Troubleshooting Tips

Many times the oddly acting page just needs a refresh. You can use the refresh icon in your browser or the refresh keyboard key on the Chromebook, or you can use a keyboard shortcut, such as Ctrl + r. Or, if that doesn't work, use Ctrl + Shift + R which is a Hard Refresh forcing the page to reload completely. And, lastly, if all else fails, completely shutdown and restart your device.

A hard refresh of your browser/chromebook may be in order. Use Ctrl + Shift + R (Cmd + Shift + R on a Mac) which forces the page to reload completely.

Another solution would be to clear your cache and remove cookies from your device. The steps to clear your cache and remove cookies can be found in this Google Support Document.

If you are having trouble getting in to Google Classroom or Google Meet, there are a few issues that may be happening.

• Refresh your page, or restart your device.

• If you are using a chromebook, check that you are signed in to the chromebook with your @portageps.org email address. If you are not, log out and login with that address.

• If you are using a PC or Mac, make sure you are logged into Chrome with your @portageps.org email address. You can have multiple profiles in chrome, so it is important to make sure you are using your @portageps.org profile and not logged into any other google services with any other account on that profile. Here is how to add profiles to chrome. When adding profiles or switching profiles, make sure you are clicking on the profile image in the very top right corner next to the three dots in the bookmarks/extension bar area.

• In Google Meets, if you are getting an error message that says "you can join when someone lets you in" that means you are not logged in with your @portageps.org account. Login with the @portageps.org account and try again. Here is how you can check which profile you are logged in with in Google Meet.

• Make sure you Chromebook and Chrome are up to date. See Google's support document here for more information on how to check for and receive updates.

For best performance, Chromebooks should be restarted daily, or minimally once a week. Chromebooks update automatically in the background. However, users can also force an update by clicking on the lower-right clock > clicking on the settings gear > opening the menu at the upper-right of the window that appears > choosing About Chrome OS at the bottom of that list > pressing the Check for Updates button. See Google's support document here for more information.

There are instances when a device has had the charger fully seated in the charging port for an extended time and when opened the user is met with a black or blank screen. On most occasions when this occurs the solution is to completely power off the device by pressing and holding the power button for 15 to 30 seconds. Once the device is fully shutdown, pressing the power button again will restart the device. All functions should return back to normal. If your Chromebook is still displaying a black screen, you may need to contact help@portageps.org or call the Help Desk at 269.323.5102.

More Info about powering on your Chromebook

More info about charging your Chromebook

On most occasions when this occurs the solution is to completely power off the device by pressing and holding the power button for 15 to 30 seconds. Once the device is fully shutdown, pressing the power button again will restart the device.

You or your students go to use the Chromebook and it is reading everything on the screen to you in it’s fabulous computer voice.

To turn off ChromeVox, click on the area in the bottom right corner where the clock is located. Select “Settings” Scroll down to the bottom and select “Show advanced settings…”. Scroll down until you see the “Accessibility” section. Uncheck “Enable ChromeVox (spoken feedback) Close the Settings window. You can also turn it off by clicking on the hand, clicking on “Accessibility”, and clicking on “ChromeVox” to uncheck it.

More info about turning off Chromevox

To turn the screen image, all you have to do is click three simple keys… ctrl+shift+refresh button. Doing so will rotate your screen 90 degrees, once for each press.

More info about rotating the screen

Chromebooks have the ability to type in many different keyboard configurations from around the world. To change your keyboard layout you can either: 1) Press Alt+Shift to switch between different input methods, or 2) Press Ctrl+space to switch to your previous input method. (If they don’t remember the keystrokes, they can just click on the bottom right corner, choose the keyboard option, then choose US)

More info about switching keyboards

You can turn off the onscreen keyboard by clicking on the hand icon in the lower right corner of your screen, clicking on “Accessibility”, and clicking on “On-screen keyboard” to uncheck it.

More info about turning off the onscreen keyboard

Take the Chromebook to any Portage school campus and open it up and wait at least 5 minutes. Make sure you're close enough to the building that you can connect to the school wifi. If this doesn’t work contact Portage PPS helpdesk with the device 5 digit number on the back.

If you have trouble connecting to your home’s wifi try unplugging the power from your router and modem for 35 seconds. Press the power + refresh key on the Chromebook then try connecting again.

When a camera or microphone are not working, most of the time, the issue is some corruption in the webpage or tool you are using. A quick Hard Refresh (ctrl+shift+R) will solve this issue. Or, if that doesn't work, try restarting your device (we recommend restarting your Chromebook at least once daily). If neither of those solutions work, you should test your equipment.

Testing you equipment...

1. Open your launcher (white circle, lower-left corner, or press the magnifying glass/search key)

2. Locate the Camera App, Open it

3. Select Video, at the right, and record a few seconds while speaking

4. When finished recording, click to view the recording at the lower right

5. Play the recording

6. If you do not have sound or video does not appear, then your camera or microphone may be malfunctioning. If that is the case, you may submit a help ticket for repair here.

Watch this video for further assistance.

When using the Google Meet Breakout Room feature a student may get an error about an unsupported device or personal account. What is likely occurring is the student is attempting to use the Google Meet Android App. Breakout rooms are only supported in the web-based version of Meet. The solution is to uninstall the android app and restarting the Chromebook.

1. On the Chromebook, locate the launcher (circle) at the lower-left corner of the screen

2. Locate the Meet Android App by entering its name in the search bar or selecting it from the list of installed apps

3. Right-click (two-finger tap) over the app

4. Choose Uninstall

5. Restart the Chromebook

While learning at home your internet speeds may take a plunge or your computer might drop Google Meet calls or it just seems like everything is running so slow. Well, every home network is different, so it can be difficult to say specifically what the issue may be for you and your system. However, here are a couple of tips that will help make the best use of your available internet speed.

• In Google Meet, use the Spotlight view to view only presentations and the person speaking so your Meet is using limited bandwidth (In Meet... Settings > Change layout > Spotlight)

• Reduce the number of open tabs/windows to only those necessary (Each open tab uses more resources and more bandwidth)

• Disconnect devices from your wifi that are not in use during class sessions (Every bit helps!)

• Restart your computer/Chromebook in the morning and at lunch to clear unnecessary background processes. (Just like a good night's sleep, everything runs better with a fresh start!)

While on campus at Portage Public Schools Chromebooks do have the ability to print over the network to designated printers/copiers. However, printing over wifi at home has several challenges dependant on your available hardware and network. The recommended solution to print at home is to physically connect your printer to your Chromebook with a printer-compatible USB cable.