FAQ'S
I want to work on a file at home, how would you suggest I get my files there?
All the computers in the labs have floppy drives, USB ports (for flash drives) and CD burners. My first option which is one of the fastest and most reliable way to transfare data between two machines is to use a USB flash drive. Another option is to burn your data on CD ROM, this usually works well. Most people use CD-R because they are cheap. Some people use CD-RW as they can be reformatted and reused. I also suggest just sending the file to yourself via email.
I have a word processor at home and when I bring a document on a disk I have problems opening the document. Why?
All word processors use their own specific file format. Between word processors of the same company and version, exchanging files is very easy. When using word processors of the same company but different versions you usually can open files of the older version on a newer version. For example you have Microsoft Word version 2000 at home and you use Microsoft word 2003 here in the computer labs. It should open without problems. However if you were to save that file in the Word 2003 format and try to take it home it may not be readable. I suggest that when you are in the lab, you do "Save As" and select Word 2000 for the "Save As Type".
If you have a different company's word processor or a different product such as Microsoft Works you may have to save files in a simpler format, such as "Rich Text Format".
Be aware that you will probably loose some formatting, bold, font type etc. If this does not work, for some reason, save the file as a "Plain Text Format", you will loose all formatting, but you will be able to open and reformat the text.
People sometimes confuse file formats problems with diskette problems. Some machines will format and write a disk slightly different and cause the disk to be unreadable. It can be the fault of either machine. If this occurs in the lab, try the disk in another machine. If it works OK, please let the Lab Assistant know so we can repair the problem.
Are there Macintosh computers available on campus?
Yes, there is an open access Macintosh computer lab in ES238 and SUB 24/7 hour lab. It has all the standard application with external scanners for use. All the macintosh machines have Media storage devices such as CD bunners and wirters.
How does student printing work on campus?
Every student begin the semester with $25.00 print credit. This is not an addition charge, it is part of your technology fee. Any pages sent to standard lasers, are charged $0.05 per page. Any pages sent to the color laser in the student union are charged $0.50 for 8 1/2 x 11 and $1.00 or 11 x 17. We do not support legal size, as these can be printed on 11 x 17.