What are the SAM 2007 System Requirements?

If you want to install SAM 2007 on your own computer, go to SAM Central at http://samcentral.course.com/systemreqs_2007.cfm?ver=2007
for specific hardware and software requirements.

I had a SAM account before this year. How does that affect me?

The SAM 2007 student accounts from academic year 2007-2008 are still available with the same SAM UserID and SAM Password as before.
Your SAM 2007 UserName will still be the same as your UMD email address (for example, jdoe1234@d.umn.edu ).
You can get your SAM 2007 password as described below at How do I get my SAM 2007 Password and login to SAM 2007 for the First Time?

The old SAM 2003 student accounts are no longer available.

How can I install SAM 2007 version 3.0 on my own computer?

Students with a SAM 2007 account can install SAM 2007 software on their own computer(s) as follows.

1. Make sure that your computer meets the SAM 2007 system requirements described at SAM Central at URL http://samcentral.course.com/systemreqs_2007.cfm?ver=2007
   
   
2. If necessary, uninstall any previous unsuccessful attempt to install SAM 2007.
   In Windows Vista use the commands Windows Orb > Control Panel > Programs and Features.
   In Windows XP use the commands Start > Control Panel > Add/Remove Programs.
   
   
3. SAM 2007 requires the Microsoft® .NET 3.0 Framework.
   If you are running Windows VISTA the Microsoft® .NET 3.0 Framework is already installed, so go on to the next step.
   If you are running Windows XP and the Microsoft® .NET 3.0 Framework is not already installed, then
   download dotnetfx3.exe (51MB file) and run the dotnetfx3.exe file.
   Be patient with this rather long download and setup process.
   
   
4. The Adobe Flash Player should be installed on your machine.
   The Adobe Flash Player ver 9.0 is a free download from http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash
   This Adobe Flash Player download and install normally takes only a few seconds.
   
   
   At the "Adobe Flash Player Download Center: Windows" screen
   uncheck the "get Google toolbar" checkbox (unless you really do want the Google toolbar)
   check the "I agree" checkbox to agree to the copyright, and
   click the "Install Now" button.
   
   
5. Do the First time SAM Login process to have your SAM Password emailed to you.
   
   
6. The SAM Content Player must be installed to run SAM 2007 ver 3.0 on your own computer.
   Download and run SAM Content Player installer setup.exe (26 MB file).
   
   An alternate download source for the very latest version of the SAM Content Player is as follows:
   Login to SAM 2007 and on the right side of the screen click the link to begin downloading and installation of the SAM Content Player.
   Follow the on screen instructions and help screens for details to guide you through this process.
   
   Note: the SAM Content Player in the labs is programmed to detect whether or not the latest version of the SAM Content Player is installed.
   
   
7. The CourseAssess Web Client must be installed to run SAM 2007 CourseAssess exams on your own computer.
   Download and run CourseAssess_Web_Client installer CourseAssess_WebClient.exe (5 MB file).
   
   An alternate download source is as follows:
   If necessary, Login to SAM 2007 again, and on the right side of the screen click the link to begin downloading and installation of the CourseAssess Web Client.
   Follow the on screen instructions and help screens for details to guide you through this process.
   
   
8. When the above steps are successfully completed SAM 2007 ver 3.0 is installed on your own computer.
   
   

How can I set up my Web browser to run SAM 2007?

Go to http://sam2007.course.com and look at the right side of the screen under "Login Help"
Click the link to "Recommended browser settings" which will play a video help file with details.

How can I get help from Thomson/Course Technology Technical Support?

Go to http://sam2007.course.com and look at the right side of the screen under "Technical Support."

How do I get my SAM 2007 Password and login to SAM 2007 for the first time?

Introduction: The SAM Administrator, Dr. Person, will set up a SAM 2007 Username and SAM 2007 Password for each student enrolled in the following Fall Semester, 2008, classes:

• FMIS 2201-1,2 IT in Business: 9:30 - 10:45 TTh, LSBE 118, Dr. Li
• FMIS 2201-3,4 IT in Business: 11:00 - 11:50 MWF, LSBE 118, Dr. Person
• FMIS 2201-5,6 IT in Business: 12:00 - 12:50 MWF, LSBE 118, Dr. Person
• New MBA admits to satisfy the MBA Skill Requirement

If you are adding one of these sections, your instructor will request the Sam Administrator to set up a new SAM account for you after your course add permission number is obtained.

Your SAM Username is the same as your 18-character UMD email address (for example, jdoe1234@d.umn.edu ).
Your SAM Password has been stored in your initial SAM profile, and will be emailed to you when you click the "Forgot your password?" link described below.

First, go to a machine that has the SAM 2007 ver 3.0 software installed.
On the UMD Campus these options are available depending on the fees you have paid.

• If you paid the Full Access fee, you can go to a UMD Full Access Computer Lab such as Library 118, where the SAM 2007 software is already installed.
  Fill in the Novell login screen with your 8-character UMD userid and UMD password.
  

Secondly, you must Run a production version of Microsoft® Internet Explorer, either
Microsoft® Internet Explorer IE 6, or Internet Explorer IE 7

1. In your Web browser go to the "SAM 2007 Login" URL http://sam2007.course.com/
   
   
2. Click the "Forgot your password?" link near the bottom of the screen.
   If you do not see this link, click the Maximize button to enlarge the "SAM Login" window and scroll down to the bottom of the SAM Login screen.
   Do *not* click the "New User" button.
   
