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The most common Microsoft Teams problems and how to fix them

Microsoft Teams was introduced in 2017 as a unified communication and collaboration platform aimed at helping businesses and organizations get things done. Microsoft leveraged the company’s existing Office software experience and created a unified experience between Teams, Office 365, and Skype for Business. However, as with all software, things don’t always go according to plan. Sometimes you can run into Teams problems.

How to check if Microsoft Teams is down

Teams only shows older messages and threads, microphone or webcam problems, unable to create a new team in microsoft teams, unable to establish a connection to microsoft teams, teams is stuck in a login loop in microsoft edge.

• Can’t access a Microsoft Teams OneNote notebook
• Teams won’t allow you to log in to the service

Notifications are not being delivered to your desktop

Unable to send a message in skype for business.

• Error message: ‘We weren’t able to connect. Sign in and we’ll try again.’

Microsoft Teams keeps on freezing or shutting down

• Error message: ‘You’re missing out!’
• ‘Are you still there?’ message appears

Teams audio not working with Android Auto

Teams opens on startup, none of the above solutions fixed your problem.

We’re big Teams users here at Digital Trends — it’s our go-to communication and meeting tool — and we’ve come across a few issues ourselves over the years. In the event you’re having Microsoft Teams issues, here’s how to fix some of the most common problems.

Do you use Zoom too? If you ever run into any Zoom problems, there are ways to fix them too .

Like any software, Microsoft Teams can encounter occasional issues. While these challenges may originate on your end, it’s wise to first investigate any potential difficulties on Microsoft’s part before embarking on extensive troubleshooting.

Begin by visiting the official Microsoft 365 Status page or the associated Twitter account dedicated to this purpose. Keep an eye out for any recent tweets related to Microsoft Teams. Microsoft utilizes this platform to announce technical issues, so if there’s a recent notification, your best course of action may be to exercise patience. Additionally, you can monitor the official Microsoft Teams Twitter account or search for the # MicrosoftTeams hashtag. When you observe multiple users reporting problems with Teams, you can relax and wait for Microsoft to resolve the issue.

If Twitter fails to provide the necessary information, you can resort to a service like Downdetector . In the event of a surge in reported Microsoft Teams issues, take a moment to peruse the comments section, as fellow users may have shared valuable insights. It’s important to note that Microsoft will not report a Teams outage to third-party websites, so you may not receive definitive confirmation here.

Lastly, consult your colleagues to inquire if they’ve encountered any Microsoft Teams issues within the past few hours. It’s possible that your entire organization could be facing the same problem.

Assuming that Teams works for almost everyone except you, keep reading to get it fixed.

If you aren’t receiving the latest messages from your colleagues, or your feed appears to be frozen in time, we would recommend restarting the application.

To restart Teams on Windows, look for the Teams icon (a small purple and white icon of two people and a T) in the taskbar in the lower-right of your screen — you may need to click a little arrow to expand the taskbar. Once the icon is located, right-click it and select Quit . On MacOS, right-click the Teams icon in your Dock, then choose Quit . Now, reopen the application to see if your problem has been solved.

If you are still having Microsoft Teams issues when it comes to loading the latest messages, check your internet connection to ensure everything else is working fine. You can do this by simply opening your browser and heading to a reliable website you often visit. Check a few different websites to make sure your internet is not disconnected or slow. You can also verify it by running a test on Speedtest.net .

Microsoft Teams also has a web version that you can try if the app is misbehaving. Sign in at https://teams.microsoft.com/ and check if your messages are loading there.

If you’re having Microsoft Teams issues with your webcam or microphone, begin by ensuring that your hardware is plugged in correctly. Next, make sure that during a meeting, your microphone and webcam are enabled — you will see toggle switches for these options when you join a new call.

If other applications can see your webcam and microphone but Teams cannot, you may need to allow permissions for Teams. To alter permissions on Windows, click the Windows search bar (located within the left side of the taskbar) then type in “Webcam.” After selecting Choose which apps can access your camera , make sure the toggle underneath Let desktop apps access your camera is switched to the On position. Then scroll past the toggle to make sure that Teams and the browser apps you use to access the web version of Teams are included in the list of apps that have been granted this permission.

To alter Teams’ permissions on MacOS, click the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen, then choose System   Preferences . From here, select Security & privacy , then Camera — you may need to click the Lock icon to make changes here. Ensure that Teams or the web browser you are using to access Teams is enabled on the right.

If that didn’t help, make sure you have the latest Windows or MacOS update available as well as the latest version of Teams itself. Updating Teams is easy — select the Three dots icon to the left of your Profile icon in the top-right corner of the app and choose Check for updates . While you’re at it, check if your internet connection is working fine by visiting a few of your favorite websites.

You should also verify whether your camera is not currently being used by another app, such as Skype or WhatsApp. You can do this by closing all the other messenger apps that could possibly take control of your camera.

If you’re using Teams in English, you can make a test call to check whether everything is fine on your end — after all, it could be an issue with Teams. At the top-right of Teams, select the Three dots icon , then choose Settings > Devices.  Under Sync device buttons, select  Make a test call.

If you’re trying to establish a new team in Microsoft Teams but encountering difficulties, it’s advisable to consult your system administrator. Some companies and organizations have the capability to restrict individuals from forming new groups or teams. To address this issue, contact your IT department for additional guidance and support.

Assuming you are the one in charge of creating new teams for your organization, you may have reached the limit for teams assigned by Microsoft to your company account. There might also be an issue with administrator permissions given to your user account. In both cases, you should reach out to the vendor who manages your organization’s Microsoft Teams access.

If you’re having problems accessing Teams, make sure that your Mac, PC, or mobile device can access other networks or internet content. If your computer is connected to the internet but Teams is still inaccessible, the service might be down. Check with Microsoft’s Support page to see if they are having problems with the Teams service.

Most of the fixes we’ve gone over above are also helpful here. Update your Microsoft Teams app to the latest version by selecting the Three dots icon to the left of your Profile photo in the top-right corner of the app. Select  Check for updates and let the software do its job.

Assuming the Microsoft Teams app doesn’t work for you, you can always try to access it through the web client on the official Microsoft website .

If you are using Microsoft Edge, or the older Internet Explorer ( which is officially retired, so it’s time for a change! ), you may find that your login screen for Teams is stuck in a loop. This is likely because your organization uses the Trusted Sites option and hasn’t enabled Microsoft Teams.

You can follow these steps to allow Teams. If you are blocked from the process, you may need to contact your system administrator or IT help desk for further assistance.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Edge.

Step 2: Go to Settings , then select Cookies and  s ite permissions .

Step 3: Next, select Manage and delete cookies and site data .

Step 4: Enable Allow sites to save and read cookie data (recommended) .

Step 5: Then ensure that Block third-party cookies is off. If you need to keep this setting on instead for some reason, go to step 6.

