Computers:
Question 1:
Is the computer I work on mine, or is it the property of the Student Affairs?
Answer:
Student Affairs. This means that a reasonable amount of care must be maintained to keep the equipment in good working order.
Question 2:
How come I can’t perform installations and customize my computer as I see fit?
Answer:
Administrative rights are necessary for installing most programs because most programs add files to the protected system files. Serious consequences such as spyware, viruses, trojan horses, etc. can dramatically impact performance and jeopardize both local and network security. Customization, such as desktop shortcuts, backgrounds, colors, fonts, menus, taskbar, and wallpaper are permitted and can be accessed via the control panel under the start/all programs menu.
Question 3:
What programs are supported by Information Technology?
Answer:
Windows 2000, Windows XP, Symantec Firewall and Antivirus, Microsoft Office 2002, Adobe Creative Suite, Macromedia MX Studio, SecureCRT, Putty, CoreFTP, FrontPage 2002, Mac OS 10, Thunderbird and Firefox. Other applications may be installed, but support is not guaranteed.
Question 4:
Why are automatic updates set to run at 12:00 noon each day and why does a force reboot happen from time to time?
Answer:
Automatic updates are necessary to ensure that all computers receive the latest patches, fixes, and security updates in a timely fashion. Since most users turn off their computers at the end of the day (as is recommended), 12:00 noon appears to be the best time to do the update because most people are gone for lunch. Sometimes a particular patch or fix replaces key system files and requires a reboot to finish the installation.
Question 5:
Why can’t I buy my own computers, monitors, printers, and software?
Answer:
For standardization across Student Affairs, compatibility with USC, and technical support.
E-mail:
Question 1:
Why is Eudora being removed from the computers and what are the alternatives?
Answer:
Eudora is full of security holes, licensing of the full version is too expensive, advertising and unnecessary network traffic is being generated by the light version of Eudora, and for compatibility with new programs and operating systems. Alternatives are: Outlook Express, Outlook with or without Exchange, Mac Mail, Thunderbird, and ITS’s Iplanet (email.usc.edu) web mail.
Question 2:
What will happen to my Eudora address book, folders and other files once Eudora is removed?
Answer:
All files, folders, mail, etc. will be imported into the new mail program selected by the user with the exception of ITS’s Iplanet web mail system (it doesn’t allow for importing data).
Question 3:
What can be done about SPAM and other unwanted mail?
Answer:
Filters can be setup for users, but nothing is 100% guaranteed to remove all unwanted mail. ITS and Outlook/Exchange already screens out some undesirable mail based on content.
Question 4:
How much space is allowed on ITS’s server and how much space is allowed on SAIT’s Exhange server?
Answer:
ITS gives users 75 MB, SAIT gives users 200 MB.
Question 5:
What is the difference between Outlook and Outlook/Exchange?
Answer:
Outlook/Exchange allows for real time synchronization between work and home, allows for shared calendars, and mail/calendars are backed up by SAIT.
Question 6:
Is training provided for Outlook and Outlook/Exchange?
Answer:
Yes, limited training is available.
Question 7:
What are the common problems with email attachments?
Answer:
Attachment problems are often due to the format that the attachment is in. For example, if a file is a Word document and it’s simply called “test” and not “test.doc” you may not be able to just double click it to open it. You will need to save the file as a different name with the “.doc” extension before you can open it. Also, some files are received but were sent with a link back to the sender’s computer, so trying to open something that is located on someone else’s machine fails. For example, if your attachment has a link associated with it such as //senders/computer/test.doc you won’t be able to open it. Other issues are the program version. For example, if someone sends you a Word 2003 file and you have Word 2002, you won’t be able to open the file. Some attachments are automatically blocked because they contain viruses or other malicious programs. These attachments often have extensions such as .exe, .vbs, .bat, etc. and should never be opened.
Network:
Question 1:
What is G and H drives?
Answer:
G drive is the shared, business only, mission critical only, drive. H drive is the personal drive accessible only by the user and used for confidential correspondence and other data.
Question 2:
How much space do I have on G and H drives?
Answer:
40 MB on G, 100 on H.
Question 3:
I delete files off G, but I’m still frequently running out of space. Why?
Answer:
Files deleted must have been created by the user in order for the user to decrease their space allocation.
Question 4:
I copied several files I had on CD to my G or H drive, yet I can’t seem to edit them. The files are marked read only. How do I fix this?
Answer:
Right click the file, select properties, and uncheck the “read only” box.
Question 5:
What resources are available to me?
Answer:
SAIT Administrative Office (X05299), SAIT Technical Support Lab (X05244) and the SAIT website (http://sait.usc.edu).
