Holiday Hours

Archive for 2013

Holiday Hours

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Keep in mind that the IT Support HelpDesk will be open for a modified set of hours during the holiday break.  Please, visit our Business Hours page for a listing of our open hours..  Happy Holidays!!

Register More Devices

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Students, after several months of work, Information Technology is proud to announce that we are increasing the maximum number of addresses that you can register on the network from 4 to 6.  This enhancement is already in place and will provide much more flexibility to students that connect with multiple devices.

We hope that this announcement comes just in time for those of you who plan to come back with new gadgets after the Christmas break.  Don’t forget to contact the IT Support HelpDesk if you are experiencing a problem connecting to the campus network.  We are always willing to try to assist in any way.

Wireless Name Change

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Many of you may have noticed that we recently changed the name of the Setup-StuWireless network to Get Connected.  This is part of a process to modify several wireless names on the campus network so they better align with their primary function.  The functionality of the network will remain the same and will serve as the conduit that students use to register their devices.

New myTCU Security Features

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Faculty/Staff and Student Workers,

On November 20th, we will be introducing a new security feature to myTCU called two factor authentication.  This is similar to the services that many of your financial institutions use to verify your identity before allowing you to connect to their online banking resources.  Please, review the information below so you know how to prepare for this change.

How will this affect me?
Once the feature is in place you will have to put in a PIN number (received via text) to access tools in the employee center (i.e. direct deposit, paychecks, and your personal information).  The two factor authentication page will only come up if you are using a computer or mobile device that is OFF campus and you are trying to access an area of myTCU that is protected by this security feature.

Keep in mind that connecting to myTCU through a data plan service like AT&T or Verizon (even if you are physically located on campus) is still considered off campus since you are not doing it through the TCU network.

What do I need to do?
All you need to do is verify that we have an updated cell phone number in myTCU since this tool will use that number to send you a PIN via text message.  Simply login to myTCU, select employee center, and then click the cell phone link to update your information.  Next week we plan to release a short video on how this feature will work so be on the lookout for our message.

We do understand that not everyone will have the ability to receive a text so we plan to add a voice call feature in the near future which will account for these situations and provide you with more flexibility.

Apple Releases New OS

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Faculty/Staff, Apple recently released its newest operating system named Mavericks (OS X 10.9). While the update from Mountain Lion (10.8) to Mavericks isn’t expected to be dramatic, IT still needs to test key applications and University systems before installing it on campus machines.  This is a standard process and one that applies to all future releases of new operating systems.

Some common software applications have already been reported to have issues with Mavericks and it is customary for vendors to have 60 to 90 days to fully support the release of a new operating system.

Once the new operating system has been tested and is compatible with University technology then we will be able to upgrade machines based on a business need.  We expect to complete this process and begin support for OS X 10.9 in December of 2013, if not earlier.

While OS X 10.9 is free, we ask that upgrades to University owned systems be coordinated through the HelpDesk.  Please, do not perform this upgrade on your own.  If you have any questions, contact the IT Support HelpDesk at (817) 257-6855.

Homefile Quotas

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On Sunday, September 15th we will be putting quota enforcement policies in place on all of the Homefile shares.  These are often referred to as your personal share or the M: drive and are designed for you to backup and store your business data.

We have always had quotas in place on these drives, but until now we have not put enforcement policies in place to ensure that they stay under the maximum size.  All Homefile shares will be limited to a generous 20GB quota.

If your Homefile share is already over the 20GB quota, you will receive a separate email with information on how these drives will be handled later today.

How does this affect me?
You will still be able to use your Homefile share the same way as before and you will not notice any changes in how the system works.  You may need to reboot your machine when you return to the office on Monday, August 16th if you experience problems with your share.

What if my share reaches the quota limit?
Once you attempt to add a file to your Homefile share that will put it over quota, you will receive an email indicating why you were unable to copy the file over.  You will also receive emails once your share reaches 90 and 95 percent of your allowed space to make sure that you always know where things stand.

We do realize that there are situations that may require an increase in a share’s quota.  If you find yourself in this situation, you can contact the IT Support HelpDesk to present your business case for an increase and we will send that information over to the correct group for approval.  Keep in mind that this may take several business days to process.

Move in Help!

