Mac FAQs

Our list of Mac FAQs is short but important.

What is the problem when I upload a file created on a Mac to Hofstra Blackboard, and it comes out in an unrecognizable jumble?

Macs handle files differently from PCs and PC based programs. Macs do not need the file extension (the ".doc" of paper_title.doc) that PCs use to determine what kind of file is being used. When you create files on a Mac for Hofstra Blackboard, you have to rename the file and add the file extension before uploading it.

I am using a Mac and trying to download a file from the Hofstra Blackboard web site to my computer. I clicked on the link but the file does not open?

Copy the file from the Hofstra Blackboard website to your hard drive. Launch the appropriate program, and use it to open the file that is on your computer.

I am using a Mac and trying to upload a file from one of the network drives to my Hofstra Blackboard site. I keep getting a network error.

Because of the network settings, you cannot upload files from a network drive directly to Hofstra Blackboard. Copy the file from the network drive to your hard drive. Once the file is on your computer, upload the file to your Blackboard site.

If you have a question or an answer to a frequently asked question, or a tip, or a trick for using a Mac with Hofstra Blackboard, please send it to blackboard@hofstra.edu