still gets saved to the database. It will appear when training is currently scheduled that contains that topic.

Can I get training credit in one section for training items I completed in a different section?

No.

I complete my training or exam, but cannot review my results (my instructor cannot see them either). What is happening?

The error you are receiving is likely due to the personal firewall running on your machine. You will need to disable the firewall to successfully submit your results. Below are directions on how to disable Norton Internet securities and the Microsoft firewall included in Service Pack to for Windows XP. Norton Internet Security has been known to affect SAM 2003's performance with its Personal Firewall feature. This firewall monitors Port 80 and needs to be disabled in order for SAM 2003 to run properly.

To disable Norton's Internet Security Personal Firewall:

Locate the icon in the system tray
Right Click on the icon
Choose Disable from the menu

To disable the Microsoft firewall on Windows XP, please follow the instructions below:

Please go the Start Menu and select All Programs
Navigate the Accessories section and go to System Tools
Select Security Center
Click on the Windows Firewall link
Select Off and click OK

To disable your Zone Alarm Firewall, please follow the instructions below:

Locate the icon in the system tray
Right Click on the icon
Choose "Shutdown ZoneAlarm Pro"