   
3. On the "Please enter your username and select from the options listed... " dialog box,
   next to "username" type your 18-character SAM Username which is the same as your complete UMD email address (for example, jdoe1234@d.umn.edu )
   click the radio select button for "send the password to the email address listed in my profile"
   
   click the Submit button
   
   
4. The next screen is a confirmation message "Your password has been emailed to your SAM 2007 email address."
   Click the OK button to clear this message box.
   
   
5. After a few minutes have passed, run your favorite email program and check your UMD email inbox for a new message
   from sam@course.com
   with subject "SAM 2007: requested password"
   Open this message and your 6-character SAM 2007 Password will appear in the body of this message.
   
   
6. Assuming you have received your SAM Password,
   run Microsoft® Internet Explorer and go to http://sam2007.course.com/
   
   On the "SAM Login" screen,
   next to "username" type your 18-character SAM Username
   Your SAM Username is the same as your 18-character UMD email address (for example, jdoe1234@d.umn.edu )
   next to "password" type your 6-character SAM Password that was emailed to you.
   and then click the Login button.
   
   
7. Enter the UMD LSBE Institution Key which is V7976837 and click "OK."
   
   If the institution verification is "U of Minnesota - Duluth," click "OK".
   Otherwise, click "Cancel."
   
   
8. Verify the information in your SAM User Profile.
   If you want to change your SAM Password you can do so on this screen.
   
   
9. Click the "I agree" button to accept the SAM license agreement.
   
   
10. The "WELCOME" screen will appear next.
    On this screen you may download complete instructions on how to use the SAM software if you wish.
    However, this SAM "Help" documentation is also available on the SAM "Assignments" screen described below.
    Click "OK" to continue.
    
    
    

I clicked "New User" and tried to set up my own profile, but can't login to SAM now.

You will need to contact the SAM Administrator, Dr. Person and mention that you tried to set up your own profile, and are now having trouble logging in to SAM.
In your message include your own full name, your UMD Student Number, the new SAM username that you tried to specify in your new SAM profile, and the course and section you are enrolled in.

When you receive notification that your SAM Username has been activated, you can try logging in again with your new profile.

SAM 2007 TRAINING AND EXAMINATIONS:

How do I find my SAM Training Link or my SAM Exam Link?

• After you log into SAM 2007 and choose the "SAM Assignments" main menu item, some students are having trouble finding the active link to a SAM 2007 Training or a SAM 2007 Exam Assignment.
  First, if necessary, make sure that you use the Section: drop down menu arrow to select the proper Section.
  Secondly, the SAM Assignment Status: selection defaults to "All" which is not a problem.
  
  
• The essential problem seems to be that SAM 2007 initially assumes a "From: selection date that is the current date (today's run date).
  However, to get this version of SAM 2007 to work properly,
  the "From: selection date must be manually set to a day that is on or before the date the instructor scheduled the training or exam to be available.
  The confusion for students is that they may not recall that particular "From: date easily.
  
  
• Our workaround is to change the date in the "From: box to a date much earlier than today's date.
  
  A convenient "From: date that works for well is something near the first day of the current semester.
  An easy way to do this is to click the icon for the "From: calendar date and select a much earlier date.
  For example, for Fall Semester, 2007, you could choose "From: September 1, 2007.
  
  
• You can leave the "To: calendar date blank to select assignments into the future.
  

When I try to launch a SAM Exam, a dialog box comes up asking me if I want to Save or Open the file. No matter which option I choose, SAM will not launch the exam.

SAM is a Client/Server Application.
This means that the SAM 2007 client software that should be installed on your machine is designed to work cooperatively with the software that manages the sAM database on the Course Technology SAM server.
This message indicates that you do not have the SAM 2007 client software installed on the machine you are using.

If you are trying to run SAM from your own personal computer, you must first install the SAM software on your own machine.

When I try to launch a SAM exam I get the following message
“C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
can't find content_interface[1].sif”.
What should I do?

You will need to clean out your temporary internet files to launch the exam.

Please follow these directions:

1) In Internet Explorer on the main menu select Tools and select Internet Options
2) Under the General tab click Delete Files and click Clear History
3) Close the Internet Explorer Tools... Internet Options... window and try SAM again.

Note, in Microsoft® Windows XP the location of your Temporary Internet Files folder is typically user-specific, something like:

C:\Documents and Settings\{username}\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

(where {username} is replaced with actual username)

This location, as applicable to the current user login, can also be checked by, in IE, selecting: Tools, Internet Options, Settings (button).

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Credits:
Some of these FAQs are adapted from "SAM Central" at http://samcentral.course.com
Copyright © 2007 by Course Technology/Thomsom. All rights reserved.

Email icon copyright by IconBAZAAR and used here by permission.

Comments to: hperson@d.umn.edu
Page Author: Henry B. Person, Ph.D.
Page URL: http://www.d.umn.edu/~hperson/SAM/sam2007faq.htm
Page Last Updated: Wednesday, 10-Sep-2008 10:41:11 CDT

The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author.
The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of Minnesota.