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Blackboard 6.3 Browser Information
  1. What browser should I use with Blackboard?
  2. How do I update my browser?
  3. How do I configure my browser settings?
  4. Special instructions for Internet Explorer 7.0
  5. Is Blackboard secure? (What is SSL?
  6. Additional Notes (AOL, pop-up blockers, firewalls, etc.)

What browser should I use with Blackboard?
The following chart indicates compatible browsers for various operating systems.

   
Operating Systems
  
 
Windows
  
Macintosh#
  
 
2000*
XP
  
10.2
(Jaguar)
10.3
(Panther)
 
W
e
b

B
r
o
w
s
e
r
s
 Microsoft
Internet Explorer
5.2
  
x
x
  
C
Y
  
5.5
  
C
C
  
x
x
  
6.0
  
Y
Y
  
x
x
  
7.0**
  
Y
Y
  
x
x
  
Netscape
and
Mozilla
NS 4.79
 
C
C
  
C
C
  
NS 7.1
 
C
C
  
C
C
  
Firefox 1.0.x-2.0+
 
Y
Y
  
Y
Y
  
Apple Safari++
1.0
  
x
x
  
C
x
  
1.1
  
x
x
  
x
C
  
1.2
  
x
x
  
x
Y
  

Y = Certified - fully tested and supported by Blackboard
C = Compatible - only key application areas tested
x = Not tested - specified Browser is not supported for the Operating System

* Windows 2000 supported configurations are considered compatible when run on Windows 95, 98, and ME
** Visual Text Box Editor may not work properly when using Internet Explorer 7. See below for solutions to this issue.
# The Visual Text Box Editor is only available to users with Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows Operating Systems
+ Firefox will not load Collaboration Sessions when Popup Windows are blocked
++ Safari does not support the Equation Editor, Collaboration Tool, and some SCORM content types.

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Internet Explorer 7.0 and Blackboard 6.3
Issue: The Visual Text Box Editor may not function properly in Blackboard v6.3 using the IE 7 browser.
Symptom: The formatting and content controls will appear, but the text box itself will appear broken. This in turn may cause problems with certain functions that utilize the Text Box Editor, such as Content items, Discussion Board postings, Quizzes, etc.
Workaround: If you have downloaded IE 7, Blackboard suggests one of the following two workarounds:

Option 1: Add Blackboard as a trusted site, perform the following:

      1. Launch Internet Explorer
      2. Select Tools->Internet Options
      3. Click on the Security Tab
      4. Click on the Trusted Site icon
      5. Enter the following address, then click Ok.
              http://blackboard.granite.edu
      6. Press F5 to refresh the screen.

You should be able to go into the Blackboard site and resume your normal processing.

When you click on the Discussion Board, the following message may appear in the information bar near the top of the screen. “Microsoft® Dynamic HTML Editing Control’ from Microsoft Corporation’. If you trust...click here”

If this message appears:

  1. Click the message and select Run ActiveX Control
  2. Click Run in the Security Warning box if present.

Option 2: If the problem continues, disable your Text Box editor:

    1. Log into MyGranite.
    2. Select course.
    3. Click on Course Tools
    4. Click on Personal Information.
    5. Click on Set Visual Text Box Editor Options
    6. Under section 1, Manage Visual Text Box Editor; make sure it is set to Unavailable.
    7. Click the Submit button.
    8. The change takes effect immediately. You can now enter your discussion board and reply to the questions.

Blackboard and SSL

On March 11th, SSL secure technology will be installed in Blackboard. A secure connection, recognizable by the HTTPS (HTTP) in the URL, means the information being exchanged between the Blackboard web site and your browser is being encypted. Up until this time, secure connections have been available for email, logon and WebRock functions. After March 11th, information exchanged between the Blackboard website and users’ browsers will be encrypted, adding an additional layer of security onto the environment.

Users may find themselves getting an annoying number of messages stating “This page contains both secure and non-secure items. Do you want to display the non-secure items?” This notice means that the webpage is trying to display both secure and non-secure content. This is called “mixed content”. Non-secure items are usually images or icons created by our content contributors which are being stored on a non-SSL host.

If you find this bothersome, you might want to temporarily have Internet Explorer allow all mixed content.

To allow mixed content:

  1. In Internet Explorer, click the Tools button, and then click Internet Options.
  2. Click the Security tab, and then click the Custom Level button.
  3. In the Security Settings dialog box, scroll to the Display mixed content setting in the Miscellaneous section, and then click Enable.
  4. Click OK in the Security Settings dialog box, and then click OK to exit Internet Options.

NOTE: After allowing mixed content, you will see webpages with both HTTPS and non-HTTPS content with no message.

How do I update my browser?
If you need to download a newer browser, click on the preferred browser for your operating system below.