Step 6: Under the Allow section, add the following sites:

• [*.]microsoft.com
• [*.]microsoftonline.com
• [*.]teams.skype.com
• [*.]teams.microsoft.com
• [*.]sfbassets.com
• [*.]skypeforbusiness.com

Can’t access a Microsoft Teams OneNote notebook

If your document libraries contain more than 5,000 OneNote items, Teams may deliver this message: “One or more of the document libraries on the user or group’s OneDrive contains more than 5,000 OneNote items (notebooks, sections, section groups) and cannot be queried using the API. Please make sure that none of the user or group’s document libraries contains more than 5,000 OneNote items. Please follow the link below for instructions on how to remedy this situation.”

To correct this error, you will need to reduce the number of items in OneNote below 5,000. Microsoft provides this OneNote API Diagnostic tool for counting the number of items in a specific document library, which may assist you at this time.

Teams won’t allow you to log in to the service

If you are having Microsoft Teams issues logging in to the service, begin by ensuring that you are entering the correct login information. You may receive one of the error codes listed below if you are entering the accurate information but are still being denied access. Contact your IT department with the given error code, as the issue will need to be removed by your system administrator.

Common Microsoft Teams login error codes:

• 0xCAA20003: Authorization problem — make sure the date and time are configured correctly.
• 0xCAA82EE2: Request timed out — confirm you’re connected to the internet and firewalls aren’t blocking access to the service.
• 0xCAA82EE7: Server not resolved — confirm you are connected to the internet and firewalls aren’t stopping access to the service.
• 0xCAA20004: Request requires approval — make sure that the organization is complying with Azure Active Directory configuration policies.
• 0xCAA90018: Incorrect credentials — you are using the wrong credentials to sign in to Microsoft 365 services.
• 0xCAA5004B:  The Microsoft Teams app has encountered an unexpected issue — wait a few minutes and try again or use the web version .

If you’re not receiving notifications from Microsoft Teams anymore, it may not be a glitch — the permissions just might’ve changed. Begin by checking that the Teams app has the correct settings enabled.

Open the Microsoft Teams app, select the Three-dots icon next to your Profile photo in the top right, and choose Settings . Next, select the Notifications option. Make sure that your notifications are still on and that the permissions are what they should be. If they aren’t, adjust these settings as necessary.

When attempting to send a message to an individual Skype for Business account, encountering an operation failure may be attributed to two common causes. First, it’s essential to verify that the recipient’s status is configured as “Available” or another active state. If both users are indeed available, the second consideration is to ensure that both parties are using Microsoft Teams as the platform for message exchange. The promising aspect is that Microsoft is already cognizant of this issue. However, the less favorable news is that a solution is still in the works.

Error message: ‘We weren’t able to connect. Sign in and we’ll try again.’

One of the most frustrating Microsoft Teams issues that you might run into with the app is the message, “We weren’t able to connect. Sign in and we’ll try again.” This notification appears when you leave the Teams app idle for too long. If you don’t notice when this banner notification pops up, you could miss out on any announcements and meeting prompts until you address it.

Sadly, restarting the app isn’t enough to fix the problem, but you can typically solve it by resetting the app’s cache. To do this, simply follow the below steps:

Step 1: Completely quit the Teams application by right-clicking the Teams icon in the system tray (next to the clock on your taskbar) and selecting Quit .

Step 2: Right-click the Start menu icon and click Run .

Step 3: In the Run window that appears, type %AppData%/Microsoft . Click OK .

Step 4: In the new window, right-click the Teams folder and select Rename.

Step 5: Type in TeamsBackup , (or any other name you may want) then hit Enter on your keyboard.

Open the Teams app and try to use it once more. You’ll likely have to reconfigure your settings from the beginning, but you should finally have this issue resolved.

One of the most common Microsoft Teams issues is that the app will sometimes randomly freeze or shut down. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to fix this nuisance.

Restart the app by shutting it down fully. On Windows, you can do this by accessing the  Task manager through the following combination of keys:  Ctrl + Alt + Del . Navigate to  Task manager > Microsoft Teams >   End task . On MacOS, use this key combination instead:  Command + Option + Esc . This will force quit the app. A Force Quit window should appear; choose Microsoft Teams , then select the Force Quit button.

Make sure you’re running the latest version of Microsoft Teams before you delve into this any further. Simply select the Three dots icon to the left of your Profile photo  when the app is currently working. You’ll find it in the top-right corner of Teams. Next, select  Check for updates and download the newest version.

You can also troubleshoot or repair the app via Windows itself, but this depends on your level of access when it comes to administration rights. Start by trying to access the  Settings  by tapping the  Windows  +  I keys simultaneously on your keyboard. Navigate to  System > Troubleshoot > Other trouble-shooters.  Scroll down until you see Windows Store apps and then click  Run .

Alternatively, from  Windows settings , click on  Apps  and then  Apps & features . Once you find Microsoft Teams, click on  Advanced options and repair the app. This should not affect your data.

Error message: ‘You’re missing out!’

Have you received an odd error message when trying to sign in to Teams? This problem affects users who run Microsoft 365 Education. Upon trying to sign in, you may encounter an error that says: “You’re missing out! Ask your admin to enable Microsoft Teams for <CompanyName>.”

Microsoft itself is aware of this problem and notes that in Microsoft 365 Education, Teams is not “enabled by default.” This means that your school’s system administrator will have to enable it manually.

‘Are you still there?’ message appears

If you’re using the web version of Teams, you may have been dealing with this fairly annoying problem — frequent pop-ups that ask if you’re still there and active. Microsoft allegedly added this functionality to reduce unnecessary sync time. After all, if you’re not actively using the app, there is no need to refresh your other tabs for you. Unfortunately, this can still pop up in the middle of a meeting and log you out for no reason.

The easiest way to avoid this would be to use the proper Microsoft Teams software as opposed to the web version. Alternatively, try to minimize the amount of Teams tabs you’re running at any given time, and if you can’t, then try to mix up the web version and the app. Use the latter for meetings and other important things that you can’t afford to be logged out of.

Android Auto has a feature that allows you to tap into a web conference so you can watch and listen to it while you are driving, a great time saver when commuting. But Microsoft Teams users have encountered a bug that prevents the audio from working, so all they get is silence.

Google investigated this issue in 2022 and reported that any remaining issue is entirely on Microsoft’s side. Microsoft has yet to announce any patches addressing it specifically.

If you’re having this issue, update to the latest version of Android Auto. Some users have said that this fixed the problem for them. Otherwise, switch to audio from your phone, or audio via your car’s Bluetooth connection instead.

If your boss expects you to respond to any message, Teams starting right away whenever you turn on your computer could be a big, annoying issue. Here’s how to stop Teams from opening on startup:

Step 1:  Press  Ctrl  +  Shift  +  Esc to open up your Task Manager.

Step 2:  Tap the ‘Startup’ tap at the top.

Step 3:  Right click the Microsoft Teams app and select ‘Disable’.

After making this switch, don’t forget to turn on your Teams when you start work or your boss might consider you absent.

Microsoft Teams issues can certainly get annoying, and if nothing helps, it’s time to escalate. While Microsoft Teams has its fair share of bugs that you’ll regularly experience, having more consistent problems might be something you need to get your company’s IT administrator to solve.

If you happen to be the administrator for your company, you can read through Microsoft’s support documentation , which is made readily available to anyone in need of assistance. If none of the troubleshooting options from the doc work for you, you’ll have to contact Microsoft’s technical team for hands-on help with your specific issue.

