Michigan State University Libraries

ANGEL News

If you have any problems with ANGEL then we are the place to call. We can be reached toll-free at 1-800-500-1554 and we are open 24/7 to accommodate your schedule. Below are some of the common problems that may be experienced while using ANGEL. We also have a page devoted to faculty with information related to teaching online with ANGEL.

What web browser should I use?

The recommended web browser for ANGEL is Firefox which is available as a free download online for both Windows and Mac at http://getfirefox.com. Internet Explorer on Windows is also compatible but more problems have been experienced with it. Internet Explorer on the Mac is not recommended as there are many known problems. There are also some known problems with Safari. Netscape and the full Mozilla suite is also compatible. You can view the current list of recommended browsers at http://help.angel.msu.edu .

Recommended: Clearing Cache and Cookies

There are some problems that are usually related to the browser which can be easily fixed. These include:

• Session Expired/Reauthenticate Error that occurs over and over
• You enter a course but content for another course appears
• Old content appears where there should be new content

In order to keep track of who's who in ANGEL, a cookie is set in the web browser. This is a small text file that has some information that ANGEL needs to function correctly. On occasion your browser may not remove an old cookie and ANGEL will have trouble setting a new one. This causes a session expired error that appears over and over. You can fix this by clearing the cookies in the browser. Browsers also often keep a copy of webpages you visit on the hard drive to make later visits appear faster. This can cause problems in ANGEL as you may receive an old cached page instead of a new one in ANGEL. If you are seeing content from one course in a different course this is likely the culprit. You can usually fix this by clearing your cache. It is recommended to clear your cache and cookies before logging into ANGEL for an Exam.

Clearing Cache and Cookies in Internet Explorer

To clear your cache and cookies in Internet Explorer go to Tools > Internet Options. On the General tab of Internet Options you should see two buttons labelled "Delete Files" and "Delete Cookies". You will want to press both of these buttons (hit OK if prompted) and then hit OK to exit Internet Options. If this has not been done recently it may take some time for this to finish.

Clearing Cache and Cookies in Firefox

To clear your cache and cookies in Firefox you will want to go to Tools > Options (Firefox > Preferences on a Mac) and choose the Privacy tab. You will want to press the "Clear" button that's next to Cache and the one next to Cookies. You can then hit OK to go back to your browser window.

What Help is Available?

You can receive personal help 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-500-1554. There are also other helpful resources available:

• ANGEL Online Documentation ↗ - Information for both students and faculty including Getting Started guides.
• ANGEL Online Training ↗ - In-depth tutorials (including some video) on how to use ANGEL for both Faculty and Students
• ANGEL Tips and Tricks ↗ - Advanced topics for Instructors
• vuDAT Breakfast Series ↗ - Presentations regarding online learning.
• ANGEL Training ↗ - Multiple training classes are available from beginning to advanced.