Problems with Internet Explorer? Can't put your comments in the Discussion Board text box?
IE 7.0 Adjustment
Follow these steps to add the Blackboard Academic Suite server to the list of trusted sites.
1. Login to the Blackboard Academic Suite and navigate to a page that uses the Visual Text Box Editor.
2. Determine if the Blackboard Academic Suite server is in the list of Trusted Sites. When accessing the Academic Suite, a green check mark will appear in the Status Bar with the label, Trusted Sites. If Restricted Sites (a red circle icon) or Internet (a globe icon) appears instead, the Blackboard Academic Suite server must be added to the list of Trusted Sites.
3. Double-click the Status Bar where the Restricted Sites or the Internet icon appears. The Internet Security Properties box will open.
4. Click on the Trusted Sites icon under the Select a zone to view or change security settings heading. Click Sites to open the Trusted Sites box. The URL for the Blackboard Academic Suite server should appear in the Add this website to the zone field. If not, enter the URL that is used to access the Blackboard Academic Suite in the field.
5. If the URL for the Blackboard Academic Suite does not use SSL security (Ours does NOT use SSL security), uncheck the Require Server Verification (https:) for all sites in this zone option. If the URL for the Blackboard Academic Suite uses SSL security the URL will begin with https:// If the URL does not use SSL security the URL will begin with http://
6. Click Add.
7. Click Close.
8. Click OK on the Internet Security Properties box.
9. Refresh the page.
10. A message will appear in the Internet Explorer Information Bar: "This website wants to run the following add-on: 'Microsoft (R) Dynamic HTML Editing Control' from 'Microsoft Corporation'. If you trust the website and the add-on and want to allow it to run, click here..." Click the message and select Run ActiveX Control from the context menu.
11. Click Run in the Security Warning box.
The Visual Text Box Editor is now configured to operate correctly within this browser.
Solution 2:
- Sign on to Blackboard.
- Click the Personal Information link in the toolbox on the left.
- Click Set Visual Textbox Editor Options.
- Click the Unavailable radio button.
You won't be able to use the features for changing the font, etc., but you will be able to key into the text box your responses to the discussion.
Office 2007 File Hints
Microsoft Office 2007 saves files differently than previous versions of Office. If you are sending a file to someone who does not have Office 2007, they will not be able to read the file. There is a way around this problem. Office 2007 allows you to save files in the format of a previous version. Although these directions were written for Word, similar steps can be followed to save the files in Excel and PowerPoint.
- Save the Office 2007 file as you normally would by clicking the Office button in the upper left corner of the window and keying a filename. Click the OK button. This ensures that you will have a copy that will open in Office 2007.
- Click the Office button again. Select Save As.... Move your mouse cursor to the option of "Word 97-2003 Document" and click on the option.
- Provide a filename, check to make sure the Save as type: says "Word 97-2003 Document" and click the Save button. You may want to use a slightly different filename so that you can identify the file saved for an older version.
- Submit the file saved for the older version to your instructor.
If you want the documents to always save in the previous version, you can change your preferences. Although these directions were written for Word, similar steps can be followed to change the preferences in Excel and PowerPoint.
- Click on the Office button at the top left corner of the Word window.
- Click on "Word Options" at the bottom of the dialog box.
- Select Save from the menu options and in the right-hand side panel,
down-arrow on "Save files in this format" to select "Word 97-2003 Document
(*.doc)" and then click Ok to accept the changes.
