Respondus LockDown Browser

Some exams require that you use the Respondus Lockdown Browser. When using the Lockdown Browser, you will be unable to print, copy, go to another URL, or access other applications.  When an assessment is started, you will be locked in until it is submitted for grading.

Trouble Shooting "Help Center" Button in Respondus



We strongly recommend using an Ethernet (wired) Internet connection while taking your exam in Lockdown Browser. If you lose your Internet connection during the exam, it will lock up the browser and not allow you to save answers, move on to other questions, submit or exit the exam.

To install Respondus Lockdown Browser on your personal computer:

  1. Download and install UW's Installer for Respondus Lockdown Browser. Instructions for downloading and installing can be found here.

 

In order to install Respondus Lockdown Browser, you will need to have administrative privileges on the computer on which it will be installed. Also be aware that if you are installing this software on a work related machine, there may be software that is pre-installed on the system that may interfere with Respondus Lockdown Browser. If you begin having problems when using a work related machine, try using a non-work computer and see if you continue to have problems.

To take an exam in the Lockdown Browser, follow the steps below:

  1. Close all open programs or applications.
  2. Open the LockDown browser by clicking the icon on your computer’s desktop, or your programs or applications folder.

Important Note:

You may be prompted to close any programs or windows that are still open. Select the option to close these programs from the prompts that appear. Sometimes the LockDown browser will be unable to close an application. You will need to manually close these applications before you can proceed.

  1. From the Lockdown Browser, log in to Canvas at wyocourses.uwyo.edu
  2. Go to the course which has the exam you want to take.
  3. Take the test and submit it as you would normally.
  4. Log-out and close Lockdown browser.

Introduction to LockDown Browser for Canvas

Video Discription
This video shows how LockDown Browser works within Canvas courses. When students use LockDown Browser they are unable to print, copy, go to another website, or access other applications.

 

Preparing a Quiz for Use with LockDown Browser in Canvas for Instructors

Video Discription
A brief overview on what instructors should expect when preparing a quiz in Respondus LockDown Browser.

 

Introduction to Respondus LockDown Browser for Students

Video Discription
A brief overview on what students should know about Respondus LockDown Browser.

Troubleshooting Respondus LockDown Browser

LockDown Browser
  • Shares properties with IE if on Windows machine
  • Shares properties with Safari if on a Mac.
  • Security Settings in browser

Windows
  • IE has to be set to default security levels
    • Anything higher and JavaScript cannot be ran and cookies won’t be sent or received causing login and test taking errors.
  • IE has to be 7.0 or higher
  • If IE has some sort of infection or not working properly, the LockDown Browser could error.

Mac 
  • OSX 10.5 or higher
  • Safari must be in proper working order. 

If you experience errors while taking a test through the LockDown Browser, check your security settings in IE and the overall functionality of IE. IE should be reset to default security levels, and the exam should be tried again.

 

The following tips may help to correct other problems encountered with Lockdown Browser.

Only use Respondus LockDown Browser for testing purposes.

If you attempt to use the browser to access additional course content, like lecture notes or worksheets, it may cause the program to encounter a problem and freeze or close. This usually occurs when the content you are attempting to access is a Word, PowerPoint or Adobe Acrobat related file. The browser cannot open the external program needed to run these files because of the browser’s restricted nature and it creates an internal error with the software. If you need to view these files, please use a regular browser like Mozilla Firefox.

If you are having problems installing LockDown Browser on a Windows system, we recommend the following additional steps:

  1. Directly log into a system as a local administrator with full rights. Do not use “Switch User” or a “Remote Access” connection.

    Important Note:

    Logging in as a non-administrator and then using “Run as Administrator” may not set the correct permissions.

  2. Temporarily disable all security software. Contact the IT Help Desk for additional assistance in disabling your security software.
  3. Download Respondus LockDown Browser. Do not “Google” for a link because these are campus specific.
  4. When you start running the installer and get to the large button “LockDown Browser Click to install”, instead click the link “Problems with the installation program? Click here”. You will be presented with an option to extract the files to a location of your choosing.
  5. Go to the folder you extracted the files and run “setup.exe”.
  6. Start the LockDown Browser to verify installation and then quit the LockDown Browser.
  7. Re-enable any security software.

Because the LockDown Browser is a shell that sits on top of an Internet browser (Internet Explorer for PC users and Safari for Mac Users), we recommend students access their course with either Internet Explorer or Safari and take a non-LDB enabled practice quiz to resolve any settings and media plug-ins prior to taking a test with LockDown Browser.

For Windows systems, we suggest relaxing any security settings to “medium”, add “LockDown.exe” as a trusted application and “*.uwyo.edu” address as a trusted site in any security software.

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We strongly recommend using an Ethernet (wired) Internet connection with a speed of at least 512 Kbps or higher while taking your exam in LockDown Browser. If you use a wireless, USB modem, laptop connect card, or mobile hotspot connection during an exam, you are more likely to run into problems due to dropped/interrupted connections to the Canvas server. This is because the Canvas server is more bandwidth intensive (especially during exams) than normal Internet surfing.

If you lose your Internet connection during the exam, it will lock up the browser and not allow you to save answers, move on to other questions, submit or exit the exam. Ethernet connections are the most stable connection to the Canvas servers. If you have a router, plugging directly into it when taking exams will reduce the chances of connection interruptions.

