Frequently asked questions

If you are having trouble installing or using Popnoggin, we're delighted to help. Please check the frequently asked questions below, and feel free to contact us if your your issue isn't addressed.

I installed Popnoggin. How do I change the settings?

Click the "P" icon in your Windows notification tray. The tray is usually in the lower right corner of your screen, next to the clock. If the icon is not there, Popnoggin may not be running. In the Start menu, choose "Start Popnoggin".

Popnoggin doesn't start when my computer starts, or when I log on.

Popnoggin only starts if its shortcut remains in your Start Menu "Startup" group. Reinstalling Popnoggin and selecting "Repair" will restore the shortcut if it's missing.

I'm the parent and I don't want Popnoggin popping up when I'm using the computer.

In Popnoggin settings, under the Subjects or Student tab, choose the student "none" when you are using the computer. You may also click on the student name in the lower left corner of a Popnoggin question to select the "none" student.

I've paused Popnoggin, but it resumes whenever I log on or unlock the keyboard.

Popnoggin is designed to resume automatically, in order to avoid a child receiving free computer time in the event you forget to un-pause. If you want to be undisturbed while using the computer, select the "none" student in Popnoggin Settings. This setting will remain until you choose a different student.

Popnoggin's default setting is 15 seconds between questions. Isn't that too frequent? Won't my child rebel?

Of course all kids are different, but throughout extensive use, kids have shown to tolerate 15 seconds after only a couple days of use. Stick with it and you may be amazed how tolerant your child becomes. Also, remind your child that they can earn time credit by clicking the icon in the upper right corner, and avoid interruptions completely.

I've entered my license code to activate Popnoggin, but it says that my activation limit has been exceeded.

Like many programs, Popnoggin must be activated before it can be used. If you received a license code from someone else, it may have been used to activate too many copies of Popnoggin. If you think you've received this message in error, please contact Popnoggin Support.

Popnoggin doesn't have the subject I'm looking for.

We continue to add subjects to Popnoggin, and the subject you're looking for may appear in a future update. If you are looking for a specialized subject, it's possible to create your own. See Teachers for more info.

Why does Popnoggin seem to temporarly lock up after my child chooses the wrong answer or 'Show Me'?

Popnoggin is designed to promote learning, and these delays are intended. Without such delays, students tend to mindlessly step through answers until they hit the right one. Likewise, the Show Me answer is held for several seconds in order to ensure ample opportunity for the student to study the fact.

I want my child to have some free time on their computer before Popnoggin starts working. Is there a way to do that?

You can add time credit for your student without answering questions. Use the Time Credit control in Popnoggin Settings, on the Student Tab. You may use the up/down arrows or enter a number. A number will be interpreted as minutes.

My child wants to switch themes but I don't want to give them my Popnoggin password.

Your student can switch themes by clicking the icon in the upper-left corner of the Popnoggin question.

What's to stop my child from stopping the Popnoggin process using Task Manager?

You may protect the Popnoggin process by enabling Protection on the Student tab in Popnoggin Settings. Note that this option is only visible when you have set a password for Popnoggin.

I've forgotten my password and can't get into settings.

If you are unable to find your password, you'll need to uninstall and reinstall Popnoggin to create a new one. Be sure to logon to your computer as an administrator, and have your buyer ID and license code ready for installation. You can uninstall Popnoggin using the Control Panel's "Add/Remove Programs" in Windows XP, and "Programs and Features" in Vista.

I accidently cleared the scores for my child. Can I get them back?

Scores are not recoverable once they are cleared.

One of my child's games crashes when Popnoggin pops up. What can I do?

Unfortunately, some games are intolerant of other windows. If you can't get Popnoggin to work with the game, you may exclude the game from interruption via the Interruption tab in Popnoggin Settings. Find out the name of the game's program file (e.g. "mygame.exe") and add it to the "don't interrupt" list.

One of my child's games takes a long time to go away when Popnoggin pops up. What can I do?

Some games are designed to work in "full-screen" mode. In this mode, the game must be hidden entirely when another window is shown. This can cause a delay. Try looking in the game's options to see if it offers a "windowed" mode. In its windowed mode, the game will behave like other windows and be able to move behind Popnoggin when appropriate.

The Popnoggin notification icon never shows up. I've made sure Popnoggin is running and the icon it's set to always hide.

Sometimes other software can interfere with Windows' ability to display notification icons in the taskbar tray. This issue usually occurs at startup, and you may discover that other icons fail to appear as well. Try to find and disable the offending software if you can do without it. Also, make sure there are no shortcuts to network shares in your Quicklaunch bar. Finally, Popnoggin has an option to re-assert its icon as a last resort. You can find this option in Popnoggin Settings, under Options/Advanced.