Windows
Macintosh

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How do I configure my browser settings?
Blackboard needs to have your browser set to enable Cookies, Java, and Java Scripting. We also recommend refreshing the browser page on every visit so you always see an updated page. The instructions below may vary slightly depending on your browser version.

Internet Explorer 5.5
Internet Explorer 6.x & 7.0
Firefox 1.0-2.0
Netscape
Safari
AOL Users

  Internet Explorer 5.5

Enable cookies
  1. From the IE toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Internet Options
  3. Click the Security tab
  4. Click Custom Level
  5. Scroll down to Cookies
  6. Under "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer" choose Enable
  7. Click OK
    8.

Enable Java
  1. From the IE toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Internet Options
  3. Click the Advanced tab
  4. Under "Microsoft VM" check Java console enabled and Java logging enabled
  5. Click OK
  6. Restart your computer
    7.

Refresh page on every visit
  1. From the IE toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Internet Options
  3. Click the General tab
  4. Under "Temporary Internet Files," click Settings
  5. Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages," choose Every visit to the page
  6. Click OK
    7.

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  Internet Explorer 6.0 & 7.0

Enable cookies
  1. From the IE toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Internet Options
  3. Click the Privacy tab
  4. Click the Advanced button
  5. Make sure Override automatic cookie handling is checked
  6. Under "First-party cookies," select either Accept or Prompt
  7. Click OK
    8.

Enable Java
  1. From the IE toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Internet Options
  3. Click the Security tab
  4. Click the Custom Level button
  5. Scroll down to Scripting
  6. Choose "Enable" for Active Scripting and Scripting of Java Applets
  7. Click OK
  8. Restart your computer
    9.

Refresh page on every visit
  1. From the IE toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Internet Options
  3. Click the General tab
  4. Under "Temporary Internet Files," click Settings
  5. Under "Check for newer versions of stored pages," choose Every visit to the page
  6. Click OK
    7.

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  Firefox 1.2-2.0

Enable cookies
  1. From the Firefox toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Options
  3. Click Privacy
  4. 1.0-1.5
    • Click Cookies
    • Check Allow sites to set Cookies
  5. 2.0
    • Check Accept Cookies from Sites
    • Click OK

Enable Java
  1. From the Firefox toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Options
  3. Click Content
  4. Check Enable Java
  5. Click OK

Refresh page on every visit
  1. Firefox should do this automatically

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  Netscape

Enable cookies

(First connect to Blackboard, so the cookies option below applies specifically to the Blackboard site)

  1. From the Netscape toolbar, click Tools
  2. Click Cookie Manager
  3. Click Cookies
  4. Choose Unblock cookies from this site

Enable Java
  1. From the Netscape toolbar, click Edit
  2. Click Preferences
  3. Click Advanced in the left menu
  4. Check Enable Java
  5. Check Enable native object scripting
  6. Click OK
    7.

Refresh page on every visit
  1. From the Netscape toolbar, click Edit
  2. Click Preferences
  3. Expand the Advanced menu at the left
  4. Click Cache
  5. Under "Compare the page in the cache to the page on the network:" choose Every time I view the page
  6. Click OK
    7.

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  Safari 1.2

Enable cookies

(First connect to Blackboard, so the cookies option below applies to the Blackboard site)

  1. From the Safari menu, choose Preferences
  2. Select the Security icon in the toolbar
  3. Select "Always" to accept all cookies or "Only from sites you navigate to"
  4. Close the Preferences window
    5.

Enable Java
  1. From the Safari menu, choose Preferences
  2. Select the Security icon in the toolbar
  3. Check the boxes next to Enable: Plug-ins, Java, and Javascript
  4. Uncheck "block pop-up windows"
  5. Click OK
    6.

Refresh page
(for current visit)
  • To reload a page and bypass the cache:
    • Either: Hold down the Command and Shift keys, and press R
    • Or: Hold down the Shift key and click the Reload toolbar button
  • To completely clear the cache (see note above):
    1. From the Safari menu, select Empty Cache
    2. Click Empty

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Additional Notes

Pop-up blockers, firewalls, and other internet utilities

Beware: these may interfere with Blackboard. If you are having trouble logging in or using certain Blackboard features, try disabling or reconfiguring these one at a time to identify which may be causing the problem.

If you get a "Pop-up blocked" message in the information bar, click the bar and choose Temporarily allow pop-ups.

Contact the Granite State College Technical Assistance Center for more information or assistance.
AOL Users

IMPORTANT: If your Internet Service Provider has a built-in browser, such as with AOL, follow these procedures to connect to Blackboard:

  1. Connect to the internet as usual with AOL
  2. Minimize AOL (click the minus sign at the upper right)
  3. Start up an external (stand-alone) browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape
  4. Connect to Blackboard at http://blackboard.granite.edu
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Last updated June 11, 2007
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