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If you are getting an error when you attempt to open the LockDown Browser that says “You may not have the appropriate permissions to access the item”, it may be an issue with the permissions on your system or antivirus software.

Respondus LockDown Browser uses the same HTML engine, system components and settings as Internet Explorer (Windows) and Safari (Macintosh). Basically, LockDown Browser provides a custom interface for the Internet Explorer (Windows) or Safari (Mac) browsers that are already installed.

We recommend completely uninstalling the software and doing a new installation while directly logged into the system as a local administrator with full rights (see instructions above for full details).

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This occurs when there is a second level link being accessed from a primary level link. However, link blocking usually does not occur until the student enters a quiz and starts accessing links within a quiz. Usually, this comes from configuration issues with the underlying Internet Explorer browser components.

To resolve this issue, please try the following:
  • Start Internet Explorer and first go to Tools.
  • From the Tools menu, select Internet Options.
  • Inside the Internet Options dialog box under the General select Browsing History.
  • Hit Delete to clear the browser cache and related areas.
  • Finally, if you are running any third-party toolbars or add-ons, remove them from Internet Explorer.

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The LockDown Browser is programmed to detect when conflicting programs are still running and will request that you close these programs. Some programs like the Dell Dock and Google Toolbar run as a background process on your computer and will have to be shutdown before you can proceed in the LockDown Browser. You can usually turn these programs off through the task tray or, in the case of the Dell Dock, by right clicking on the application and clicking Exit.

In some rare instances, these programs running in the background can cause the LockDown Browser to lock up or stop responding. Programs that use Java or the Internet such iTunes and other media managers, file sharing agents like Bittorent, and instant messenger applications have a higher risk of causing the LockDown Browser to lock up. It is best to close every program on your computer before starting the LockDown Browser.

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If the LockDown Browser stops responding before you start an exam or if you see a blank page that fills the computer screen, this could be due to security windows that have popped up behind the LockDown browser. If you have not started the exam, close the browser and address the security pop-up windows. You should be able to reopen the browser without issue. However, if you have started the exam, the only known workaround is to restart your computer and address the pop-up windows before beginning the exam.

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LockDown Browser Stops Responding

If you lose your Internet connection while taking an exam or if you have outdated and/or multiple Java installations, the LockDown Browser and your computer may stop responding or freeze. Currently, the only way to resolve this issue is to do a hard shutdown (i.e. unplugging all power from the computer including power cables and/or batteries if you are using a laptop). If you are missing your Start Menu, Task Bar or are unable to access the Task Manager after doing a hard reboot, you can restore these applications by restarting the LockDown Browser and exiting the software properly.

Depending on your system, this could take several minutes and will cause you to lose time on the exam. In most cases, as long as the time has not expired, it should let you back into the exam. As soon as you have completed the exam, immediately e-mail your instructor to let them know what happened.

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Occasionally, Respondus will release a new version of the LockDown Browser. When a new version of LockDown Browser becomes available, the system will prompt you to update your installation of the software.

Whenever you update your LockDown Browser, you may also want to do the following:

  1. Make sure your system is up-to-date by installing all necessary system updates. You will also want to make sure you have the latest version of Internet Explorer for Windows users and Safari for Mac users.
  2. Make sure you only have one version of the most recent Java installed on your system.

Important Note:

Macintosh users should be aware that Apple supplies their own version of Java for all operating systems prior to OS X 10.7 Lion. For Macintosh operating systems prior to Lion, use the Software Update feature (available through the Apple menu) to check for Java updates.

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Respondus 4.0 Exam Converter - Information for Faculty

Respondus logo

The Respondus 4.0 Exam Converter enables faculty to 1) download and convert eCollege exams into Canvas quizzes, 2) convert exams composed in Word to Canvas quizzes, or 3) import selected publishers' question banks into your Canvas course. 

Follow the AskIT instructions, How to Install Respondus 4.0 from the UW Network. 

Respondus 4.0 exam converter is only available for Windows PC computers. If you are a Mac user, you may be able to install a virtual drive, such as Parallels. Contact your IT user consultant for recommendations and assistance. Or, the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning has a computer with Respondus 4.0 installed and available to faculty. 

Downloading Respondus from the UW network from off-campus requires users to access the network through WyoSecure.  Information on WyoSecure can be found here

 

How to retrieve and convert eCollege exams to Canvas quizzes

Video Discription
Do you use multiple learning management systems? Is your institution switching learning systems? This brief video from "Dr. Bob" shows how to move an assessment from one LMS to another with Respondus 4.0 — all in about 3 minutes.

 

How to retrieve eCollege exams, and convert and save them to the QTI format (recommended when the upload to Canvas fails)

Video Discription
This video shows how to export assessment questions from Respondus 4 to an IMS QTI format.

 

How to prepare, convert, and upload MS Word-prepared exams

Video Discription
This video shows how to publish assessment questions to a Canvas course from Respondus 4.

 

How to import publishers' question banks

Video Discription
Learn how to use Respondus 4.0 and publisher test banks. There is no faster way to create exams and publish them to an online course!

Respondus 4.0 Exam Converter Resources:


Support:

  • Contact the WyoCourses instructional support team for assistance on using Respondus 4.0 Exam Converter.
  • Contact Respondus Technical Support for failures or errors with the Respondus 4.0 Exam Converter. If the Knowledge Base doesn't answer your question, submit your question or problem through the Ticket-based Support option.