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Virtual workspace tools like Slack and Teams can be incredibly handy, both for those working in the office who need to send a quick message or arrange a meeting, and especially for those working remotely who need to stay in contact with their co-workers. With the rise of remote work, more and more office workers are spending a significant chunk of their day on these tools. However, if you use these then you should be aware that what you do in these systems isn't private -- most likely it can be seen by your boss. Even private conversations may not be as private as you think. Slack

Apps like Slack, Teams, and other common business collaboration platforms are structured via admin permissions. In other words, with the right permissions, your boss can have a large amount of control over the platform and what’s happening on it. And if a manager goes to IT -- well, they can ask to see just about anything that happens on the app.

If you use a desktop PC or laptop for long enough, chances are you're going to come across one of the common GPU problems that have plagued gamers and workers since the humble graphics card debuted for the first time. The question is, do you know how to fix them? If not, never fear. We're here to help.

Whether you're encountering poor performance, overheating, visual artifacts, or a dreaded black screen, we're going to help you diagnose and fix these common GPU problems.

Your computer’s motherboard is one of the most vital components in your PC’s chain of command. Think of it as the brain of your entire system, handling everything from processors and graphics cards to power distribution and local memory. If your computer’s been running slower than normal, and you’ve done everything you can to clear your cache, cookies, and other digital debris, then there’s a good chance your motherboard may be the culprit. 

Fortunately, there’s a couple of methods you can use for getting your motherboard back in working order, and we’re going to walk you through each part of the process.

Create an assignment in Microsoft Teams

Create  assignments for your students in Microsoft Teams for Education . Manage assignment timelines, add instructions, create resources to turn in, and more.

Note:  Assignments is only available in class teams . You can assign assignments to classes of up to 1000 students. Classes larger than 300 can't use a Class Notebook or Makecode.

In this article

Create a new assignment, title and category, instructions and attachments.

Points, rubrics, and grading

Assigning to students or groups

Due dates and scheduling, assign, save, or discard, classwork modules.

Navigating the Grades tab

Navigate to the desired class team, then select Assignments .

Select Create >   New   Assignment .

At a minimum, you must give the assignment a title. This is required. You can optionally add a tag, which will make this assignment easier to search for in the future. 

Assignments only supports the following image file types: .png, .jpeg, and .gif. 

On mobile, Images will resize to the screen. 

On desktop, you can use sizing handles on images to resize them.  

You can also attach existing files, links, or assignment integrations and create and name a new file right from here for students to turn in.

Note:  You can add up to five files for students to edit. The total number of resources you can add to an assignment is 10, whether editable or non-editable. Read-only reference files can be up to 500 MB in size. Files for students to edit can be up to 50 MB in size.

Select Attach  to attach resources to the assignment. Choose a file from your OneDrive, upload a file from your device, or choose one of the other options set by your admin, such as MakeCode.

Note:  If you're assigning a Class Notebook page, check what version of OneNote your students are using to ensure that their assignment pages will lock after the assignment due date passes.

Select +New  to create a blank Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), or Whiteboard document, or a new video recording to hand out to your students.

Select  Apps  to attach content from an app to the assignment. Admins can  manage Teams apps in the Microsoft Teams admin center .

Select Learning Accelerators  to add Reading Progress , Search Progress and other Learning Accelerators to the Assignment.

By default, Students can't edit  attached documents, meaning the document is read-only. This is a great option for reference materials.

Note:  If you have older documents with the file extension .doc, .xls, or .ppt, students won't be able to edit them. You can either attach them as read-only reference material or create a new file in Teams, copy in the old content, and save it. All new files you create in Teams or other Microsoft 365 apps will have the correct extension.

The Assign to field is where you choose the class for this assignment. By default, the class team you are in will be selected. 

Multiclass Publish

Multiclass publish allows educators to create an assignment for multiple classes with the same due date. 

Do this by navigating to the Assign to field and check the boxes for classes the assignment will be published to. 

Points and rubrics

You can select which grading scheme,  grading categories , and points the assignment is worth. 

If you have configured the class to use Grading Categories, you need to select a Grading Category for assignment with points.

Select the amount of points this assignment is worth, if any. You can use points on any number-based scale including whole numbers of 100 and set your own denominator. Examples:  88/100 or decimals 3.7/4.0.

Select  Add rubric  to  create a rubric .

Select  Manage grading categories  to create or edit the grading categories for the class.

Setting up Grading Schemes

Letter grading and grading categories must be set as a Grading Scheme in the Grade settings section to display these options.

2. Navigate down to Grade settings .

3. Choose Add Schemes or  Manage schemes .

Note:  If no other grading schemes other than "Points" have been set, this link will read  Add Schemes . Once you have gone through the steps to add a new scheme, the link will change to  Manage schemes. 

5. Set the grading levels. Letter grades will be the normal A, B, C, D, F, scheme. Ensure that there are enough levels to cover the entire 0-100 percent range.

6. Select the Save button when complete. 

Finish by choosing the  Done  button. 

Choose multiple classes, individual students, or groups of students  in one class to assign to.

By default, only students who are in your class now will receive this assignment. Change this by selecting an option from the dropdown menu.

Note:  If you choose a close date, any student who joins will receive this assignment until the close date.

Select a time and date for the assignment to be due. To schedule an assignment, next to  Assignment will post immediately with late turn-ins allowed  select Edit assignment timeline . Here, you can customize when your assignment will be posted to students and when it will close for turn-ins. By default, no close date will be selected, which allows students to turn in assignments late.

Note: If you choose multiple classes to publish the assignment to, you can select Set due date per class to set individual schedule , due and close date for each class

You can choose whether to add this assignment to your calendar on Outlook, students' calendars, and other educators or staff in your class team. Set this preference for all assignments in Assignments Settings .

Next to Add assignment to calendars , select the dropdown and pick one of the following options:

Students only  adds the assignment to just student calendars.

Students and me adds the assignment to both student calendars and your calendar.

Students and team owners to adds the assignment to both student and other educators or staff in the class team calendars.

Choose the channel where you'd like notifications for this assignment to post. This allows you to keep student work and discussion organized by unit, topic, or subject. By default, assignments will be posted in the General channel or your selection in Assignments Settings.

To choose a channel to post in, next to Post assignment notifications to:  select the down arrow for a list of available channels. 

Pick the channel you’d like this assignment notification to post in, your selection will be applied immediately.

To post assignment notifications to a channel, make sure bot posting is enabled. You can check that here  or ask your IT Admin for help.

Assignments will post to channels that are visible to all students. Private channels will not appear during this step.

If you have selected multiple classes, select Set per Class to set which channel to use or just use the General channel. Assignments to individual students do not post to channels.

When you're ready, you can finish the process of creating your new assignment by assigning it to students.

Note:  If your school uses Turnitin, you can sync assignment turn-ins to Turnitin .

Assign  will immediately publish the assignment and your students will be notified of the new assignment on the day you specified and the notification linking to this assignment will post in the channel you selected. They'll also have an entry on their Teams and Outlooks calendars if you've selected that option.

