Recommended Computer Settings/Software
(Blackboard 7.3 Learning System)

BPCC Blackboard user support has made this information available so that you may be more successful with your Internet courses. The Blackboard Learning System is a fully interactive web course delivery system that pulls together many different technologies to best serve the end user in their learning experience. Because of this, it is necessary to have these technologies installed and functional on the end-users computer. The following is a checklist of those technologies. All software listed below is free of cost to the end-user. Most if not all of the listed software is already installed on your computer. It may be in full operation. However, some may be out-of-date or disabled. For this reason, we ask you to carefully read through this entire document.

BPCC's Blackboard Version 7.3 Recommended Computer Settings / Software Checklist:

Computer Operating Systems:

  • Windows XP
  • Windows VISTA
  • MAC OS 10 (BPCC cannot verify the MAC OS versions)

Internet Web Browser:

Java Runtime Environment (Min. required version is 1.5)

JavaScript

  • Enabled

Internet Cookies

  • Enabled

Pop-Up Blockers

  • Disable the Pop-Up blocker software or allow Pop-Ups from http://www.bpcc.edu.

The following is additional information of the Blackboard version 7.3 recommended computer settings/software. This information includes some procedures, software download sites and helpful web sites.

Computer Operating Systems:

Microsoft Windows XP or WIndows VISTA

NOTE: These two Microsoft operating systems are 100% certified by Blackboard. Previous version of Microsoft operation systems (win95,win98,winNT, winME) may not be compatible with certain functions within Blackboard.

How do you determine your operating system?

Select Start > Run.
Type winver.exe in the Open field and press OK. This launches the About Windows dialog, which contains operating system information.

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Internet Web Browser:

Internet Explorer 6.0 or 7.0 is the recommended and supported web browser for use with Blackboard at BPCC. If your computer is using Internet Explorer 8, BPCC recommend downloading and installing the latest version of Firefox 2.0. (Download File version 2.0.0.20).Will open new browser window or tab

How do you determine what version of Internet Explorer I have? Go to Test Your Computer

(See Also: Internet Explorer 7.0 Known Issue)

Detailed Blackboard 7.3 certified Browsers for specific operating systems.

  • Windows XP: IE 6, IE 7, Firefox 2.0, Netscape 8.0
  • Windows Vista Desktop: IE 7, Firefox 2.0, Netscape 7.1
  • Mac OS 10.3: Safari 1.2 (BPCC cannot verify the MAC OS versions)
  • Mac OS 10.4: Firefox 1.5, Safari 2 (BPCC cannot verify the MAC OS versions)
  • Mac OS 10.5: Firefox 2.0, Safari 3 (BPCC cannot verify the MAC OS versions)

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Java Runtime Environment (Min. required version is1.5)

To determine the version of Java loaded on your computer, go to the JAVA Tester web site at http://javatester.org/version.html. Will open new browser window or tab Your version will be listed in the Pink Box.

NOTE: Some security software packages can block the Java function. This includes virus protection and firewall software.

To download Java Runtime Environment (version 5.0), go to: http://www.java.com.Will open new browser window or tab

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JavaScript - Enabled (including Java applets)

Having Java installed is not enough. The Java scripting must be enabled on your computer. To do this, in Internet Explorer 6 (version 6.0.2 and above):

Go to "Tools | Internet Options..." from the main menu of Internet Explorer 6

Change to the "Security" tab

Select "Custom Level" and under "Security Settings” scroll down to “Scripting”...

Enable: Active scripting

Enable: Allow paste operations via script

Enable: Scripting of Java applets

Restart the Internet Explorer 6 browser

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Internet Cookies - Enabled

Blackboard MUST use Internet cookies to login and remain logged into Blackboard. If Internet cookies are blocked on your computer, you may allow Blackboard ONLY cookies by going to:

Internet Explorer 6: Tools/Internet Options, switch to "Privacy"

Go to “edit” in the “web site” area and in “Address of Web site” type in http://www.bpcc.edu and click “allow”. (If "edit" is grayed out, look in the settings window above and set the slide to a lower level.)

This action will allow you to continue blocking Internet cookies but will allow cookies for the operation of BPCC’s Blackboard.

FYI: Here is additional information about Internet cookies and Blackboard’s use of Internet cookies.

Microsoft Support Articles:

283185 Will open new browser window or tab How to Manage Cookies in Internet Explorer 6

293222 Will open new browser window or tab Default Privacy Settings for Internet Explorer 6

260971 Will open new browser window or tab Description of Cookies

Blackboard’s use of Internet Cookies:

The vulnerabilities described in Microsoft's security bulletin only apply to systems that (1) store sensitive information in cookies, or (2) store permanent cookies on the customer's hard disk.

Blackboard does neither. Blackboard uses cookies as a unique user and session identifier. Furthermore, this cookie does not persist -- it is not stored permanently on a user's hard drive. The Blackboard cookie is destroyed when the browser session is closed. Modification of the cookie on a user's browser will at most destroy their login session, requiring them to re-login.

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Pop-Up Blockers

Popup blocker dialog boxDisable Pop-Up software or allow Pop-Ups from http://www.bpcc.edu.

Pop-up Blockers software can disable many functions of Blackboard and make taking a test impossible in Blackboard! If you have installed a third-party Pop-up Blocker, you must allow pop-ups for the bpcc.edu.

Here are some examples of Pop-Up blocker programs:

Pop-Up Blocker, Pop-Up Sweeper, Pop-Up Agent, Pop-Up Terminator, Pop-Up Destroyer, Google Toolbar, Yahoo Toolbar, Alexa Toolbar, Pop-Up Stopper, Stop Zilla

If you are running Microsoft Windows XP as your operating system and have installed “Service Pack 2”, you have installed a Pop-up blocker and you must allow http://www.bpcc.edu. To learn how to do this, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/web/sp2_popupblocker.mspx.Will open new browser window or tab

How do I determine if I am running Service Pack 2 on Microsoft Windows XP?

How do you determine your operating system?

Select Start > Run.

Type winver.exe in the Open field and press OK. This launches the About Windows dialog, which contains operating system information. The service pack information will be stated at the end of the version line.

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