SUPPORT > Known Issues
Problems with Accessing and Using Online@UT
There might be a thousand different reasons you can't get into Online@UT, and we'll document as many as we can find in the access section of this page. If you can connect, there are many tools available in the Blackboard software that runs Online@UT, and sometimes they don't work in the way any of us expect. We'll post information about these in the usage section.Access Issues
| Problem: When I try to Log in... | Solution |
|---|---|
| ...I see this error message: No authentication credentials were provided with the request. |
To login to Blackboard, your browser must have JavaScript enabled. All of the currently supported browsers have JavaScript enabled by default, but if you see this message, check your browser's settings. |
| ...I see this error message: Could not login. Valid authentication credentials were not provided. |
This message indicates that you either mistyped your password or it has expired. If you can login to other UT web services, such as the online directory (http://directory.utk.edu/) or Circle Park Online (http://cpo.utk.edu/), you should be able to login to Online@UT. If you can't login to any of these sites, it probably means that your password has expired, and you'll need to call the Help Desk at (865) 974-9900 or create a ticket through their online contact form to find out what you'll need to do to reset your password. |
...I see this error message: or An error occurred while the system was processing this login request. |
Both of these messages indicate that the NetID you entered can't be found in the system, so make sure that you typed your NetID correctly, keeping in mind that letters are case sensitive. |
...I see this error message: or An error occurred in the authentication module: Empty ResultSet for the session query. |
Both of these messages are an indication that your browser is not accepting cookies. The default setting on all supported browsers should accept cookies from sites you go to, but if you see either of these messages, check your settings.
You might also see these messages if you are connecting from off campus and have to pass through a firewall. Check with the network support person for your location to make sure your connection is configured correctly. If that person is you, and you have no idea what we are talking about, start a support ticket with us so we can help. |
| ...I see this error message: No authentication credentials were provided with the request. |
Though it should be turned on by default in all current browsers, this message usually indicates that Active Scripting is turned off in your browser. To turn it on in Internet Explorer, follow this path: Tools > Internet Options > Security > Custom Level > Scripting > Active scripting > enabled. You'll need to close and restart your browser for the change to take effect. |
...I see this error message: or Challenge token null |
In the past, users who attempted to login from https://blackboard.utk.edu/webapps/login/ without going through the main Online@UT page would receive one of these messages. While you should no longer encounter them, if you do, simply try to login from the main page, http://online.utk.edu/. |
...Nothing happens |
Due to our configuration, the login button on our site redirects to another server, which some browsers (Internet Explorer 7) and third party security applications (Symantec, McAfee, etc.) interpret as a potential phishing scam. If you encounter this message, you may need to add Online@UT as a trusted site. Create a support ticket if you need help. |
Usage Issues
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Attempting to open a file uploaded to the Digital Dropbox or the Discussion Board results in a "HTTP Status 404" error message. | Certain special characters are not allowed in file names within Blackboard's software. Do not use any characters other than letters (A-Z or a-z), numbers (0-9), dashes (-), or underscores (_) in the name of the file. To fix the problem, you will need to upload, or if you are an instructor, have the student upload the file again, without any special characters in the name. |
| I'm trying to add a student and get this error message: "No user matching the search criteria was found." | If you can't find a user whom you'd like to add to a course site, the problem is often that the user is already in the course. When students drop a class, they are not removed from the Blackboard course site, they are disabled. Unfortunately, instructors cannot see students who have been disabled, so it can be extremely frustrating trying to add them. Create a support ticket so we can help resolve the problem. |
| I see a different number of users in my course roster and the user enrollment list. | The custom roster and enrollment lists are processed at different times during Snapshot, our nighly data transfer process, so there is a window of time from about 4:00 AM till 11:00 AM where the roster has been updated, but the enrollment list has not. The two lists should match once the Snapshot has completed. |
| I can't access media files that are linked from Online@UT. | Many instructors post links to PDFs and audio or video files that are hosted by UT's Digital Media Service (DMS). Depedning on which type of file you are trying to open, you may need the Adobe Reader, Apple Quicktime, or the RealPlayer.
You may at times be asked to login to access a file; this is normal, as the DMS server is completely separate from the Blackboard servers that run Online@UT. If you continue to have problems accessing DMS files, you can call the Help Desk at (865) 974-9900, or email them directly at digitalmedia@utk.edu. For instructors, make sure when you add links to DMS files to your Blackboard course site that you don't copy and paste them from Tmail. The web interface for UT's Exchange email system adds data to the URL that will prevent the link from working properly. If you need to copy and paste links from an email, open the message in the email client installed on your computer to avoid this issue. |
| When using the Send Email tool, I can't sort the users by their last name. | There is a bug in our current version of Blackboard software that causes user lists to display in alphabetical order by first name. This will not be fixed until the next upgrade to Blackboard. |
| When I send an email to my entire course, I receive multiple copies. | To avoid being flagged as Spam by the university's mail servers, Blackboard sends email messages to large groups in batches of 100. The instructor receives a copy of the message for each batch that goes out; by way of example, a class with an enrollment of 250 students, the instructor should receive 3 copies of the email that he or she sent to the class. |
| I can't see the Visual Text Box Editor. | Due to performance issues, the Visual Text Box Editor tool has been disabled systemwide in Blackboard. Individual users can turn the tool on from the My Institution page, by clicking Personal Information > Set Visual Text Box Editor options > Available. |
| On some pages I get a message asking if I want to trust a certificate from DesignScience, Thawte Consulting, or Blackboard. | Any page that includes a text box will attempt to load a Java Applet that is part of the Visual Text Box Editor, even though we have turned the tool off. If possible, select the Trust Always option. |
| I made a change to the course menu but I can't see any difference in the course site. | After you make a change to the course menu, click the Refresh link near the bottom of the left-hand navigation bar. If you do not use the refresh option on the tool bar, your changes will not show up for 20 minutes. |
| When you are working in the Test or Survey Manager, content fails to load, or does not load completely. | From the My Institution page, follow this path: Personal Information > Set Visual Text Box Editor Options > Unavailable. Close and restart your browser, then login to Online@UT again. Your content should now load completely. |
| Some or all item types are missing in the "Add Item" menu of course content areas. | Some courses copied from an older version of Blackboard software will exhibit this problem. To restore the item type(s), follow this path in the course site: Control Panel > Manage Tools > Content Type Availability, then check the content types you want displayed. |
| Documents created in Microsoft Office 2007 cannot be opened. | Due to changes in the default file formats used by Microsoft Office 2007 applications, users who do not have access to this version of Office cannot open the documents without the use of converters.
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| I'm using Firefox and can't paste into text boxes. | The default security settings on Firefox prevent you from being able to paste text into a Blackboard text box. While it may be overly complicated for some users, you can try this workaround from the Mozilla support site. |
| I can't see the elapsed time when taking a timed test in Firefox. | To see the timer during a timed test, Firefox users need to enable the Change Status Bar Text feature.
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| The AOL browser does not function correctly with Blackboard. | AOL's browser is highly customized and is not supported for use with Blackboard's software. If you use AOL as your internet service provider, connect as you normally would, then launch one of the supported browsers to access Online@UT. |
| I'm an instructor, and one of my tests shows up in the gradebook with a green check. Where's the grade? | The green check indicates that you selected the "Hide the score of the test in the Gradebook" option when you deployed the test. Contact us so we can fix the problem for you. |