Troubleshooting Tips

The problems listed below are scenarios of common problems reported by MyCommNet/Blackboard users.  Read the problem statements. If the situation applies to you, try the potential solutions. If none of the troubleshooting solutions work, please use the Help Desk for support. This help desk runs 24x7, 364 days a year with toll free phone (866-940-1928), live chat, and ticket submission.  You may also contact Distance Learning during our office hours at 860-343-5756 (Mon-Fri, 9:00am - 5:00pm).

Scenario 1. Problems regarding not being able to get to your online course site.

a. You are not able to get to MyCommNet web site.  You got a page not found error.  

Make sure that MyCommNet address is written as my.commnet.edu.  Many of our users type mycommnet.edu, which is incorrect.   The correct address is spelled as my.commnet.edu.

b. You get to MyCommNet site, but you cannot log on with your NetID and Password.

We have designed a special page designated assisting you with this problem, click here to see how you will resolve it.

c. You are able to log on to MyCommNet on a campus computer but not your home computer.

 Additional firewalls or filters installed on your computer prevent the proper transfer of Net ID and password information to myCommNet.

Solution:
(1) Turn off any additional firewalls such as E-Zone or allow myCommNet site as an exception in your firewall protection program. Some virus protection software such as Norton Utility Virus Protection has firewalls turned on as default. Turn the firewall off on your Virus protection software. For help with changing the firewall settings, consult the help utility in your software program, visit the software company's web site for more information, or obtain from the web site contact information for support specialists.

(2) Use Mozilla Firefox as the browser to access your online class.

Click here to download the Firefox 3.6 for PC. 
Install Firefox by double-clicking the Firefox3.0.x_PC.exe and then follow installation steps.
After the Firefox is installed to your computer, you need to turn the pop-up blocker off. Open Firefox.  Go to Tools, select Options. Select Content icon at top. Uncheck Block Popup Windows.  Click OK.

d. You have successfully logged on to MyCommNet, but when you click on Blackboard Vista icon, you got a blank screen or an error message.

 The first thing you should do is conduct a Browser Check .  The browser check result shows a problem marked by a red X with explanation.  You MUST disable all pop-up blockers in order to get to Blackboard Vista. Click here for instructions on how to disable pop-up blockers.  Many of our users have multiple pop-up blockers on the browser.  The instruction shows you a few ways on disabling pop-up blockers; but on your computer, you may have a pop-up blocker that is not listed in the instruction.  You may conduct Browser Check for final verification that all pop-up blockers have been disabled. 

Additionally, you may have to clean browser cache to get to Blackboard Vista.  Click here for how to clean up browser cache.

e. You are in My Blackboard page, but your online course is not listed.

Your online course is listed in My Blackboard page starting TWO weeks prior to a semester.   Click here to see the exact date when you are able to view your online courses in My Blackboard for upcoming semester. 

Within two weeks prior to a semester:

    (1) Right after registering, if your online course is not listed in My Blackboard, you may have to wait up to 24 hours or more. 

    (2) If you do not see your online course in My Blackboard page after 2 days of registration, contact Distance Learning at 860-343-5756 or mxccdistance@mxcc.commnet.edu. 

    (3) Your course on My Blackboard disappeared suddenly.  Contact Records Office at 860.343.5724; you may have a hold in our system because your payment to the course does not go through, your financial aid fund is not disbursed to the course, or any other paper work to pay for the course has not been completed appropriately. 

    (4) The course listed on My Blackboard page is not the course you meant to register.  Contact Records Office at 860.343.5724 to switch to the right course. 

f. Your online course is listed in My Blackboard page, but when you clicked on the course name, you got a message saying:

    (1) "There is no content associated with this course." Your course instructor has not activated the course yet.  Wait until it gets close to the first day of a semester or contact the course instructor  (Click on a semester link to see a course list with your instructor) or Distance Learning (860) - 343 - 5756 or mxccdistance@mxcc.comment.edu to verify.

    (2) "You are denied access to this course, contact system administrator."   Some professors deny student access to their online course while they are developing the course.  Contact Distance Learning at (860) - 343 - 5756 or mxccdistance@mxcc.comment.edu to verify. 

Scenario 2. Problems when using Blackboard tools

a. While you are in Blackboard, you received a warning message saying that your session times out.

