Troubleshooting Tips

If you are having difficulties using Carmen, there may be a simple explanation that you can figure out and fix for yourself. Below are some basic suggestions to help you narrow down the list of what might be wrong.

If you are having difficulties with a quiz or a dropbox assignment, contact your instructor immediately to explain that you are trying to meet the due date. Then, contact the Help Desk with as much detail as possible about the problem (including the name and number of your course, your OSU internet username, your computer's operating system, and which browser you are using).

Can't Log In?

If you can't log in to Carmen, here are three steps to try to diagnose the problem:

• Check that your computer has an internet connection. If you can't connect to other websites, the problem may be due to your network connection, and not be related to Carmen.

• Check that Carmen itself is available. If Carmen is offline for maintenance or a system problem, no one can log in. See the system status page for information about system outages. Remember, Carmen has a weekly maintenance schedule that frequently shuts down the system from midnight to 3 a.m. on Sundays.

• Check whether you can log into OSU web mail at webmail.osu.edu. OSU webmail uses the same username and password as Carmen -- if you can't access it, there may be a problem with your username or password.

If none of these is the problem, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.

Can't Find Your Course?

If you don't see your course listed under My Courses, it might be for one of these reasons:

• Your instructor is not using Carmen for this course.
  Some courses may not use Carmen. Check with your instructor if you have questions.

• Your instructor has not activated the course and has not set activation dates.
  Course aren't listed on the My Home page until they are activated or have dates set for activation. Check with your instructor if you have questions.

• You've just changed your course schedule.
  Carmen's classlist is updated by an automated enrollment process that runs each night. If you add a course one day, you should be able to see and enter the course website the following day after 8 a.m. Especially at the beginning of the quarter, it may take up to 48 hours for your name to be added to the enrolled classlist.

If none of these is the problem, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.

Is Something Broken or Missing?

If something in a Carmen course is broken or missing, it might be for one of these reasons:

• Check that you are using a supported web browser. See Supported Browsers and Systems for details.

• Check that your computer has the recommended version of Java installed. (Java is a component installed on your computer that is required for some websites, including some of Carmen's tools.) To check your version of Java, visit the Java Web site and click on the Verify Installation button. When the detection process is complete, the page will display what version you are using.

• Check that you have other required software installed. Your Carmen course may require a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat, or a media player, such as QuickTime, Windows Media Player, or Real Player. Contact the Help Desk for assistance with any supported software packages.

If none of these is the problem, please contact the Help Desk for assistance.

Carmen is a service of TELR in the Office of the CIO.
Having trouble accessing this page? Contact us at carmen@osu.edu or call us at 614.688.4357 (688-HELP) (V), 614.688.8743 (TDD) for assistance.