Students can encounter a variety of problems accessing online information from their own computer - and Blackboard, although these problems are generally not specific to Blackboard. Your browser is your lifeline to online information and it is important to select the right browser and make sure it is properly configured to permit you to access rich information sources safely on the web..

Blackboard has tested and published a list of approved "browsers" for use with Blackboard.  Keep in mind that Blackboard's testing is always six months or more out of date. Click here to view the current list of approved browsers. Any of the browsers in a green or yellow box are compatible with Blackboard.

In addition to using an approved browser, it is necessary to use the correct browser privacy and security settings. 

Updating your browser
If you need to download a newer browser, click on the preferred browser for your operating system below.

Windows
Macintosh
Internet Explorer
Netscape
Firefox
Firefox
Netscape
Safari

 N.B. The AOL supplied browser will not work with Blackboard

Students who have difficulty using Blackboard have a choice of troubleshooting the problem using the following instructions, or can use computers in the College Clusters to do their work, as these computers are normally set up and configured to meet Blackboard's requirements.

Troubleshooting Browser Configuration Issues:
A cookie is a small piece of information web servers use with your web browser. Blackboard uses cookies that allows you to access Blackboard resources.

The use of cookies is not a way to find out information about you or what you have on your hard drive. There is no possibility for a web server to gain access to private information about you or your system through cookies, and there is no possibility of a virus spread through the use of cookies

Blackboard needs to have your browser set to enable Cookies and Java. 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 6.x Netscape

Enable cookies
  1. Go to Tools on top of browser.
  2. Choose Internet Options...
  3. Click on the Privacy tab
  4. The Default setting is medium. Move the slider to determine which setting you prefer, or you can specify that the college Blackboard site is always allowed to use cookies without changing your general level of privacy protection.
  5. Click on the Sites button, and enter the name of the college Blackboard server bboard.saintmarys.edu in the Address of Web Site text box. 
  6. Click on the "Allow" button to ensure that the browser will allow Blackboard to use cookies.

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

  1. Click Tools
  2. Click Cookie Manager
  3. Click Cookies
  4. Choose "Unblock cookies from this site"

Refresh page on every visit
  1. 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
  1. Click Edit
  2. Click Preferences
  3. Expand the Advanced menu
  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

Java:Java 2 Runtime Environment is required by some of the Blackboard modules, such as the Virtual Classroom.

  1. Click here to test your current version of Java on the Sun server or a third party (where your current version will be listed in a Pink Box).. The current version is 1.5.0 and this site will check your computer, to determine which version you have installed and enabled.
  2. If Java is not installed or enabled on your computer you should install a new version on your computer.  Follow the directions for downloading Java from the Sun web site, and installing java and enabling Java in your browser.

NOTE: Some security software packages can block the Java function. This includes virus protection and firewall software.

Additional Browser Checks:

  1. Saginaw Valley State Univ. checks your browser for use with Blackboard
  2. Univ of Illinois Springfield Browser Test
  3. Baldwin Wallace's Browser Verification page
  4. MiraCosta College Browser Test
  5. University of Wisconsin Browser TuneUp