Save  will save a draft of the assignment. Students will not receive any notification, and nothing will be added to any calendar. 

Discard  will delete the draft of the assignment. Students will not receive any notification, and nothing will be added to any calendar. 

Create a New Module

1. Navigate to the desired Class Team, then select Classwork.

2. Select Add module. 

3. Enter a title for the new module.

4. Optionally, enter a description.

5. Select Save to save the module as a draft.

Note: Draft modules are only visible to Team owners (teachers) until published. All new modules are created in draft states. 

Learn more about managing classwork modules in Microsoft Teams.

Navigate the Grades tab

To open the Grades tab, navigate to your desired class team and select Grades .

You'll see that students appear in a column, with their assignments in a row next to their name. Assignments are listed in order by due date with the nearest date at the beginning. 

Learn more about the Grades tab. 

Create a group assignment

Edit an assignment

Save an assignment as a draft

Grade, return, and reassign assignments

Additional resources for educators

Ask the community

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Fix Microsoft Teams Assignments Tab Not Working

The Assignments tab is an essential Microsoft Teams tool for teachers and students. This tab plays a crucial role in the current online learning context triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Teachers use the Assignments tab to hand out tasks to their students. The latter use it to hand in the assignments .

But sometimes, the Assignments tab may stop working unexpectedly. Let’s see how you can troubleshoot this issue.

• 1.1 Update the App
• 1.2 Use Teams Online
• 1.3 Disable Your VPN and Firewall
• 1.4 Reset the Teams App
• 1.5 Repair Office
• 1.6 Conclusion

Fix Microsoft Teams Assignments Not Working

Update the app.

By the way, if you’re running an outdated Windows 10 version on your machine, go to Settings , and click on Update & Security . Select Windows Update and check for updates. Ensure both your Teams app and OS are up-to-date.

Use Teams Online

If you can’t open the Assignments tab using the desktop app, try using the web version of Teams or the Mobile app. This workaround will come in handy, especially if you need to quickly hand in an assignment. The deadline is approaching.

• Launch Chrome or Edge and open a new Incognito tab.
• Then go to https://teams.microsoft.com and log in to your Teams account.
• Check if you can access and use the Assignments tab.

Oftentimes, when a certain feature is not working on the Teams desktop or Mobile app, it should be available on the web app. Just make sure to use a supported browser version .

Disable Your VPN and Firewall

If you use a VPN, disable it and check if the Assignment tab is fully functional. Turn off your firewall if you use one. Then check the results.

• If you’re using Windows Firewall, launch the Control Panel and type ‘ firewall ‘ in the search bar.

• Disable the firewall for both public and private networks: relaunch Teams and test.

Several users confirmed they solved the problem after disabling their VPN and firewall. However, keep in mind that your computer might become vulnerable to threats after turning off the firewall.

Reset the Teams App

When Teams is not working as intended, clear the app cache.

• Exit Microsoft Teams completely.
• The type %appdata%\Microsoft\Teams in the Windows Search bar and press Enter.

• Restart Teams, sign back in and check if the Assignments tab is fully functional again.

Repair Office

If the issue persists, you may want to repair your Office files.

• Launch the Control Panel and select Programs .
• Then click on Programs and Features .
• Select Office 365 or Microsoft 365 (depending on your version).

• Then select the Quick Repair option and check the results. If the issue persists, select  Online Repair .

If Teams won’t load your assignments, update the app or use Teams Online. Clearing the app cache and repairing your Office package may also help. We hope you managed to fix the Assignments tab with the help of this guide. Hit the comments below and tell us how the troubleshooting process went for you.

Author Madalina Dinita

Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies -- AI and DNA computing in particular.

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Greetings, I’m a student and the teacher has changed the due date of an old assignment and it should be available for me to send my H.W but it’s not + the assignment is opened to other students expect me

I have updated the app and cleared the cache storage but still the problem isn’t solved

my assignments are not opening in teams online

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Last Updated on February 25, 2021 by Judy Sanhz

4 Ways to Fix if Microsoft Teams Keeps Showing Away

Atish is a seasoned tech enthusiast fueled by caffeine and a Computer Science engineering degree. He stumbled into the blogging world in 2015 and hasn't looked back. Over 2000+ articles later, his work has been featured on sites like Gizbot, Firstpost, PhoneArena, GSMArena, and IBTimes. At GT, he's your go-to guy for how-tos, invaluable tips, and troubleshooting guides that actually work. He's also an SEO and digital marketing whiz and content strategist, so his tech takes are always on point and ethical.

Microsoft Teams provides a seamless way for remote teams to work together. However, encountering the issue of Microsoft Teams consistently showing you as away when you’re actively using it can be quite frustrating. In this article, we will guide you on how to fix Microsoft Teams keep showing away and provide four effective fixes to address this issue.

Before beginning the fixes, it is essential to understand why Microsoft Teams displays you as Away while you’re actively engaging with the platform. There are several possible reasons for this, including inactivity, status settings, network connectivity issues, etc.

Now, let’s proceed with the article to explore the four fixes that can help you address this problem and ensure that Microsoft Teams accurately reflects your presence.

1. Manually Reset Your Status Active on Teams

Instead of waiting for Windows or Mac to update your availability status, you can manually change it if your Teams status is stuck on away. This will keep it running until you manually change it to appear away or offline.

On Windows or Mac

Step 1 : Launch Microsoft Team, depending on your operating system. 

Note : For demonstration purposes, we are going with Mac.

Step 2 : Once launched, click on your profile picture at the top right corner of your screen.

Step 3 : Click on the Availability option.

Step 4 : In the drop-down menu, select (green) Available. 

That’s it. You have set yourself available, allowing others to see you active. If you want to do the same for mobile, continue reading.  

On Android or iOS

The steps are the same for both Android and iOS. However, for the sake of demonstration, we will go with Android. 

Step 1 : Launch Teams on your device, and from the home page, tap on your profile in the top-left corner.

Step 2 : In the sidebar, tap Offline or the option below your account name. From the drop-down, select the Available option. 

There you have it. You have successfully changed your availability setting and stopped Microsoft Teams from showing away after 5 minutes. If this doesn’t resolve the issue, move to the following method. 

Also Read : How to change Microsoft Teams notification sound

2. Check for MS Teams App Updates

Sometimes, it’s not you but a glitch or an app issue that results in Teams showing away when active. Microsoft is quick to make fixes to its enterprise software, including Teams. So, a simple app update would solve the problem.

Let’s begin with updating the Teams desktop app.

Step 1 : Press the Windows key on your keyboard, type Microsoft Teams , and click Open.

Note : On Mac, press the ‘Command+Space’ keys, type Teams, and hit Return.

Step 2 : Once Teams launches, click the three-dot icon next to the profile picture. 

Step 3 : From the drop-down menu, click on ‘Check for updates.’

That’s it. Once the update is complete, restart the app, and the issue, such as Teams status stuck on away, should be gone. If you are away from your desktop and facing the same on mobile, continue reading.

