Frequently Asked Questions

How do I interpret the results of the tool?

  • You will receive either a red “X”, a green checkmark, or an exclamation point next to each item. The red “X” means your computer did not met the minimum requirement, a green checkmark indicates your computer did met the requirement, and the exclamation point signifies that the system could not detect this item. Some requirements may not be mandatory for employment so although you received a “X”, you could still pass this step. If you are taken out of the process, you are allowed to run the tool again after you have updated your computer.

I know my upload and download speeds are faster than what your tool shows. Why is this happening?

  • Running other applications while also running the Computer Requirements Tool can negatively affect the upload and download speeds. Close all programs and browser windows before running the tool—this may also increase your computer’s RAM

I know have 1 GB of RAM on my computer, but the results show I only have .85 GB. I still passed, but can you tell me why this tool is reporting this incorrectly?

  • The tool is reporting available memory and not installed memory. We have adjusted the requirements in the tool to take this into consideration. The same is true for Latency and Processor Speed.

How can I upgrade my computer to meet the computer requirements?

  • Your web browser and Flash version can be easily upgraded by downloading a newer version from the Internet. You can also simply meet the Windows Automatic Updates Enabled requirement by going to Control Panel > Automatic Updates and then select “Automatic”. The other options will require either a faster Internet connection and/or upgrading your computer specifications.

I failed on Processor Frequency although I know my computer has a higher speed; what can I do?

  • Your processor has a maximum speed and the current running speed. If these numbers are significantly different and you are using a laptop, the laptop may not be running at its maximum capacity in order to conserve the battery. We recommend you plug your computer into an outlet and run the scan again.

Can I do anything to increase my Hard Drive free space?

  • You can manually un-install programs that you do not need or run a disk cleanup. The cleanup progress looks for files and folders that are not needed such as temporary internet files and deletes them.

Can I do anything to increase my RAM?

  • Close out of all programs before running the tool. If you did this and still did not meet the minimum requirements, you will need to purchase additional memory for your computer.

What should I do if I received an error that the authentication code is invalid?

  • Confirm that you typed the code correctly, matching capitalization, and no blank spaces are included. Also, a zero (0) may be mistaken for an O. Copy and paste the code to ensure accuracy.

What should I do if I get an error message that the Upload speed check wasn’t completed successfully?

  • First select “Retry” and if the message appears again then select “Ignore”.

How do I rerun the SmartApply tool?

  • Log back into the SmartApply website with your existing email address and password using the link originally provided. Follow the onscreen instructions to run the SmartApply tool again.