2026 California Virtual Academies
CAASPP & ELPAC Testing Staff
Troubleshooting Resources

K12 Tech Support (866-512-2273), https://www.help.k12.com/s/submit-a-case

Directions to Verify the Secure Browser Installation Status &
Installing the Secure Browser Manually

Apple MAC computers require extra steps to install the Secure Browser.  See HERE for directions.   Families are welcome to try installing the Browser on their MAC on their own, but the official recommendation is for the student to contact K12 to arrange for a Windows laptop to be sent to the student.

Most personal Chromebooks and single board computers like the Raspberry Pi will NOT work with the Secure Browser.  Please have the student use a different device or contact the teacher or admin designee to arrange for a CAVA computer to be assigned to the student.

Yes – Continue to Next Step

Yes (Error Message) -  See Below

403 Forbidden/Sorry you have been blocked/Request failed Error Screen: 
This error suggests that the Secure Browser started but that student's computer is unable to connect to the testing server because the server has detected that the computer is located outside California.  

• First Step: Break out of the Error Message

  • Use the Task Manager (Ctrl-Alt-Delete) to end the 'Secure Browser'.  You may need to reboot the computer if the Windows Task Bar does not appear.  Hit Ctrl-Esc to bring up the Start menu and choose the power button to reboot the computer. 

•  Second Step:  Confirm the IP Address

  • Once at the desktop, ask the student to open an Internet Browser window and go to the link (https://whatismyip.org)

Note:  New for 2026, there is a small button in the error screen to view the student's IP Address, and the country abbreviation is at the end of the last line on the screen, but but you should still have them look up the IP address at whatismyip.org to verify the IP Address details.

• • Write down or take a screenshot of the details for IP Address, City, State, and Country. 

•  Third Step:  Ask the student where they are located

  • • The student is located outside the US.

      •  If the student is located outside the US, they cannot take the test and should contact their teacher.  

      •  Fill out the Forbidden/Blocked Error Message Form to notify the Principal and Sarah Neuenschwander.

      •  Use the email template found below to send an email to the teacher and Admin Designee to let them know of the referral to the administrative team. 

    • The student says thay are in the US.

      • If the student says they are in the US, ask them if they are using a VPN (Virtual Private Network).  

      • If they do not know whether they are using a VPN, ask them to ask their LC or another responsible adult at their location.  

VPNs are often used to safeguard network traffic from unauthorized access, but they can also be used to mask a computer's location which could cause the Secure Browser's servers to think the student's computer is in another city or outside the US.  

• • • •  Option 1:  IF the student is using a VPN set to a location outside the US, the VPN must be set to a US server or turned off (the way to do this is individual to each program, but should be fairly apparent).  

        •  Quitting out of the program may be enough to turn off the VPN.  

        •  Retry the Secure Browser to see if it will start.  If it doesn't, reach out to Trish (trweber@caliva.org or in Teams) for more steps.

      •  Option 2:  Check to make sure Microsoft Teams is not running.  If it is, 'end' the program (See Step 9 on the IC Tech Troubleshooting Site for additional directions). Try the Secure Browser again.

      •  Option 3:  Have the family contact their Internet Service Provider (ISP) and explain the situation.  The ISP may be able to troubleshoot the issue and assign an IP address located in the US.  Note:  If the ISP is located outside the US, but the student is located INSIDE the US, that could be a reason for the error.  Non-US ISPs use IP addresses assigned to the country in which the ISP is located.

      • Optional Step:  If the student isn't sure who their ISP is, run a search at ipapi - Bulk IP Lookup Tool | Locate IP Address on a Map and put the student's IP into this search tool.  It will give you the student's geolocation AND the ISP (far right of the screen).

      •  Option 4:  Have the student try accessing the Secure Browser from another network (friend, family, library, etc.)

• Next Steps if the error is unresolved:

  •  Follow the tasks in the Third Step above to fill out the Forbidden/Blocked Error Message form and then email the student’s teacher and Admin Designee.

  • Sample Email Template to Teacher/Admin Designee

No – Continue to Step 11

Yes – Make a note of which apps/programs need to be closed and continue to the next step

If you can see any program on the task manager (except for the Task Manager itself or the Secure Browser), close it or 'end' the task.  

