California State University California Maritime Academy

 

IT General FAQs

Q.  What are "attachments"?
A.  Attachments are files that have been included or "attached" with an email. This is an easy way to allow others to view files. You should however exercise great caution in opening any attachment, especially if it is from an unknown sender or
unexpected from someone you know as it may be a computer virus. Today, most computer viruses are transmitted via email through the use of attachments. Good judgment and the use of a good up-to-date anti-virus program can help prevent you from being a victim. A good procedure is to save the attachment to your disk and use the scan it with the anti-virus program before you open it.

Q.  How do I contact the IT Help Desk?

A:  People on campus may now log incidents (i.e., problems) and check the status of their requests via the Web.  Using a Web browser, go to the IT website (www.csum.edu/itinfo /HelpDesk) and then click on Open or Track a Help Desk Ticket.  After filling in the necessary information, your problem report will be logged into the Altiris Help Desk management software.

A conformation message (see example here) containing an incident tracking number will be automatically generated and emailed back to you confirming receipt of your request.  If you need to call the Help Desk staff in the future regarding your request, reference the incident tracking number.

The next time you access the on Open or Track a Help Desk Ticket link, the status of your request(s) will be displayed.  Clicking on an open item will provide details and information about progress on the problem(s).

Of course, you may also report problems by calling the Help Desk at 707-654-1048 or by sending email to helpdesk@csum.edu.  The person in the Help Desk access to Altiris Help Desk management software to log the problem and you will receive a confirmation message.

Q.     Are Help Desk services available to cadets?
A.    The Help Desk will assist with problems pertaining to passwords, email, WebCT, lost ID cards, equipment and software problems in the labs, etc.  Please note, however, that IT personnel are not able to provide assistance with equipment that is personally-owned.

 

  • Question:  Does Cal Maritime provide antivirus software for student, faculty and

staff computers?

Answer:  Yes.  The Data Center provides Symantec Antivirus software to all faculty, staff and students at no additional cost.  Follow the directions below to install the software on university-owned computers that are on campus.  To obtain an installation CD that you can use to install the antivirus software on a personally-owned computer, please visit the Help Desk.
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To Install:

    • Remove any existing antivirus software by clicking on the green Start button (located in the lower, left-hand corner of the screen), select the “Control Panel” icon and then click “Add or Remove Programs.”  Locate the old antivirus software in the list that is generated and click on it… follow on-screen directions.
    • Then,
      • Click on the green Start button and select “Run”
      • Type:  \\diablo2\antivirus and press the Enter key
      • Click on SetUp.exe and follow instructions

 

  • Question:  How do I access my email from off campus?

Answer:  Your email and calendar may be accessed from anywhere in the world if you have Internet access and a web browser.  Simply point your web browser to webmail.csum.edu .

 

  • Question:  What is my (or my son’s/daughter’s) email address?

 

Answer:  Cal Maritime email addresses consist of the person’s first initial + lastname + @csum.edu (unless it conflicts with an existing email address).  For example, John Smithey’s email address would be jsmithey@csum.edu .

 

  • Question:  Why can’t I receive email from my parents (or friends)?

Answer:  Email message may be blocked by Cal Maritime’s institutional spam filter.  Point your web browser to https://mail01.csum.edu (make sure you type https and not http).  Login using your campus Windows credentials (the same username and password you use to access your campus email account) and review the spam messages to determine whether the messages you are looking for are in your spam box.

 

  • Question:  How do I access my junk mail (or spam) box?

Answer:  Point your web browser to https://mail01.csum.edu (make sure you type https and not http).  Login using your campus Windows credentials (the same username and password you use to access your campus email account) and review the spam messages to determine whether the messages you are looking for are in your spam box.

 

  • Question:  Why can’t I send or receive a ZIP or .EXE file as an email attachment?

Answer:  Certain types of file types are blocked by Microsoft Outlook.  If you are attempting to send a file that is consistently blocked, try renaming the file extension and asking the recipient to rename it back to its original extension after he/she receives it.

 

  • Question:  Does Cal Maritime extend discounts for purchasing computers to students, faculty and staff?

Answer:  Some vendors make equipment available for personal purchase at the same price they offer to the University.  Visit Cal Maritime’s IT Website for information on negotiated agreements with our vendors.  When you purchase a computer or other product from these vendors at the same cost that Cal Maritime acquires them, you will pay the vendor direct.  Please note that IT personnel will only support equipment with state tag numbers owned by the University.

 

  • Question:  Can I publish personal web pages?

Answer:  Faculty and staff may publish personal web pages.  Faculty should contact Greg Crum while staff should contact Donna Lichty for more information.

 

  • Question:  I lost my ID card (AKA PortPass).  How do I get a new one?

Answer:  Immediately report your lost or stolen ID card to campus police and/or the IT Department.  Go to the Cashier’s Office and pay a $10 fee.  Then, go to the Data Center with the receipt from the cashier.

 

  • Question:  When will Cal Maritime be upgrading to Windows Vista?

Answer:  The Cal Maritime IT Department will not upgrade operating systems to Windows Vista during the 2007-08 academic year.  The campus standard is Windows XP Pro.

