Clearing Browser Cache

Web browsers save or “cache” parts of web pages (like graphics) or even entire pages so that they will load faster in future. If a web page is not behaving properly (ex: Schoology submissions not working, WeVideo Preview not working, parts of web pages not showing current info) it helps to clear the cache in order to delete this saved information.

In Chrome:

• Choose More Tools from the Chrome menu (3 dots, upper right), then Clear browsing data. The keyboard shortcut for this is CTRL+SHIFT+BACKSPACE
• Use the "More" tab to find "All Time" for the time range.
• UNcheck boxes for History and Cookies: you only need to clear "Cached images and files"
• Click Delete data

"Cookies" refer to saved data (saved usernames and passwords, form data) saved by websites. If clearing cache does not resolve a website issue, check the box for "cookies and other site data" and clear again. WARNING: make sure you know all of your passwords before doing this!

Setting up Filters in gMail

Setting up filters in gMail can help you automatically "sort" specific types of messages by bypassing the Inbox and placing them into labels (folders.) For example, many Juniors and Seniors receive copious email from colleges that they may want later but don't want cluttering up their Inboxes, or you may want to filter newsletters into one folder instead of having them land in your Inbox.

Here's how:

1. Start by creating a new Label for the messages you wish to filter.
2. Click the Settings gear in gMail and "See all settings."
3. Click on "Filters and Blocked Addresses," then "Create new filter"
4. Enter the criteria for what you want to filter. In the case of college emails, enter *.EDU for "sender," which will filter out all sending addresses that end in .EDU
5. Click "create filter." NOTE: You can also click "Search" to find all current messages that match your criteria, then select them all and move them to the new label you created above.
6. On the last screen check the boxes for "Skip the Inbox" and "Apply the Label..," then Create your filter. Messages that match your criteria will then be automatically moved to that label instead of your Inbox.

Organizing Your Bookmarks

Using bookmarks is an efficient way to get to your go-to websites without having to use your keyboard. Having bookmarks always showing helps you recycle your tabs so you are not overloading your computer. Here are some tips:

• Show your Bookmark Bar on all pages so you can "get to anywhere from anywhere" in one click. Click on the Chrome menu (three dots in the upper right), then point to "Bookmarks" and click "Show Bookmarks Bar.”

• Right/two-finger click on your bookmarks to Edit or Delete them. TIP: shorten bookmark names to save space in your Bookmark Bar. 

• Group your bookmarks into folders to create your own drop-down lists: right-click an empty spot in the Bookmarks Bar and choose "Add Folder"

• For complete control of your Bookmarks (Delete, sort & organize, move bookmarks from Other Bookmarks to Bookmarks Bar, etc.) open the Bookmark Manager from the Chrome menu.

I am having trouble getting to PowerSchool

 Here are a few things to try if you are having difficulty accessing PowerSchool.

The link to PowerSchool student changed over the summer, so if you are using a bookmark it should be changed to mmuusd.powerschool.com/student

If sign-in stalls once you choose your Google account, make sure your computer is up-to-date!

Here is information about using PowerSchool on phones:

1. The PowerSchool Mobile app must be up-to-date
2. The District Code is ZBGH
3. Once you enter the District Code, choose ""I'm a Student" and it should switch to Google Sign-in. If you get an error about "syncing data" or don't see this year's Courses, you will need to sign out and sign in again: Click "More" in the bottom right, then click "Account" and you will see "Sign out" in the upper right

PowerSchool takes me to Microsoft login screen

NOTE: This process removes "site-specific cookies" for PowerSchool. This process can be used to remove login info on other sites as well, just search for that site instead of PowerSchool in step 5 below.

If you accidentally click "Sign In With Microsoft" instead of "Sign In With Google" on the PowerSchool login screen you may get "stuck" on the Microsoft page.

1. Copy and paste this link to access your Content Settings: chrome://settings/content/all
2. Search for PowerSchool
3. Delete all items that appear in the Search results

The long way:

1. Open Chrome settings by typing the address chrome://settings
2. Click Privacy and Security on the left sidebar
3. Scroll down and click Site Settings
4. Click "View permissions and settings stored across sites"
5. Search for PowerSchool
6. Delete all items that appear in search results

This process should restore the "normal" PowerSchool login page so you can Sign In With Google.

