Information Services Notifications and Outages

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Blackboard 404 Errors: Microsoft Edge

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The latest versions of Microsoft Edge offer the ability to open Microsoft Office files directly in the browser. However, this function is not working appropriately with Blackboard. Users are receiving either an HTTP 404 error, or the Word online application opens but displays the message “Sorry, there was a problem and we can’t open this document. If this happens again, try opening the Document in Microsoft Word.”

There is currently no known timeframe on a fix for this issue, but there are suggested workarounds. Users can use Firefox or Google Chrome, or they can turn off the setting in Microsoft Edge. Google Chrome is the recommended browser for Blackboard Learn.

To turn off the setting in Microsoft Edge:

Open the Edge menu and click Settings.

Microsoft Edge menu showing the settings option

Turn off Open Office files in the browser.

Microsoft Edge Downloads settings menu

Need Help?

Contact the Help Desk for assistance.

 

Blackboard Course Clean-Up: Spring 2018 Courses to Be Deleted

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As part of the regular Blackboard maintenance schedule and the ongoing effort to clear up valuable space on our servers, Computer Services will begin the Blackboard course clean-up process for all Spring 2018 courses on Tuesday, June 22, 2021. You will see ‘Scheduled to be deleted’ added to all of your Spring 2018 course names to indicate which courses will be removed from Blackboard. The clean-up process will end on July 8, 2021.

What does this mean for you?

If you taught a course in the Spring 2018 semester, those Blackboard courses are scheduled to be deleted. If you need to save any content or grade data from these courses you must do so before June 22, 2021.

Resources:

How to Export Your Course – This article provides instructions for creating a course export file. This will allow you to save a copy of your course content and settings, but it does not include any student enrollments, data, or grades.

  • It is recommended that you save your course export file in a secure location that you will continue to have access to. We recommend storing the file in your MSU OneDrive for Business account, which you will have access to for as long as you are employed by Missouri State University. See How to Store Files in OneDrive for Business for detailed instructions.

How to Download the Grade Center – This article provides instructions for downloading your course Grade Center as a spreadsheet. This will allow you to save a copy of your students’ grades offline for future reference.

End of Semester Blackboard Checklist for Faculty – This article provides best practices and tips for regular maintenance of your Blackboard courses.

Request Help:

If you have any questions or need help with this process, please submit a request to the Help Desk. If you are referencing a specific course in your request, make sure that you include the exact course name or ID as it is shown in Blackboard.