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The Information Technology division would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to campus and provide you with a few pieces of information about how to connect to the network and who to call for support.

Getting connected to the Wireless network:
You must register each of your devices on the network before you can connect to the Internet.  All you have to do is connect to the Setup-StuWireless network and then open a web browser.  This will take you through a process that will register your device and then connect you to the StuWireless network.  Keep in mind that mobile devices (i.e. Phones, iPads, and Tablets) have to be manually registered in myTCU from a device that is already connected to the Internet.  The following site will provide you with information on how to get connected to the wireless network.  http://www.tr.tcu.edu/StuWireless.htm

Getting connected to the Wired network:
Once you plug a desktop computer into a wired jack in your room all you have to do is open up a web browser and use the setup page to register your device.  If you want to register a non computer (i.e. Xbox, PS3, or Wii), it will have to be manually registered in myTCU from a device that is already connected to the Internet.

How do I get help?
We understand that getting connected to the network is an important part of the move-in process and the IT Support HelpDesk will be available for an extended period of time to help address your needs.

You can call us at (817) 257-5855 or visit our walk-up desk in the Library for assistance.  We will also have a remote walk-up location open in the evenings at the Carter Technology Center, which is in the heart of the TCU residential commons.

Planned myTCU Outage

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On Friday, July 19 at 5p.m., we will take myTCU down to do a system upgrade.  We should have everything back up by noon on Saturday, July 20.  This upgrade is focused on security and backend features so you will not experience any significant changes when you log back in.

Keep in mind that myTCU manages multiple systems across campus so you will not have access to the following items during the upgrade:

  • myTCU Portal
    • Student Center
    • Employee Center
    • TCU Account Creation
    • AGOT Account Creation
    • Device Registration
  • Campus Solutions
  • Human Resources
  • Financials

If you have any questions, please contact the IT Support HelpDesk for assistance.

Password Self-Service Changes

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On Monday, July 8th we will be making some security enhancements to our password self-service site (http://password.tcu.edu).  This is the webpage that you visit when you have forgotten or need to change your TCU password.

What do I need to do?

These enhancements will require everyone to re-enroll with a new set of security questions and an email will go out on Monday morning to let you know what to do.  The process will only take a few minutes and we encourage you to re-enroll as soon as the message goes out to the campus.

If you have any questions, please call the IT Support HelpDesk for assistance.

Homefile Upgrade

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This weekend we will be doing an upgrade to the server that houses the Homefile shares.   These are commonly referred to as your personal share or your M drive.  This system will be taken offline at 10pm on Friday, June 14th and will not be available until Saturday, June 15th at 5pm.   If you plan to use any files located on these shares this weekend, then it is important that you download them to your computer since the server will not be available.

What do I need to do after the upgrade?
Windows users will have to reboot their computer and Mac users will have to remap their shares in order to connect to the new server.  Please, watch for an email on Saturday night, which will include instructions on how to get reconnected to the share.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the IT Support HelpDesk at (817) 257-6855.

Purchasing Order Cut-off Date

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The end of the Spring semester is fast approaching and is bringing us closer to the end of fiscal year 2013. To make certain that all technology purchasing requests using current fiscal year funds are fulfilled before the end of the budget year, Information Technology will stop processing technology equipment orders for fiscal year 2013 on Wednesday, May 1st, 2013 at 5 p.m.

The cut-off is necessary so that any equipment orders placed using current fiscal year funds are received in the current fiscal year and not billed to fiscal year 2014.  We will do our best to make sure equipment is received before the end of May, but cannot guarantee delivery due to variable lead times (some Apple computer orders are taking 4 to 6 weeks to receive).   Make sure to order sooner rather than later to avoid this issue.

***Please, email computerpurchasing@tcu.edu for all technology purchasing questions or requests.***

Be aware that orders received for technology related equipment after May 1, 2013 will be processed in fiscal year 2014.

Acquisitions Policy

Keep in mind that all computers, software, and other computer related technology purchases must be placed through the Information Technology purchasing department.  Technology purchases made outside of Information Technology cannot be put on the TCU network and can create support limitations for you and the product. The policy for Computer Technology Acquisitions can be found by visiting the following link:

http://www.tr.tcu.edu/AcquisitionPolicy.htm

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