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All the advice in this section is for learners using Internet Explorer. Not all of our courses run smoothly on other internet browsers like Firefox. If you’re using Firefox to run any of our courses and are having technical problems, call our helpline on 0800 101 901
Please contact us, if your question is not shown here.
How do I check the technical specification of a course?What plug-in will I need and how can I get it?
How do I clear Internet Explorer cache?
How do I enable JavaScript?
Pop up blocker. What can I do?
General technical questions
How do I check the technical specification of a course?
To check that your PC is right for one of our eCourses, just select the course you’re interested in from the catalogue and choose to view "technical requirements" or "try before you buy"
"Technical requirements" lets you know about the hardware and software you need to run the eCourse. This includes any plug-ins you might need - like Flash or Quicktime.
A few of our courses are available on a CD ROM or DVD, if so you’ll see this clearly labelled on the course description and mentioned in the "Technical Requirements".
You’ll also find some of our courses have a "Try before you buy" option. If the eCourse you’re interested in has this option, then using it is a good way to find out if your PC’s compatible with the course.
If you’re still feeling a bit unsure about the technical requirements, feel free to contact us where we’ll be happy to help.
What plug-in will I need and how can I get it?
You may find that to run your eCourse you’ll need to download a plug-in. This will be mentioned in the "technical requirements" of your course.
If your course requires a specific plug-in be installed on your PC then you can download it by clicking on the link that applies to your course below. Then just follow the onscreen instructions*
Adobe Flash Player
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&ogn=EN_US-gntray_dl_getflashplayer 
Adobe Shockwave
http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi
Adobe Reader
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html?ogn=EN_US-gntray_dl_get_reader
QuickTime Player
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
*When downloading the plug-in you may be automatically asked to install the Google toolbar. If you don’t want the Google toolbar, just un-tick this option.
How do I clear Internet Explorer cache?
It is good practice to empty your Internet Explorer cache on a regular basis; this could help your learndirect Business eCourse run smoothly and bookmark correctly.
- To do this select 'tools' from the Internet Explorer toolbar menu.
- Scroll down and click 'internet options'
- From the 'general tab' click 'delete cookies' and 'delete files'
- To close select 'ok'
How do I enable JavaScript?
JavaScript is a language that can add activity and functionality to a website such as drop down menus, navigation button effects and interactive forms. We advise that you enable JavaScript within your internet browser to ensure that your eCourse works properly. Please see the instructions below if you want to check your JavaScript is enabled.
For Internet Explorer:
- Select 'Tools' from the toolbar menu.
- Click on 'Internet Options'.
- From the 'Security' tab click 'Custom Level'.
- Scroll down to the section called 'Scripting' and enable 'Active scripting'.
- Click 'OK' and select 'Yes' to confirm that you want to change these settings.
- Click 'OK' in order to close the remaining window.
- Close Internet Explorer and open it up again.
Pop up blocker. What can I do?
Before you launch your course, please check here to see if you have a pop-up blocker installed.* Pop-up blockers need to be disabled for the courses to run correctly.
If your pop-up blocker is configured to block the site you will see the screen as below:
To configure disable your pop up blocker you’ll need to click on the bar that notifies you a pop up has been blocked and select 'always allow pop-ups from the site' (see picture above)
Or you can check to see if you have a pop-up blocker installed by using the 'try before you buy' option from a few courses in the catalogue.
General Technical Questions
Will my course remember where I left off when I return to it?
All of the courses have a progress indicator, which will tell you which modules you have started, not yet started and completed. It is good practise to regularly 'clear your internet explorer cache' to support this function
Why can't I launch download files within my course?
Firewalls protect your computer against malicious attacks over the internet such as viruses and also help to prevent unauthorised access to your computer or network. However, a firewall might prevent you from accessing some of our courses. If you’re having problems with accessing a course you might want to disable your firewall for a short while, or check with an IT support department if you’re at work.
Will my firewall affect course access?
Firewalls protect your computer against malicious attacks over the internet such as 'Virus' and help prevent unauthorised access to your computer and network. It may be that you have a software firewall installed on your computer, or in a larger organisation all traffic may pass through a centralised firewall. Either way, a firewall may prevent some courses, or content from being accessible and if you have problems with accessing content then ensure that your firewall is not rejecting content. Your system administrator or IT support department may be able to help you.
Why doesn't the audio work on my course?
If you’re having problems with your audio, double check that your speakers and headphones are definitely connected to the right sockets in your PC.