I can't insert pictures from my iPhone into gDocs or gSlides

If you have an image in Drive that Google doesn't "see" when you try to Insert, or if you tried to copy/paste an image from your phone (this method is unreliable and not recommended) and it doesn't print, the solution is below.

The issue is that newer iPhones are set to save HEIC (compressed) images but Google has not yet implemented support for these so gDocs doesn't "see" them. iOS will now convert HEIC images when you email or text them, or you can upload photos to https://heictojpg.com/, download as JPG and insert.

The long-term option if you have enough space on your phone is to change the setting in Settings --> Camera --> Formats to "Most Compatible" and your phone will save "normal" JPG images and MP4 videos. True: this will use a bit more space on your phone but you won't have trouble using your media in other tools. You can also just change this setting when you know you are taking a picture that you want to insert into a document or slideshow.

HELP! My Chromebook won't turn on!

The "Chromebook Blackout" can occur occasionally when a computer's battery has died completely or some other power incident has occurred.

If your Chromebook will not power on:

1. With the lid closed, look on the right side for a blinking white light. If this light is on, so is your computer!
2. If the computer is on (blinking light,) hold down the power button for a LONG time, like 30 seconds or more, to make sure the computer is off (eg. light stops blinking) then skip to step 5.
3. Plug in the computer. You should see an orange light next to the right side charging port (even if the charger is plugged in to the left side) indicating the laptop is being charged. If not, check that the charger is solidly connected in the middle and plugged in to a live power source (eg. power strips are switched ON!) 
4. If you still see no charging light, hold down ESC, Reload and Power for a full minute.
5. Press the power button, once, briefly. A lingering but firm touch, no more. Seriously, this and the next step is where it goes wrong. You think it didn't turn on so you press the button again, or (worse) hold it down, and then the power management chip gets really confused 'cause you're telling it to turn on/off/on/off again.
6. WAIT. It won't be long, but we are used to technology jumping to life instantly and in this case the 30 seconds it takes to restart may seem like forever. You should see the screen shift greys slightly, then that friendly white startup screen comes on.

If you are not successful with these steps, bring your computer to the Helpdesk in the computer lab.

Help! Suddenly I can't print!

The Papercut printing system was recently updated and some users are reporting that they are unable to print. These steps should re-enable your printing capability:

1. A Chromebook must be up-to-date in order to print. Simply sign out or restart to update. Remember: don't shut down by holding down the power button, as that "crashes" the computer and may not apply updates!
2. Print your document and choose "See More"
3. Make sure the top grey drop-down says "show destintions for <your username>@mmuusd.org"
4. Choose K9-Black on Papercut
5. The first time you print after this update you will need to sign in to papercut with your school Google ID and "Allow" access. This will only be necessary once.

An additional note: if you have not replaced your user profile since early September (eg. when the Chrome 85 update was released) you will want to do so! This fixes a number of issues including slow performance and Google Meet issues.

gMail Takes Me To An "Accounts" Page

If this is happening to you, this is a symptom of a recent Chrome update. 

Try these steps:

• Even though your MMUUSD account is already listed, click "Add Account" and sign in
• Reload gMail
• If prompted, sign in again
• Reload gMail again

For some users this still does not work, and gMail loops them back to the Accounts page every time. If that is the case you will need to remove and re-add your user account to the computer:

• Check your Downloads folder for anything that needs to be saved, and move files to Drive if so.
• Downloads will be wiped out in this process
• Sign Out
• Click on the triangle in the upper right corner of your user icon and "Remove User"
• Click "Add User" in the lower left and sign in again. It may take a few minutes, but this will copy all of your settings, bookmarks, etc. back to the computer.

If you are still having difficulty, stop in at Helpdesk or contact Mr. Hall.

I can no longer print to K9-Black, I only see "Save to PDF"

The "K9-Black" printer option for MMU students has been replaced by a printer called "K9-Black Papercut." If you have not printed to this printer before, you will see only the "Print to PDF" option when you try to print and you will not be able to choose K9-Black.

