CriticalChem System Requirements & Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

How do I reset my password?

When you are prompted to login, click Forgot password? and follow the steps to reset it.

Why can’t I login?

Your free trial may be up and you’ll have to purchase access with a credit card or enter an access code purchased from your bookstore. As always, make sure to access the course from the link provided in your LMS (e.g. Blackboard, Brightspace D2L, Canvas, Moodle, Schoology, etc.) or email from your instructor.

What if I accidentally made more than one account?

If you’ve accidentally accessed Critical Chemistry with more than one email account, it’s important to make sure you are logged into the account with which you’ve completed your assignments when you purchase access. If you aren’t sure which email address you’ve been using to complete assignments and receive scores, please reach out to your professor.

Why do I see “You are not enrolled, this area is for instructors only” error?

If you see this message it means you are trying to visit a site specific for instructors instead of the student course link. Please only access Critical Chemistry using the course link provided by your instructor via email or your LMS (e.g. Blackboard, Brightspace D2L, Canvas, Moodle, Schoology). If that link is taking you to this error screen then you should ask your instructor to make sure they have given you the link to your course and not to an instructor-only site.

Why is it asking me to pay again?

It is possible that you have two accounts and paid in one account but then logged in with the other. Please make sure that you are accessing Critical Chemistry with the first email you set up an account with, usually, this should be your institution email address. If you are accessing Critical Chemistry through your institution’s LMS then you won’t need to enter an email or password, you’ll be logged in automatically.

Why does it look like I’ve lost progress?

It is likely that you are accessing Critical Chemistry from two accounts. If you have logged into Critical Chemistry with email address 1 and completed some lessons but then access them with email address 2 then the system will treat you as a brand new user. We recommend only accessing Critical Chemistry with your institution email address. You can always ask your instructor to verify the email address they enrolled you with. If the Critical Chemistry course is linked in your LMS (Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, Schoology), you should only access the course via that link.

Why is the program taking a long time to load?

Some lessons in Critical Chemistry units are graphically intensive and require a lot of processing power to run smoothly. For the best experience you can preserve your computer’s memory and processing power by following these steps:

  1. Close other open tabs in your browser so Critical Chemistry is all you have running.
  2. Close applications, especially ones that stream video or other data (e.g. Steam, Skype, Spotify, and VLC/Netflix/Youtube).
  3. Clear your browser cache and cookies. Sometimes our browsers store information (cache) that can speed up load times in the future, but can slow down your current performance. Click here for instructions to free up memory and delete your browser’s cache.

If this doesn’t help the next best thing is to go to a different internet source (e.g. a school library, coffee shop, friend or relative’s house), or try using a different computer if that is an option.

Why am I unable to see parts of a lesson, am I too zoomed in?

Depending on the computer you’re using, Critical Chemistry lessons will display a little bit differently. This is particularly true if you have a small computer screen. Sometimes results in text or buttons getting partially covered. Simply zooming in or out in your browser can help resolve this.

On most browsers and operating systems you can control zoom from your keyboard by pressing the command or control + the Plus(+)/Minus(-) buttons. Please click these links for more information on how to zoom with Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Another way you can see more of your screen is to go into fullscreen mode.

How do I clear my browser's cache and cookies?

We recommend you use Google Chrome to complete lessons in Critical Chemistry. Follow these steps to clear your cache and cookies in chrome.

  1. Open Chrome.
  2. On your browser toolbar, click More.
  3. Point to More tools, and then click Clear browsing data.
  4. In the Clear browsing data box, click the checkboxes for Cookies and other site and plug-in data and Cached images and files.
  5. Use the menu at the top to select the amount of data that you want to delete. Choose beginning of time to delete everything.
  6. Click Clear browsing data.

For instructions on how to clear your cache and cookies in different browsers click here.

Can I redo a part of a lesson?

No, once you have progressed past a screen it is not possible to redo it, you can only review it. However, you can restart the entire lesson to start over from the beginning.

System Requirements

Important Information:

Keep in mind that the newer, more powerful, and more updated your computer is the better your experience will be. The Critical Chemistry platform uses advanced graphics in some lessons that make learning chemistry more immersive and interactive, so make sure you are using a device powerful enough to handle this awesome technology.

Below are the minimum system requirements for the Critical Chemistry platform:

Can I complete lessons on my phone or tablet/iPad?

No, Critical Chemistry does not support tablets, smartphones, or other touchscreen devices. While there are some lessons that are compatible there are some experiences that are not–you will need access to a laptop or desktop computer.

Which internet browser should I use?

We recommend using the most updated version of Chrome or Firefox for the most seamless experience. 

Internet connection and memory

Generally, the higher your bandwidth the faster lessons will load. If lessons are taking longer to load or fail to load altogether, follow the troubleshooting steps to improve your connection.

Generally, the higher your bandwidth the faster lessons will load in Critical Chemistry. If lessons are taking longer to load or fail to load altogether, follow the troubleshooting steps to improve your connection.