Getting Started

• Which course management systems does Respondus 2 support? Answer
• How can I upgrade to Respondus 2 from Respondus 1.x? Answer
• I purchased a copy of Respondus and installed it on my work computer. How do I install a legal copy on my home computer? (Similar Question: I need to reinstall Respondus on my computer but the activation password I purchased no longer works. What do I do?) Answer
• I downloaded and installed the Respondus software, but when I start the program it indicates that a password is needed to activate the installation. Where do I get this password? Answer
• I downloaded Respondus and entered the activation password, but it indicates that the password is incorrect. Answer
• I filled out the online registration form for a 30-day activation password for Respondus but I haven't received my activation password by e-mail. Answer
• What resources explain how to use the Respondus software? Answer

Technical and "How to" Questions

• Respondus isn't connecting to my Blackboard, eCollege, or WebCT server during the Publish step. Answer
• I'm having problems downloading a Respondus-formatted test bank for a textbook I adopted from a publisher. What should I do? Answer
• The exam projects I previously created with an earlier version of Respondus BB (Blackboard Edition) aren't listed when I use the "Open" task. How do I find these project files? Answer
• When I try to create a new file or open an existing file, Respondus generates an error message. What should I do? Answer
• I created a file in Respondus Lite but it does not appear in the list of files when I use Respondus 2. Answer
• Are files created in Respondus LE compatible with the full version of Respondus, and vice versa? Answer
• Can a Respondus 2 file be converted to Respondus 1.5 format? Answer
• How do I replace the Equation Editor in Respondus with MathType by Design Science? Answer
• Are non-English dictionaries available for the Spell Check task? Answer
• Is there a way to assign new point values to questions in a Respondus file without having to "modify" each question from the Edit menu? Answer
• Respondus indicates that the exam was submitted successfully, so why doesn't it appear to students? Answer
• When I click the Preview button, Respondus generates an error message. Why? Answer
• My Respondus software is crashing when I do even simple things. What should I do? Answer
• I moved the Respondus Projects folder and now I can't open or create new files. What now? Answer
• I'm not able to select the Equation Editor from the Respondus toolbar. Why not? Answer

Additional FAQs

Additional FAQs for WebCT users
Additional FAQs for Blackboard users
Additional FAQs for eCollege users

Getting Started

Which course management systems does Respondus 2 support?
Respondus 2 offers seamless integration and support of Blackboard 5 and higher, WebCT 2.1 and higher, WebCT Vista 2.0 and higher, and eCollege AU+ (Note that WebCT Vista integration is only available to institutions that have a Respondus Campus-wide License). Respondus also supports the IMS QTI which makes it an ideal authoring system for QTI-compliant e-learning systems (e.g., Perception by Questionmark).

How can I upgrade to Respondus 2 from Respondus 1.x?
The upgrade to Respondus 2 is free if you previously purchased Respondus 1.x or Respondus BB 1.x. (Aren't we nice!) If you install Respondus 2 to the same computer where Respondus 1.x is installed, you will not be prompted for licensing information. It is also possible to reinstall or install Respondus 2 to a different computer. (Note: If you obtain your Respondus software through a campus-wide site license, you must also obtain the Respondus 2 upgrade from your on-campus source. That is, you aren't able to download and install the standard version of Respondus 2 from our website because the licensing system works differently.)

I purchased a copy of Respondus and installed it on my work computer. How do I install a legal copy on my home computer? (Similar Question: I need to reinstall Respondus on my computer but the activation password I purchased no longer works. What do I do?)
Click here to read a complete explanation on this issue.

I downloaded and installed the Respondus software, but when I start the program it indicates that a password is needed to activate the installation. Where do I get this password?
Go to the registration section of www.respondus.com. You have the option to purchase a permanent activation password or request a 30-day activation password. In either case you will be asked to enter the Product ID# that appears when you start the Respondus software. The activation password will be e-mailed to you as soon as you submit the form to either purchase an activation password or obtain a 30-day activation password.

