Article Purpose

This article addresses how to install the new Blackboard Collaborate Launcher on Windows systems. For returning Collaborate customers, the way Collaborate sessions and recordings are accessed has changed. Previously, launching a new meeting would download a file named 'meeting.jnlp' which was ran by the local systems default Java installation. All new sessions will instead download a file named 'meeting.collab' which will require the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher to run.​​​​​

Needed Materials

The Blackboard Collaborate Launcher is installed by a file named ‘BlackboardCollaborateLauncher-Win.msi’. To download the file, follow the below instructions:

1. Navigate to an active Collaborate meeting in Blackboard as if to join a scheduled meeting.
2. Click the button “Join Room”. If this is your first time joining a meeting after June 15th 2014, Blackboard will automatically prompt you to download the new launcher. Otherwise, see the helper text below the button and select the link to download the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher.
3. Your computer will start downloading a file named ‘BlackboardCollaborateLauncher-Win.msi’. How the file is downloaded will vary depending on your browser:​
1. Chrome:
   The file will appear in the download bar at the bottom of the window. Select the file once it has finished downloading.
2. Internet Explorer:
   A prompt at the bottom of the window will ask if you want to Run, Save, or Cancel. Select Run.
3. Firefox:
   A prompt to save the file will pop up. Select Save. Open your downloads and select file once it has finished downloading.

Steps to Resolution

​Once BlackboardCollaborateLauncher-Win.msi has been downloaded and launched, follow the below instructions to install the software:

1. At the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher Setup main page, select Next.
2. Select Install. Wait for the system to finish installing the software. 
3. Select Finish.​

​​​NOTE: If you cannot install software on your computer, or if the installer fails to run for any reason, see below Additional Information: Cannot install Blackboard Collaborate Launcher.

Join a Blackboard Collaborate Session using Blackboard Collaborate Launcher

Once Blackboard Collaborate Launcher has been downloaded and installed, the software will automatically run when joining a Collaborate meeting:

1. Navigate to an active Collaborate meeting in Blackboard.
2. Click the button “Join Room”. 
3. A file named ‘meeting.collab’ should download to your computer. Selecting or running this file will automatically start the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher and connect you to the meeting.​

​NOTE: Some systems will need to be restarted after installing the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher. 

• If you receive a message asking how you would like to open the meeting file, restart your computer and try accessing the file again. If the problem persists, see below Additional Information: Meeting files do not automatically start Blackboard Collaborate Launcher.
• If you recieve an authentication error when try to run a meeting file, please restart your computer. If the problem persists, please contact the Service Center at 786-4646 or callcenter@uaa.alaska.edu.

Additional Information

​Cannot install Blackboard Collaborate Launcher

If for whatever reason the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher cannot be installed, there is a workaround to access your meeting using your local system's version of Java instead of the version provided by the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher. Please follow the steps that are appropriate for your system (Windows 8 or Windows 7):

Windows 8

1. Navigate to an active Collaborate meeting in Blackboard.
2. Click the button “Join Room”.
3. A file named ‘meeting.collab’ should download to your computer.
4. Identify where the file has been saved to your computer. By default, the file should be saved to the Downloads folder.
5. Right click the file and select "Open with...".
6. Select "More options"
7. Check the option "Use this app for all .collab files"
8. Scroll to the bottom and select "Look for another app on this PC"
9. Navigate to your Java directory. By Default the location will be "C:\Program Files (x86)\Java".
10. Open the latest jre folder. ex: If you have Java 7 installed, there should be a folder named "jre7".
11. ​Open the "bin" folder.
12. Find and select "javaws", then select Open.
13. The meeting, and all future meetings, should open using your local system's installation of Java.

​​Windows 7

1. Navigate to an active Collaborate meeting in Blackboard.
2. Click the button “Join Room”.
3. A file named ‘meeting.collab’ should download to your computer.
4. Identify where the file has been saved to your computer. By default, the file should be saved to the Downloads folder.
5. Right click the file and select "Open with..." ​(if this option does not exist, select "Open" instead).
6. Choose "Select a program from a list of installed programs" and click OK.
7. Click Browse
8. Navigate to your Java directory. By Default the location will be "C:\Program Files (x86)\Java".
9. Open the latest jre folder. ex: If you have Java 7 installed, there should be a folder named "jre7".
10. ​Open the "bin" folder.
11. Find and select "javaws", then select Open.
12. Make sure "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" is checked.
13. Click OK.
14. The meeting, and all future meetings, should open using your local system's installation of Java.

​Meeting files do not automatically start Blackboard Collaborate Launcher.​

If you were able to successfully install Blackboard Collaborate Launcher, but the program does not automatically launch when you try to run Collaborate meeting files, and a system restart has not resolved the issue, then the meeting files will need to be manually associated with the launcher. Please follow the steps that are appropriate for your system (Windows 8 or Windows 7):

Windows 8

1. Navigate to an active Collaborate meeting in Blackboard.
2. Click the button “Join Room”.
3. A file named ‘meeting.collab’ should download to your computer.
4. Identify where the file has been saved to your computer. By default, the file should be saved to the Downloads folder.
5. Right click the file and select "Open with...".
6. Select "Choose default program..."
7. Select "More options"
8. Make sure the option "Use this app for all .collab files" is checked.
9. Scroll to the bottom and select "Look for another app on this PC"
10. In the "File" text field, copy and paste the following, including the quotes:
    ​
    "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Programs\Blackboard\Blackboard Collaborate Launcher\Win32Launcher.exe"
11. Select Open.
12. The meeting, and all future meetings, should automatically be opened by the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher.

​​Windows 7

1. Navigate to an active Collaborate meeting in Blackboard.
2. Click the button “Join Room”.
3. A file named ‘meeting.collab’ should download to your computer.
4. Identify where the file has been saved to your computer. By default, the file should be saved to the Downloads folder.
5. Right click the file and select "Open with...".
6. Choose "Select a program from a list of installed programs" and click OK.
7. Click Browse
8. In the "File" text field, copy and paste the following, including the quotes:
   
   "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Programs\Blackboard\Blackboard Collaborate Launcher\Win32Launcher.exe"
9. Make sure the option "Always use the selected program to open this kind of file" is checked.
10. Click OK.

1. The meeting, and all future meetings, should automatically be opened by the Blackboard Collaborate Launcher​.