 

  • Question:  When will Cal Maritime be upgrading to Office 2007?

Answer:  Upon request, the IT Department will install Office 2007 on faculty and staff computers.  Online training will be provided through Microsoft IT Academy.  Computers in the labs, however, will continue to run Office 2003 throughout the 2008-09 academic year.  These will then be upgraded to Office 2003 during the summer of 2009.

  • Question:  My WebCT page is blank (or I cannot see content) when I logon.

Answer:  Internet Explorer may be blocking the file.

  • Question:  I cannot logon… or … My password stopped working.  Why?

 

Answer:  If you have tried to logon three times (or more) without success, your Windows account is automatically locked.  Please contact the Help Desk at 707-654-1048.

 

  • Question:  How do faculty or staff obtain a web publishing account for creating personal pages or maintaining a department’s website?

Answer:  Contact Greg Crum or Donna Lichty.

 

  • Question:  Does IT support Apple computers?

Answer:  Greg Crum, Margo Axsom and Steve Frazier provide limited support for Apple computers and iPhones.

 

Question:  Why I can’t login to WebCT?

Answer:  Your WebCT ID and Password are the same as your Email/Network/Peoplesoft User ID and Password.  To troubleshoot, first verify that you can login to Peoplesoft and Online Services and your Email 

If you cannot login to either of these services, please contact the Helpdesk.  If you can login to these services but still cannot login to WebCT, please contact our Academic Technologist Greg Crum and he can create a WebCT specific password for you.

  • Question:  What software is available free of charge for me to use on my computer?

Answer:  Site-licensed software is made available for professional use through CSU or Cal Maritime negotiated contracts. Some of the software on these contracts may also be available to faculty for home use on personally owned computers.  CSU or Cal Maritime has entered into software distribution contracts with the following companies:  Microsoft, Apple, and Network Associates.  McAfee Antivirus is also available to students.
Site Licensed Software for Faculty

  • Symantec Antivirus Software
  • Office 2003
  • XP Pro
  • Respondus
  • SPSS
  • SAS
  • Microsoft Project 2003
  • Microsoft Visio 2003

Site Licensed Software for Students

  • Symantec Antivirus Software (available from the Help Desk without cost)
  • Software is also available for purchase in the Book Store

Obtaining Software for Home Usage

    • Free alternatives to Microsoft Office (files are interchangeable with MS Office) are available for download on the Internet. One of these is Open Office.
  • OpenOffice.org (downloads)
  • Tutorials for OpenOffice: 1, 2 or 3

 

  • Question:  How do I change my password that I use to logon to a campus computer?

Answer:  If you are on campus, logon to a computer and then press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys simultaneously.  Click the Change Password button on the dialog box that opens.

If you are off campus, open a web browser and go to webmail.csum.edu and logon.  Select the Options button in the panel on the left and then scroll down to the bottom of the window and click on the Change Password button.
If you cannot logon to the network, please contact the Help Desk.

 

  • Question:  What is the Z: drive?  

Answer:  Cal Maritime provides individual network storage space to students, faculty and staff on secure back-up servers.  You may use this storage space to back up important documents or for additional storage. It should be used for university-related business only.  The benefit of placing files on your Z-drive is twofold. On the one hand, if your desktop computer should breakdown, your important documents are safe on the Z-drive. In addition, you may access your Z-drive by logging in to any computer on campus. So, if you make a habit of storing you files on the Z-drive you will be able to retrieve them from our computer labs, from another coworker’s office, or anywhere else you can log in to the network. Starting in the Fall 2008 semester, this includes gaining access to your Z: drive file storage from an off-campus location using the VPN.

 

  • Question:  What do I do about Spyware?

Answer:  Spyware on your system can cause a variety of strange behaviors with WebCT, surfing the Web, printing, and a host of other applications.  Some behaviors observed are listed below.  To detect and remove spyware from your PC, do a full spyware scan using a tool such as the Microsoft Defender)which can be found at:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx.

Examples of Spyware symptoms:

  • When accessing the WebCT logon page or pages inside of WebCT cause “You Are Not Authorized to View This Page” error.
  • You get redirected to someone else’s search page instead of the page that should have been displayed.  Browser Hijacking occurs when you attempt to reach a particular page and you are redirected somewhere else.
  • Another symptom is when your default browser home page gets changed without your knowledge.
  • You are seeing a lot of popup advertising windows on your screen.
  • Your computer becomes increasingly slower.
  • Question:  Will the IT Department fix my personally-owned computer?

Answer:  Hardware and software installation, configuration and repair of student-owned computer equipment are the responsibility of the owner.  Students who require assistance with configuration or trouble-shooting are encouraged to seek out fellow students who may be willing to help. 
There are also area businesses that offer various hardware and software services for a fee.  Cal Maritime does not recommend or endorse any specific service provider. Students should contact providers directly to inquire about available services, pricing, payment terms and appointments.  All arrangements are strictly between the student and the provider.
NOTE: If your computer is covered by a service agreement or warranty, consult the terms of the agreement before making any repair arrangements.

 


 

 

 

 

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