I downloaded Respondus and entered the activation password, but it indicates that the password is incorrect.
If your institution has a campus-wide site license for Respondus, you are likely encountering this problem because you are trying to use a campus-wide password with the standard version of Respondus available from our website. What you need to do is contact the authorized support contact at your institution to obtain the campus-wide version of Respondus that was supplied to your institution. Your activation password will work with that version of the software.

If you downloaded the single-user version of Respondus from our website, and the single-user password we sent you doesn't work, it generally means that the password is intended for an installation of Respondus on a different computer. A unique password is required for each installation of the Respondus software even if the same installation program is used on multiple computers. When the Respondus software is started for the first time, it will display a unique Product ID#. Go to the registration section of www.respondus.com and enter the product number when prompted. The password for that particular installation of Respondus will be e-mailed to you.

I filled out the online registration form for a 30-day activation password for Respondus but I haven't received my activation password by e-mail.
The e-mail that contains the activation password is generated within a few seconds of when you submit the registration form. There are several reasons why the e-mail might not arrive, such as a bad e-mail address, problems with your e-mail server, delays across the Internet, etc. Sometimes e-mail servers have settings that reject e-mail from other specific mail servers (e.g., spam blockers). If the e-mail doesn't arrive within 15 minutes, try submitting the online registration form again. You might also try using a different e-mail address. (Note: Free e-mail services like Hotmail, and Yahoo! are known delayed e-mails and service outages.)

What resources explain how to use the Respondus software?
You can obtain context-sensitive help by pressing the F1 key from anywhere in Respondus. Or select "Help" from the menu bar. Comprehensive User Guides for Respondus and Respondus LE can also be downloaded from this web site.

Technical and "How to" Answers

Respondus isn't connecting to my Blackboard, eCollege, or WebCT server during the Publish step.
First, make sure that you have selected the "user personality" in Respondus that matches your course management system. For example, if you are using Blackboard 6, you can't have the Blackboard 5 personality selected.

Second, make sure that you are running the latest version of Respondus. If you are running Respondus 2, you can go to Help>Check for Update to see if you are running the latest version.

Finally, make sure that the server settings you entered into Respondus for your course are correct. Here are a few things to check:

• Make sure your connection to the Internet is working properly.
• Check that the URL for the server is entered properly (see the Respondus User Guide or on-line Help for additional information).
• Double-check the Password and User ID information. In fact, open your browser and log into your course using the identical information. This will confirm that your server is up-and-running and that your User ID and Password are correct.
• Make sure your port number is correct. (WebCT Users: If your WebCT URL ends with a number like 8900, set the port number to that number--but don't include this number in the URL. If your WebCT URL isn't followed by a number, use "80" as the port number.)
• If your course management system is using a secure server (https://), select the appropriate setting from the list (this issue only applies to WebCT and Blackboard users).

If you are still unable to get Respondus to connect properly with your course, you will need to provide us access to your course (URL, user name, password, course name) so that we can look into the situation for you.

I'm having problems downloading a Respondus-formatted test bank for a textbook I adopted from a publisher. What should I do?
Publishers are making test banks available in Respondus format. The publisher will provide a "file code" and password that enables instructors to download test banks using their Respondus software. If you received a file code and password from a publisher and you are having difficulty downloading the Respondus-formatted test bank, please read the following:

• You must be running Respondus 2.0 or Respondus LE 2.0 or higher. To make sure you are running the latest version, start Respondus, select "Help" from the menu bar, and select "Check for Update."
• Make sure your connection to the Internet is working properly.
• If this is your first time downloading a Respondus-formatted test bank, you may want to view the demo movie "Downloading a Publisher Test Bank."
• If the Respondus software indicates that the file code or password is incorrect, carefully double-check the information you've entered. If the problem persists, request that the test bank information be sent to you again (it's possible that the file code or password has changed since the time you received it).
• If the problem persists, send an e-mail to support@respondus.com and provide complete details regarding the problem. Include all information that was provided by the publisher including the textbook title, file code, and password. Please note that Respondus staff cannot send file codes or passwords for a publisher test bank directly to an instructor. Even when a test bank request is initiated from the Respondus.com website, these are automatically forwarded to the publisher for verification. Only the publisher can provide an instructor the file code and password for a test bank.
• For more advanced troubleshooting on this issue, please click here.

