SafeAssign InstanceNotFound Error Temporary Fix

There are reports that the InstanceNotFound error from SafeAssign has been happening primarily in FireFox 3 (FF 3) on the PC and Safari for the Mac. The problem appears to be that SafeAssign is trying to write a cookie to the student's computer and if the browser is set to not allow cookies, the error is triggered. We are working to get a more permanent solution in place, but in the meantime, here are the temporary fixes.

Enable cookies for FF 3 on PC

1. Select Options from the Tools Menu in FF 3
2. Click on the Privacy Option
3. Click on the Exceptions... button next to "Accept cookies from sites"
4. Type safeassign.blackboard.com in the "Address of web site:" field
5. Click Allow
6. Click Close, then OK to exit the Options window

To enable cookies for Safari

1. Choose Preferences from the Safari menu (Edit Menu then Prefences on PC)
2. Click on Security
3. Choose Accept Cookies "Only from sites you navigate to"
4. If you still get the error after choosing that, try to temporarily change the setting to Accept Cookies "Always"

This situation points out the value of telling your students that if you try something in one browser and it doesn't work, just try to use a different browser. This is probably the easiest solution.