Here's the fix:

• Choose "See more"
• Choose K9-Black on Papercut
• Click Print
• Sign in to Papercut with your MMUUSD Google account (only needed the first time)

Because Google is shutting down CloudPrint services next year, our printers are no longer available via CloudPrint, which means for the moment school printers are not available from phones. We hope to post a solution for phone printing shortly!

How do I open FLV video files from Schoology?

<UPDATE: Flash was discontinued 01/01/21 and this post is no longer relevant.>

Unfortunately Schoology's built-in video recording feature still uses Adobe Flash, and Flash files have become difficult to play on Chromebooks. Teachers at MMU will discontinue this method of recording as we move into Distance Learning, however there may be some messages that are still recorded as FLV files.

Before following the steps below, check for the "View" link to the right of the video file link. The link will download the file but that is not necessary if "View" is available


If there are small green arrows in place of "View," then the video is still being processed. Processing times vary widely, but if you need to see the video immediately or processing has taken longer than 30 minutes:

1. Save the FLV file to Downloads
2. Install the VLC Player app.
3. Right-click on the file in Downloads and choose Open With --> VLC Player
4. The weird thing about VLC is that it doesn't open files, it opens folders, so when it opens you need to select the Downloads folder in the left sidebar, then it will show you previews of any video files in Downloads.
5. Double-click your file to play it

Posting Video From Home

As the use of video discussions in Schoology and elsewhere increases, there have been a lot of questions about the most effective way to do this when home Internet connections are weak.

TRUE: Not all of the file transfer procedures we use regularly are "bandwidth efficient!"

Step 1: Know your bandwidth. Try this test and this test to see what your download and upload speeds are. It is normal for upload speeds to be much lower, because we typically get more information from the Internet that we post.

Step 2: When it comes to Schoology, the phone app is the most efficient option for posting video. Make sure the app is up-to-date! In Schoology you can attach a video file from your Photos directly to a Submission or Discussion post, but you cannot record video directly.

TIP: To make your file transfers as quick as possible, turn your camera settings down so that video is being recorded at 720p/30fps or lower. The lower the settings the smaller the file!

Here's the Math: (derived using this site)

• At 720p, 1min of video = 60MB file size
• A 1MB upload speed will take 8min to upload a 60MB file

Here are additional tips for maximizing your home bandwidth.

gMail and gCalendar issues - SOLVED

A number of users have reported this issue since the transition to MMUUSD, and a solution has been confirmed.

Symptoms: gMail, gCal and possibly other apps show a "connection interrupted, retrying on xxxsec" message, gMail drafts may not be saved and gMail may not refresh properly.

Who is Affected: Anyone who had their computer over the summer and had originally signed in with their old CESUVT address. Although user profiles "automagically" converted to the new addresses, these profiles are corrupted.

The Solution: Sign out, "Remove User" and then "Add User" to sign back in.

How do I log in to PowerSchool?

There are two ways for students to access PowerSchool:

1) Using the PowerSchool Mobile app:
     District Code: ZBGH
     Username: fistname.lastname (not email, and some long 
                         names may be shortened)
     Password: Student ID#

     NOTE: The app does not show individual PBGR marks, only 
                   an average.

2) On the Internet, visit mmuusd.powerschool.com/student and sign in with Google:

     Click on class averages to see individual Assignment scores:

     Click on the small graph symbol next to the Assignment 
     name to see PBGR marks:

Using the Bookmark Bar

Using bookmarks is the most efficient way to get to your go-to websites without having to use your keyboard. Save yourself time by setting up "point and click" access! Having bookmarks showing also helps you recycle your tabs so you are not overloading your computer.

1) To add bookmarks, click the star on the right end of the address bar or drag the lock/"i" icon to the left of the URL down into the Bookmark Bar. Using the star method, make sure you are putting the bookmark in the Bookmarks Bar folder.

2) Shorten the bookmark "Name" so that it is clearer and/or takes up less space. Cool Trick: If you remove the name completely, you will have a small icon only, with no text! To edit a bookmark, right-click on the button and choose "Edit."

3) Show your Bookmark Bar on all pages so you can "get to anywhere from anywhere" in one click. Click on the Chrome menu (three dots in the upper right), then point to "Bookmarks" and click "Show Bookmarks Bar." The keyboard shortcut ctrl+shift+B will also toggle this on/off.