When it comes to updating Microsoft Teams on an Android or iOS device, there is no in-app option like with Desktop. If you want to update the app, go to the Google Play Store or App Store, depending on whether you are on Android or iOS.

You can check out our explainer to learn how to check if apps need an update on iPhone and Android . If updating the app didn’t resolve the issue, move on to the next method.

3. Set a Status Message on Teams

A handy workaround is to set a status message that your colleagues and manager will see when they message or @mention you. So, even if your Team’s status shows away, your team members know you are available. Let’s begin with the steps for the Teams desktop app.

Note : On Mac, press the ‘Command+Space’ keys, type Teams , and hit Return.

Step 2 : Once Teams launches, click on your profile picture in the top-right corner. 

Step 3 : From the drop-down, click ‘Set status message.’

Step 4 : In the modal, type your status message in the text section, tick the box next to ‘Show when people message me,’ and click Done.

Note : You can change the default set ‘Clear status message after’ from Today to 1 hour, 4 hours, This Week, or Never.

There you go. You have successfully set your status on Microsoft Teams. If you want to do the same on mobile, continue reading.

For demonstration purposes, we will only go over Android. However, the steps are the same for both Android and iOS.

Step 1 : Launch the Teams mobile app on your Android or iOS device. Once launched, tap on your profile picture or first-name alphabet icon in the top left corner. 

Step 2 : From the left pane, tap ‘Set status message.’ On the next screen, type your status message in the text section, toggle ‘Show when people message me,’ and click the tick mark in the top right corner. 

That’s about it. You have set yourself a Teams status, letting others know you are available. If none of the methods worked, check out the last method; keep reading. 

Also Read : Ways to keep Microsoft Teams status green all the time

4. Use Third-party Apps to Keep the System Available

Using third-party apps or utilities to keep Microsoft Teams available can be a helpful workaround for preventing it from going into an idle or inactive state. We recommend using  Move Mouse  for Windows and  Jiggler  for Mac, even though a wide variety of third-party software is available.

By using these apps, you will remain active, and your Microsoft Teams status will not be set to inactive or away. Moreover, you will be able to receive notifications and messages from Teams as long as your computer is awake and active.

It is important to note that these third-party tools are not official solutions and may not be officially supported by Microsoft or other software providers. Be aware of potential compatibility issues as well as security concerns.

If we have missed addressing any of the queries above, check out the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Microsoft Teams Keeps Saying I’m Away, but I’m Not

The Away status may affect how others perceive your availability, but it does not block incoming calls or messages. Your presence status (e.g., Available or Busy) can also influence how others reach out to you.

Yes, actively participating in screen sharing or meetings in Microsoft Teams can often prevent your status from changing to Away, even if there is no other computer activity.

Depending on your organization’s policies, administrators may be able to enforce certain status settings. Check with your IT department or Teams administrators for specific policies.

Fix Teams Status Error

Now that you know how to fix Microsoft Teams keeps showing away, you can fix the issue and enhance your overall Microsoft Teams experience. You may also want to read how to schedule a meeting in Microsoft Teams .

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Last updated on 10 October, 2023

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6 Ways To Fix Microsoft Teams Assignments Tab Not Working

Schools are now teaching in a whole new way. And this new remote learning process has become fairly simple through Microsoft Teams.

Assignment tab is one great schooling feature of Teams. With this, Educators can manage assignments, add resources, and automatically track students’ progress. Also, students can get clear instructions on their assigned tasks, work, or quizzes.

However, in recent years the Assignment tabs won’t work sometimes.

Fortunately, after a lengthy investigation, I’ve found the optimum solution for this problem.

Enough talk. Let’s jump into the article to solve Microsoft Teams Assignments Tab not working issue once and for all.

1. Use Microsoft Teams Online

2. clear teams cache, 3. turn on access to new students, 4. update teams, 5. stop your vpn and firewall, 6. repair office, how to fix teams assignments tab not showing up.

Teams assignment tab works through an add-on named TD-assignments, and its preliminary data is loaded into the device’s cache file. This feature gets unresponsive when your system file gets too much junk. Old versions of the application or lack of access through the Windows firewall also cause Teams Assignments Tab not showing issues.

Here are the fixes for Assignments Tab not working in Microsoft Teams:

Sometimes your Desktop Teams application stops working for some bugs or Windows update issues. Those times you need to try using Teams online. The Online version of Teams is immune to Windows bugs, so they will work perfectly.

Here are the ways to use MS Teams online:

• Open any browser (using Chrome or Edge is recommended)
• Launch a new Incognito window > Visit Teams website .
• Sign into your Teams account.
• Check for the Assignments tab.

You need to use the incognito window in this method to avoid the popup window of the Teams app installed on your PC.

Read more on how to  fix Microsoft Teams you can’t send messages error .

Corrupted cache files can stop add-ons like the Assignment tab in the Teams application. As you clear the cache file, Microsoft Teams application will reset, and the system will create a fresh set of the cache file.

Here are the steps to clear the cache file of Teams:

• Exit Teams completely. (close the app in from Task manager)
• Open Windows Run ( Win+R ).

• Delete the contents in the Cache folder.
• Restart your PC.

After completing these steps, re-log into your Teams application and check if the assignment tap starts working or not.

Also related to this guide  Microsoft Teams set out of office alerts .

If you add any new students to your Teams classroom, they won’t be able to use the assignment tab right away. As admin, you must give access to those new students from the settings.

Here are the steps to grant access to new students in Teams Assignment Tab:

• Go to Teams > Assignments .
• Click the 3-dot icon on the top-right.
• Tap Assignment Settings .
• Turn on the New Students will receive assignments created before they joined the class option.

As a student, you can’t directly apply these steps. You need to ask your teacher to apply this fix for you to grant access.

Also read why Teams not working on WiFi .

Microsoft continuously releases updates for Teams applications of all platforms to fix bugs and other issues. Generally, on an outdated Teams application, you can face problems in viewing the assignment tab.

So you should keep your application up to date all the time.

Here are the steps to update the Teams application in Windows:

• Open Teams application.
• Click the 3-dot icon.
• Tap Update .

Your update will take some time based on the internet connection. After updating the Teams application, restart your PC, and your Assignment will start working again.

Sometimes VPN or the Windows firewall can prevent the Teams app from getting the necessary information for the Admin. For this reason, your assignment menu can stop working. That time you need to disable your VPN and Windows Firewall.

Here are the steps to close VPN in Windows:

• Right-click on the Task Bar and click Task manager .
• Go to Process .
• Find your VPN from the app list > Tap End Task .

And to disable the Windows firewall follow the steps below.

Here are the steps to disable the Windows firewall:

• Type Windows Defender Firewall in Settings and press Enter.
• Click Turn Windows Defender Firewall On or Off menu.
• Select Turn Off Windows Defender Firewall in both private and public networks.

This way, you can disable the Windows defender firewall and VPN. So the assignment will start working again.

Also read how to Fix Microsoft Teams Full Screen Not Working .

Repairing your Office Application will remove the corrupted section of MS Teams. You can fix the office application using two options: Quick Repair or in-depth Online Repair.

Select the Quick Repair option first. If it doesn’t work, use the second one to solve your problem.