Uninstalling Programs in Windows 10 Uninstalling programs in Windows 11 

Directions for Discord:  How to Uninstall Discord on Windows 

If you receive a notification that Microsoft Teams is still running, see instructions below to close it.

To close Microsoft Teams:  

• Launch the Teams app and click on your profile icon at the upper-right corner of the screen. 

• Click on Settings from the menu. 

• Click on the General tab and scroll down to the “Application” section. 

• Uncheck the “On close, keep the application running” box.

If programs are still interfering with the Secure Browser:

WindowsOS:  If  the message still appears on a Windows computer, go to the Task Manager and click on the ‘Services’ Tab.

It is often helpful to click at the top of the ‘Description’ column and use the information there to find the Service that is causing the problem.  Right-click on the service and choose ‘Stop’ to stop the service. 

**Warning:  Stop only what is absolutely needed, stopping services can cause the system to become unstable.**

If you still receive an warning message on a Windows computer, it is possible that programs are running in the background (we have seen this happen with Windows Photo and Calculator and certain K12 Notifications).  There is an option to disable Background Apps under the Privacy Settings.

Click on the Privacy Settings and scroll down to ‘Background apps’

Choose ‘Background apps’ and toggle the button from On to Off for programs that are keeping the Secure Browser from starting.  You can also choose to turn off all Background Apps.

K12 Notifications:  Certain K12 applications run in the background (K12 Microphone Notifications, K12 Terms of Service, etc.).  These background processes should automatically be disabled when the Secure Browser loads, but the student's computer may not be updating properly.  

The student can try to stop these notifications, but they will probably return.  If these 'K12 Notifications' are interrupting the browser, K12 will need to send the student a new computer.  A temporary workaround would be to have the student use another Windows computer to test (sibling, LC, etc.), but the problem can only be fixed by reinstalling Windows (not something normally done remotely).

Step A Continued. Quit out of Engageli (and all other programs) and start the Secure Browser.

Make sure the student has allowed camera access during the Secure Browser start up process.

Step B. Consider using Windows' Audio Troubleshooting Tools:  Settings|Update & Security|Troubleshoot|Other Troubleshooters (at the bottom)

Optional Step for non-CAVA Computers:  Check for updates. 

Select Start, then select Settings  > Update & Security  > Windows Update  > Check for updates. If you see the option to View optional updates, select it to see if there are updates available for your camera. Allow available updates to install, then restart your device when it's ready.

Step C. Was the camera working and now it stopped?  Restart the PC. 

If you haven’t restarted your device since the camera stopped working, restart your computer. Select Start , then select Power  > Restart. Waking up your device from sleep isn’t the same as a restart.

Step D. Testing the camera:  Test the camera with the Camera app. 

Select Start, then choose Camera from the list of apps. If you’re asked to allow access to the Camera, select Yes. If the camera works in the Camera app, the problem might be with the app you’re trying to use.  

Step E. Give the apps permission to use the camera.

You might need to give apps permission to use the camera. To let the device access the camera, select Start , then select Settings  > Privacy  > Camera . In ‘Allow access to the camera on this device’, if Camera access for this device is turned off, select Change and turn on Camera access for this device. You may also need to go to ‘Allow desktop apps access to your camera’ and make sure it's turned on.

Step F.         Advanced Troubleshooting:  Check your hardware drivers

See the Microsoft Resource article below for more details on how to check the camera driver.

Microsoft Support:  Camera Doesn't Work in Windows

Keyboard Troubleshooting

Step A:  Does the keyboard work in ANY program?  If not, reboot the computer and try again.

Step B:   Check to see if Sticky Keys/Filter Keys were set by mistake.  

• Open Settings > Ease of Access (Accessibility in Windows 11) > Keyboard and see if Use Filter Keys is turned on. If so, toggle it off to see if it helps. 

• Also, check to make sure 'Sticky Keys' is turned off.  

• Additional directions and video for turning off Filter/Sticky Keys:  How-To Geek:  How to Turn Off Sticky Keys on Windows 10 

Step C:  Does the family have an external keyboard that can be plugged into the laptop temporarily?  Does the student have access to another computer they can use for testing?

Step D:  

• For CAVA Computers:  Have the family contact K12 support to have them do further troubleshooting and replace the computer, if needed.

• For Personal Computers:  This PC Magazine article has additional steps - PC Mag:  How do I fix my laptop keyboard?