Office Of Smith IT
Smith School of Business
Van Munching Hall, Rm 3520
College Park, MD 20742
301-405-2269
helpme@rhsmith.umd.edu
bbhelp@rhsmith.umd.edu
(for Blackboard Requests)

Office Hours
Mon-Fri (9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

Browser Requirements and Known Issues

Sometimes Blackboard is tricky with browsers, users may encounter different browser related issues from time to time. Make sure your machine have updated Java version and use compatible browsers. If necessary, you may want to try different browser to see if your problem can be treated.

Browsers Recommended to Use

Blackboard requires that you have a newer browser, updated JavaScript, Pop-up and cookies turned on. For both Windows PC and Macintosh OS users, generally we recommend IE 6 & above and Firefox 3.0 or higher for best compatibility with the Blackboard. If the browser you used having a problem when trying to access a file, you may try another browser. Blackboard website has a list of Supported Browsers, Plugins & Operating Systems for Release 8.0.

Note: To identify the version of a browser, open the browser, click Help, and view the About information (e.g., About Internet Explorer, About Firefox, etc).

Upgrade Jave Script

Blackboard application uses Java technology in many areas. If some pages do not function well in your browser, you may need to install Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for All Operating Systems from http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp. In most cases Blackboard will initiate this Java installation when needed.

Known Issues

Users have reported a variety of Blackboard problems when using IE 8 and Firefox 3.5. Issues can be anything from a submit button not working, your browser freezing, or text typed into a text box not saving. Please refer to Browsers, Pop-up Blockers & Cookies for a listing of recommended browsers. Blackboard is aware of the problems and is working on permanent solutions. In the meantime here are some steps you can take if you are having trouble. ALWAYS watch the Announcements and Smith IT News channels on the Blackboard and ELMS login pages. They regularly announce and update information about known issues that may affect you.

If none of these steps work for you,  you can try another browser if you have in emergency. Or you can try to roll back to an older certified browser, such as IE 7 or Firefox 3.0 for the PC (download here), and Safari 2 or 3 for the Mac.