Here are the steps to Repair Office (OneNote) using Windows Settings:

• Open Windows Settings .
• Select the Office app.
• Click on Modify .
• Choose Quick Repair or Online Repair .

Alternatively, you can do the same thing through the Control Panel too.

Here are the steps to Repair Office (OneNote) using Control Panel:

• Open the Control Panel .
• Choose Large icons in the View By option.
• Select Programs and Features .
• Click Your Office software.
• Select Change .

After you repair the Office application, the unknown bugs and the corrupted section of the Teams application. This solution will resolve this issue when your Assignment Tab in the Teams application stops working for some system file corruption.

Related contents you should read Convert Outlook Meetings to Teams Meetings .

Can you set yourself assignments on Teams?

Yes, you can. But the best way is to work with your teammates and let them teach you the ropes.

How do I download assignments for Microsoft Teams?

To download your assignments from MS Teams, follow the steps: Go to the Main menu > File > Download As > Microsoft Teams Assignment > Choose the file > Press Download.

Why won’t Teams let me view assignments?

This can happen for reasons like the assignment is still in progress, you don’t have permissions, or server error. Ask your admin to provide access to view the assignment tab.

In short, the assignment tab of Windows Teams application can stop working for bugs in the application, corrupted files, or other system errors. To solve this problem, try clearing the cache file, updating the application, and disabling the firewall.

If the above solutions don’t work, ask your teacher or admin to grant you access to the Assignment tab.

After applying the above fixes, I’m sure you can now quickly fix Assignments Tab not working on Microsoft Teams issue.

Which of the following 6 has done the trick? Comment below.

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How-To Geek

How to stop microsoft teams from showing you as away.

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Why your team status automatically changes, set your team status to available, prevent your pc from going to sleep, stay active on teams on your phone, play a background music video or a slide, start a meeting with yourself, download third-party application, use a usb mouse jiggler, split screen, why not set the status to busy.

Microsoft Teams lets you communicate with your coworkers and show them whether you're free or busy by showing your activity status. However, if your workplace demands constant availability, you need to prevent your status from changing to "Away." Luckily, there are ways to address this situation.

Microsoft Teams marks you as "Available" until it detects inactivity or your device enters sleep mode. At that point, it switches your status to "Away." Additionally, if you haven't used Teams for five minutes, or it's running in the background, your status will also turn to "Away."

Microsoft Teams changes your status based on your activity and calendar events. If you're in a meeting or call, Teams will set your status to "In a meeting" or "On a call" by default unless you're in Do Not Disturb mode. The Do Not Disturb status lets you focus or present your screen without receiving any notifications.

If you want to indicate that you're temporarily away, you can manually set your status to "Be Right Back." Teams won't set this status automatically; it's up to you to choose it.

Unfortunately, there's no direct way to maintain your status as "Available" when your computer enters idle mode, or you are away from the PC for more than five minutes. However, there are methods to prevent this, whether you're using Windows or Mac.

The first and easiest step you can take is to adjust your user presence in Microsoft Teams. If your status isn't set to "Available," you'll need to get active on the Teams screen. After that, you can manually assign your status to "Available" through the user presence options.

To modify your Team status, click on your profile picture within the Team's interface. Then, select your current status and select "Available" from the drop-down menu.

Even if you've manually set your status to "Available," it doesn't guarantee that it won't automatically switch to "Away."

For example, if you lock your system or your PC goes into sleep mode , your status will again change to "Away" mode. To resolve this issue, you can set a custom status message that will never turn off until you change it.

If you're someone who uses Microsoft Teams all the time on your PC for work, then, you may take a temporary break while working to grab a cup of coffee. Unfortunately, if someone checks your Team's status during this time, they will see it set to "Away" because your PC has gone idle. To prevent this from happening and avoid any potential embarrassment, you can extend the time before your PC enters sleep mode.

To modify the power and sleep settings, simply open Windows settings and click on the "System" section. After that, select the "Screen and Sleep" option under the Power settings. Here, you can adjust the sleep time, after which your PC goes into idle mode.

If you're on a Mac, head over to the system "Preferences" and navigate to the "Battery" option. Next, choose the "Power Adapter" option and adjust the " Turn Display Off After " slider.

After increasing the sleep time, you can now set your status to "Available" to prevent Microsoft Teams from showing you as away.

Being active on the Microsoft Team mobile application is another way to be active and set your status to "Available." If you become active on the phone and not on the PC, your team status will remain "Available."

However, one thing you need to make sure is that the Microsoft Team application should not run in the background on your smartphone. If your phone screen closes, or you switch to another application, your status will change to "Away."

Being active on the Team's mobile app is a great alternative to letting your colleagues know that you are available, especially if you cannot sit in front of your PC all the time.

Furthermore, you can adjust the screen timeout settings to prevent your phone from going idle . Just like the Windows method mentioned earlier, this will ensure that your phone stays on and active, allowing the Microsoft Teams app to remain active too.

Another option to keep Microsoft Teams available all the time is to run a video in the background on your PC. To begin, set your status to "Available" in Microsoft Teams. Then, go to YouTube or any media player and play a long video. Since the screen stays on while the video is playing, your status will remain "Available."

You can also open a slide on PowerPoint and present it to you on full screen . After that, switch to another application using the Alt+Tab shortcut. This will keep the PowerPoint running in the background, making Teams think you're still active on your PC.

Starting a meeting with yourself and changing its "In a Call" status to "Available" can also prevent Teams from showing you away. While the meeting is happening, your status won't switch to "Away," even if Microsoft Teams is minimized.

This is a great way to be active on Teams instead of being away after every five minutes. However, make sure to change the meeting status to "Available" status, otherwise being in a meeting for a long period may seem strange.

Third-party apps such as Caffeine or Amphetamine can also be used to stop Microsoft Teams from automatically changing your status. These apps, when running in the background, will press a specific key or move your mouse after a specific time. This will help your PC to be active on teams and doesn't switch to "Away" mode.

For example, when you install Caffeine, you'll see a tiny icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen. To use it, just click its icon. You can choose how long you want it to keep your computer awake. You can also disable it if you no longer need it or if you are active on Teams.

Additionally, if you're a Mac user, you can try Amphetamine, similar to caffeine.

You can also move your mouse regularly to avoid the "Away" status. It can be done manually by moving the mouse, or you can use an app like Mouse Jiggler or MoveMouse to automatically move your mouse and stay available.

This is particularly useful when you need to step away from your computer for a while but want your status to remain active. These apps prevent your computer from going into idle mode, allowing you to receive notifications and messages from Teams as long as your computer is awake and active.

You can use the split screen feature to stay active on Microsoft Teams while working on other apps. For example, you can move the Teams window to one side of your display and open another app or browser on the opposite side.

With the split screen feature, you can multitask your work along with "Available" status on Microsoft Teams.

Instead of relying solely on the "Available" status indicator, it's better to communicate your availability directly to your fellow team members. If you need to focus on a task without interruption, you can simply set the status to "Busy" or "Do Not Disturb" mode. You can also just leave a customs status message to indicate that you're working on something urgent and that you'll get back to them as soon as possible.