The exam projects I previously created with an earlier version of Respondus BB (Blackboard Edition) aren't listed when I use the "Open" task. How do I find these project files?
The default location for projects created in Respondus BB was "c:\Respondus Blackboard". Since Respondus 2.0 supports multiple course management systems, the default location for project files has been standardized at "c:\Respondus Projects". In order to access files previously created with Respondus, you have three options:

1. Use Windows Explorer (or My Computer) to go to c:\Respondus Blackboard. Highlight all the Respondus folders that appear here and copy them to "c:\Respondus Projects". Your Respondus files will be displayed the next time you use the "Open" task in Respondus.
2. Within Respondus, select the "Open" task, click the "Browse" button, and go to "c:\Respondus Blackboard" (or the location on your hard drive where your Respondus BB files are located). Highlight the file you want to copy to the Respondus projects folder and click Open. (Only one file at a time can be copied using this process.)
3. Run the Respondus 2 installation program again and specify "c:\Respondus Blackboard" (or the location on your hard drive where your Respondus BB files are located) as the folder where projects should be stored. Respondus will then look for files at this location when the Open task is used.

When I try to create a new file or open an existing file, Respondus generates an error message. What should I do?
This problem occurs if the folder containing your Respondus projects is manually moved (the default location for this folder is "c:\Respondus Projects"). If you want to specify a different location for the Respondus projects folder, you must do so during the installation of Respondus.

If you moved your projects folder and are encountering this problem, you have two choices. First, you can reinstall Respondus and specify the desired location for your projects folder. (Don't worry, reinstalling Respondus won't affect your exam projects, neither will it require you to deal with licensing issues.) Second, you can move the folder back to its original location so Respondus can again locate the exams and related files. (Note: if you reinstall Respondus and want to open files that are located elsewhere on your hard drive, go to Start > Open (in Respondus) and then "browse" to the file so that it may be copied to the new location of your projects folder.)

I created a file in Respondus Lite but it does not appear in the list of files when I use Respondus 2.
Respondus Lite is no longer distributed by Respondus, but you can open existing Respondus Lite files with Respondus 2 by following these steps:

• From the Start menu, select the [Open] button
• Click the [Browse] button and locate the file you want to convert (the default folder for Respondus Lite was c:\Respondus Projects).

After locating and selecting the Respondus Lite file, the following prompt will appear: "File Copied to Projects Folder". The file will now appear in the Projects directory in Respondus.

Are files created in Respondus LE compatible with the full version of Respondus, and vice versa?
Respondus LE and Respondus 2 use the same file format, so files are fully compatible with each other.

Can a Respondus 2 file be converted to Respondus 1.5 format?
Yes. Go to the File task on the menu bar and select the "Save as Copy" option. You will see the option for saving a file to Respondus 1.5 format. (Note: Be sure to select the "user personality" in Respondus 2 that matches the Respondus 1.5 format to which the file is being saved. For example, if you want the file to be usable with Respondus BB 1.5 (the Blackboard edition), then you should first select the "Blackboard" personality in Respondus before doing the save.)

How do I replace the Equation Editor in Respondus with MathType by Design Science?
If MathType was installed before Respondus, you will need to reinstall MathType in order for it to establish the necessary link to Respondus. MathType searches and establishes its links to programs like Respondus during its own installation and setup. Unfortunately, we are not able to establish this link automatically when Respondus is installed.

Are non-English dictionaries available for the Spell Check task?
Yes. A free bundle of supplemental dictionaries can be downloaded from the Respondus website. Included are French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Finnish, and a comprehensive medical dictionary.

