If You Can't Post, Attach or Submit to CE 6

Students and faculty members continue to have problems:

• Posting messages in the Mail tool and the Discussions tool,
• Submitting files in the Assignments tool, and
• Attaching files to messages, postings and submissions, respectively, in the Mail, Discussions and Assignments tools in Campus Edition 6.

This document is meant to serve as a comprehensive guide to the steps we believe will cure most of these problems.

1. Run the browser check in WebCT to check for obvious errors. While not comprehensive, the Check Browser link checks for the obvious items (supported browser, cookies enabled, javascript enabled, pop-up window blocker for the Campus Edition server domain enabled, and Sun Microsystems Java installed and enabled).
2. You may have more than one pop-up blocker installed (Windows includes one as does the Google toolbar, MSN toolbar, Norton Security, Yahoo toolbar, Zone Alarm and others). Check to see if any of these extra pop-up blockers are installed and enabled on your computer. For details on how to disable pop-up blockers for webct.jccc.net, webct.jccc.edu and online.jccc.edu, read: http://students.jccc.net/documents/webct_common_issue.htm. Additional information on trusting pop-ups on the JCCC server sites is available at http://web.jccc.edu/edtech/notes/get.asp?DocumentID=126.
3. Until Blackboard certifies Internet Explorer 7, don't install it. It's not certified for use with JCCC's Campus Edition 6.0.2 (in use Fall 2006) but it is certified for use with CE 6.1.1 (anticipated version of Campus Edition for Spring 2007).
4. Make sure you have only one copy of Java 1.5.0_XX (on Windows systems) listed in the Control Panel (go to Start --> Control Panel --> Add-Remove Programs and look for listings that begin with "J2SE Runtime Environment"). There should only be a single entry. If you see multiple entries, follow the instructions at http://students.jccc.edu/documents/javauninstall.htm to uninstall all versions and then use the instructions at http://students.jccc.edu/documents/javainstall.htm to install a single version.
5. There are occasions when one of the Java applets used with Campus Edition becomes corrupt in cache (Windows will go to the cache to run the program, which speeds up the start-up, but that can also be a problem if the cache copy is corrupt). So if you've completed steps 1-4 and are still having problems, try clearing the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) Cache. Instructions are available at
   http://java.com/en/download/help/5000020300.xml.
6. Finally, if all else fails, try clearing your web browser's cache. Instructions are available at http://java.com/en/download/help/5000020400.xml.
   
   Note the following sites list top issues and possible resolutions (and other useful aids) to fixing Java problems: http://www.java.com/en/download/help/ and
   http://www.java.com/en/download/faq/top_issues.xml

If you have other tips on how to configure the end-user's workstation to cure Blackboard Campus Edition problems, please share them (jbacon@jccc.edu).

Addendum: One JCCC faculty member (George Belzer) offered the following comment: "The problem many of you are reporting with your students sounds very similar to the problem I was having myself. I tried most of the steps Jonathan mentions but the problem remained. Then Jeff Kosko suggested I uninstall Java version 9 (latest version) and install the older version 6, available through the JCCC Students Support website (see http://students.jccc.edu/documents/javainstall.htm). The problem was immediately solved and now adding attachments and uploading files works fast and correctly. I then went into the Java control console (accessed from the Windows Control Panel) and turned off the automatic upgrade feature to prevent version 9 from uploading again."