System Requirements July 2017
Contents Overview to the SAM System Requirements Guide 3 Setting Up Your Computer 4 Workstation Requirements 4 Necessary Software 5 Disk Protection Software 5 Monitor Resolution 6 Tips for Macintosh Users 7 System Check 8 Setting Up Your Browser 9 Enabling JavaScript 9 Setting Up Pop-Ups (IE Only) 11 Disabling Pop-Up Blockers 12 Disabling Ad Blockers 14 Zooming in and out 15 Logging into SAM as a New User 17 Logging in the First Time as a Pre-registered Student 22 Profile Information 24 Grace Periods 25 Forgot Password 26 Existing Users 28 Logging Out 30 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 2 -
Overview to the SAM System Requirements Guide SAM (Skills Assessment Manager) is a web-based application that measures student proficiency in Microsoft Office software and technology-related topics. SAM teaches Microsoft Word, Excel, Power- Point, Access, Outlook and Internet Explorer in addition to foundational computer concepts. SAM uses skill-based assessments, interactive training, real-world projects and just-in-time remediation to help students learn essential computing skills. This document covers the system requirements for the SAM 2013, 365/2016, and Keyboarding versions. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 3 -
Setting Up Your Computer You need to ensure you have the following computer settings to run SAM. Workstation Requirements Each workstation running a SAM product must meet the following minimum system requirements: Computer Audio and video Requirement Details Processor: Intel Pentium 4 or higher processor required; Intel Centrino or an equivalent multicore processor recommended Memory: 1 GB RAM required Operating Systems: Windows 7 32-or 64-bit or Windows 8/8.1 32- or 64-bit; or Macintosh OS X 10.10 or higher Graphics: SVGA Resolution: Minimum recommended 1366x768 Color: 32 bits Video Memory: 64 MB minimum, 128 MB recommended Network Software and Disk Storage Video Card: Modern DirectX compatible Internet Connection: broadband connection (cable, DSL, T1 or ISDN) recommended; persistent connection required Web Browsers: 4 MB Adobe Flash Player: current version and current version -1 supported; versions prior to 11 are not supported: 17.3 MB NOTE: Flash Player is only required for SAM 2013 Training and Exam Assignments Adobe Reader: tested with Version 10 : 47.8 MB For SAM 2013 Projects: Microsoft Office 2013, 365/2016 For SAM 2016 Projects: Microsoft Office 2013, 365/2016 NOTES: 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 4 -
Requirement Details For Mac, some project steps may not be compatible with Office 2013, 365/2016. Refer to your Microsoft documentation for current disk storage requirements For up-to-date system requirements for Microsoft products, refer to the following page on the Microsoft website: For the Windows 7 operating system: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/system-requirements For the Windows 8 operating system: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/system-requirements For the Windows 10 operating system: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-10-specifications#sysreqs Necessary Software SAM requires the following software: Adobe Flash Player: Required to use the SAM Content Player to preview the simulations used in exams and training for SAM 2013 courses. Required for Keyboarding High School versions to support the 2013 assignments. Find a link to this component on the right side of the Home page, under Software. Click the link or go to http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and follow the installation prompts. You need the following versions of Microsoft Office to complete SAM Projects: Microsoft Office 2013 for Windows (specifically Access, Excel, PowerPoint and Word): Needed to complete projects in SAM 2013. You can also use Microsoft Office 365 or 2016 to complete SAM 2013 projects. Microsoft Office 2016 for Windows (specifically Access, Excel, PowerPoint and Word): Needed to complete projects in SAM 2016. NOTE: Cengage does not recommend using Office 2011 for Mac with SAM 2013 Projects. Adobe Reader: Enables you to read the SAM user manuals. Go to http://get.adobe.com/reader/ to download Adobe Reader. Disk Protection Software If your institution uses disk image protection software like Deep Freeze or Clean Slate, install Adobe Flash Player, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Office 2013 and project related Office files in a safe area of the workstation s disk so they are not overwritten by these utilities. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 5 -
