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Troubleshooting Tips
Connection problems
I can't find the person I'm supposed to connect to...
If you are having problems finding the host of the meeting, try these steps:
- If you are connecting via a directory server, make sure that you are looking at the directory list (not the speed dial list).
- Make sure that you are looking at the correct user category. If you don't know the user category of the host, select All from the dropdown listbox so you can see everybody
- If you still can't see the person in the directory list, they might not be connected yet. You can refresh the directory list view by clicking the Refresh button in the NetMeeting toolbar.
- If you have a speed dial to the meeting host in your speed dial directory, it will display whether he or she has NetMeeting running and is logged in to the directory server.
People can't find me...
Possible problems:
- You are not using the correct directory server. To log in to a different directory server, click the Tools menu, and then click Options. On the Calling tab, change the directory server to the one you want to log on to, or type in a new one.
- The information for your listing on the directory server is incorrect. To change it, click the Tools menu, and then click Options. On the My Information tab, edit the information to say what you want. Click the Refresh button to see the changes in the directory list.
- You are logged on to the directory, but you have not listed yourself in the directory. To change this, click the Tools menu, and then click Options. On the General tab, uncheck the "Don't list my name..." checkbox.
If you do not want to use the directory server to connect and know the IP address of the person you want to call, you can click the Call button and type the IP address in the box provided. To find out what your current IP address is, so people can call you using this method, click the Start button, and then click Run. If you are using Windows 95, type WINIPCFG. If you are using Windows NT4, type IPCONFIG.
When I try to join the meeting, I get a message that says that the host is in another meeting...
This just means that the meeting has already begun. Click Yes to join the meeting already in progress.
Uninvited participants keep trying to join my meeting...
There are a few ways you can avoid being interrupted by uninvited participants:
- In the Options dialog (on the Tools menu, click Options), On the Calling tab, place a checkmark in the box that says, "Do not list my name in the directory...". This will make it more difficult for people to find you.
- If you are sharing applications during the meeting, especially those with sensitive content, make sure you have the auto-answer feature disabled. To do this, click the Tools menu, and then click Options. On the General tab, make sure the "Automatically accept incoming calls" checkbox is unchecked. People will still be able to call you, but you will have to explicitly accept the call in order for them to join your meeting.
- When all the invited participants have joined the meeting, you can click "Do Not Disturb" on the Call menu. If someone tries to place a NetMeeting call while you have this option turned on, they will get a message that you did not accept the call, and you won't be disturbed during your meeting.
Application-sharing problems
My application isn't being shared out to everyone in the meeting...
If you have problems sharing an application, check to make sure that you don’t have too many people in the conference. Also, make sure that all applications that you are not sharing are closed. Make sure Chat and Whiteboard are closed. Make sure no one else in the conference is sharing another application.
I can't see the application that someone else is sharing...
The shared application might be minimized. Check your taskbar to see if there is a button for the shared application.
If you are seeing a strange triangular pattern on your screen instead of a window, the person sharing the application might have it covered up with another window. For example, when a new person joins the meeting, the NetMeeting window pops up and might cover the shared application window. Let the person know that you can't see the window they are sharing, and that they need to move the window that is covering it.
If you are seeing only a portion of the shared window, or can't see the scroll bars, it's probably because the person sharing has their display set at a higher resolution than yours. Either the host must lower their screen resolution before the meeting, or the person with the lowest screen resolution should share the application. This is particularly important if any of the participants are using laptops, which often don't have a resolution higher than 800x600. QuickRes, a "power toy" that you can get from Microsoft's Web site, makes changing your screen resolution easy because you don't have to reboot. You cannot change your screen resolution during a NetMeeting session, however.
You can obtain QuickRes form http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows95/info/powertoys.htm.
I accidentally shared a file I didn't mean to share...
Be aware that if you share an application, you are also sharing all the menus and toolbars for that application. If you are collaborating, this can give people access to other files on your computer, without your having shared them. For example, if you share a Microsoft Word document and allow others to collaborate on it, someone could take control, click File/Open, and open another Word document on your computer, or a computer on your network.
To stop collaborating:
- Hit the Escape key on your keyboard if you are not in control of the application.
- Click the Collaborate button on the NetMeeting toolbar if you are in control of the application.
To stop sharing, click the Share button on the NetMeeting toolbar, and then deselect the application. The other people in the conference will no longer be able to see your application after you do this.
Before the meeting starts | During the meeting | Glossary | Main page