Microsoft Windows Support
Click on the link that best describes the information you need:
Getting Help
Hooking Up the Internet
Internet Problems
Adware and Spyware
WebCT Connection Problems
Using Windows Update
Deep Freeze
Student Email
Office 2007 Compatibility
Getting Help
You can contact the IT Department by calling ext. 1153 or 1552, or by using
the HelpDesk.
First, identify yourself and what dorm your computer is in. Describe the
problem in as accurate a way as possible and how long you've have been experiencing
this problem. Make sure you suggest a time when you will be in your room or office so
that we will be able to fix your problem in a timely manner.
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Hooking Up The Internet
How do I get internet in my dorm room?
To get internet in your room, call ext. 1153 or 1552 to set up an appointment. Be sure
to identify the dorm in which you are living. The tech staff
will see to your needs in a timely manner.
How do I know if I have a network card in my computer?
Almost all new computers have a built-in "wired" network cards (the kind you actually
plug a cord into) or a "wireless" network card (one that receives internet by picking
up radio signals from a wireless access point).
To check if you have a Wired network card, look for an empty port that looks like it is
made for a phone but is a little bigger.
Most desktop computers do not come with Wireless network cards. New laptops, however,
usually come with a built-in Wireless card. The easiest way to know if you have a built-in
wireless card is to read the specifications of the laptop when you buy it, or read the
documentation that came with the laptop, such as the User's Guide.
If you already have the proper card for your dorm, then all you have to do is set up an
appointment for us to come and see you. Setting up the internet usually only takes a few minutes.
What kind of network card do I need?
Getman-Babcock Hall and Purcell Hall no longer use wireless. Every dorm is now wired, so to have
network connectivity in one of the dorms, you must have a wired network card in your computer.
There is, however, wireless access in the Library.
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Internet Problems
My internet stopped working. What do I do?
First, try restarting your computer.
If that does not work, click on the Start button,
go to Run... and type command (without the quotation marks).
A black window with some
text in it will come up. This window is called the DOS Command Prompt. When the last line
in the DOS Prompt looks something like:
C:\Documents and Setting\user.INFOTECH>
and has a flashing underscore after it, then it is ready.
If you have Windows 95 or 98, type ipconfig /release_all (again without the quotation marks)
and wait until there is another flashing underscore. If it does not do anything for a long time
or freezes, try closing the DOS Command Prompt and try again. After a line with a flashing underscore
comes back up, type ipconfig /renew_all and wait for it to finish working. Now close the DOS
Command Prompt window and try using the internet. If it still does not work, look at the next question in this FAQ.
If you have Windows 2000 or XP, type ipconfig /release and wait for a line with a flashing
underscore to come up. If it does not do anything for a long time or freezes, try closing the
DOS Command Prompt and try again. Once it has finished working, type ipconfig /renew and
wait for it to finish. Then close the DOS Command Prompt window and try to use the internet.
If it still does not work, look at the next question in the FAQ.
I've tried to use the ipconfig commands, but my internet still doesn't work. Is
my network card broken?
Look at your network card.
Usually there are two lights on a typical network card. One light
stays on all the time. This light means that the card is on and is receiving power. The other
flashes very quickly and indicates that the card is receiving or sending information from and
to the internet. This light is called the Link light. Sometimes there is only one light. In
this case it is the Link light. If the Link light is flashing slowly and in a definite pattern,
for example flashing once every second, there could be some sort of problem.
If the Link light is flashing quickly but you still are not getting internet, then ask a few
friends in the same dorm if their internet is working.
Call ext. 1153 or 1552 and tell them
that there is a problem. Make sure to say exactly what is going on and what you have tried.
This information will help us fix your problem conveniently and efficiently.
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Adware and Spyware
How can I get rid of all these popup advertisements?
If you use or have used a Peer-to-Peer network program, played online games or a host of other activities,
your computer is most likely filled with many files that fall into the Spyware and Adware category.
The purpose of Spyware programs is to monitor what websites you visit on the internet, and send
information back to the author of that particular Spyware program. The authors can then find out
what you like to look at on the internet and sell your email address and sometimes even personal
information to companies that send out Junk Emails. Adware programs make little popup and popunder
windows appear advertising various products from free laser pointers to free Viagra samples. You
probably know how annoying these popups can be and we all hate Junk Mail.
One of the best ways to get rid of these programs is to use a program such as Ad-Aware. However,
before you use one of these programs, you must consider the consequences. Usually, Kazaa will not
open if some of the Adware programs are removed from the computer. If this happens, all you can
really do is uninstall Kazaa and reinstall it, but that will reinstall the Spyware and Adware.
I recently uninstalled Kazaa and now my internet doesn't work
Sometimes when you uninstall Kazaa, your internet will stop working. This happens because Kazaa
modifies a file in the Windows Registry and when Kazaa is gone, that file can no longer be used
and must be repaired or replaced. There is a program that will delete every file Kazaa installs
on your computer and it repairs that modified Registry file. It is called KazaaBegone and can be
found quite easily by searching on Google.
So how do I actually get all of these malware programs?
The most common way to get malware on you computer is by installing it yourself, though many times you
just don't notice it. In many programs that you might download such as AOL Instant Messenger or a P2P
program, there are options to install some third-party applications such as WildTangent or WeatherBug
promising added functionality. However, many of these applications are malware and can cause a large
variety of problems.
Other ways your computer can become infected with malware include visiting websites that contain pornographic,
illegal or otherwise shady material. Many of these sites will try to persuade you to install a certain toolbar
or program so that you can download material from the site. In most cases, these downloads install malware on
your computer, endangering not only your property and privacy, but that of the college community as well.
