Known Issues with WebCT 6.1

Java 1.6 Issues

As users have begun to update their computers to the latest version of Java, it is important to note that right now WebCT does not officially support Java 1.6.

The reason is that there's an issue that occurs while using the latest version of Java with the chat/whiteboard tool inside of WebCT. In some cases, users who have the latest version of Java loaded have been unable to open this tool. This is the only problem with Java 1.6 that we are aware of at this time. If other issues are discovered, they will be listed here as well.

If you have installed Java 1.6 and are not seeing any issues, you are free to continue using it. However, if you are required to use the chat/whiteboard tool as part of your online course, you may need to revert back to a supported version of Java. Right now, the best version of Java to use with WebCT is Java 1.5.0_5. To install this version of Java, you will first need to uninstall Java 1.6 as well as any other Java updates. Once you have uninstalled unwanted versions and updates, follow these instructions to download the correct version of Java:

1. Click here: http://java.sun.com/products/archive/j2se/5.0_07/index.html
2. On the page that opens in the above link, you will need to choose “Download JRE.”
3. On the next page, click on “Accept License Agreement.”
4. Then click on “Windows offline installation, multi language” (this will allow you to download the java installer to your machine).
5. When the download prompt appears, click “save.”
6. The Java installer will download to your machine.
7. Once the installer is downloaded, click run.

Internet Explorer 7.0 Issues

Internet Explorer 7.0 has been certified by WebCT as a supported browser to use. However, there are a few minor issues that we have discovered when using this browser.

Notification icons do not display correctly:

Users who have installed Internet Explorer 7.0 have reported that the notification icons that normally show up below a course's link on the My WebCT page are not displaying. This problem has been reported to WebCT, and it is now listed as a known issue. The lack of icons could potentially cause a student or instructor to assume that there has been no new activity in a course.

Work around:

Until this problem with the icons is resolved by WebCT, users will either need to install an alternate browser (Netscape or Firefox seems to work well), or they will need to check within each of their courses to determine if they have received any new mail, discussion posts, announcements, etc. . . .

File management windows shrink:

Users who have installed IE7.0 have reported that when browsing for files within WebCT, their browse window will shrink down until it is almost unusable. This problem has been reported to WebCT, and it is now listed as a known issue.

Work Around:

At this time the only solution to this problem is for users to install an alternate browser (Netscape or Firefox seems to work well).