Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions — Getting Started

How do I purchase computer or other kinds of equipment?

I am a new employee and I need a WCER network login. How do I get one of these?

I already have an SOE-AD login, but I need access to the WCER project drives. What should I do?

I forgot my password. What should I do?

Can I ask WCER Technical Services staff for help with my personal laptop computer, or home computer?

Borrowing Equipment

What kind of computer hardware is available for loan?

What types of video and audio equipment are available for loan?

I want to borrow some equipment.. How do I reserve it? How long can I keep it?

What programs are installed on the loaner laptops?

Security -- Virus Protection

When I start up my computer, I get a message that says: "Your Semantec anti-virus definitions are currently out of date. Please contact WCER Tech Services regarding how to update them." What should I do?

I received an e-mail message with a suspicious attachment. What should I do?

Backups and Recovery

I've lost an important document. Can you access a backup copy of a specific file for me?

I forgot my password. What should I do?

Macintosh Support

Does WCER support Macintosh computers?

How can I connect my Mac to the WCER network?

Available Software

There are some programs that I'd like to use occasionally, such as PhotoShop. Are there shared copies of programs that I can use?

What programs are installed on the loaner laptops?

Printers

How do I add a network printer to my list of available printers?

The printer says "Toner low." What do I do?

Is there a color printer that I can print to directly?

E-mail

I received an e-mail message with a suspicious attachment. What should I do?

Wireless Internet Access

How do I set up my computer to access the UW's campus wireless network?

Is wireless network access available from WCER?

What resources can I access with a wireless campus network connection?

Network Access and Network Software

Why is my WCER network password different from my UW NetID? I am confused about the difference between these. Can I use the same password for both?

How can I connect my Mac to the WCER network?

Video/Multimedia

What types of video and audio equipment are available for loan?

Can Technical Services provide me with a videographer?

Can I have someone in Tech Services edit my video/audio for me?

I'd like to edit/encode my video myself. Can I use the equipment in Tech Services? Is there someone who can teach me how to do this?

Can somebody help me determine what video/audio equipment I need to purchase for my project?

Web sites

My project is ready for a web site. How do I get started?

My project has a web site, but it is old/out of date. Can you help me improve it?

Can my project have its own URL?

How can I get some statistics about my project's Web site (number of hits, etc.)?

Printed Materials

My project is hosting a conference and we need posters, brochures, and other printed materials. Can Technical Services help me produce these items?

Training

What training courses are available to me as a UW employee or student?

Does WCER provide any training courses?

How do I purchase computer or other kinds of equipment?

Contact Brian Ganje in Technical Services (263-7558 or baganje@wisc.edu) to discuss purchases for your project. Once a decision on equipment has been made, an Equipment Request Form (PDF) needs to be completed and signed by the proper authority. Return the signed form to the Tech Services front desk. Small in-stock items usually arrive in a few days, delivered directly to your project; larger and/or more expensive items may take a few weeks to arrive. Upon delivery, Tech Services will notify your staff and assist with delivery and setup if desired.

I am a new employee and I need a WCER network login. How do I get one of these?

Before we can issue you a WCER network username and password, you must acquire a UW NetID. Once you have a UW NetID, a WCER Network Activation Form needs to be completed and signed. (It's a blue form, available in the Tech Services reception area). Once we have received this form, we can set up your WCER network account and permissions.

I already have an SOE-AD login, but I need access to the WCER project drives. What should I do?

Come to Technical Services and fill out a Network Activation Form (blue form, available in the Tech Services reception area). Specify which project drives you need access to. Once we have received this form, we can set up your privileges.

I forgot my password. What should I do?

Call Technical Services at 263-4333. We will reset your password to a generic one to allow you access to the network. Upon login, you should immediately change this password to something only you know. We are not able to retrieve old passwords; our privacy measures prevent passwords from being viewed or retrieved by our technicians.

Can I ask WCER Technical Services staff for help with my personal laptop computer, or home computer?

No, the mission of WCER Tech Services is to provide service only to WCER-owned technology.

I want to borrow some equipment. How do I reserve it? How long can I keep it?

Use the Equipment Loan form or contact Paul Lewis (for computer equipment) or Dave Marcou (for video equipement) to reserve your choices. You can use the PDF version of the form on this web site, or stop by Tech Services and pick one up. Two weeks is the maximum amount of time for which equipment may be checked out. If you have some special circumstances contact Tech Services staff to discuss an exception to this guideline.

