What Internet browser should I use when accessing Blackboard?

If the TigerTracks portal is unavailable, is there any other way to access Blackboard?

Why do I receive an “HTTP Status 401- Unable to retrieve user record for this database” error when I try to access Blackboard?

A course I am enrolled in is not displayed in my Blackboard account. What should I do?

A course from a previous semester is still displayed in my Blackboard account. Who should I contact to have it removed?

Can the Blackboard Tutorial course be removed?

I am experiencing performance issues in Blackboard. What should I do?

How can I increase the size of the text in Blackboard?

I am having problems opening an attachment. What should I try?

I do not receive e-mails my instructor is sending to me from Blackboard. What do you recommend?

My name has changed. How can I update my last name in Blackboard?

What Internet browser should I use when accessing Blackboard?

Mozilla Firefox and Internet Explorer are the supported Internet browsers for accessing Blackboard at Fort Hays State University. Firefox can be downloaded free at www.mozilla.com and is available for use on both Windows and Macintosh platforms. It is also important to ensure that your computer has the most recent version of Java installed.

If you experience performance issues in Blackboard while using Internet Explorer 8, please see Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility Information for additional information.

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If the TigerTracks portal is unavailable, is there any other way to access Blackboard?

Yes! Blackboard can also be accessed by going directly to blackboard.fhsu.edu.

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If you have received this error message, then your Blackboard account has not yet been created and you may need to allow more time for the account to become available. Please see TigerTracks Information for a list of services that use the TigerTracks login and when they become available.

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If Blackboard is used for a course, it should be available in your Blackboard account by the first day of classes. The instructor of each course is responsible for having the course added to your account. If a course is not displayed in Blackboard by the first day of classes, please contact your instructor for assistance.

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Instructors are responsible for removing their completed course. Please contact the instructor of the course that needs to be removed. If you are unsuccessful when attempting to contact an instructor, you should contact the Department Chair in the department that offered the course.

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The Blackboard Tutorial is displayed permanently on all Blackboard accounts, and it cannot be removed. It is there for students to use if they need help learning how to use Blackboard, and some instructors use it in their courses for this purpose.

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If you are experiencing page loading, button, or menu functionality issues, slow response time, or other performance issues in Blackboard, it may be due to a Java certificate, installation, or version problem. Java is a programming language that is widely used by developers of various Internet applications. Your Internet browser (Internet Explorer, FireFox, etc…) uses Java to perform many different functions. Here are some suggestions to try:

Make sure that Blackboard's Java applet certificate has been permanently accepted. Sometimes a small window may pop up under the Blackboard window (asking the user to accept a certificate for running Java). Since this window is hidden under the Blackboard window, you might not see it. You can use Alt+Tab to scroll through your open windows to see if this is happening. If you receive this prompt, accept the certificate. Permanently accept the certificate by ensuring that the "Always trust content from this publisher" checkbox is checked and clicking "Run."

Verify that the correct version of Java is installed and that multiple versions are not present on your computer. For instructions, see How to Install or Update Java.

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In order to increase your text size, you will need to increase the font size in your Internet browser. In Internet Explorer, this is done by clicking on View and then Text Size. We recommend setting the Text Size to Medium, but you can choose any size you prefer.

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In order to open an attachment, you first need to make sure you have the appropriate program installed on your computer. For example, if you are attempting to open a .doc file, you must have a program on your computer that can open documents, such as Microsoft Word.

Before opening an attachment, follow these steps to download (save) it to your computer first:

• RIGHT-click on the link to the file or document
• Select Save Target As to download it to your computer
• Save it on the Desktop or in My Documents

Once it's downloaded, browse to locate the file. You should be able to open it using the appropriate software.

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When an instructor or student sends e-mails to you from Blackboard, messages are sent to the default e-mail address assigned when your Blackboard account was created. This is normally your student Scatcat address, but it can be changed to any e-mail address. For assistance accessing your Scatcat e-mail, see Using FHSU Student Scatcat E-Mail or the Student E-Mail Information menu on the CTC HelpDesk web site, or contact the CTC HelpDesk .

If you wish to view or change the default e-mail address, click on the Welcome tab. Under Tools (left column in the Welcome page) select Personal Settings. Next, select Edit Personal Information. If you wish to change the address, enter your preferred e-mail address. Make sure it is entered correctly. Then scroll down and click the Submit button at the bottom right of the page.

If you do choose to use an external account (such as Yahoo, Gmail, etc…), your Spam settings may not allow e-mail from unrecognized addresses, so you may need to add the instructor’s e-mail address to your address book.

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If you have recently changed the name on your official student record at FHSU, we recommend checking to see if your name is displayed correctly in Blackboard, as it is not currently updated automatically. To do so, click on the Welcome tab, then choose Personal Settings, and Edit Personal Information. At this point, you can update your last name in Blackboard to match the last name as it is listed on your official student record. To save a change, you must scroll down and click Submit.

If you wish to change your TigerTracks username and Scatcat e-mail address to match your new name, the last name in Blackboard will be updated during this process. This is done only by request. For more information, see TigerTracks Username/Scatcat E-Mail Address Change Information.

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