Troubleshooting Course Audio and Windows Media Player Issues

Home , Control Panel (Windows), Windows Media, Windows Update

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Most Home Care Institute courses require sound to complete. Each page contains layers of content that are triggered to appear by the audio player. In older courses, the Windows Media Player plays and controls the audio and in newer courses, the Flash Player or the web browser (HTML5) controls and plays the audio.

For courses built with the Windows Media Player, a Windows-based computer is required to complete the courses. Macintosh computers, tablets (e.g., iPad, Newer Browsers That Support Samsung Galaxy), and smartphones are not compatible with the Windows HTML5: Media Player. Many older Home Care Institute courses require the Windows • Internet Explorer 9 and higher Media Player to move through the course. Newer courses should play as long • Firefox 7 and higher as you are using a modern (newer) web browser. • Chrome 14 and higher • Safari 5 and higher If you are using a Windows-based computer and do not hear audio, or you • Most newer tablets and receive an error when launching the course, you likely do not have the smartphones Windows Media Player installed or it is not configured correctly. This job aid will guide you in troubleshooting potential issues.

1. Make your computer has a sound card.

m Open Device Manager by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Security, and then, under System, clicking Device Manager.

m Double-click Sound, video and game controllers to expand that category. If a sound card is listed, you have one installed. If no sound card is listed, you will need to have one installed. (Note: Laptops don't usually have sound cards. Instead, they have integrated sound processors, which appear in the same category in Device Manager)

2. Check your computer’s power and volume.

m If you have speakers, make sure they're plugged into a working power source and turned on. Make sure that your speaker volume or headphone volume isn't muted or turned down too low.

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m Open the Volume Mixer by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Hardware and Sound, and then, under Sound, clicking Adjust system volume. Move the slider up to increase the volume. (Note: Some laptops have an external volume control on the outside of the case. If you’re using a laptop, check the external volume control to make sure it’s not turned all the way down.)

3. Use the Windows Audio Troubleshooter to help detect problem.

m Click this link to open a Microsoft Windows help page, and then click the audio troubleshooter link to open and launch a Windows audio troubleshooting utility. Follow the screen prompts.

4. Install the latest Windows Update to ensure you have the latest audio drivers.

m Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button . In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update. Click Check for updates.

m If there are any available updates, click Install Updates.

5. Make sure Windows Media Player has been configured and that you have the latest Windows Media Player updates installed.

m Click the Start button . In the search box, type Windows Media Player, and then, in the list of results, click the Program – Windows Media Player to open the player.

m If a Windows Media Player Configuration Wizard appears, follow the steps to configure the player. Certain course errors may appear if the Windows Media Player has never been used. Following this configuration wizard should resolve these errors.

m From the Windows Media Player, click Help and then click Check for Updates. (Note: if the Help menu is not visible, press CTRL+M to open the Classic Menu.)

m Install any updates that are available.

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6. Make sure the Windows Media Player Add-ons are enabled.

m Open Internet Explorer and click Tools > Manage add-ons (Note: if the Tools menu does not appear, press the ALT key to show the menu).

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m With the Toolbars and Extensions Add-on Types highlighted on the left side of the window, click to highlight Windows Media Player from the right side of the window, and then click the Enable button.

m Click Close to accept the changes.

If after following these steps, you are still unable to hear audio when taking HCI courses, or you continue to receive an error, it may be necessary to obtain support for your computer. In certain situations, you may be missing a codec that is necessary to play the audio. Contact Home Care Institute support at [email protected] for additional help.