Can't get into Moodle? Don't stress. Most sign-in problems have a quick fix, and you can usually solve them yourself in a few minutes. Work through the steps below in order. If you're still stuck at the end, we're happy to help.
1. Check for an outage first
Before you troubleshoot anything on your end, visit the T&I Status Page. If Moodle or Duo is having a known problem, nothing you try will fix it, and you can save yourself the trouble. We post updates there as we work on the issue.
2. Make sure you're in the right place
Go directly to moodle.davidson.edu and sign in with your Davidson account. Bookmarks to old login pages can sometimes cause trouble, so if you're using one, try typing the address in directly. (Avoid searching up "Davidson Moodle" or similar, as the top few results will take you to the wrong place.)
3. If Duo isn't working
Duo is the two-step verification that protects your Davidson account. If the Duo prompt never arrives, or approving it doesn't seem to do anything:
- Check your phone. Make sure it has a signal or Wi-Fi, and open the Duo Mobile app directly. Sometimes the prompt is waiting there even if no notification showed up.
- Try another option. If your sign-in screen offers other methods, such as a passcode from the Duo Mobile app, give one a try.
- Start over. Close the sign-in window and try again from the beginning.
4. If you have a new or replaced phone
Duo is tied to your specific device. If you got a new phone, replaced a broken one, or wiped and reset your current one, Duo won't recognize it until it's reactivated.
For security reasons, we can only reactivate Duo in person or by video chat. You can book a time with us or drop in during office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm. Be sure to have your driving license, passport, or other official means of identification.
Tip: If you know a new phone is on the way, plan a quick visit soon after it arrives, rather than waiting until you urgently need Moodle.
5. If you have a quiz or exam coming up
Duo problems have a way of showing up at the worst possible time. If you have an online quiz or exam, sign in to Moodle the day before to make sure everything works. That gives you time to fix a problem during office hours instead of the morning of the test.
If you do get locked out right before an exam, contact your instructor and T&I right away.
6. If Moodle freezes or shows a "session" error
If you see a message like "Unable to obtain lock for session," or Moodle freezes and won't let you back in, your browser is likely stuck on an old session. Try these, in order:
- Fully quit your browser. Closing the window or tab isn't enough. On a Mac, choose your browser's menu and then Quit. On Windows, close every browser window.
- Open a private or incognito window and sign in again.
- Try a different browser, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
If none of these work, the error usually clears on its own after about 30 minutes. If it keeps coming back, let us know.
Still stuck? Contact T&I
We're here to help. Reach us at ti@davidson.edu or 704-894-2900 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm).
To help us solve the problem faster, please include:
- What you were trying to do when the problem happened
- The exact error message, or better yet, a screenshot
- The device and browser you were using
- About what time it happened
Remember: T&I staff will never ask for your password, by email or any other way.