Common Issues

When your Project assignment is not going smoothly, there are a few common items to check.

😓 You are using the wrong version of Microsoft Office

SIMnet Project assignments must be completed on Microsoft Office 2016 or newer and must not use the online version of Office. Review 👉Your Office Version to determine if your version is correct.

📂 Your uploaded file does not match what is on your computer

Many students have inadvertently submitted files that do not contain their work! Make sure you save your file and that you know the name and location of that file. SIMnet can only grade the work you submitted. SIMnet does not ever change the contents of your file after it is submitted.

🔟 Your file is too large to upload

All SIMnet Project assignments are small files. Each correctly completed project file is designed to be smaller than 10MB. If your file is larger than 10MB you will not be able to upload it. You will receive an error saying:

The page was not displayed because the request entity is too large.

Notification when your file is too large

👣 Your file does not contain your Unique Signature

Your instructor may only allow you to submit Project files that are easy to prove are yours. If you get an error indicating your file does not contain your unique signature, you may have:

• Downloaded from somewhere other than your SIMnet assignment page.

• A file that may contain work copied from another file.

• A file obtained from an incorrect class assignment.

• A file that has been edited in non-Microsoft Office software like Google Docs or Apple Pages.

You will need to complete the work from your project assignment page. Review the 👉Best Practices guide about downloading the appropriate files for Project assignments. The error message is:

Error: The file does not contain your unique signature. Ensure that the uploaded file was obtained by downloading the project start file from SIMnet.

Error displayed when no valid signature is found.

🆕 Your database has Large Number or Date/Time Extended data types

Files for Access Database assignments cannot be uploaded if they contain the Large Number file type or the Date/Time Extended data type. Files that have this data type will receive an error message saying

This database has fields with the Large Number data type or the Date/Time Extended data type. Update Large Number fields to Number. Update Date/Time Extended fields to Date/Time. Use the Compact & Repair feature in the Backstage View then save.

To fix this issue, complete the following steps:

• Open your database and open each table in Design View.

• Review each Field's Data Type and determine which fields have the Large Number data type or the Date/Time Extended data type. Change all Large Number data types to Number. Change all Date/Time Extended data types to Date/Time.

• Use the Compact & Repair feature in the Backstage View.

• Now you can Save and Submit your file for grading.

My app has grayed out Groups on the Ribbon

When you open a presentation in PowerPoint or database in Access, no content is selected. Without content like a text box selected there are no Font or Paragraph settings that apply. Without a database object to review there are no settings to apply. To edit Font or Paragraph settings select any content in your file. Once content is selected you will be able to use the Font and Paragraph groups.

Grayed out Font and Paragraph groups

🔎 There are no Mac files for your Microsoft Access Project assignments

Microsoft does not currently offer the Access application for Mac computers. Access Project assignments can only be completed on computers using the Windows operating system.

Your Microsoft Access software is Blocking Macros

Microsoft released a change at the end of February 2023 that switched the default behavior of Office applications to block macros in files from the internet. When users open a file that came from the internet, such as a SIMnet Start File that contains macros, a red warning message will appear below the Ribbon: "Microsoft has blocked macros from running because the source of this file is untrusted."

Users should open the Properties for their file and select the Unblock check mark on the General tab for each SIMnet file they download.