Computing and Telecommunications Center
CTC HelpDesk
Blackboard Frequently Asked Questions: Discussion Board and SafeAssign
How do I find a saved or "missing" post in the Discussion Board?
Enter your Discussion Board forum. Next, find the drop-down menu that says Display. Click on the down-arrow, select Show All, and then click Go. You should now be able to locate your saved post. To edit it, click on the name of the post and then click Modify on the bottom right. To submit your post, click Submit to publish it.
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Is there any way to recover threads sent to the Discussion Board if I receive an error message?
There is no guarantee that threads can be recovered if you receive an error message. If you receive an error message, click the Back button in your browser right away, and you might be able to see what you posted (there is no 100% guarantee because your browser only keeps pages cached for a temporary time).
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What should I do if my Internet browser locks up when I try to post a reply on the Discussion Board?
This problem may be caused by a problem with the Java installation on your computer. See How to Install or Update Java for further information.
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I receive an error when attempting to save a draft in the Discussion Board. What should I do?
This is a known problem that has been reported to Blackboard. At the present time, if you want to save a Discussion Board entry as a draft before submitting it, we recommend creating and saving your entry using a separate program, such as Microsoft Word. Then, when you are ready to submit it, copy and paste the content into Discussion Board.
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How do I submit an assignment to SafeAssign?
To submit an assignment to SafeAssign:
- Complete your assignment and save it on your computer using one of the acceptable file extensions for SafeAssign (.doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .html, .odt, .zip or .pdf). Do not place any spaces or special characters in the file name.
- Select the course and then select the Assignment tab (in the menu on the left side). Next, select the folder where your instructor has placed the link for submitting your assignment. If you are unable to locate the link, check with your instructor for assistance.
- Click on the View/Complete link. Next, browse to locate the file you wish to submit for your assignment, check the statement of agreement for SafeAssign, and then click Submit.
For additional information, see the SafeAssign Student Guide (PDF). May be viewed with Adobe Reader - Download Adobe Reader (Free).
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When I click "View/Complete" to submit my assignment to SafeAssign, it takes me back to my Blackboard home page. Why does this happen?
This problem occurs when a course that uses SafeAssign needs to be "synchronized" with the SafeAssign central database; this must be done by the instructor. For more information, see How do I synchronize my course...? on the Blackboard FAQ: Instructor Information page.
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Why am I receiving a timeout error while trying to submit an assignment to SafeAssign?
This is most likely caused by difficulty connecting to the server located at SafeAssign. Try submitting the assignment at a later time. If that does not work, clear your browser cache and then try submitting the assignment. If you continue to experience problems submitting to SafeAssign, please contact the CTC HelpDesk, and provide the following information:
- When did the error(s) occur?
- What was the error message(s)?
- Which course did this occur in (please provide course name and number), and which assignment within that course?
- Who is the instructor for your course?
If the problem persists, a system administrator can contact SafeAssign to report the problem.
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Why won’t SafeAssign accept my document?
When submitting a file to SafeAssign:
- The name of the file should not contain any spaces or special characters.
- Files created using Office 2007 may have file extensions that are not recognized by SafeAssign. Acceptable file extensions for uploading files through SafeAssign are: .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .html, .odt, .zip and .pdf. See Microsoft Office Compatibility Information for further information.
- Supported browsers for use with SafeAssign are Internet Explorer and FireFox. Other browsers may not function properly.
- Papers uploaded to SafeAssign cannot be more than 10MB in size or contain more than 5000 sentences.
For additional details, view Blackboard Maximum Upload Limits and Acceptable File Extensions. If the above suggestions do not resolve the problem, it is possible that a Java installation issue may be causing the problem. For more information, see How to Install or Update Java.
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