If you are having problems with Blackboard, this page may be able to help. if your exact problem is not listed, please follow the steps under the "Having problems with Blackboard?" heading, as your problem may be related to a browser setting.
Emails are not being sent with my new announcements.
The feature to email students with a new announcement is currently bugged and does not work.
We are working with Blackboard Technical Support to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Blackboard closes when MyUSI times out.
Some users have reported that after accessing Blackboard through MyUSI, MyUSI will time-out and close their Blackboard session. To avoid this problem, simply close the MyUSI window after you click the link to access Blackboard. Once you've closed the MyUSI window, Blackboard will not time-out because of MyUSI.
Login Problems
Troubleshooting information for logging in to Blackboard can be found here.
Having problems with Blackboard?
If you are having problems with Blackboard that are not listed here otherwise, you'll want to check that you are using an internet browser that is compatible with Blackboard, and that the browser is correctly configured to allow Blackboard to work properly.
A list of internet browsers that are compatible with Blackboard can be found here. If you are not using a browser that is Blackboard compatible, we suggest switching to one that is.
If you are using a browser that is compatible with Blackboard, but are still having problems within Blackboard, you'll want to check that your browser is configured in a way that allows Blackboard to work properly. Take the following steps to ensure that your browser is configured correctly.
Internet Explorer will allow you to place sites in a "Trusted" zone where the security settings are much less restrictive then they normally are. Placing the USI Blackboard site on this list has fixed a number of access issues that occur due to restrictive security settings.
To set USI Blackboard as a "Trusted" site, go into the "Internet Options" area of IE (Tools > Internet Options) and click the "Security" tab. Then click the "Trusted sites" icon and then the "Sites" button. If the box next to "Require server verification (https:)..." is checked, uncheck it then type "bb.usi.edu" into the "Add web site to this zone:" area and click the "Add" button. "blackboard.usi.edu" should then appear in the "Web Sites:" area. Click "Ok". Blackboard is now a "Trusted" site.
You should be back at the "Security" tab screen and "Trusted Sites" should still be highlighted. You will now want to verify that Blackboard is running the least restrictive security settings. Click the "Default Level" button. The security level should read "Low". If it does not, drag the slider down to "Low" and then click "OK". Close all browser windows and restart the browser and try accessing again.
When trying to access certain areas in Blackboard, you may be pulling a cached page that prevents you from properly logging in to the system. Clearing your cache will prevent this. Perform the following based on the browser you are using.
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Internet Explorer |
Tools Menu > Internet Options > General tab > Browsing History > Click "Delete". Check "Temporary Internet Files". Uncheck everything else. Click "Delete". Restart the browser before trying again. |
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Firefox |
Tools Menu > Clear Private Data > Check "Cache". Uncheck everything else. Click "Clear Private Data Now". Restart the browser before trying again. |
Enable JavaScript
Much of Blackboard's functionality depends on JavaScript. With JavaScript turned off, many tasks are impossible, such as taking quizzes and using the wisiwyg editor.
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Internet Explorer |
Tools Menu > Internet Options > Security tab > Custom Level > Scripting (near bottom): Choose "Active Scripting: Enabled" and “Scripting of Java Applets: Enabled”. |
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Firefox |
Tools Menu > Options > Content. Check "Enable Java" and "Enable JavaScript" . Click the "Advanced" button and check "Change Status Bar Text" and UNcheck "Hide the status bar". |
Enable Popups
Allowing popups is necessary for certain Blackboard features to work.
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Internet Explorer |
Tools Menu > Pop-up Blocker > Pop-up Blocker Settings: Type in "blackboard.usi.edu" and click Add. Then click Close. |
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Firefox |
Tools Menu > Options > Content Tab > Block Popup Windows : Exceptions > Allow popups for blackboard.usi.edu and blackboard.usi.edu:8011. |
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Third Party Pop-up Blockers |
If using a third-party popup blocker, make sure it allows popups for blackboard.usi.edu and blackboard.usi.edu:8011. If you can't configure your popup blocker to allow popups from certain sites, you will have to either turn it off or get one that allows specific popups. |
Disable Mixed Mode Security Warnings (Internet Explorer Only)
Security warnings that appear in IE may cause confusion when trying to view content in Blackboard. Make the following change to disable these warnings.
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Internet Explorer |
Tools Menu > Internet Options > Security Tab > Custom > Set Mixed Mode option to Enable. |
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Firefox |
Not Applicable |
In some cases, third party programs, such as download managers, security suites, firewalls, etc... will cause problems with certain Blackboard functions. For instance, having a download manager running may prevent you from being able to upload or download files from Blackboard. If you are running into a problem on Blackboard that is not discussed above, and your browser is compatible with Blackboard and configured correctly, we suggest turning off any other programs you are running (including background processes), to see if that fixes the problem.
If none of the above helps solve or explain your problem, please send an email with a detailed description of your problem to USI Blackboard Support by clicking the Contact link in the top right of this page. In your email please be sure to include your name, your USI username and where you are trying to access Blackboard from (home, computer lab, etc...).
