Tag Archives: Helpdesk

Adobe Creative Cloud 2017 Now Available

Since the release of the new Adobe Creative Cloud 2017 suite, there have been many requests to install it on college-owned computers and in the public labs for teaching.  We are pleased to let you know that it is now available.

Current Adobe users will need to remove older application versions from their college computers first, then install the new 2017 versions to maintain compatibility with our labs and other colleagues.  To simplify this upgrade process, self service options are now available for both Mac and Windows college-owned machines.

Here are the upgrade steps for college-owned computers:

Windows:

  1. Review details about how to use the self service website.
  2. Login at http://go.middlebury.edu/kss, click Want Software?, then click the link for Install CCUninstaller to remove all older Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
  3. Reboot your computer.
  4. Login again at http://go.middlebury.edu/kss, click Want Software?, then click the link for Install Adobe Photoshop (Indesign or Illustrator).  Allow at least 15 minutes for the install to begin.

Mac:

  1. Review details about how to find and use the Self Service utility.
  2. Copy the Plug-ins folder from your computer’s Application folder (e.g., /Applications/Adobe Photoshop CC 2015/Plug-ins/) in advance, as the upgrade process may remove existing ones.
  3. Launch the Service Service utility.
  4. In the search field (top right), type 2017, then press Return to show the new offerings.
  5. Click the Install button to run Adobe CC Uninstall – through 2017.0 to remove all older Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
  6. Reboot your computer.
  7. Launch Self Service once again, then search for 2017.
  8. Click Install to run the application installers you need.

Notes:  Adobe Acrobat DC will need to be re-installed if you had it before; it is available through Self Service as well.

Feel free to contact the Helpdesk during our open hours if you happen to hit any road bumps.

Internet Explorer 11 update instructions

Good afternoon,

 

These instructions are required for Hyperion EPM 11 reporting workspace users.

 

The block on installing Internet Explorer 11 will be removed in the evening on Friday, September 11th.  The automatic check for updates to Windows runs every morning.

 

The next time you log into your Windows PC after Friday, September 11th you will be prompted to restart.  

 

  1. Please restart your computer.
  2. Once the computer has restarted, manually check for Windows updates by performing the following steps.
  3. Go to Start -> Control Panel. Type Windows Update in the ‘Search Control Panel’ box (located in the upper right hand corner).

  1.  Click Windows Update

windows_update_2

  1. On the Windows Update screen, click Check for updates.  Wait for Windows update check to finish.

Click_check_for_updates

You will see a page similar to this (the actual number of updates may be different).  Important updates will be selected for you already. The Internet Explorer 11 updates will be important updates.

 

  1. Click Install Updates.  

Install_updates

  1. Restart your computer if prompted after the installation completes.

 

  1. Repeat steps 2 through 7 until no more Important Updates are found.  You may need to check for Windows updates multiple times.

 

ITS system and network maintenance plans over the 2014 Holiday Break

Dear Colleagues,

 

Every year we take a brief period during the Holiday Break to perform needed maintenance and upgrade of our infrastructure and core systems. Below is a description of what we are planning for December 20th,21st, 22nd and 23rd, and how it may impact you.

 

  • Exchange email environment will be upgraded from version 2010 to 2013
  • The new 2013 cluster is already built and integrated together with our 2010 cluster.
  • We will migrate student mailboxes beginning Wednesday, Dec 17th through Friday, Dec 19th. Faculty & Staff mailboxes will migrate beginning Saturday, December 20th through Sunday, December 21st.
  • Once all of the Outlook accounts have been migrated, you will see two or more restart messages. If you have access to multiple mailboxes, you will see more restart messages. Except for that, we do not anticipate any other impact for you.
  • The interface for webmail will be changed, with an updated design that is reflective of the Outlook 2013 interface.
  • We have identified an issue that relates to the existence of both Exchange 2013 and Exchange 2010 servers that affected relatively small percentage of mailboxes, however many of them belonging to Faculty.  These mailboxes were not accessible for much of Monday, Dec 16th, to resolve this problem, these mailboxes have been migrated to Exchange 2013 ahead of schedule.  Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this cause these individuals during this transition.

