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Technical Requirements

If you can't find what you are looking for here, please email your question to Blackboard Support.

Note: Cal Poly does not support personal workstations. This requirements list is available to help you troubleshoot difficulties you may be having with your personal workstation.

Browser Requirements

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5, 6, 7(PC).
Netscape Navigator 4.7or 7.1.
Mozilla Firefox 1.0, 2.0
JavaScript must be enabled
Cookies must be enabled
Allow pop-up windows

Note: If you wish to use Virtual Classroom (the real-time chat feature), Java must be enabled. If Java is not installed on your computer, you need to download a Java tool. Mac : J2SE PC (XP): JRE. It is also recommended that you use the Internet Explorer browser.
Setting Up JavaScript

 Your browser's JavaScript feature may be disabled; however, you can set up JavaScript by following the steps below:

Netscape Navigator 7.1:

  1. Click Edit.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Then select Advanced.
  4. Click on the checkbox next to the words Enable JavaScript, then click OK.

Internet Explorer 5.5:

PC

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. Select Security.
  4. Scroll down until you see the Scripting entry. Click on the three Enable radio buttons, and then click OK.

MAC

  1. Click Edit.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Select Web Content under Web Browser section.
  4. Click on the checkbox next to the words Enable Scripting, then click OK.

Internet Explorer 6.0:

PC

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Click on Internet Options.
  3. Within the Privacy Tab...
    • Click on the Default Level button.
  4. Within the Security Tab...
    • Drag the slider to the Medium Level.
Setting Up Cookies

Your browser may not support cookies. If you have one of the required browser versions, you can enable cookies by following the steps below:

Netscape Navigator 7.1:

  1. Click Edit.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Select Advanced.
  4. Click on the checkbox next to the words Accept all cookies that get sent back to the originating server, then click OK.

Internet Explorer 5.5:

PC

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. Select Advanced.
  4. Scroll down until you see the Cookies entry. Click the Always accept cookies selection, and then click OK. You may need to close and restart your browser for the settings to take effect.

MAC

  1. Click Edit.
  2. Select Preferences.
  3. Select Cookies under Receiving Files section.
  4. When receiving cookies: Never Ask.

Internet Explorer 6.0:

PC

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Click on Internet Options.
  3. Within the Privacy Tab...
    • Click on the Default Level button.
  4. Within the Security Tab...
    • Drag the slider to the Medium Level.

Turn Off Popup Blockers

Some of the tools (Chat, Virtual Classroom, Course Map, and Electric Blackboard) within Blackboard uses Popup windows. For these tools to work Popup window need to be enabled within your Browser.

PC

Internet Explorer 6.0

  1. On the menu toolbar, Click Tools > Pop-up Blocker > Turn off Pop-up Blocker.

Firefox 2.0

  1. On the menu toolbar, click Tools > Options.
  2. Click on Web Features.
  3. Uncheck the Block Popup Windows checkbox.

MAC

Netscape 7.1

  1. On the menu toolbar, click Edit > Preferences.
  2. Click the triangle next to Privacy and Security.
  3. Select Popup Windows.
  4. Uncheck the Block unrequested popup windows checkbox.

Firefox 2.0

  1. On the menu toolbar, click Firefox > Preferences.
  2. Click on Web Features.
  3. Uncheck the Block Popup Windows checkbox.

Safari

  1. On the menu toolbar, click on Safari.
  2. Uncheck the Block Pop-up Windows window menu item if it is checked.

Trusted Sites

Firefox

  1. Go to Tools > Options and select the Privacy tab.
  2. Click Cookies and then click the Exceptions button.
  3. Type in the URL you wish to allow, and click the Allow button.
Add Blackboard to IE 7 Trusted Sites list

Add Blackboard to your list of Trusted Sites in IE7. This will allow you to use the Visual Text Box Editor.

  1. Login to the Portal http://my.calpoly.edu.
  2. Click on a Blackboard course link.

    Note: Determine if the Blackboard server is in the list of Trusted Sites: When accessing Blackboard, a green check mark will appear in the Status Bar at the bottom of the screen with the label Trusted Sites. Your browser is configured properly; no need to continue.

    If Restricted Sites (a red circle icon) or Internet (a globe icon) appears instead, the Blackboard 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.
  5. Click Sites to open the Trusted Sites box.
  6. The URL for the Blackboard server should appear in the Add this website to the zone text box. If not, enter the URL that is used to access Blackboard in the text box. https://blackboard.calpoly.edu/
  7. Click Add.

  8. Click Close.

  9. Click OK on the Internet Security Properties box.
  10. Refresh the page.
    Note: A message may appear at the top of the screen 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..."
    1. Click the message and select Run ActiveX Control from the context menu.
    2. Click Run in the Security Warning box. The Visual Text Box Editor is now configured to operate correctly within this browser.

