The UO Blackboard system requires that your browser be up to date and configured correctly. Use our browser-check page to check whether you have required plugins and features installed or enabled.

Firefox configuration

These notes are for Firefox 11 (Mac and PC), but generally apply to other versions as well. 

Mozilla Firefox defaults are generally adequate for Blackboard. If you need to change them, most settings are on the "Options" menu. On Windows Firefox without the menu bar displayed start with the orange "Firefox" at the upper left, then Options→Options.  On a Mac, go to the Firefox menu and choose Preferences).

Under "Content": "Load Images authomatically", "Enable Java" (if it appears at all), and "Enable Javascript" should all be checked. Either allow popups or, if "Block Popups" is checked, then you should also click the corresponding "Exceptions" button and add "blackboard.uoregon.edu", since popup blocking can interfere with blackboard features.

Under "Privacy": Either choose "Firefox will remember history" or if you prefer then "Use custom settings for history".  In that case, "Accept cookies from sites" should be checked (including 3rd party cookies).

Under "Advanced"→"Update" make sure that "Automatically check for updates to: Firefox" is checked.

Special note for Mac Firefox users: additional plugin configuration is also needed in order to display PDF files properly.

In addition, under Windows it is important to configure your desktop fonts appropriately. On the Windows menu, go to Control Panel > Display, and make sure that your font size is set to "100% (default)".  You can temporarily set the value larger for easier viewing, but this will likely cause your browser to fail to display the last student in the grade center.

Safari (Mac) configuration

These instructions were last checked for Safari 5.1.

Visit Safari→Preferences.  Under "General" enable "Open 'safe' files after downloading". Under "Security" enable "Enable plug-ins", "Enable Java", and "Enable JavaScript", but disable "Block pop-up windows".  Set "Accept cookies" to "Only from sites I visit".

On the main Safari menu, "Block Pop-Up Windows" should not be checked.

Internet Explorer 9 configuration

[the following instructions are out of date.]

Enable "Compatibility View" in the menu bar. Clicking the grey (off) icon turns it blue.

Internet Explorer tends to cache pages too aggressively for Blackboard use. Try going to Tools→Internet Options and on the General tab click the "Settings" button (for "Browsing History" or "Temporary Internet Files"). Then make sure "Every time I visit the webpage" is selected for "Check for newer versions of stored pages".

If you need to enable cookies in Internet Explorer, choose Tools→Internet Options→Privacy. A setting of "medium-high" works well.

If you need to enable Java or JavaScript in Internet Explorer, first visit Blackboard to find out what security zone your browser is using for the site; you are probably viewing it in the "Internet" zone (see the status bar footer at lower right of the browser window; use "View > status bar" if necessary). You may want to have security for the Internet zone set higher than blackboard allows, and if so you may decide to set security for the Internet zone to "High" but then tell your browser to view Blackboard in a slightly less restrictive context. You would do so by adding the URL "https://blackboard.uoregon.edu" to the list of "Trusted Sites" and then would verify that the "Trusted Sites" zone was set appropriately.

To change the security level for the zone you are using for Blackboard, choose Tools → Internet Options → Security, select Internet or Trusted Sites, and choose an appropriate security level. Most users will find that the best security setting for Blackboard use is "Medium." If you really need a more restrictive security setting, start with "High" but then go to "Custom level" and make sure at a minimum that you have:

Many versions of Internet Explorer also include popup blockers -- you might have the google, AOL, Yahoo, or other popup blockers installed. If you get a "Pop-up blocked" message in the information bar (directly under the Address bar at the top of the window), click the information bar and choose "temporarily allow popups".

Configure your desktop fonts to the default size to avoid grade center display problems. On the Windows menu, go to Control Panel > Display, and make sure that your font size is set to "100% (default)".  

Chrome

Chrome configuration instructions will be added soon.  So far as we know, the default settings work fine.