Blackboard Support

Viewing the Internet | Printing the Internet

TIPS FOR VIEWING INTERNET SITES
  • Internet Web sites are updated frequently with new features, and so are the most popular Internet browsers. To give you the best use of the Internet, you should use the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. Note: Internet Explorer is recommended for use with Blackboard courses.
  • Caution AOL Users: If you are an AOL customer, you can use it to connect to the Internet. The AOL browser, however, is not compatible with all components of Blackboard courses. You should install Internet Explorer and use it to connect to your course. To install and use either Internet Explorer or Netscape, follow the next step.
  • If you have not updated your browser recently, click on the "Help" menu at the top of your browser screen. Then click on the "About Explorer" or "About Communicator" to see your version. As of February 2002, the latest reliable browsers are either Internet Explorer 6.0 or Netscape 6.2.
  • Click here to download the latest browsers, either Internet Explorer or Netscape.
  • To make sure that your screen resolution is best, you should minimize all of your open programs by clicking on the "minus" button in the upper right corner of all open programs until you return to your opening desktop screen (the one with icons on it) and then click your right mouse button on any space on the screen (not on an icon). On the menu the appears, click on "Properties." Then click on the "Settings" tab at the top of the Display Properties dialog box.
    • If you are using a 15-inch monitor, your "desktop area" should be set at 640 x 480 with the highest "color palette" setting that your system will support.
    • If you are using a 17-inch monitor, your "desktop area" should be set at 800 x 600 with the highest "color palette" setting that your system will support.
    • If you are using a 19-inch monitor or larger, your "desktop area" should be at the largest setting (1024 x 768) unless you like larger images on the screen. If so, choose 800 x 600. In any case, use the highest "color palette" setting that your system will support.
  • To view the latest version of of the pages on any online site, hold down the Shift key and click on Reload if you are using Netscape or hold down the Control (Ctrl) key and click on Refresh if you are using Internet Explorer.
  • If you have disabled Javascript or style sheets you will not be able to fully appreciate an Internet Web site's design.
    • With Internet Explorer, click on Tools/Internet Options/Accessibility to make sure you have not checked any boxes.
    • With Netscape, click on Edit/Preferences/Advanced to make sure that you have checked these boxes:
      _ Automatically load images
      _ Enable Java
      _ Enable JavaScript
      _ Enable style sheets
TIPS FOR PRINTING ONLINE DOCUMENTS
  • Internet Web sites often display their pages in frames. A navigation or table of contents frame is often placed on the left side of the page (screen) with links to other pages within the Web site. The content pages are usually displayed on the right or center section of the screen.
  • To print a copy of any page, follow these steps:
    1. Click in any white space in the frame on the right side of your screen (or in the content area that you wish to print) and then click on the Print button near the top of your Internet browser screen. If you prefer, click File on the menu bar. When the File menu appears,
      • click "Print" if you are using Internet Explorer.
      • click "Print Frame" if you are using Netscape.
    2. When the Print dialog box appears, click the OK button to print the text in the frame.