Zoom Troubleshooting

Overview

If you run into issues while using or attempting to use Zoom, please review these common troubleshooting steps or solutions.

Zoom Quick Checklist

Is your Zoom client software up-to-date? If your Zoom client is out of date, some features may not work. Also, if your Zoom client is too old, you will not be able to connect to some Pepperdine meetings. Check for Zoom updates and then try again.
Are you registered for and signed in with the correct Zoom account (in both the Zoom app and the web)?
- Are you a 2U Digital Campus (formerly 2PEP) Online Program student or faculty member? Please use the 2U Zoom account and log into that separate Zoom service. Contact 2U Support if needed.
- Are you using your official Pepperdine University Zoom account? For non-2U programs, all students, faculty, and staff should use their Pepperdine Zoom account instead of a personal Zoom account. Register or sign in to Pepperdine Zoom.
- Are you signed in with SSO? Effective November 11, 2024, all Pepperdine Zoom accounts must authenticate with SSO. Email and Google options are no longer be supported. Visit the Zoom App Sign In instructions.
- Have multiple Zoom accounts? Nowadays, we may have a personal Zoom account, school Zoom account, and work Zoom account, to name a few. In the most recent versions of the Zoom app, you can switch between Zoom accounts. You can also sign out of Zoom and sign back into a different Zoom account. Depending on a meeting's settings, you may need to switch or sign out/in to the correct account before connecting.
Does your web browser allow pop-ups? When you attempt to open Zoom meeting links, your browser will need to open a new tab or window for the meeting request. Be sure that you allow pop-ups for the sites or services in question.
Did you try a different web browser? Some web browsers may block features that are necessary for Zoom to launch the client application. Try another web browser (e.g. Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) and see if the problem is resolved. If it works in another browser, then you can explore what setting, add-in, or security option is preventing Zoom from working properly in your preferred browser.
Have you cleared your web browser cache and cookies? Sometimes our browsing data can become corrupt or new updates require that we clean out the old browsing history to allow the new web pages and features to run correctly. Clear your browser cache and cookies and see if this resolves the issue.

Common Issues and Fixes

Cannot assign someone as an "alternate host" in a Zoom meeting or grant scheduling privileges

Issue: A community member wants to add a colleague as an "alternate host" for a Pepperdine Zoom meeting but is receiving the error, "Unable to assign '[the intended email address]' as an alternative host because the user cannot be selected at this time." Or they are attempting to grant someone scheduling privileges, but cannot do so.

Requirements: You may only add someone who has already registered for an official Pepperdine Zoom account. You cannot add someone from outside of the organization, and you cannot add someone who hasn't already registered for an official Pepperdine Zoom account.

Solution: Speak with the person you wish to add and ensure they register for an official Pepperdine Zoom account. This process should take the person 1-2 minutes. After they have successfully created their Pepperdine Zoom account, then you may add them as an alternate host to a meeting.

Important! The person should not go to the main Zoom website and sign up for a basic Zoom account with their Pepperdine email address. This will not work. Only registering by visiting zoom.pepperdine.edu, selecting "Sign In," and logging in successfully with Pepperdine CAS will generate the appropriate account. If the Pepperdine community member needs help, please direct them to the Pepperdine Zoom registration instructions or have them contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357.

I can't log in via Google or email. How do I log in via SSO?

Issue: A community member used to log into Pepperdine Zoom with Google or email/password method. Effective November 11, 2024, the University has limited signing in to SSO only.

Solution: Explain that the user must sign in at either zoom.pepperdine.edu (web portal) or with SSO (Zoom app). Community members can no longer go to the main zoom.us website to sign in with Google or email. They also cannot use email or Google to sign into the web app.