When I start up my computer, I get a message that says: "Your Semantec anti-virus definitions are currently out of date. Please contact WCER Tech Services regarding how to update them." What should I do?

This message is misleading. It appears even though your virus definitions are current. Click the box that says "Don't remind me again until after next update" to make the message disappear for a few days.

What kind of computer hardware is available for loan?

Technical Services owns approximately 10 Fujitsu PC laptops, and 3 Mac laptops. They can also lend LCD projectors, speakers, and portable laptop printers.

What programs are installed on the loaner laptops?

PC loaner laptops come with the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook), Netscape, Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Mozilla Thunderbird for e-mail, audio and video players, and WinZip. With 24 hours notice Techncial Service staff can install other software as needed (provided we have it). Be sure to discuss what you need when you reserve your computer. You can install other software yourself, as long as you uninstall it before you return the laptop.

My project is ready for a web site. How do I get started?

Contact Beth Atkinson in Technical Services. If your project already has a logo or other graphic design element associated with it, you can use that on your web site; otherwise staff will consult with you to design the appearance of your site, including a logo, general layout, and color choices. Once this is established, you can provide content to the Technical Services staff for them to implement, or you (or one of your staff) can use HTML or a web design program such as Dreamweaver to add your own content.

My project has a web site, but it is old/out of date. Can you help me improve it?

Contact Beth Atkinson in Techncial Services. Technical Services staff can consult on web site redesign, and can implement changes that you want. Depending on the size and complexity of your web site, you may have to make funding arrangements.

Can my project have its own URL?

In most cases, project URLs are subfolders of the WCER web site. For example, the SCALE project's web site has the URL http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/scalemsp/. Your project will have a similar URL. A few projects have paid for a project-specific URL. If this is important to you, contact Technical Services staff.

How can I get some statistics about my Web site?

Technical Services uses a program called Urchin to monitor Web site activity. Urchin can provide you with all kinds of information about your Web site, including number of hits, most frequently viewed pages, etc. You need a special Urchin username and password to use the program. Send an e-mail message to support@wcer.wisc.edu to get an Urchin login. Then watch this short video about how to use the program.

I've lost an important document. Can you access a backup copy of a specific file for me?

If your file was stored on the network (on a Project drive, or on your own network folder) for 24 hours or more, we can retrieve it from the backup system. Use the Technical Services support web page or send an email to support@wcer.wisc.edu. Provide the file name, location, and date of the file. If the only copy of the file was on the local hard drive of your computer, we won't be able to retrieve a copy for you. You are responsible for backing up your own local hard drive.

There are some programs that I'd like to use occasionally, such as PhotoShop. Are there shared copies of programs that I can use?

Adobe Acrobat and Photoshop are accessible through the key server. The key server is a system that controls access to shared software. The key server limits the number of people who can use a shared version of a product at any one time. For example, if WCER has 10 licenses for Adobe Acrobat, that means that no more than 10 people can use the product at any one time. If 10 people have the program open on their computers, when the 11th person tries to open Adobe Acrobat, he or she receives a message that says "Sorry, this application is busy, please try again later." The advantage of the key server is cost-effectiveness. You don't have to pay for licenses because you are sharing them in a pool. To gain access to key server applications, or to find out whether a specific program is available through the key server, call Technical Services at 263-4333.

WCER Technical Services also provides several fully loaded computers that are available for you to use at your convenience. These computers can access lots of different software (including video and audio editing software, graphics software, etc.), and are located in the open area inside Technical Services on the 3rd floor. When you want to use this equipment, just check in at the Technical Services front desk.

How do I add a network printer to my list of available printers?

Watch this animation to see the procedure for adding a network printer.

The printer says "Toner low." What do I do?

Call Technical Services at 263-4333 and say that you need a new toner cartridge. A technician will come shortly to change your cartridge.

Is there a color printer that I can print to directly?

The color printer called "Athens" is located in the WCER Copy Center on the 7th floor. You can print to this printer directly if you add it to your list of available printers. (Watch this animation to learn how to add a network printer.) Once you've added Athens to your list of available printers, you can select Athens from the Print dialog box. Click the down arrow next to the Name field and select Athens from the list. After sending the file to Athens you must call the Copy Center (263-3450) to give them the specifics of your print job and your billing number.

