Questions relating to all Computing Science and Mathematics labs...
Where are the Computing Science and Mathematics labs and which labs can
I use?
- 4B89 : for CS Honours
Undergarduate and CS 2nd-year students only.
- 4B91 : for Taught Postgraduate
students only.
- 4X2 and 4X4 : for Mathematics Undergraduates only.
- 4X5 and
4X8 : for CS Honours
Undergraduate students and some Taught Postgraduate timetabled lab sessions
in Spring semester.
When are the Computing Science and Mathematics labs open?
- All of the Computing Science and Mathematics labs are open and available for
use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except during timetabled lab sessions.
Details of timetabled lab sessions should be posted on the relevant lab
door. Some lab access is controlled by door code entry systems.
Where do I get the security code for Computing Science or Mathematics labs?
- You will be given the code for the lab during a relevant
lecture. However, should you miss the lecture, you can collect the code
from the CSG in 4B81 .
Note: you will need your student ID card as proof of identity.
Where do I get paper for the Computing Science and Mathematics lab
printers?
- Paper for the Computing Science and Mathematics printers should be collected
from the CSG office (4B81 ). Students
should not use their own paper in Computing Science and Mathematics
printers, as this may cause printer jams or even damage.
How do I print single-sided on Computing Science and Mathematics lab
printers?
- Having selected the appropriate printer, on the
`File'->`Print' dialog box, click on the `Properties' button. On the `Paper'
tab, there should be a box headed `Duplex'. Select `None' in this box (noting
that the `binding rings' on the paper image disappear when you do this) and
click `OK' at the bottom. Then just send the print job as normal.
What should I do if I have a problem with the
hardware or software in the labs?
- If it is a scheduled lab session, ask the lecturer or lab tutor.
Otherwise, you should contact the Computer Support Group
(CSG) in person in 4B81 , by telephone on ext
7443, or by email to:
What software does Computing Science and Mathematics hand out to its
students for home PC use?
- A shared volume , which
contains various course-related applications, can be copied or a copy
can be borrowed from Computing Science and Mathematics.
What software can I install on lab machines?
- None! The correct procedure for getting further software
installed in the labs is to approach the relevant course lecturer and
ask that the software is installed for you.
What do I do if I've forgotten my password
or security code?
- If you forget the password for your account, or a
security code for a lab you should bring your student ID card to the CSG
office (4B81 ). The CSG will not send
out passwords in response to requests from unverifiable email accounts,
such as `hotmail', `msn', `yahoo', etc..
Questions specific to Computing Science labs...
Where should I save my files in the CS labs?
- You should save your work under your home folder (H:
drive). Do not save files to the PC desktop, My Documents or
the Personal
folder, as these can easily become corrupted or lost and are not (necessarily)
backed up. Files under your H: drive are backed up daily. Your desktop should
only contain shortcuts.
Why does it take so long to login and logout using a CS account?
-
CS accounts have a roaming profile. Information Services accounts do not.
When you login, your roaming profile is downloaded from the profile server,
and when you logout the local copy is compared with the profile server's
copy and changes are uploaded to the profile server. As your roaming profile
grows in size, the login/logout time will increase. It is therefore in your
interests to keep your roaming profile as small as possible, by leaving
nothing much (except perhaps a few shortcuts) on your desktop and saving files
on H:, as suggested above. The huge majority of slow login/logout problems
are the result of overuse of roaming-profile space.
How do I connect to my STUDENTS domain file space from a CS lab login?
1. Click on Start, right-click on My Computer and select "Map Network
Drive... ".
2. In the "Drive: " box, select a drive letter (W for Wide is a
convention).
3. In the "Folder: " box, enter "\\Wide\users\z\xyz00123 ",
replacing "z" with the first letter of your surname and "xyz00123" with your
STUDENTS domain username.
4. If you want to be prompted to reconnect this volume at every CS-domain
login, check the "Reconnect at login " box.
5. Click on "different user name ".
6. In the "User name: " box, enter "students\xyz00123 ",
replacing "xyz00123" with your STUDENTS domain username.
7. In the "Password: " box, enter the password for your STUDENTS
domain account.
8. Click "OK " and "Finish " buttons, and the connection
should be established at this point, and your STUDENTS domain filespace will
be available below the drive whose letter you chose in stage 2 above.
Note: In a small number of cases, involving (we're told) students on joint-honours
Faculty of Arts degrees, the `\\Wide\users\z\xyz00123 ' in step 3 above
should be replaced with `\\Achray\users\xyz00123 ' (note that there is
no surname-first-letter level here).
How do I connect to my CS domain file space from
home via the University's VPN?
1. Connect to the Internet using your usual ISP (Internet Service Provider).
2. Connect to the University's VPN (which uses your STUDENTS account details). If you don't know how to do this, contact the Information Centre in the Library for details.
On Windows:
3. Click on Start, right-click on My Computer and select "Map Network
Drive... ".
4. In the "Drive: " box, select an available drive letter.
5. In the "Folder: " box, enter "\\smb.cs.stir.ac.uk\xyz , replacing "xyz" with your CS domain username".
6. Click on "different user name ".
7. In the "User name: " box, enter "cs\xyz ", replacing "xyz"
with your CS domain username.
8. In the "Password: " box, enter the password for your CS domain
account.
9. Click "OK " and "Finish " buttons, and the connection
should be established at this point, and your CS domain filespace will
be available below the drive whose letter you chose in stage 4 above.
On Mac OS X:
3. In the Finder, select "Connect to Server..." from the "Go" menu.
4. In the "Server Address:" box, enter
"smb://xyz@smb.cs.stir.ac.uk/xyz ", replacing both occurrences of "xyz" with your CS domain username.
5. Click "Connect".
6. Enter your CS password when challenged.
7. Click "Connect" and a new window should open to your CS filespace.
Sometimes, Internet Explorer fails to display any pages at all: why is that?
- This is almost always because the Information Services' WWW
proxy-server isn't answering requests. To check this and work around it
temporarily, select Tools->Internet Options->Connections->LAN Settings and
clear all of the checkboxes. Click on `OK' twice, and try reloading
the page. If this isn't successful, Something Else Is Wrong, and you should
report the problem to CSG using one of the recommended methods.
How do I change my password in the Computing
Science labs?
- Once you have logged in,
type Control-Alt-Del and then click the Change
Password... button. Enter your old password (the one you used to
login with) and your new password (twice)
in the relevant boxes, then click OK .
What happens to my CS domain lab account when I
leave?
- No less than a month after you graduate, your CS domain lab
account will be written to at least two `epoch' (kept approximately
forever) backup tapes. Your account and the files you have created will
be deleted.
If you are staying with Computing Science and Mathematics after graduation or even
considering doing so, for whatever reason, you should report this to
someone in the CSG office when you know, in order to avoid any temporary
loss of availability of your account.