UWE Corporate Staff Laptops
Introduction
This web page is specifically for the members of staff who have become the owners of new laptops supplied via IT Services. The laptops, currently supplied from Hewlett Packard have been installed with Windows XP or Windows 7, and configured for the UWE environment.
ITS have long been aware of the flexibility and range of use of laptops within the UWE campus. We have taken care to ensure that as well as bringing a domain-based structure into line with our standard desktop policies that the overall freedom and ease of usage is not lost! These laptops have been configured for multiple environments, specifically the UWE local area network, the UWE external access system (XA) and finally standalone.
With these three key areas being available and as far as possible pre-configured it allows the user complete control of how, where and when to use the laptop with a minimum of post-delivery intervention from ITS. Static office based laptop users will be logging onto the domain in an identical way to standard desktop PC users and have full access to UWE services and printers. Remote and home users will have access to files and network services via XA (Xternal Access) and local installation of Core UWE Applications will allow the continued basic operation when in standalone modes.
User Types:
The premeditated idea behind the design of UWE laptop was to create a tool that could be moved as smoothly as possible between the three main usage areas / user types as re-iterated below:
• SITE User - Connected to UWE site domain via LAN (i.e. A.N. Other works at UWE on the LAN 5 days a week but occasionally takes the laptop home to work evenings or weekends for standalone and or dial-up access)
• REMOTE User - Connected to UWE site via broadband and XA (Xternal Access) (i.e. A.N. Other works 3 days a week on UWE LAN but remotely accesses via broadband 2 days from home)
• STANDALONE User - Running with no external connections (i.e. J. Jones is researching abroad for six months and dials up once a month)
As you can see not only are there different methods of access but also varying frequencies of using those methods so it is important to reduce the variation of the process(es) that you the user has to follow at the front in order to gain access. To this end we have set various policies both within the network infrastructure, the laptop configuration and in the initial processes we have designed for you to follow once you receive your laptop.
User Responsibilities:
ACCOUNTS
Upon receipt of a UWE Corporate Laptop there are several final configuration options, which must be carried out by the new user. Firstly it is recommended that a local standalone user account be verified and or created. As a part ITS' configuration process a standalone account is created but it is important to verify that you are able to log into your laptop successfully with it. This will allow continued access to the laptop without the need a network connection of any kind. It is highly advisable that ALL users perform this task, as whilst it is possible to use cached information to log on without an existing network connection, this can eventually time out leaving you unable to access the PC in a standalone mode! Please refer to the guidelines provided by the IT technicians with all new laptops.
DATA STORAGE
The UWE laptops are partitioned with only one drive.
However, before saving anything, you must be fully aware about the risks of saving data on mobile devices.
Personal, confidential and/or commercially sensitive data must NEVER be stored on a private PC, laptop or transportable media. It must be saved on network drives.
Please visit the Data Security policy and the Encryption facilities which must be used when storing data, and particularly Sensitive and Personal data.
KEY DATA
The accounts set up for you will both have full admin rights to ALL areas of your drives. It is inevitable that changes will occur in certain areas of the drive as part of basic usage (e.g. the internet Favourites directory under your own account profile(s) is automatically updated). BUT we would ask that unless specifically advised to make changes to your own profiles or through the installation of additional third-party software, no changes be made to or unnecessary data be stored on this drive. If changes must be made then proceed with extreme care and advise ITS, if required. Specific profiles such as Administrator, AIS-User, Guest and Laptop are maintainance IDs and any alteration to these or other vital system areas may very well hinder in ITS support at a later stage.
SOFTWARE
It is now possible to reinstall UWE Core Applications via the UWE Core Apps web page found here. This may be useful in situations where a failed installation of third party software has damaged an existing core application for example. As ITS may always not be able to control when or indeed if a UWE laptop has a connection to the network, hosting the installation engine (WINSTALL2000) via web pages allows you to control the download of software to suit you needs/conditions. In the future it may be possible to check the web page for software updates or additions to the core set. Please refer to the UWE Core Apps page for access to this feature.
Network Services:
PRINTING
For site users only, please visit the instructions on how to add a UWE network printer to your desktop. To help you find the right printer, you can access the list of network printers.
FILESTORE
As stated previously in the DATA section a personal drive of H: and a faulty shared drive of S: will be available to both the site user and registered remote user. For the site user both drives will be mapped automatically as part of the domain login script. For remote users, please see the section on Access to the Internet and UWE from home. This will prompt a login (the same as your domain details) allowing access to your H: and S: drives.
FAQs
A FAQs web page containing a few basic concepts and issues that a new laptop user may well encounter is available for browsing. Please note this page will be updated from time to time with issues as raised by the Windows 2000 laptop community.