4) To create your own drop-down lists of bookmarks, right-click an empty spot in the Bookmarks Bar and choose "Add Folder." Give the folder a name and then add bookmarks to that folder to create a list.

For complete control of your Bookmarks (Delete, sort & organize, move bookmarks from Other Bookmarks to Bookmarks Bar, etc.) open the Bookmark Manager from the Chrome menu.

Why Can't I Log In to Schoology?

Many people have had difficulty getting to Schoology because they are using an old bookmark. Our "custom" Schoology link is 
MMUUSD.schoology.com (not WWW.schoology.com)
TIP: right-click on a bookmark and choose "Edit" to change it.

Remember we use Google to log in to Schoology! If you use more than one Google account, Schoology will show you a list of accounts to choose from. 

If you ever see a Schoology login page asking for username and password, you're in the wrong place.

Downloading Files Directly to Drive

On Chromebooks, like Windows and Mac computers, the default location for file downloads is the Downloads folder. Although these can be accessed through the File Manager app (blue folder icon in your Chrome Apps) 

Here is a simple setting that helps you save files directly to your Drive:

• In Chrome settings, search for "Downloads" 
• Scroll down to the bottom of the page, and look for the second setting from the bottom 
• Check the box for "Always ask" when downloading files 

With this box checked you will now be prompted to choose a location (eg. save directly to Drive) and (perhaps more useful) to rename the file before saving it. This can save you a lot of time when downloading images, PDFs, etc!

WeVideo Preview stuttering: FIXED

WeVideo Preview issues can typically be fixed by clearing cache, however the recent update to Chrome v74 has caused issues for many users. The symptom is choppy video preview, although sound is unaffected.

WeVideo recommends the following adjustment:

1. In a new tab type chrome://flags/#disable-accelerated-video-decode
2. Change Hardware-accelerated video decode to "Disabled"
3. Restart

As always, Helpdesk and Mr. Hall are always available if you want us to fix this for you.

How do I install programs on my Chromebook?

 While typically the answer has always been "you can't," Google has now implemented the ability to install a full Linux operating system on your Chromebook. This allows you to install programs made for the Linux OS but not Windows or Mac programs.

Step 1: Install Linux. In Chromebook settings, click Linux (Beta) on the left sidebar, and "Install." This will take a few minutes and you must leave your computer awake while it installs but you can do other tasks

Step 2: Install Linux Software Center. While many people control Linux with Terminal (aka the Command Line) you can also install a graphic interface to the program manager. Launch the linux Terminal (located with your Chrome apps, accessed with magnifying glass) and copy this command: sudo apt-get install gnome-software gnome-packagekit and use ctrl+SHIFT+V to paste it into the terminal. Hit "Enter" and "Y" to any prompts that appear to complete the installation.

Step 3: Install Packages. In your Chrome apps you now have a Group of Linux Apps. Open either Software or Packages (the latter works better for Inkscape and Blender,) search for the applications you wish to install, check their boxes and "apply."

Audio Recording in Schoology

Recording audio into a Schoology Submission requires a few setup steps because this function uses Flash Player. If these steps are not followed and Flash is not properly "Allowed," recording will not work properly. Here is a quick screencast showing the correct settings.

Error messages may tell you need to "install Flash" but this really means "Update and Allow." Flash Player is included with Chrome so you will never have to "install" anything.

1) Your Chromebook must be up-to-date in order to record. Click the up-arrow in the lower right corner (if it is showing) to restart and update (it only takes a minute.)

2) Before you record you must manually"Allow" Flash to run in Schoology. There are no longer pop-ups or reminders about this, so it must be done manually:

• Click the lock symbol to the left of the URL and choose "Site Settings"
• Change the settings for Flash Player, Microphone and Camera to "Allow" (not "Ask" or "Default")
• Reload the Schoology Tab

3) When you start recording there may be one more pop-up asking you to allow Schoology to access your camera and microphone. Click "Allow" and "Remember," then restart your recording.

Be aware that these Site Settings may need to be reset each time Chrome and Flash are updated.

Additional Troubleshooting: If you believe settings are correct and recording still does not function, try clearing cache and restarting the computer.