If you are using Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) as your internet browser the Visual Text Box Editor (VTBE) in Blackboard may not work correctly unless you make some adjustments to your IE7 settings.

It’s important that you do this as the Visual Text Box Editor is part of almost every Blackboard function you use, e.g., Announcements, Assignments, Discussion Boards, E-Mail, etc.

If you are using Firefox or Safari, Visual Text Box Editor IS WORKING PROPERLY and you do not have to do the steps listed below.

The first thing you must do is add Blackboard to your list of Trusted sites. To determine if Blackboard is in your list of Trusted Sites take the following steps.

1. Login to Blackboard and go to a page that uses the Visual Text Box Editor, e.g., Discussion Board, E-mail.

2. Check to see if Blackboard is in your IE7 list of Trusted Sites. You will be able to determine this by looking at the bottom Status Bar in Blackboard in which you will see either a green checkmark with the label Trusted sites, as noted in the picture above, a red circle icon with the label, Restricted sites or a globe icon with the label, Internet. If you are seeing the red circle or globe then proceed with the following steps.

3. Double-click the Restricted sites or the Internet icon in the Status Bar. The Internet Security Properties box will open.

4. Click on the Trusted sites icon and then click on the Sites button underneath and to the right to open the Trusted sites box.

5. The URL for the Blackboard server should appear in the Add this website to the zone field.

If not, enter the Hillsdale College Blackboard URL – https://blackboard.hillsdale.edu.

7. Click Add.

8. Click Close.

9. Click on OK at the bottom of the box (Internet Security Properties box).

10. Refresh the page.

11. A message may appear in the Internet Explorer information Bar: "This website wants to run the following add-on: 'Microsoft ® dynamic HTML Editing Control' from 'Microsoft Corporation'. If you trust the website and the add-on and want to allow it to run, click here…"

12. If the above message appears, click the message and select Run ActiveX Control from the context menu.

13. Click Run in the Security Warning box.

14. The Visual Text Box Editor is now set up to operate correctly within IE7.

Revised on 10/11/2007 ITS Academic Services Specialist