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When I open an assignment in ms teams it comes blank or it is showing that something is wrong.why?

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Hi @SAMEER ACHHAB ,

Does anyone else have the same issue in your organization?

Can you see assignment normally in Teams web client?

In this case, we recommend you try to clean your Teams client cache file and restart it to see if this issue can be fixed. For more details about it, you can refer to:

https://www.onmsft.com/how-to/how-to-clear-your-microsoft-teams-cache-on-windows-10

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How to fix Microsoft Teams assignments not showing up

updated on October 4, 2023

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• Having a feature-rich collaboration tool to assign tasks related to your company's workflow in crucial for every company
• As such, users can utilize Microsoft Teams assignments to assign various tasks to teammates and track their progress
• However, if this feature is not working, you can quickly fix this issue and other errorsby following the instructions in this troubleshooting guide
• Feel free to visit our Microsoft Teams Hub to learn more tips and tricks about this tool.

Creating assignments for students in Microsoft Teams issues you cannot overlook if you’re planning to manage multiple tasks and people at the same time.

Many new features have been brought to Teams’ assignments in the past few months. The promise of a faster, more streamlined design has turned into reality and it didn’t come alone.

Assignment creation finally has a more intuitive single-column layout, teachers can easily view how the document would appear for students, review their work in a snap and grade them on the go.

It sounds almost too good to be true, at least until discovering that Microsoft Teams assignments are not showing up sometimes. Worry not, as we’ve got various solutions that you can try to resolve your problem. Let’s dive right in.

What can I do if Teams assignments aren’t showing up?

1. download the android mobile app.

• Go to your mobile device.
• Follow the link on Microsoft’s download page .
• You may also grab it from Google Play Store .
• Install Microsoft Teams as any other regular app.

Don’t know how to react when Microsoft Teams assignments fail to show up and you’re out of time? Mark it as a known issue and simply apply this workaround, later followed by an actual desktop solution.

If you are looking for the quickest way now, then simply use Microsoft Teams on Android mobile.

2. Check for Microsoft Teams fresh updates

• Click your profile picture at the top of the app.
• Select Check for updates .
• If a new update is available, it will be downloaded and installed when the computer is idle.
• Then, exit your Teams entirely.
• Restart it to check it again.

The desktop client normally updates itself automatically and it’s up to date most of the time. If you want, you can still check for available updates. To do so, just complete the above procedure and make sure they’ll provide the necessary feature and speed enhancements.

Note : You must be signed in for updates to be downloaded.

3. An alternate way to check Microsoft Teams assignments

• Go to the Teams section of the side-bar.
• Select the Team used for your course.
• In the Teams client, go to Activity in a single team . Here you should be able to check all the assignments.
• Click Assignments in different team to see if you can check it in the Assigned tab , mark it, or give a feedback.

4. Wait for the notification of grading

The notification of grading may suddenly restore access to the previously missing assignment. Just double check it via Activity tab .

5. Get Microsoft Teams desktop client

• Visit the official Teams on desktop page .
• Choose the Desktop version to start the download.
• Do one of the following:
• Choose Open or Run this program from its current location if you want to start the installation immediately.
• Choose Save or Save this program to disk to copy the download to your computer for installation at a later time.

Remember that assignments may refuse to show up as Teams doesn’t fully run in Safari. We recommend you to stop looking for the assignments in the Microsoft Teams web client on Safari and download the desktop client instead.

Remember that Microsoft Teams is a collaboration tool used as an extension of a classroom or as a hub for teamwork in general.

There is no arguing that assignments play an important part in any teamwork environment, so make sure to try all of the mentioned methods to solve your problem, even if this means stepping in and taking the matter into your own hands.

If you are not yet a Teams user, sign up for the Microsoft Teams service today.

If you have any other questions or suggestions, make sure to leave them in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to check them out.

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More about the topics: Microsoft Teams , Microsoft Teams Error Codes , productivity software

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Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies -- AI and DNA computing in particular. Prior to joining the WindowsReport team, she worked in the corporate world for a number of years.

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Tim Walz, Who Spent Decades as an Enlisted Soldier, Brings Years of Work on Vets Issues to Dem Ticket

A retired Army National Guard noncommissioned officer who was once the top Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee could become the next vice president.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris announced Tuesday that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz will be her running mate. That puts someone with an enlisted background on both presidential tickets after Republican nominee former President Donald Trump chose Marine veteran Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate.

Patrick Murphy, an Army veteran who was Walz' roommate when they were both freshmen in Congress, called Walz a "soldier's soldier."

Read Next: A Rocket Attack at an Iraqi Military Base Injures US Personnel, Officials Say

"The two largest federal agencies are DoD and the VA, so someone who has intimate knowledge of both is incredibly important," Murphy, who served as Army under secretary during the Obama administration, said in a phone interview with Military.com. "He was a field artilleryman who has tinnitus as diagnosed by the VA, so he understands the plight of our brother and sister veterans."

Walz enlisted in the Army National Guard in Nebraska in 1981 and retired honorably in 2005 as the top enlisted soldier for 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment, in the Minnesota National Guard, according to a copy of his records provided by the Minnesota Guard. He reached the rank of command sergeant major and served in that role, but he officially retired as a master sergeant for benefits purposes because he didn't finish a required training course, according to the records and a statement from the Minnesota Guard.

His Guard career included responding to natural disasters in the United States, as well as a deployment to Italy to support U.S. operations in Afghanistan, according to a 2018 article by Minnesota Public Radio . Walz earned several awards, including the Army Commendation Medal and two Army Achievement Medals, according to his military records. Working a civilian job as a high school teacher and football coach, the Nebraska native was also named that state's Citizen Soldier of the Year in 1989, according to official biographies.

During the 2022 Minnesota governor's race, Walz' opponent accused him of leaving the Guard when he did in order to avoid a deployment to Iraq, though Walz maintained he retired in order to focus on running for Congress, according to the Star Tribune newspaper .

Far-right commentators and media resurfaced those allegations and knocked him for never serving in combat -- something he has never claimed to do -- in contrast with Vance's deployment to Iraq as a combat correspondent.

"Looks like it is time to bring back Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Oof. Walz is a really unforced error. He bailed on the military when they decided to send him to Iraq. JD Vance actually served," conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson posted on social media Tuesday.

Walz was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2006, becoming the highest-ranking retired enlisted soldier to serve in Congress.

His tenure in Congress included sitting on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, rising to be its ranking member in 2017.

"Walz' leadership on behalf of his fellow veterans when he was in the U.S. House of Representatives is notable at a time when our all-volunteer force continues to struggle to recruit," Allison Jaslow, CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said in a statement praising the choice of a veteran to be vice presidential nominee. "How we care for our veterans is as important to our national security as how we care for our troops, and Walz has a record to prove that he understands that imperative."

As the top Democrat on the committee, Walz was a chief adversary for the Trump administration's Department of Veterans Affairs . He battled with then-acting VA Secretary Peter O'Rourke in 2018 during a standoff over O'Rourke's handling of the inspector general's office, and pushed for an investigation into the influence of a trio of informal VA advisers who were members of Trump's Mar-a-Lago club. An investigation by House Democrats completed after Walz left Congress concluded that the so-called Mar-a-Lago trio "violated the law and sought to exert improper influence over government officials to further their own personal interests."