 

  • PaperCut printing management service will be upgraded on Sunday, Dec 21st between 8 am and Noon. There will be several short printing service interruptions during this window.

 

  • Wireless Infrastructure Upgrade on Monday, Dec 22nd between 9 and 11 am.

o   During this upgrade all wireless access points on campus will be rebooted, resulting in up to 15 minutes of wireless connectivity downtime throughout the campus, Bread Loaf and the Snowbowl.

 

  • Middlebury core network routing changes on Tuesday, Dec 23rd

o   We will be adjusting parts of our core network and routing between 8 AM and Noon. There will be 30-45 minutes of network service interruptions to McCardell Bicentennial Hall and separately, 30-45 minutes of network service interruption to residence halls on the North side of campus.

 

  • Internet related outages – starting at 2pm on Tuesday, Dec 23rd

o   Beginning at 2pm, we will be testing Internet and network component failover procedures. We expect there will be 3 to 5 interruptions of Internet connectivity to and from the Middlebury network, each lasting about 5 minutes.

 

Thank you for your patience and support as we perform these necessary upgrades,

 

Billy Sneed

ITS – Central Systems & Network Services

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT  05753

Library and Helpdesk Hours for Memorial Day Weekend

The Davis Family Library and Helpdesk is open 9-5 for the rest of this week, including Saturday and Sunday. The library and Helpdesk will be closed Monday for Memorial Day, then open 9-5 the rest of next week.

The Armstrong Library is open 9-5 the rest of this week, then closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

For a full listing of library and/or Helpdesk hours, please consult go/hours.

New Helpdesk Website

The new Helpdesk website (go/helpdesk) is live. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible for you to find the information you need. We hope to accomplish this with:

  1. Improved navigation – our information is broken down into major categories; choose the category that makes the most sense for your issue, and
  2. A “Search Help” search box on our homepage; type in a search and get results only from our site and our wiki documentation. (Note: this will be more effective after Google has a chance to index the new site, and should work properly after break.)

If you have go shortcuts or bookmarks to pages on our site, they may no longer work.  If you can’t find what you’re looking for, or just have comments about the new site, let us know. We want to make your experience on our site as enjoyable as possible.

Changes at the Helpdesk

There have been some changes in the Helpdesk structure that I would like to make you aware of. First, after managing the Helpdesk for over two years, Jim Beauchemin is taking a break from management and stepping into a Senior Technology Specialist role. Jim will join the team of Nate Burt, Mack Roark, Brian Foley, Lisa Terrier and Chris Tangora (who will join LIS in January). Each of the Senior Technology Specialists takes a leadership role at the Helpdesk and shares the duties of working with users in Service Requests, or second tier support. This is the group that takes on the issues that cannot be resolved during the initial phone call, walk in visit or email. In addition, each has unique projects for which they are responsible. Jim has had a tremendous impact on our complex equipment inventory and distribution process, and he will continue to shepherd those important functions, as well as continuing as a system administrator for Heat. Jim will continue to bring leadership and his excellent process management skills to the Helpdesk.

I will be assuming the management of the Senior Technology Specialist group and Service Requests, in addition to my role as Area Director for User Services.

Joe Durante, who joined LIS last year, has been supervising the Student Consultants who work at the Helpdesk. I am delighted to announce that Joe has been promoted to Helpdesk Manager – Call Center and Walk-in. Joe will manage the staff who receive initial Helpdesk calls, emails and walk in visits and resolve as many as possible during that initial contact. Joe will also continue to lead and build our Student Consultant team. Joe brings strong management experience to the management team of User Services, and I am so happy to have him in that group.

We are currently recruiting applications for the open Senior Technology Specialist position recently vacated by Dennis Hadley, and so will continue to see the team grow and evolve.
Please join me in congratulating Jim and Joe on their new roles.