Blackboard bugs, issues and work-arounds

In this posting I will list the various "bugs", performance and compatibility issues for our version of Blackboard.  Some of these issues will have workarounds and some will not.  Keep apprised of the these issues and fixes (if any).  I will continually update this post with new reported issues. 


Found a bug?  Contact me.  I may be able to find a solution.  


Internet Explorer 8 and Blackboard – Internet Explorer 8 when used with Blackboard has some compatibility issues which are listed below. As a workaround, “Compatibility View” in IE8 can be used, which is under the Tools menu (Compatibility Mode). The website linked here has instructions on how to add a website to always be viewed in Compatibility Mode. If you go to that link, you must click on "Compatibility View" on the left vertical menu. The recommended workaround is to download and use Mozilla Firefox as your web browser for working in Blackboard.  See also IE Compatibility Mode post

• A security warning may appear when logging into Blackboard. This warning will say “Do you want to display only the web page content that was delivered securely?” This error may also occur when accessing the Grade Center for Instructors.
• Students may experience an elongated timer that may cover the Save and Submit buttons. This will only be evident with certain exams in which the timer feature has been enabled.
• Students may receive an error saying “Please enter a valid file” while trying to upload a file using the assignment submission tool.
• Instructors attempting to upload a Grade Center file may receive “Please enter a valid file.”

Attachments not opening with IE8 – There is a known issue between Blackboard 9, Internet Explorer 8 and Microsoft Office files (.doc, .docx, etc.) that results in users not being able to click to open attachments in Blackboard. This impacts file attachments to content areas, files attached to the grade center, files attached to the discussion board, etc for both students and instructors. Click the link above for work around options.


Blank White Screen After Closing Documents and/or External Websites - After opening and closing a document or external website linked in Blackboard, if there is a blank white screen and/or the course menu is gone, you must use the breadcrumb trail at the top of your course area. If you click on the course title, it will bring you back to the course entry page for your course, which is generally set to the announcements page, and the course menu is back.


Send Email
The Send Email screen looks strange in IE8 via the Control Panel. The Submit bar runs through the Attach File link.

Workaround: If this impedes your sending e-mail, send e-mail through the Tools menu item > Send Email.

Strange text after setting External Link menu item to open in new window
If you’re going to add an External Link as a menu item, do not set it to open in a new window. If you do, Blackboard adds strange text to it and gives the user a 404 Not Found error when s/he clicks the link.

Save as Draft when posting to Discussion Board
When using Save as Draft, you may receive an error and lose your submission. Blackboard has confirmed this is a bug and will be fixed in a future version.
Workaround: Compose your response in a text editor and paste into Blackboard only when you’re ready to submit.

Grade Center Scroll Bar Missing in IE – When using Internet Explorer 8 the Grade Center may not display correctly. The solution is to turn on Compatibility Mode in IE8. Under the Tools menu enable Compatibility Mode. The website linked here has instructions on how to add a website to always be viewed in Compatibility Mode. If you go to that link, you must click on "Compatibility View" on the left vertical menu.


Setting Display or Due Dates and/or Times for Items - When setting these dates or times, use the calendar or clock icons to select the date and time. Don't type the date or time into the text boxes. If you type it in directly, it may not apply the date and time restrictions correctly.

Entering Feedback on Assignments for Students - There is more than one location in which you can enter feedback for a student on a particular assignment, and it doesn't always display for students the way one would think. When entering feedback in the Grade Center for assignments set-up using the Assignment tool or for tests set-up in Blackboard, the best way to input feedback is through Override in the Grade Details window. If you use feedback in the Edit area or through 'Open Attempt', students will have to click on their grade for a particular assignment in the student grades area to see the feedback.

*If you hover over a cell within the grade center, a double down arrow will display. When you click on that double down arrow this menu displays with the 'View Grade Details' option. (See figure above.)

If you enter feedback for a column you created in the grade center or in a column created when you enabled 'Grade Forum' for a discussion board forum grade, you can use either Edit or Override within the 'View Grade Details' window. The comments display correctly.

DO NOT Copy and Paste from Word Files into Blackboard - This has always been a problem, even with previous versions of Blackboard. The issue is more prevalent when copying and pasting from Office 2007 programs like Word 2007. There is a lot of background "code" that is copied from a Word 2007 file that when pasted into any web-based application, like Blackboard, it can cause many, many problems. It can cause issues that you never would have thought would be related to that. Follow the instructions below to copy and paste your text without copying over the code. (This is even better than saving your Word file as a text file. Even when you save it as a text file you still bring some coding over with it, and this will also give you a second file on your computer which could get confusing. The method below is better.)

Do NOT Set Course Duration Dates - Within course properties, you have the option to set the course duration in section 3. For now, this SHOULD NOT be utilized. Do not set start and end dates. Leave this option set to 'Continuous' and set course availability to 'Yes' at the start of the semester and 'No' at the end.

1. Copy the text in Word that you want in Blackboard.
2. Open Notepad. (Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Notepad)
3. Paste into Notepad. (Don't worry about what it looks like.)
4. Click on Edit and then Select All (In Notepad).
5. Click on Edit and then Copy (In Notepad).
6. Go to your course in Blackboard where you want the text and paste.
7. Format the text as needed within Blackboard.

Students receive security message when trying to download the Java chat tool.

Blackboard has acknowledged this issue as a bug. The problem will be fixed in a future release.

1. If the student does not have the Java chat plugin he/she will be directed to a link to download the plugin.
2. The Blackboard system generates a "non-secure" link for the download.
3. The student must answer to prompt to procees to the "unsecure" link or the student is prevented from downloading the plugin and or entering the session.
4. Students need to be instructed to read the prompt carefully and respond appropriately to allow the unsecure content.
5. The prompt is different for MS I.E. 7 and MS I.E. 8.
6. Blackboard has not given an estimated time for resolution.