Note that you can also place your document in the Copy Center print queue and ask the Copy Center staff to print your document for you. The Copy Center web page has directions on how to do this.

I received an e-mail message with a suspicious attachment. What should I do?

Don't open the e-mail message. If you know it's junk, delete it without opening it. If you think it might be something important, call Technical Services at 263-4333 and ask someone to help you figure out the best approach.

How do I set up my computer to access UW's campus wireless network?

The DoIT wireless support page provides a good overview of how to connect to wireless UWNET (wireless WiscWorld).

Is wireless network access available from WCER?

Yes, the Education Sciences building has wireless network access.

What resources can I access with a wireless campus network connection?

Wireless connections provide Internet connections only. You can access the Internet and check your e-mail via the My UW portal. You cannot access WCER project drives, or print to WCER printers.

Does WCER support Macintosh computers?

Definitely. WCER provides Macintosh support and continues to grow its Mac support levels. We recently installed a Mac server to allow for greater flexibility. If you are considering purchasing Macintosh computers, please consult Brian Ganje to discuss your collaboration needs, and any database/data structure issues you may encounter during the course of your research. Some situations may require a dual platform mix of Macs and PCs. Mike Cammilleri leads our Mac support.

Why is my WCER network password different from my UW NetID? I am confused about the difference between these. Can I use the same password for both?

It is important to understand the difference between your UW NetID (assigned to you by DoIT), and your WCER network login, which is assigned to you by WCER Technical Services. Your NetID provides you with all the services that you can access via the My UW Madison portal (available from www.wisc.edu), including My Webspace, WiscCal, and WiscMail.

The WCER network login provides WCER staff with access to shared project server space, individual private home drives, and networked printing services. Due to research funding and Human Subjects Data requirements, WCER employs a higher level of security than the UW Net ID system. For example, password requirements are more stringent at WCER. Users must change their WCER network password every 3 months, but UW Net ID requires changing only every 6 months. Therefore, even if you started out with identical system passwords, eventually you would find yourself out of sync between the two systems. You can change your NetID password to make it the same as your WCER network login password if you want; click the "Reset your Password" link on the My UW Madison login page.

How can I connect my Mac to the WCER network?

Click here to learn how to do this.

What types of video and audio equipment are available for loan?

Tech Services can lend you miniDV camcorders, digital audio recorders, digital cameras, various kinds of microphones, and tripods. Click here for more details on what's available.

Can Technical Services provide me with a videographer?

Yes, Tech Services staff members are available to provide videotaping services for your project. If you need many hours of videotaping, you can borrow a camera, and a Tech Services staff member can teach you how to do the videotaping yourself.

Can I have someone in Tech Services edit my video/audio for me?

Yes, depending on the amount of video or audio that you have, a Tech Services staff member can edit it for you. If you have many hours of video, however, your project may be billed for the time; contact Dave Marcou in Tech Services, who can provide more information. Tech Services can also train you to do the editing work yourself (see the next question).

I'd like to edit/encode my video myself. Can I use the equipment in Tech Services? Is there someone who can teach me how to do this?

Yes, Tech Services has PCs and Macintosh computers equipped with audio and video editing software that you can use free of charge. We have the latest versions of Vegas (for the PC) and FinalCut Pro (for the Macintosh). A Tech Services staff person can show you how to use the equipment. Sometimes DoIT provides classes on video editing software.

Can somebody help me determine what video/audio equipment I need to purchase for my project?

Yes. As part of normal services, Technical Services can consult on the purchase of video and audio equipment. Contact Technical Services staff with your questions.

My project is hosting a conference and we need posters, brochures, and other printed materials. Can Technical Services help me produce these items?

Yes. Technical Services can provide graphic design services to help you design informational posters, flyers, brochures, meeting materials, etc. We can also coordinate the printing and production of these materials, either through the WCER Copy Center, or through some other printing service such as DoIT. Contact Beth Atkinson about this.

What training courses are available to me as a UW employee or student?

DoIT provides all kinds of training courses that are available to UW employees and students. Click here to go to DoIT's training site.

Does WCER provide any training courses?

WCER provides periodic "Brownbag" sessions, which are held over the lunch hour. They typically provide an overview of a topic about which users frequently have questions. Examples of Brownbag topics include E-mail basics, and Word Styles and Templates.