Monitor Resolution In order to use the SAM Content Player most effectively, set the monitors to a display resolution of 1366x768 or higher. This setting enables SAM simulations to display fully on a 17-inch or larger monitor. To specify a lower resolution, scroll to view the entire simulation. Check the current resolution and change it using the following procedures: Windows 7 and 8 Adjust the monitor resolution in Windows 7 or 8 using the following procedure: Windows 10 1 Right-click anywhere on your computer Desktop. Result: A shortcut menu displays. 2 On the shortcut menu, click Screen Resolution. Result: The Screen Resolution dialog box displays. 3 On the Resolution menu, select a resolution that is 1366x768 or higher. 4 Record the current setting so you can restore it later if desired. 5 Click OK. Result: The changes save and the Screen Resolution dialog box closes. Adjust the monitor resolution in Windows 10 using the following procedure: Macintosh OS X 1 Right-click anywhere on your computer Desktop. Result: A shortcut menu displays. 2 On the shortcut menu, click Display Settings. Result: The Display tab displays. 3 Click Advanced displays settings. Result: The Resolution menu displays. 4 On the Resolution menu, select a resolution that is 1366x768 or higher. 5 Record the current setting so you can restore it later if desired. 6 Click OK. Result: The changes save and the Screen Resolution dialog box closes. Adjust the monitor resolution in Macs using the following procedure: 1 On the Apple menu, click Systems Preferences. 2 From the Hardware category, click Displays. 3 On the Resolutions menu, select 1366x768 or higher. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 6 -
4 Record the current setting so you can restore it later if desired. 5 Click Close to save your changes. Tips for Macintosh Users If your lab uses an Apple Macintosh laptops or desktop computers to access SAM, students may find the following tips helpful: When instructions direct students to press the Windows Ctrl key, they need to do the following: If students are using a Macintosh with an Apple keyboard, press the Command key instead. Using a Macintosh with a generic USB keyboard, students press the Ctrl key. However, on rare occasions, they may need to press the Alt key for the same function. When instructions direct students to click the right button of a Windows mouse, they need to do the following: Using a single-button mouse or track pad, press the Ctrl key and click at the same time. Using a more recent MacBook that supports gestures, touch the track pad with two fingers. (Enable this in the System Preferences.) Using a generic USB two-button mouse or track pad, click the right button. To Backspace, press the Delete key. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 7 -
System Check Check within SAM to ensure your system meets the requirements to run SAM. Click Start Check on the login page. The System Check runs automatically and tells you which settings you need to edit to use SAM. Read the following sections to change your system settings. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 8 -
Setting Up Your Browser Access SAM using the following browsers: Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 Windows 10 Operating System Macintosh OS X 10.10 or higher. Supported Browsers Internet Explorer 11 for 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows; Firefox (latest version and latest - 1); Chrome (latest version and latest -1) NOTE: Compatibility Mode is not supported for Internet Explorer. Microsoft Edge 12; Firefox (latest version and latest -1); Chrome (latest version and latest -1) NOTE: Compatibility Mode is not supported for Internet Explorer. Safari 7.0 and 8.0, Chrome (latest version and latest -1) for OS x 10.10 Students can also access the SAM Study Center using their mobile devices. ios 9 NOTES: Operating System Native Supported Browsers Students may not be able to use 2016 Tasks on their Samsung mobile devices. Students may not be able to use 2016 Tasks in Portrait mode on their tablets. They also cannot right click. Students cannot use SAM Keyboarding on mobile devices. Confirm these settings in your browser: JavaScript is enabled. Pop-up Blocking is disabled, either entirely or for the SAM URLs: http://sam.cengage.com Ad blocking software is disabled for the URLs: http://sam.cengage.com IMPORTANT: Do not have multiple tabs or browsers with SAM open at the same time. Having multiple instances of SAM open may result in a loss of data. Enabling JavaScript To use SAM, verify that JavaScript is enabled in your browser. To confirm its status and enable it if necessary, use the appropriate procedure for your browser. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 9 -
Internet Explorer Use this procedure to enable JavaScript for Internet Explorer. 1 Start Internet Explorer. 2 On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. Result: The Internet Options dialog box opens. 3 Click the Security tab. 4 Click Trusted Sites. 5 Click Custom level. Result: The Security Settings Internet Zone dialog box opens. 6 Scroll to the Scripting section. 7 Under Active Scripting, confirm that the Enable option button is selected. 8 Click OK Result: The Security Settings Internet Zone dialog box closes. 9 Click OK Firefox for Windows Result: The Internet Options dialog box closes. JavaScript is enabled by default in Firefox. Use this procedure to verify JavaScript is enabled. Chrome for Windows 1 Start Firefox. 2 In the Address Bar enter about:config. Press Enter. Result: The A warning box displays. 3 Click the button labeled I ll be careful, I promise! Result: The about.config window displays. 4 In the Search box, enter javascript.enabled. Result: The list filters to display javascript.enabled. 5 In the Value column to the far right, verify that True displays. If False displays (indicating that JavaScript is disabled), right-click True and select Toggle. Result: True displays (indicating that JavaScript is enabled). 6 Exit the about.config window. 7 Restart Firefox. Result: You enabled JavaScript. Use this procedure to enable JavaScript for Google Chrome. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 10 -