Setting Up Java Run Time Environment

If your pages are not loading completely in Internet Explorer it is most likely caused by your Java Runtime Environment being out of date.

Internet Explorer 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, or 7.1:

PC

  1. Click Tools.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. Select Advanced.
  4. Scroll down until you see the Java(Sun) entry.
  5. Make sure the Java(Sun) box is checked, If not, click the box below it, and then click OK. You may need to close and restart your browser for the settings to take effect.
  6. The current version of Java(Sun) should be Java 2 v1.5.0_10 (version 5, update 10).
    If you have Java 2 v1.4.2_04, then you will need to install the newest version.

    Installing Java Run Time
  7. Go to http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
  8. Click on the Download button next to your computer's operating system. Follow the instructions on the web site for installation.

Firefox (Mac or PC)

  1. Type "about:plugins" in the URL box.
  2. Push the Return or Enter key.
  3. Scroll down the page until you see the "Java(TM)2 Platform" text or go to http://www.javatester.org/version.html
  4. The current version of Java(Sun) should be Java 2 v1.5.0_10 (version 5, update 10).
    If you have Java 2 v1.4.2_04, then you will need to install the newest version.

    Installing Java Run Time
  5. Go to http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp
  6. Click on the Download button next to your computer's operating system. Follow the instructions on the web site for installation.

If you need assistance after trying these steps, please call the Service Desk (756-7000) to ask for a Blackboard Support Person to support you.

Browser Downloads

 Firefox 2.1 :
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html

Internet Explorer 6.0 (PC):
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1e1550cb-5e5d-48f5-b02b
-20b602228de6&DisplayLang=en

Internet Explorer 7.1 (PC):
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx

System Requirements

 Platform: Windows 95, 98, 2000, NT, or ME / Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X.
Hardware: 64 MB of RAM, 1 GB of free disk space.
Browser: Internet Explorer 5.0 or 5.5 (Internet Explorer 6 for Windows XP only), or Netscape 4.7 (JavaScript & Cookies must be enabled.)
Modem: 56 K modem or higher.

DSL (Connection Problems)

Listsrv: some DSL users are having problems posting forms in Blackboard.

This seems to be caused by some incompatible network settings in Windows and some DSL implementations (especially with routers, but some PPOE clients may be affected as well). MTU (Maximum Transmission Unit) settings are too high, resulting in fragmented packets that never arrive at the server due to some extra bytes that are added during transmission. Setting the MTU to 1362 seems to fix this in most cases.

The easy way to fix this is to use a software program such as DrTCP, which is available at dslreports.com.

Download and run the program. Change the MTU setting to 1362 and click save (make sure that you set the MTU for the network adapter that the DSL modem is connected to and not dial up). Reboot, and you should be able to post these forms. This fix should work with any version of Windows that has this problem.

TCP/IP properties
Virtual Classroom

 If your TCP/IP properties do not include the calpoly.edu extension, then you will find that the Virtual Classroom will not work off campus. The Virtual Classroom uses an application on the Blackboard server (TutorNet) and if the address is only sophia, and not sophia.calpoly.edu the Virtual Classroom tool will not work. To add the calpoly.edu extension to your TCP/IP properties...

MAC OS X

  1. Open System Preferences in OS X
  2. In the Internet and Network section, click on Network
  3. Select the TCP/IP Tab
  4. Under Search Domain (Optional) at the bottom-right corner of the TCP/IP Tab, type "calpoly.edu"
  5. Click on the Apply Now button and then close out the Network window.

PC

  1. Click Start>Settings>Control Panel to enter the Windows Control Panel.
  2. Double-click on the Network icon to enter the network properties.
  3. Click on TCP/IP in the list of network services once to highlight it. If your computer has multiple connections, choose the TCP/IP properties for your Imagine connection.
  4. Once the TCP/IP list item is highlighted, click the Properties button to open the TCP/IP properties.
  5. Click on the DNS tab. This is where you set the DNS properties.
  6. Set the following properties given below:

    • Host: moe
    • Domain: calpoly.edu
    • DNS Server Search Order: 129.65.16.254
      129.65.21.254
    • Domain Suffix Search Order: calpoly.edu

  7. Click OK to save them. You will be prompted to restart your computer, which you will need to do for the changes to take effect.
  8. Restart and try using Virtual Classroom. The first time your machine attempts load the Virtual Classroom, it may take up to 5 minutes. If it still doesn't work, close and reopen IE. Running on a cable modem can take quite a bit longer so if it looks like it is starting to load the files, just be patient.