Is there a way to assign new point values to questions in a Respondus file without having to "modify" each question from the Edit menu?
If you are importing questions from a text file, or if the questions are being created new, you can go to the File menu, select Preferences, and change the default setting for point values to any number you prefer. However, if the questions were previously created and different point values were assigned, you can use the Exam Wizard to assign point values according to question types (e.g., all multiple choice questions can be assigned 2 points, all short answer questions 5 points, all paragraph questions 10 points, etc.), or you can change the point values for individual questions just by editing the "points" column. In the latter case, these are the steps to follow:

1. Select the "Exam Wizard" from the Start menu.
2. Select the option to "Create a new exam and copy questions to it..."
3. Provide a name and description for the new exam that will be created during this process (this process actually requires you to create a new exam file that will contain questions with the desired point values).
4. When prompted to select a file, select the file in which you want to modify the point values. Click [Next} to continue.
5. Select the file again from the "Source File" pull-down list that appears.
6. The table then indicates the number of questions available for each question type. Let's say there are 50 multiple choice questions in the source file and you want to change the point values for each of these questions to 2. You start by typing 50 in the "Number to select" field (this will select all 50 questions) and then you type "2" in the "Points per question" column. Repeat this for each question type (e.g., paragraph, short answer, etc.). Any question types that you do not assign a new point value will retain their original values.
7. When you are finished assigning point values, click the [Add to End of List] button. This will copy all the questions from the top grid to the lower grid. Notice that the "Points" column reflects the new point values you selected.
8. To modify individual point values in the lower list, simply click within the "Points" cell for a given question and enter a new value. Click [Next] to complete the copying of the questions to the new file. The new file will now have the desired point values.

Respondus indicates that the exam was submitted successfully, so why doesn't it appear to students?
An exam must be made available to students before students can see it in their online course. You can determine the availability settings for an exam in Respondus and submit this information with the exam, or you can determine these settings in your online course after the exam has been submitted.

When I click the Preview button, Respondus generates an error message. Why?
If you have an early version of Windows 95 or NT4 and if Internet Explorer 4.x or higher isn't installed on your computer, Respondus will generate an error message when the Preview button is selected. That's because the Preview task in Respondus utilizes the Internet Explorer software that was later integrated into the Windows operating system. Windows 95 and NT4 users can solve this problem by installing Internet Explorer 4.x or higher (it doesn't have to be the default browser). The only other solution is to avoid selecting the preview option.

My Respondus software is crashing when I do even simple things. What should I do?
If Respondus is crashing when you attempt even simple things (eg., creating a file, adding a question) it probably means that the installation has become corrupted. Program files can be corrupted when other programs are installed, when a computer has a bad crash, and for numerous other reasons. Usually the best and easiest solution is to reinstall a fresh copy of Respondus to your computer. If your institution has a campus license, obtain the most recent installation program from the contact person at your institution. If you have a single-user license of Respondus you can download the current installation program from the Respondus website.

During the reinstallation of Respondus, you won't have to worry about entering activation passwords since this information will be automatically detected. Also, you can reinstall over the existing copy of Respondus (there's no need to uninstall it first). Finally, you don't have to worry about your existing data files (your exam files) because these are stored in a folder that won't be affected by a reinstallation.

I moved the Respondus Projects folder and now I can't open or create new files. What now?
The Respondus Projects folder (which stores your data files) cannot be moved after Respondus is installed. Doing so will prevent Respondus from being able to open existing files, creating new files, or uploading exams to a course management system—it's a show stopper! If you moved your Respondus Projects folder, you have two choices. First, you can move it back to it's original location (if you accepted the default location during the original installation, that location would be c:\Respondus Projects). Second, you can run the Respondus installation program again and specify the desired location of the Respondus Projects folder at that time. Respondus will then be able to access the files from that new location.

I'm not able to select the Equation Editor from the Respondus toolbar. Why not?
During the installation of Respondus, you are asked whether you want to install the Equation Editor. If you don't answer affirmatively to this prompt, the Equation Editor won't be installed. The easiest solution is to run the Respondus installation program again and answer "yes" when asked if you want the Equation Editor installed. Note that reinstalling Respondus doesn't require you to enter your activation password again, nor does it affect your Respondus data (exam) files.

Additional FAQs

Additional FAQs for WebCT users
Additional FAQs for Blackboard users
Additional FAQs for eCollege users