Safari for Macintosh 1 Start Chrome. 2 On the Customize and Control Google Chrome menu in the upper-right corner of the browser window, click Settings. Result: The Settings dialog box opens. 3 Click the Show Advanced Settings link. Result: Advanced settings display. 4 Click Content Settings. Result: Content Settings display. 5 Confirm that the Allow All Sites to Run JavaScript check box is selected. 6 In the Content Settings dialog box, click Done. Result: Your changes save. Use this procedure to enable JavaScript for Safari. 1 On the Safari menu, click Preferences. Result: The Preferences dialog box opens. 2 Click the Security tab. Result: The Security tab displays. 3 Confirm that the Enable JavaScript check box is selected. 4 Close the Preferences dialog box Result: Your changes save. Setting Up Pop-Ups (IE Only) SAM requires that pop-ups in Internet Explorer always display in a new window instead of a new tab. Use the following procedure to set up this display requirement: 1 On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. Result: The Internet Options dialog box displays. 2 On the General tab under the Tabs Category, click Settings. Result: The Tabbed Browsing Settings dialog box opens. 3 Under When a pop-up is encountered, select Always open pop-ups in a new window. 4 Click OK. Result: Your changes save and the Tabbed Browsing Settings dialog box closes. 5 Click OK. Result: The Internet Options dialog box closes. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 11 -
Disabling Pop-Up Blockers To use SAM, disable pop-up blocking software on the browser for the URL http://sam.cengage.com. Use the procedure appropriate to your browser to disable pop-up blocking. Internet Explorer Use this procedure to turn off pop-up blocking entirely or for the SAM URLs only: 1 Start Internet Explorer. 2 On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. Result: The Internet Options dialog box opens. 3 Click the Privacy tab. 4 Turn off pop-up blocking completely or for SAM URLs only. To turn off Pop-up blocking completely To disable pop-up blocking completely, confirm that the Turn on Pop-up Blocker check box is not selected. NOTES: You can also turn off pop-up blocking entirely on the menu bar following these steps: On the Tools menu, click Pop-Up Blocker. To turn off pop-up blocking for SAM URLs only To disable pop-up blocking for SAM URLs only: Confirm that the Turn on Pop-up Blocker check box is selected. Under Pop-up Blocker, click Settings. Result: The Pop-up Blocker Settings dialog box opens. In the Address of website to allow field, enter http://sam.cengage.com. On the Pop-Up Blocker menu, click Turn Off Pop-Up Blocker. Click Add. Click Close to return to the Internet Options dialog box. Click OK to save your changes. Microsoft Edge Enable Pop-ups in Microsoft Edge using the following procedure: 1 Open Microsoft Edge. 2 Click the ellipses icon on the top right. 3 Click Settings. Result: The browser version displays in a window. 4 Click View advanced settings. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 12 -
Result: Advanced Settings display. 5 Ensure Block pop-ups is turned off. Result: Pop-ups are enabled. Firefox for Windows Use this procedure to turn off pop-up blocking entirely or for the SAM URLs only: 1 Start Firefox. 2 On the Tools menu, click Options. Result: The Options dialog box opens. 3 Click the Content tab. 4 Turn off Pop-up blocking completely or for SAM URLs only. To turn off Pop-up blocking completely Confirm that the Block pop-up windows check box is not selected. To turn off pop-up blocking for SAM URLs only If not selected, click Exceptions to the right of the check box. In the Address of website field, enter the URL http://sam.cengage.com. Click Exceptions to the right of the check box. Result: The Allow Sites Pop-ups dialog box displays. Click Allow. Chrome for Windows 5 On the Allow Sites Pop-ups dialog box, click Close. 6 In the Options dialog box, click OK. Result: Your changes save. Use this procedure to turn off pop-up blocking entirely or for the SAM URLs only: 1 Start Chrome. 2 On the Customize and Control Google Chrome menu in the upper-right corner of the browser window, click Settings. Result: The Settings dialog box opens. 3 Click the Show Advanced Setting link. 4 Click Content Settings. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 13 -