Pepperdine Zoom Web Portal:
- Go to zoom.pepperdine.edu
- Select "Sign In"
- Authenticate with Pepperdine CAS
- If prompted to convert your account, follow the on-screen steps to join the Pepperdine University Zoom service.
- Done!
Zoom App
- Open the Zoom app
- On the login screen, select "SSO" (do not attempt to enter an email/password or select Google).
- You will be directed to Pepperdine CAS to sign in
- If prompted to convert your account, follow the on-screen instructions to join the Pepperdine University Zoom service.
- If necessary, switch back to the Zoom app on your mobile device
- Done!

If the Pepperdine community member needs help, please direct them to the Pepperdine Zoom registration instructions, the Zoom app signin instructions, or have them contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357.

Domain owned by Pepperdine University

As of summer 2024, Pepperdine University has enabled Zoom Associated Domain for the domain pepperdine.edu. All email accounts that end in @pepperdine.edu must be associated with the official Pepperdine University Zoom service.

Benefits of the Official Pepperdine Zoom Account

Meeting Length: Up to 30 hours per meeting (no more 40-minute meetings!)
Participants: Up to 300 attendees
Cloud Recordings: Save meetings to the cloud; meetings retained for up to 6 months
Automated Meeting Captions
and more!

Signs that Someone is not Part of the Official Pepperdine Zoom

Signed Up for a "free Basic" Zoom in the Past: The person receives the following notice: "The domain associated with your email address has been claimed by Pepperdine University. To retain access to your Zoom account, please change your email address or join the account associated with this domain."
- Solution: The community member should follow the email or web instructions to join the Pepperdine domain. Upon their next Zoom login, they will be given four (4) chances to transfer the account to the official Pepperdine University Zoom domain or to change the email to a non-Pepperdine address. After the fourth Zoom login, if they do not take action, the account will automatically be transferred to the Pepperdine domain.
- In the rare event that someone has registered an email alias (e.g. NetworkID AT Pepperdine DOT edu), they should contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357 and submit a Zoom account consolidation request. They will need to have registered their primary email address (e.g., first.last AT Pepperdine DOT edu). Next, they need to transfer the alias account to the Pepperdine domain. Then, once a support request has been created with Tech Central, the Pepperdine Zoom administrators can merge the alias account with the primary email address account. Only a person's primary email address is eligible for a Pepperdine Zoom account.
New Signups for a "free Basic" Zoom account by mistake: The person will receive the following notice: "Because your e-mail address ends with @pepperdine.edu, you must contact your organization's Zoom account admin for a Zoom account or sign up with a different e-mail address."
- Solution: No need to contact an admin! Community members should simply go to the Pepperdine Zoom Web Portal to sign in and register. They will then use Pepperdine SSO to sign into the Zoom app.

If anyone has issues registering for an official Pepperdine University Zoom account or needs assistance joining the official domain or signing into the Zoom app with Pepperdine SSO, they should contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357.

After a name or email change, I can't see past meetings or recordings

Issue: Zoom accounts are based on email address, not campus-wide ID (CWID) or NetworkID (username). When a name changes, this may change the primary account email address. If that happens, then when the person logs into Pepperdine Zoom, a new (blank) account will be created with the brand new email address.

Solution: The impacted person should contact Tech Central at 310.506.4357 or submit an online support request. Explain that a name or email address change has happened and the older Zoom account (old email address) needs to be transferred to the new Zoom account (new email address). The IT department will confirm the change and then follow the Zoom process to remove the old account and transfer its meetings and recordings to the new account.

Important: The new Zoom account must exist before a transfer can happen. The person should log into zoom.pepperdine.edu and Sign In to the Pepperdine Zoom web portal before submitting a request to Tech Central.

Courses Zoom Pro tool and "Instructor's Email is Invalid"

Issue: A professor attempts to use the Zoom Pro tool and receives a message that says that the instructor's email is invalid. This is because the professor has not registered their official Pepperdine Zoom account.

Requirements: The professor must have an official Pepperdine University email address and an active network account. The professor must have already created their Pepperdine Zoom account.

Solution: The professor should create a Pepperdine Zoom account.