These types of sites are especially notorious for sending viruses, malicious JavaScript code, Ad-ware and Spy-ware programs
to someone who views them. So if you do visit them, please be aware of the risks you are taking.
You will most likely damage your computer as well as the Piedmont network, which can ruin other users’ network and Internet
capabilities.
Piedmont reserves the right to track questionable website usage and block access to Internet resources in order
to maintain a working network environment for the students.
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WebCT Connection Problems
I am located on Central Campus and WebCT doesn't work. What do I do?
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), go to the Tools option near
the top of the IE window. Then click on Internet Options... from the menu. This will
open up a new window.
Now, click on the Connections tab at the top of the new window. Look for the section
called Local Area Network (LAN) Settings and click on the button labelled LAN Settings.
Uncheck the box next to Automatically detect settings and check the box next to Use a
proxy server for your LAN. This will allow you to type information in the two greyed-out
fields to the right of the box you just checked.
In the Address field type the following: 10.0.0.220
In the Port field type the following: 8080
Click OK and OK to finalise the changes you have made. You should now be able to access WebCT.
If you are still unable to access WebCT, call ext. 1153 or 1552 for assistance.
I am located in one of the Dorms and WebCT doesn't work. What do I do?
If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE), go to the Tools option near
the top of the IE window. Then click on Internet Options... from the menu. This will
open up a new window.
Now, click on the Connections tab at the top of the new window. Look for the section
called Local Area Network (LAN) Settings and click on the button labelled LAN Settings.
Uncheck the box next to Automatically detect settings and check the box next to Use a
proxy server for your LAN. This will allow you to type information in the two greyed-out
fields to the right of the box you just checked.
In the Address field type the following: 172.16.1.1
In the Port field type the following: 8080
Click OK and OK to finalize the changes you have made. You should now be able to access WebCT.
If you are still unable to access WebCT, call ext. 1153 or 1552 for assistance.
What if I am not using Microsoft Internet Explorer?
If you are using Mozilla Firefox as your web browser, simply go to the Tools option near
the top of the Firefox window, and then click on Options in the menu that appears.
Look at the bottom of the new window that comes up for the Connection section. Click on
the Connection Settings button.
Click the radio button next to Manual proxy configuration and type in the corresponding address
for your location. Than click OK and OK to finalize the changes.
Central Campus: 10.0.0.220
Dorms: 172.16.1.1
If you are using a web browser other than Microsoft IE or Mozilla Firefox, please call ext. 1153
or 1552 for assistance.
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Using the Windows Update system
Using the Microsoft Windows Update (WU) system is relatively easy, though it is also easy to become
confused.
You must use Internet Explorer (IE) to make use of the WU system. If you are not currently using
IE to surf the Internet, open it by looking in your Start Menu's Programs Menu.
If it doesn't show up in your Start Menu, you can open it by clicking on your Start
button, click on Run..., type in iexplore.exe and click OK.
Then click Tools near the top os the IE window and choose Windows Update from
the menu that appears.
Once the WU site has loaded, you may need to install the Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS) update
before you can install other updates. It allows the Automatic Update feature to function properly. This only
occurs when you have never used the WU system before. You may need to restart your computer after installing BITS.
The main WU site will have two buttons in the middle of the screen: an Express button and a
Custom button. For the most part, you will only ever use the Express button, so go
ahead and click it.
A new page will load that has a list of all the critical updates you need to install on your computer. In the middle
of the screen, there will be a Install Updates button. Click it and then click Accept
or OK on any windows that may pop up. Now all you have to do is wait.
If you are still having a problem, feel free to contact us at
ext. 1153 or 1552 and we will assist you.
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Deep Freeze
What is Deep Freeze and why is it on the computers?
Deep Freeze is a program used by the Department of Information Technology to protect
desktop computers from dangerous programs such as viruses and other malware.
Deep Freeze works by saving all the computer settings at a certain point in time and each time the
computer is rebooted or turned off, it reverts back to the saved settings, regardless of any changes that have
been made. This means that if you save your papers or PowerPoint presentations on a Deep Freeze computer, it
probably won't be there next time you use that computer.
Please be aware of this when working on homework or papers on a Piedmont computer. It is very important
that you remember to save multiple copies of your work. Email yourself a copy or two and savea copy on a usb
flash drive if you have one. Floppy disks are very unrealiable and many times people have lost important data due
to a corrupted floppy disk. If you do not have a USB flash drive, you should seriously consider getting one.
They are cheap and reliable.
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Using the Student Email system
How do I login to my Student Email account?
For full intructions, please visit the Student WebMail Instruction Page.
How do I set my account up for Mail Forwarding?
1.) Sign in and look in the upper right-hand corner for “Options” (located under the “Sign Out” link)
2.) Click it to open the new page (if you are using Internet Explorer, you will need to choose “More Options” from the drop-down list)
3.) Under the “Manage Your Account” heading, click on the “Forward mail to another e-mail account” link
4.) Click the radio button next to “Forward your mail to another e-mail address” and enter an address in the supplied text box.
5.) Click the “Save” button
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Office 2007 Compatibility
My professor can't open my Office 2007 document. What can I do?
With the release of the Office 2007 Suite, Microsoft made some changes to their file formats. Documents created in Office 2007 use the
new format by default. For instance, you may have noticed your Word document is EnglishPaper.docx rather than EnglishPaper.doc.
The easiest way to counter this problem is to choose a more compatible format when saving your documents.
When you're ready to save your paper, look for the round Office button in the top left-hand corner of the Office window. Click Save As...
and choose 97-2003 Document from the list.
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