This message is from MyCommNet, which prompts you 30 minute after you signed in.  When you see this message, click on Logout button or wait until MyCommNet automatically shuts off.  When you see a timeout message, do not click on OK button since this may cause error messages when you work in Blackboard.  If by any chance, you clicked on OK and you get error messages in Blackboard, click on My Blackboard link (upper-right) to exit out your course and then click on your course name to enter again. 

To avoid this timeout message, once you are in My Blackboard page, exit MyCommNet by clicking Logout (upper-right) in MyCommNet window.  Click here to view text instruction.   Click here to view Video instruction.

b. You are unable to attach a file in Mail, Discussions, or Assignment drop box.

When attaching a file to an e-mail, discussion message, or Assignment "drop box", after clicking Add Attachment  button, either nothing happens or a JAVA error message displays, or My Computer icon is not on the upload screen.

This problem is more likely because JAVA plug-in is not installed or enabled on your computer, or you have installed an incompatible version of the JAVA plug-in.  Click My Blackboard link (upper-right), click on Check Browser link (upper-left).  The browser check result will indicate where exactly the problem could be. 

(1) If it indicates you need to have a JAVA installed, click here to see the list of compatible JAVA and download a JAVA plug in.  Install  the JAVA to your computer.

 (2) If it indicates that you have a pop-up blocker enabled, you need to disable the pop-up blocker. Click here for instruction.

After you complete the above solution, you need to close out browser and log back on to your course. When you are in My Blackboard page, if you are asked to confirm JAVA security certificate, click on Run to make sure JAVA is enabled.

(3) If (1) and (2) does not work, you may ensure JAVA is enabled. In your computer, go to Start menu, select Settings and Control Panel.  In the Control Panel window, double-click the JAVA icon. Select Advanced tab in the window, click “+” next to <Applet> Tag Support, check Internet Explorer.  Then click OK.

(4) If (1), (2), and (3) does not work, you may try to use Mozilla Firefox browser. Click here to download the Firefox 3.6 for PC. 
Install Firefox by double-clicking the downloaded file (e.g. Firefox3.6.9_PC.exe) and then following the prompted steps to install it to your computer.  Turn the pop-up blocker off in Firefox. Open Firefox.  Go to Tools, select Options. Select Content icon at top. Uncheck Block Popup Windows.  Click OK.

c. You got an error message while taking an online exam

There are possible two reasons to cause such a problem (1) your Internet connection is temporarily off; (2) Your web browser "crashed", which mostly occurred for Internet Explorer 7 users.

Should this problem happens, close out the web browser or even restart your computer. Log back on to your course, click on Assessments, click on the exam, and click on Continue Assessment button to finish the exam. This method is to help you get through the problem while taking the exam.

To avoid such problem happens again, we highly recommend you use a compatible version of Mozilla Firefox browser while taking an online exam. Instruction can be found under Scenario 2 - b - (4). 

d. Answers to exam questions are not saved.

While taking an online exam, you must click on Save Answer button under EVERY question.  Do not click on Save All button after you answered all the questions.  When you click on Save Answer under a question, a blue check mark will appear on the question in the right window.  If the Blue Check mark is not there, the answer is not saved.   If you are not able to see the blue check mark when you click on Save Answer, you need to run a browser check to see where the problem could be either incompatible browser or JAVA problem.  Check browser link is on upper right of My Blackboard page.  If the browser check result indicates any problem, follow instruction at the bottom.

e. Images in exam questions do not show.

This might be caused by incompatible JAVA or browser.  Click here for a list of compatible JAVA/ and download a correct version of JAVA.
Some courses use testbanks provided by the textbook publisher.  Some test questions provided by the publisher do not have images imported when they are loaded to Blackboard Vista.  In this case, you will need to contact your professor and your professor may eliminate the questions without images from the online tests.

Scenario 3. Problems of AOL or SBC Yahoo users

From time to time, we receive reports from our users that they are unable to get to MyCommNet or Blackboard or some features in Blackboard do not work with their home computer but everything works well with a college computer.  Most of these users use AOL or SBC Yahoo as their Internet provider.   They basically use DSL connection to log online first and then use the default browser to get to MyCommNet or Blackboard site.  When you experience problems with the default browser, you may consier to use Mozila Firefox browser to get to MyCommNet or Blackboard site.  Click here for instruction on how to download, install, and setup a Firefox browser. Our best advice for you is do a Browser Check to pinpoint the problems and final solutions.

Other Problems not Listed

You may click here for more problems on Blackboard and possible solutions.