Visit zoom.pepperdine.edu.
Select "Sign In"
Follow the prompts to authenticate with Pepperdine's Centralized Authentication System (CAS) which will then create the Zoom account.
Sign out of Courses.
Return to Courses and sign in.
Return to the class site and select Zoom Pro.
The tool should now work as expected.

Courses Zoom Pro tool and the Apple Safari web browser

Issue: You receive a message like "Redirect to Zoom... Cookies are not supported. Please refresh this page." This is happening because the Safari web browser is preventing the necessary cookies so that Courses can communicate with Zoom.

Solution: The community member will need to change their Apple Safari web browser settings.

Apple macOS computer

Open the Safari web browser
Select the "Safari" menu at the top left.
Select "Preferences."
Select the "Privacy" tab.
Make sure that the following options are unchecked or deselected:
- Prevent cross-site tracking (turn this off)
- Block all cookies (turn this off)
If necessary, close Safari, reopen it, and then try the Zoom Pro tool again.

Apple iPad

Open the iPad Settings app.
Scroll and select the Safari settings.
Scroll and disable/turn off "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking."
Verify that "Block All Cookies" is disabled/off.
Close/exit the Settings app.
Close Safari and then open Safari again.
Try the Zoom Pro tool again.

Courses Zoom Pro tool and the Mozilla Firefox web browser

Issue: A professor or student is attempting to Start or Join a Zoom meeting in the Zoom Pro tool of Courses. When the link opens a new window, the Zoom website reports, "Unauthorized. Sorry, your session was expired. Please refresh the page or login again. 401." This is happening because the Firefox web browser is preventing the necessary cookies so that Courses can communicate with Zoom.

Solution: The community member will need to change their Mozilla Firefox web browser settings.

Open the Firefox web browser.
Visit courses.pepperdine.edu.
In the web browser address bar, select the "Shield" icon next to the URL.
Deselect or toggle off the feature "Enhanced Tracking Protection" (When the feature is off, the message should read, "Enhanced Tracking Protection is OFF for this site.")
Sign out of Courses and then sign back in.
Return to the class site and go to the Zoom Pro tool.
Select "Start" or "Join" for the intended meeting.
The Zoom website should now prompt you to open the meeting in your client software as expected.

Can't sign into Zoom with multiple devices (e.g. two computers)

Issue: Someone is trying to sign into the Zoom client app on two computers or two mobile devices, and Zoom keeps signing out the additional devices.

Solution: This is how Zoom has designed its software to work. Zoom only allows the same account to sign into one computer and one mobile device at the same time. This means that you can sign into one desktop or laptop, plus one smartphone or tablet at the same time, but you cannot sign into two computers or two mobile devices at the same time. If the intent is to monitor your meeting, then launch the meeting on the computer and then monitor the meeting from a mobile device, like a mobile tablet or smartphone.

Please refer to Zoom's support article titled, "Can I use Zoom on multiple devices?"

Tip: If you are using two devices in the same space (e.g. one computer and one smartphone), be sure to mute the audio of the other device to avoid feedback.

Screen share and no computer audio/sound

Issue: When trying to screen share a video or audio file, the participants say that they cannot hear anything.

Solution: During a meeting when you click the "Share Screen" button, you must select the checkbox at the bottom, left of the share window for "Share Sound." You will also notice a small arrow next to this option which will allow you to switch between "Mono" or "Stereo" audio.

Please refer to Zoom's support article titled, "Sharing computer sound in a screen share."

I'm having problems with 2U Zoom (aka Digital Campus Zoom, formerly 2PEP Zoom)

Issue: A student or professor is having an issue using the 2U Zoom Service (formerly 2PEP Zoom).

Solution: Please contact 2U Support for any questions about the 2U Digital Campus LMS or 2U Zoom. Only the 2U Support team can help with the separate Zoom service that they manage.

2U Support Email: TechSupport@digitalcampus.2U.com
2U Support Phone: 833-740-1273