5 Turn off Pop-up blocking completely or for SAM URLs only. To turn off Pop-up blocking completely Confirm that the Allow All Sites to Show Pop-ups check box is selected. To turn off pop-up blocking for SAM URLs only Click Manage Exceptions. In the hostname pattern field, enter the URL http://sam.cengage.com In the Pop-up exceptions dialog box, click Done. Safari for Macintosh 6 In the Content Settings dialog box, click Done to save changes. Safari does not support disabling pop-up blocking for individual URLs. Turn off pop-up blocking to use SAM. 1 On the Safari menu, click Preferences. Result: The Preferences dialog box opens. 2 Click the Security tab. 3 Deselect the Block pop-up windows check box. 4 Close the Preferences dialog box to save your changes. Turn off pop-up blocking on the menu bar using the following procedure: 1 Click the Safari menu. 2 Deselect the Block Pop-Up Windows option. Third-Party Pop-Up Blockers Third-party Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome toolbars offered by companies like Yahoo!, Google and Ask.com may include pop-up blockers. Deactivate this feature, either entirely or for the URL http://sam.cengage.com. Refer to the toolbar documentation for instructions on how to disable this feature. Disabling Ad Blockers Third-party add-ons and extensions for Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari may block the display of ads. This may cause issues if one of the SAM URLs is present on the block list. To prevent this, disable the blocker for the URL http://sam.cengage.com. Refer to the ad blocker s documentation for more information. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 14 -
Zooming in and out If parts of SAM are getting cut off, students can use their browsers zoom function to see the full screen. Internet Explorer Use this procedure to change the zoom level in Internet Explorer: 1 Start Internet Explorer. 2 On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. Result: The Internet Options dialog box opens. 3 Hover over the zoom percentage. Select the zoom percentage you want to use. 4 Hover over the zoom percentage. Select the zoom percentage you want to use. Microsoft Edge Use this procedure to change the zoom level in Microsoft Edge: 1 Open Microsoft Edge. 2 Click the ellipses icon on the top right. 3 Click + or - to change the zoom level. Firefox for Windows Use this procedure to change the zoom level in Firefox: 1 Start Firefox. 2 Click the menu icon. 3 Click + or - to change the zoom level. Chrome for Windows Use this procedure to change the zoom level in Google Chrome: 1 Start Chrome. 2 Click the menu icon. 3 Click + or - to change the zoom level. Safari for Macintosh Use this procedure to change the zoom level in Safari: 1 On the Safari menu, click View. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 15 -
2 Click Zoom In or Zoom Out. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 16 -
Logging into SAM as a New User Follow these steps when you log into SAM for the first time: 1 In your browser, enter http://sam.cengage.com in the Address field and press the Enter key. Result: The SAM Login page displays. 2 Click the New User button. 3 Enter your school s Institution Key. 4 Click Submit. Result: A confirmation message displays to verify the institution s identity. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 17 -
5 Click OK. You may need to add a Key Code to access SAM. If Then If your institution has a Key Code license, If your institution does not have a Key Code license, Enter the 18-digit Key Code at the prompt. If you need to purchase a Key Code, go to http://www.cengagebrain.com. NOTE: Your institution may have a grace period where you can access SAM temporarily without entering a Key Code. For more information, view Grace Periods. The My Profile page displays. Proceed to 8. 6 Click Save. Result: The My Profile page displays. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 18 -
7 Enter the necessary information in the fields. Required fields display with an asterisk. NOTES: You must enter and confirm your username and password in the corresponding text boxes. You cannot copy and paste. CengageBrain checks the username you enter. If it finds it, a prompt directs you to enter your CengageBrain password to login. 8 Click Save to save your user information. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 19 -
Result: The Review and Confirm page displays. 9 Click Revise if you want to change your profile information and then click Save. Result: Changes are accepted. 10 Click Confirm in the My Profile dialog box from step 8 to continue. Result: The Terms and Conditions page displays. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 20 -
11 Click I Agree to agree to the terms. Result: The Activity Calendar displays. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 21 -
