General Trouble Shooting

MossTalk Words uses the latest Internet-based technology — written in the Java programming language and meant to be run within an Internet browser. Everyone familiar with using the Internet has experienced occasional delays. Sometimes clicking a button or link will not produce an immediate response. Every once in a while the browser will freeze. While this is rare the solution is to close the browser and start over. So too with MossTalk Words. This will usually solve the problem. And most importantly, nothing will be harmed.

Can I run other programs while running MossTalk Words? To ensure optimal functioning of the exercises and automatic scoring, please be sure to close out all other programs (Word, Excel etc.) before starting the program.

Why can’t I see the whole screen? When the program opens, the screen may not be fully visible. Place cursor on bottom right hand corner. The single arrow will change to a double-headed arrow. Press cursor, hold and drag to enlarge the screen or click on the “maximize screen” icon in the program window (top right of screen, middle button).

Why does it take a long time for the program to start up? The first time you start the program, the Sun Java Plug-in (which extends the capabilities of your browser) will also be loaded. It will take some time to load. If it fails to load at this point, simply turn off the computer and restart the process.

What should I do when I get a “Low on Memory” message? Your computer and browser are cleaning up behind the scenes while you are working. If you are working quickly the system may not have time to catch up. You may still continue working, but the system may start to give you problems or freeze. If this happens, quit out of your browser. Then restart your program.

What should I do if the program freezes? If the program freezes, press “Control+Alt+Delete” to shut down your browser. Then restart.

Why is the sound distorted? If sound quality starts to distort, skip or lag it may be a memory issue. Turning off and restarting the computer may alleviate these sound problems. Sound quality may also depend on the quality of the speakers connected to your computer. If so, the cound quality can be “fixed.”

Why does a button fail to respond when I click? Your computer and browser are performing many tasks behind the scenes while you are working. This occurs especially when surfing the web or using internet-related technology. Unfortunately, it is something we just have to accept. Try clicking repeatedly or using a different rhythm. Sometimes you will just have to wait a few seconds in order to allow the system to catch up, then retry your mouse click.

Why are there less than 20 trials in certain exercises? Although all exercises are set to provide 20 trials, you will note that if you choose easy or hard vocabulary, sometimes you will get less than 20. (e.g., if you choose ANIMALS-EASY you will only get nine items, because there are only nine animal targets that fall in the easy or highest frequency quartile.)

Why can’t I use Back to leave the Custom Vocabulary program? Due to a problem with Microsoft Windows 95, when you are in the Custom Vocabulary program, you will be unable to use the Back key within the program. You will need to quit and restart.

Why are my results printed using such big fonts? Because the results are saved as HTML files and viewed in a browser, the settings of your browser control the font size. To print out results with the most efficient use of space, open the desired “results file” and change the font size in your browser, using View Fonts>Smallest. Then print your results.

Why do my results occasionally show a 1% when it should be 0%? Intermittently, on the MMM scoresheet, a “0” is incorrectly rounded to 1% in the “Error” and “Uncued” categories. This is a quirk of the Java VM for which a solution is being created.