Walz also opposed the Mission Act, the bill that expanded veterans' access to VA-funded care by non-VA doctors that Trump considers one of his signature achievements. Walz said in statements at the time that, while he agreed the program for veterans to seek outside care needed to be fixed, he believed the Mission Act did not have sustainable funding. VA officials in recent years have said community care costs have ballooned following the Mission Act.

Walz supported another bill that Trump touts as a top achievement, the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, which sought to make it easier for the VA to fire employees accused of misconduct or poor performance. But the implementation of that law was later part of Walz' fight with O'Rourke . The law also faced legal challenges that prompted the Biden administration to stop using the expedited firing authorities granted by the bill.

Walz was also an early proponent of doing more for veterans exposed to toxins during their military service, sponsored a major veterans suicide prevention bill and advocated for the expansion of GI Bill benefits. And he repeatedly pushed the VA to study marijuana usage to treat PTSD and chronic pain, something that could come up in a future administration if the Department of Justice finalizes reclassifying marijuana into a category of drugs considered less dangerous.

Walz' time in Congress also included a stint on the House Armed Services Committee, a perch he used to advocate for benefits for members of the National Guard .

Walz consistently voted in support of the annual defense policy bill, as well as advocated for repealing the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy that effectively banned gay and lesbian service members.

"He was my battle buddy in the fight to repeal 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' and it wouldn't have happened if we didn't have Command Sgt. Maj. Tim Walz helping lead the fight," Murphy said.

Since becoming governor of Minnesota in 2019, Walz' role as commander in chief of the Minnesota National Guard has come under a spotlight several times. In response to a request from the Minneapolis mayor, he activated the Guard in May 2020 to assist law enforcement when some protests over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd turned destructive. At the time, Minneapolis' mayor accused Walz of being too slow to order the deployment, a charge he denied.

"It is time to rebuild. Rebuild the city, rebuild our justice system, and rebuild the relationship between law enforcement and those they're charged to protect," Walz said in a statement when he announced the activation.

He also activated the Guard to protect the Minnesota state Capitol in January 2021 amid fears that Trump supporters could riot at state houses like they did at the U.S. Capitol that month. And he's used the Guard for missions that are more routine for the service, such as to help after heavy flooding earlier this summer .

As news broke Tuesday of Walz' selection, he quickly won praise from other Democratic veterans.

"Having a person who wore the uniform and who deployed around the world adds to the ticket someone who can connect with veterans and military families in a way that no one but a veteran can," Jon Soltz, chairman of liberal political action committee VoteVets, said in a statement.

-- Steve Beynon contributed to this story.

Related: Here's Kamala Harris' Record on Veterans and Military Issues

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Did a law Tim Walz signed allow a child to be taken away from parents who don’t consent to ‘sex changes’?

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Wisconsin Watch partners with  Gigafact  to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate, signed legislation allowing Minnesota courts to take “temporary emergency jurisdiction” in a child custody case involving “gender-affirming” care.

The April 2023 law does not change when the state can take custody away from parents or enable the state to take away custody in connection with such care.

The law defines gender-affirming care as “medically necessary” care that can include aligning “the patient’s appearance … with the patient’s gender identity.”

The law enables Minnesota to take temporary jurisdiction in a child custody dispute between parents in another state if one wants a child to obtain gender-affirming care in Minnesota.

Twenty-five states restrict gender-affirming care.

A spokesperson for Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance cited the Minnesota law to back Vance’s claim Aug. 7, 2024, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, that Walz supports removing custody from parents who “don’t want to consent to sex changes.” This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as  this one .

Minnesota Legislature:  HF 146 Status in the House for the 93rd Legislature (2023)

Minnesota Legislature:  HF 146 1st Engrossment

Minnesota House of Representatives:  Gender-Affirming Health Care; Subpoenas, Warrants, and Child Custody

FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul:  JD Vance campaigns in Eau Claire, Wisconsin [FULL SPEECH]

MedPage Today:  These States Have Banned Youth Gender-Affirming Care

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Did Kamala Harris do a news conference or on-the-record interview in the two weeks after Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential race?

Was Kamala Harris the most unpopular vice president since polling began?

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by Tom Kertscher / Wisconsin Watch, Wisconsin Watch August 9, 2024

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Tom Kertscher joined as a Wisconsin Watch fact checker in January 2023 and contributes to our collaboration with the The Gigafact Project to fight misinformation online. Kertscher is a former longtime newspaper reporter, including at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, who has worked as a self-employed journalist since 2019. His gigs include contributing writer for Milwaukee Magazine and sports freelancer for The Associated Press.

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Romanian PM to boycott Olympics’ closing ceremony after ‘scandalous situation’ in gymnastics ruling

Ana Barbosu, of Romania, competes during the women’s artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, of Romania, competes during the women’s artistic gymnastics individual floor finals at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Jordan Chiles, of the United States, and Simone Biles, of the United States, celebrate after the women’s artistic gymnastics individual floor finals in Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, in Paris, France. Biles won the silver medal and Chiles the bronze medal. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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Follow along for the latest updates from today’s Olympic action , including the gold medal men’s basketball game between the U.S. and France.

PARIS (AP) — Romania’s Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Tuesday that he will boycott the Paris Olympics ’ closing ceremony due to a “scandalous situation” that cost a Romanian gymnast a bronze medal.

Ana Barbosu had already begun celebrating her bronze for the floor event Monday when coaches for American Jordan Chiles entered an appeal to judges over Chiles’ score. The inquiry result in a 0.1 boost for Chiles, enough to overtake Barbosu for the last spot on the Olympic podium.

“I decided not to attend the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics, following the scandalous situation in the gymnastics, where our athletes were treated in an absolutely dishonorable manner,” Ciolacu said in a Facebook post. “To withdraw a medal earned for honest work on the basis of an appeal ... is totally unacceptable!”

Ciolacu promised Romania would honor Barbosu and fifth-place finisher Sabrina Maneca-Voinea, also Romanian, as Olympic medalists, “including in terms of the prizes.”

“You have with you an entire nation for which your work and tears are more precious than any medal, no matter what precious metal they are from,” Ciolacu said.

Barbosu was standing on the floor holding a Romanian flag when she looked up and saw the scoring change on the video board. She dropped the flag in shock, brought her hands to her face and walked off in tears.

Inquiries are a standard part of gymnastics competitions, with athletes or coaches asking judges to review a routine to ensure elements are rated properly. Scores can be adjusted up or down based on an inquiry.

The revised scoring of Chiles’ performance also nudged Maneca-Voinea down to fifth place.

Romania was a longtime superpower in gymnastics, but this was the program’s return to the Olympics after a 12-year break. Romanian gymnastics great Nadia Comaneci also lashed out after the event, writing on X, “I can’t believe we play with athletes mental health and emotions like this.”

Ciolacu said that viewers worldwide were “literally shocked by this terrible scene” and said it highlights that “somewhere in the system of organizing this competition, something is wrong.”

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games