Logging in the First Time as a Pre-registered Student Use the following procedure to log into SAM: 1 In your browser, enter http://sam.cengage.com in the Address field and press the Enter key. Result: The SAM Login page displays. 2 Enter the username and password you received. 3 If this is your first login and your institution has a site license, Click Login. The SAM Terms and Conditions page displays. (The SAM Home page displays on subsequent logins.) If this is your first login and your institution does not have a site license, Enter your SAM Key code at the prompt. If you need to purchase a Key Code, go to http://www.cengagebrain.com. Click Login. 4 When the SAM Terms and Conditions page displays, click I Agree to accept the terms and conditions. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 22 -
5 Enter and Confirm your secret question and secret answer. When finished, click Submit. 6 Enter and confirm a new password. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 23 -
When finished, click Submit. Result: The Activity Calendar displays. Profile Information Enter your profile information. See the following table for more information on each field: Field Type First name Middle initial (optional) Last name Username/Email Password Description Maximum 50 characters and cannot contain any of the following: ~ ` ^ * $ % #! \ / > < & ; :, Maximum 1 character and cannot contain any of the following: ~ ` ^ * $ % #! \ / > < & ; :, Maximum 50 characters and cannot contain any of the following: ~ ` ^ * $ % #! \ / > < & ; :, Must be 6 to 50 characters and cannot contain any of the following: ~ ` ^ * $ % #! \ / > < & ; :, NOTE: Your username cannot be changed once you save your profile. 6 to 17 characters; use letter, numbers and underscores only. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 24 -
Alias (optional) ID# (optional) Field Type Communication Email (optional) Secret Question Secret Answer Blackboard ID Description Minimum 6 characters; maximum 20 characters and cannot contain any of the following: ~ ` ^ * $ % #! \ / > < & ; :, Maximum 20 characters and cannot contain any of the following: ~ ` ^ * $ % #! \ / > < & ; :, Maximum 128 characters Select a secret question from the drop-down menu Enter an answer to the selected Secret Question Enter your Blackboard ID IMPORTANT: The username/email and password you enter become your login credentials for Cengage Brain (http://www.cengagebrain.com). If you have a Cengage Brain account, use that username and password when you register for SAM. (See Login Help) Grace Periods Some students have grace periods up to three weeks where they can access SAM without providing an access code. This is only applicable for students in an institution where they purchase Key Codes to access SAM and have the Grace period option enabled. The Grace Period duration may vary. This table details the differences between Key Code Institutions and Site License Institutions: Key Code Institution Students may have a grace period depending on their institution settings. Grace Periods can be up to three weeks long. Site License Institution Students do not need to enter an access code to use SAM. Follow these steps to access SAM while using a Grace Period. When registering for SAM as a New User, click Enter Later when it prompts you for a Key Code. The amount of time you have left for the grace period displays every time you log into SAM. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 25 -
Forgot Password If you forgot your password, use this procedure to reset your password. 1 On the SAM Login page, click the Forgot your password? button. Result: The Retrieve Your Password dialog box displays. 2 Enter your username and click Continue. 3 In the dialog box that displays, enter the answer to the security question and click Submit. NOTE: The answer is not case sensitive. If you don't remember your answer, click the Contact Tech Support button. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 26 -
Result: SAM sends an email to your email address on record with a link to reset your password. 4 Open the email and click the password reset link. Follow the instructions to reset your password. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 27 -
Existing Users If you are an existing user (completed your initial login to SAM), use the following procedure to log in. IMPORTANT: SAM supports single sign-on (SSO) with Cengage Brain (http://www.cengagebrain.com) enabling you to use the same username and password for both systems. If you are a returning SAM user, the first time you log in to the SAM environment, SAM checks Cengage Brain for an existing account. If you have an account, a prompt displays enabling you to enter your Cengage Brain password to link the SAM account with Cengage Brain. Use your SAM password on subsequent logins to SAM. 1 In your browser, enter http://sam.cengage.com in the Address field and press the Enter key. Result: The SAM Login page displays. 2 Enter your username and password. 3 Click Login. Result: The Activity Calendar displays. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 28 -
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Logging Out Once you are done using SAM, click the Logout button in the upper-right corner of the page. The SAM login page displays. 2017 Cengage Learning. 20 Channel Center Street. Boston, MA 02210 SAM- 30 -