CANVAS updates browser requirements a week before finals - THANKS!!!

[cstarkdragon]

I KNEW I couldn't have been the only one experiencing this!

I noticed a couple days ago, I wasn't able to email my teacher with a question. I thought Canvas must be doing some maintenance. Then I noticed Dashboard didn't show my class, I have no access to discussions, announcements, email, classmates, Canvas support and now there is no submission button to submit my homework. I can see Modules just fine but nothing else is working - I get BLANK white screens. Right on time for finals week!! Canvas appears to have been doing some backend things to "update" the system no longer making it compatible with older browsers on older OS.

Sure I have an older MAC running 10.6.8 with Chrome and Firefox but I have been using CANVAS for two years with no problems! Newer Chrome no longer works with outdated OS and NO - I cannot simply update the OS because (1) I dont have $5K lying around for a new computer and (2) that would force me into $ub$cribing to all my software in which I already OWN. Not cost-effective! I also have a newer iPad running OS 10 with Safari with no problem. Until now!! I found out that Canvas now only works with Chrome using OS 11 or 12.

I attempted to contact Canvas support through an old ticket I had in my regular email account but when I called, Tier 1 was far from helpful, actually very much so (trying to be kind here but he was very incompetent). Guy said I am using the right version of Chrome so he doesn't know (he said "I don't know" a lot). I recently got an email saying I am using the outdated version (this I know, but Canvas was working on this old version for 2 years now). 

Canvas needs to make their system backwards compatible. Now I will not be able to finish my certificate unless I risk losing everything on my iPad as it does when there are OS updates. Very frustrated. 

[hahnbr]

I have similar problems; when trying to preview my classes last week I got an error message that IE 11 is no longer supported and cannot be used for Canvas; so I downloaded Firefox; wasn't too happy about this since I'm using Windows 7 and Windows 7 doesn't have Edge installed; but now with Firefox, I got to the Canvas portal page, and the page doesn't load correctly; every time I click on a link on the portal page, the page just reloads the same mess.

I contacted the Canvas IT support team last week, and they just gave me some stupid answer that the reason the page isn't loading correctly is because I have a slow internet connection and poor bandwith. This is definitely NOT the problem; I have a very fast cable internet connection; I can watch Netflix and Youtube movies with no problem; how could I have a bandwith problem?

And what does the CANVAS IT team do? they close out the ticket as completed; I'm like really? That wasn't the problem and then they go and close the ticket out? what a joke!

So here it is, the first day of classes, and I'm still unable to get into CANVAS and the CANVAS support team has done litterly nothing to assist with my issue; I'm still waiting for answers. this is just ridiculous and very sad.

[Stef_retired]

cstarkdragon‌ and  @hahnbr ‌, thanks for your comments. We have to periodically update Canvas so that it can take advantage of the capabilities of more modern web technology in use by a majority of users and to guard against security and performance issues with older technology. Generally speaking, our developers would not be able to incorporate the improvements that come with each update if they were constrained by the limitations of older versions. In addition, old browsers can create a bad user experience and security problems.

It's never an easy choice to make, but we have to adapt to the direction in which most widely used browsers are headed as well.

These are the general troubleshooting steps that have worked for a majority of users, some of which you may well have already tried:

• Check your device compatibility: What are the basic computer specifications for Canvas?
• Check your browser compatibility: Which browsers does Canvas support? Note that Internet Explorer 11 is not a supported browser.
• Try a different browser. The latest version of Chrome works great in both Windows and MacOS.

Please refer to these resources whenever you have a question about supported devices and browsers:

What are the basic computer specifications for Canvas?‌

Which browsers does Canvas support?‌

And Brian, if the response you received to your support ticket doesn't satisfactorily address the issue you're experiencing, you can reopen the case by responding to the email.