Accelerated Reader / Star Reader

Almost every ticket that gets turned in has a common solution:  The data location is not correct or does not exist.

It doesn't matter if you are using a Macintosh or a Windows PC, this is almost always the problem with these programs.

Below you will find a checklist of things to check BEFORE you turn in a ticket that has ANYTHING to do with the above listed programs.

Windows 2000 / XP PCs

If you are trying to get any of the above programs to work, the user account used to log onto the computer needs to have administrative privileges to the local machine.  This has already been setup for the default logons at the K-8 schools, but please check before turning in a ticket.. 

Windows PCs (All)

Before anyone can take a AR/STAR test, the computer they are sitting at HAS to have a ALSDATA drive.  This drive letter is assigned to the computer at logon, and is ALMOST ALWAYS the drive "R:".  So, if your AR is not working, check to see if there is a drive "R:" listed in "My Computer".  If there is no drive "R:", AR/STAR is probably NOT going to work.  Before you go any further you need to find out why there is no drive "R:".

    Checking the network connection:
        Look on the back of the computer and find the network cable.  This cable could be any color, but they are all round, about half the thickness of a pencil, and have a clip on both ends that looks like a phone cord but has 8 wires in it instead of 4, so it is twice as wide.  The cable could be either green, yellow, blue or gray.
The cable will either go straight from your computer to a jack in the wall (most commonly a blue jack) or it will plug into a small hub or switch if you have more than one computer setup there. 

            Straight into the wall:
                If it is plugged directly into the wall, look at the card on the back of the computer - it should have some lights lit up on the back of it, and will probably be flashing to indicate that there is network traffic on the line..  The light will probably either be green or amber.

            Connected to a hub/switch:
                If the computer is plugged into a hub, the hub will be plugged into the blue wall jack.  A five port hub will actually only allow you to attach 4 computers and then the hub uses the other jack to connect it and the computers to the  network.  The older hubs have a port labeled "Uplink" right next to a normal port.  If you use this "Uplink" port you CANNOT use the port right next to it for anything else.  Doing so will probably result in the whole room, and the connecting classroom to loose all network access. I have even seen it cause the whole campus to loose access to the district network and the Internet. If you have one of the newer five port switches, it automatically detects what kind of device it is plugged into and will not cause the above mentioned network problems.
Ok, all the hubs/switches have a light for each network jack.  The jack you plug into the wall should light up and every cable that is plugged into the hub/switch should cause the matching numbered light to come on.  If not, make sure that the hub is plugged into the power source and if it is, cycle the power on the hub/switch to reset it.

Ok, you checked the network connections and everything is hooked up and turned on.  If a light does not come on, try another cable to see if that fixes it.  If, after trying all this, you cannot get the lights to turn on, submit a ticket saying that the computer cannot access the network.

If you find something wrong and correct it, restart the computer and see if you have network access.  If so, return the computer to operational status.

Drive R: is present, AR/STAR does not work or you have no classes
    If the R: drive is present and AR/STAR do not work, just run the appropriate manager program and change the data location to R:.
 

Macintosh Computers
    The Macs we have are getting old, and there is no budget for the replacement or repair of them.  When they die, they are just gone.  Until then they can be used to take the AR tests.  They have pretty much the same problems that the Windows PCs have - Most problems are due to not having a data drive.

    The Macintosh computers we have are very old and a lot of them have dead batteries in them.  When the battery in the Macs we have dies, it causes the computer to loose all of its network setup information.  This is easily corrected, but it will be lost again when someone shuts off the computer.  So, don't shut the Macs off.

    If you have a Macintosh computer that AR does not work on, check the date/time to see if they are correct.  If not, set the date and time ( Apple Menu, Control Panel, Date Time ).  Once you have the date and time set correctly, open the Apple Talk Control Panel and set it to Ethernet  (Apple Menu, Control Panel, AppleTalk, select Ethernet).  Once you have done this, open the Chooser, Select Appleshare, Double-click on the server name, (ie. WC-NT) and enter the default username and password.  Chooser = ( Apple Menu, Chooser, AppleShare ).  Once you enter the username/password a window should open up listing the shares available for the Macs.  Highlight ALSDATA and make sure the checkbox is checked.  Click OK (or whatever) to get the windows to close. You should see a icon on the desktop labeled "ALSDATA".  AR should work now.