Browser compatibility

If you use Internet Explorer as your default web browser, you may experience some problems using the new version of NILE. We recommend that you use the Firefox browser when using NILE. You can download this for free from the Mozilla website.

Read on for information on how to fix problems in Internet Explorer...

Before you log in

If you use Internet Explorer on your own computer, you will need to ensure that you are using the right version.

You can check your current version by clicking on the 'Help' menu at the top of your screen and 'About Internet Explorer'. If the version number says '6.xx', you will need to upgrade your browser.

Note: If you are using a university computer, you should not need to do this, as your browser will be automatically updated by the regular computer updates sent out by Information Services.

To upgrade your browser, go to the Microsoft website. From here, you can choose which version to install - we recommend version 8. Please note that version 9 is not currently supported by the University. Download the version for your location and operating system, save the file to your desktop and close your web browser. Find the file on your desktop and double click on it to run the upgrade. The next time you open Internet Explorer you should be using the newer version.

Downloading files

If you are using Internet Explorer, you may also encounter problems when trying to download files. There are two parts to this:

Files opening in the browser (e.g. Internet Explorer) rather than in the default application (e.g. Microsoft Word)

This is caused by file associations on the computer rather than settings in the browser itself. These are the instructions your computer uses to open each recognised file type (for example .doc files in Word, .ppt files in Powerpoint etc.).

If you would like to change this, follow the instructions below (Windows XP only)

• Open any folder on your computer (e.g. 'My Documents') and click on Tools on the top menu, and then Folder Options
• Click on the File Types tab, and scroll down until you find the file type that's opening in the browser (e.g. DOC for Word files). The files are listed in alphabetical order by their file extension
• Click the Advanced button at the bottom right. If you want the file to display in the browser (e.g. Internet Explorer), make sure the 'Browse in same window' option is ticked. If you want it to open in the application (e.g. Microsoft Word), make sure this option is not ticke
• Click OK to apply the changes

You will need to close and restart your browser for the changes to take effect.

Files not downloading/opening

If you click on a link to download a file, you may see what appears to be a blank screen. This is because Internet Explorer is blocking the file download. You will see a toolbar appear at the top of the browser.

You will need to click on this toolbar and choose 'Download File'. This will refresh the screen, which means that you will be taken back into the homepage for your module. From here, go back to the file you wanted, and you should now be given the option to open or save your file.
You should only have to do this once on each computer you use, and Internet Explorer should allow you to download all future files from NILE.

You can also add NILE to your 'trusted sites list', which may help to prevent this security issue. To do this, click on Tools from the menu at the top of the browser, and then on Internet Options - Security - Sites. You should see an option to add the current site to your trusted sites list.

Other browsers

You can also view NILE using other web browsers, including Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. You can check the compatibility of the browser you are using on the Blackboard website. This link will also describe the compatibility of browsers on various Operating Systems, in particular the new Windows 7.

If you would like more help with upgrading or changing your browser, please email  LTsupport@northampton.ac.uk.