Laptop/Tablet Computer Deployment
Laptop Deployment Quick-menu
The basic steps for Laptop Deployment are...
(Details for each of these steps are outlined below)
- Register for and attend a Windows 7 Overview training session
- Commit to a deployment date and register for the Laptop Computer Deployment class
- Wait to receive an email from Academic Technologies to inquire about any additional software you need installed, and get this information back to us as soon as you can (or better yet, email us your list right now!)
- Download our worksheet for listing your mapped printers and drives, fill it out, and take it with you to class
- Backup your personal music and pictures to an external drive, thumb-drive, or CD/DVD, and then completely remove these files from your present computer; these files will really slow the class down and are not the responsibility of RU to reload on your new computer
- Show up the day of the class with your old computer and accessories, your personal music and pictures backed up, and the "Mapped Printers and Drives" pdf form filled out
- Be patient and positive while we learn about your new computer, refresh ourselves on extant RU technologies and tools, configure your new computer for use, and load your old files onto your new machine
- Leave that very day with your new computer, new accessories, and your files loaded on your new machine, ready for you to use without as much as a hiccup!
Windows 7 Operating System Overview Training
Your new computer will come loaded with Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 7. Radford University recognizes that as updated software becomes available it can be difficult, at first, for users to make the transition to the newest versions. This overview class will help familiarize you with the major features and enhancements of the new operating system. We will introduce Windows 7’s new look and feel, explore the desktop and taskbar, explain the use of tools such as jump lists and gadgets, and show you how to work with files and folders so that you can feel confident and prepared using the new operating system on your computer.
We have scheduled several Windows 7 Overview classes throughout the summer for your convenience. To register and find out more about these classes, as well as other training opportunities, please visit the Training & Development Support System (TDSS) and select the Summer Training 2010 category.
Although this overview class is scheduled to last 1.5 hours, the trainer will remain on hand for an additional half-hour to help answer any questions or concerns, as well as offer some sneak peeks at Office 2010 to show you some of the important changes.
Office 2010 Replaces Office 2007
All new computers deployed by RU this summer will have the latest Office Suite software, which is now version 2010, replacing version 2007. This suite is comprised of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, Visio, et al. The differences between Office 2007 and Office 2010 are not as great as the differences were between Office 2007 and all previous versions of the Office Suite, so there will be no
mandatory training you need to attend before receiving your new computer.
Most of you will be able to figure out where the new things are on your own. We will, however,offer trainings this summer and into the next school year, so please check the TDSS registration site to see if and when these trainings are offered. The Office 2010 training will focus on the differences from Office 2007.
How to Register for Deployment Classes
Once you have completed the Microsoft Windows 7 Overview class, you need to commit to a date and register for a
Laptop Computer Deployment class via the online registration page:
https://php.radford.edu/~citl/training/. Classes are offered once each week throughout the summer, on various days and either in the morning or in the afternoon. If need be we will add additional classes in September, after the fall semester begins, but if you want to assure yourself a new computer this year it is recommended that you commit to a time early on
and stick to that date. Be aware that these classes fill up fast, so making your plans early assures you of a spot, and thus a new computer, this summer.
PLEASE NOTE: only register for a specific Laptop Computer Deployment class if you are fully committed to attending. There are numerous steps and several individuals involved in the computer preparation for these classes, and limited slots available. Your registration for a specific session is your assurance that you will attend this session.
If you have never used the TDSS registration system you will first be asked to create a user profile. This process is easy and takes only moments. Please note that you don't have to include a picture or any other personal information in your profile unless you want to.
Where the Training Session is Located
The
Laptop Computer Deployment training is located in
Walker 153; if you are not sure where this classroom is please come a little early to give yourself time to get lost. It really helps if everyone is present and accounted for
early so that we may begin on time, and then wrap up that much earlier as well.
Requesting Additional Software for your New Computer
After signing up for a class you will receive a follow-up email asking for your software requests that are in addition to the software already installed on the computer, though you are certainly encouraged to make this list now and
send it along to us early. RU computers aready include much of the software most of us use every day, for example:
- The Office 2010 Suite (NOTE: Not Office 2007)
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Access
- Visio
- etc.
- Internet Explorer and Firefox (Mozilla) browsers
- Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Web-VPN Client
- iTunes
- WPS (Wireless Projection System)
If you need any additional software that you use on a regular basis (e.g. Maple, SAS, SPSS, Dreamweaver), please let us know via email as soon as possible and we'll try to have it loaded on your new machine. We may not be able to load all your software requests, especially if we receive late notice of your requests, but you will always be able to make an appointment at the Helpdesk to have whatever you need installed at a later date.
What to do to prepare for the class
Before coming to class there are several things you need to prepare and consider:
"Mapped Printers and Drives" pdf Form
Your computer is connected to at least one, but likely several different networked printers and drives (departmental shares, etc.), and you may also have a local printer at your desk that only you can print to. You will need to list these as they appear on your present computer and then re-map these devices on your new computer.
To help in this process we have created a pdf form for you to print out, fill in, and bring with you to class; you may access the form here. The form has all the directions on it that you will need, but if you run into any difficulty then you can call the Helpdesk. Preparing this step will help assure that you can leave the Laptop Computer Deployment session earlier, so please come prepared. Additionally, by going through the process yourself you will become familiar with how to map networked printers and drives so that you will have the personal ability to do so in the future, as your needs change.
Personal Music and Pictures
Because music and pictures can take a lot of time to backup during the deployment class
we ask that you be responsible for backing up all of your own music and picture files before coming to the class.
Once your music and pictures are safely backed up please remove them completely from your computer.
There are several methods you can use to back up your files:
- Copy all your files to your H-drive (if you have room there)
- Copy to a Thumb Drive/USB Drive/Jump Drive
- Copy to a USB external hard drive
- Burn your files to a CD or DVD
Location of Your Files
As long as your personal files are located on your
H-drive, in your
Docs and/or
MyDocuments folder, or your
Desktop, we will be able to back them up and
together we will make sure they get to where they need to be on your new computer. If you happen to have created a folder, and have kept your files anywhere else on your computer, please back these up on your own, or move them to one of the above locations, before handing in your old computer. If you do not back up files that are in any other location, then you may lose these files forever, so be thorough in your examination of your present computer, and move any files you wish to keep that are in odd locations into your
MyDocuments folder.
What to bring to class with you
- Please bring your old computer with you to this class, as well as all of your old computer accessories (dock, batteries, cables, plugs, etc.), with the exception of Lenovo power cords, as these will not work with your new equipment. You may keep whatever carrying case you may have; now is your chance to rid yourself of things you don't need!
- Bring the "Mapped Printers and Drives" worksheet if you printed it and filled it out
- Bring your Music & Pictures backup (in whatever form you have them) if you need help loading these onto your new computer; remember that these files will not be backed up by us, and should be entirely removed from your computer before you come to class, otherwise it will take considerably longer for us to backup your files, and then you will have to wait around, and we will have to wait around, and ...
- Bring your patience and sense of humor as well, as they may come in handy
What we will cover in class
Our goal is to make this important computer transition as seamless as possible for you. Backup of your files will take place behind the scenes as you are in class, then during a break we will commence uploading to your new computer. The training portion of the class is comprised of a review of the extant technologies at RU, information security issues, and a tour of your new computer and dock (which, for most of you, will not be considerably different than what you have now). We will also configure Outlook and RU Wireless so that these essential tools are ready for your use. The last part of the class is when we will move your files where they need to go on your new computer, as well as map drives and printers.
The more prepared you are with your own files the quicker you will be able to leave the deployment session.
What you will leave class with
You will leave the session with a new computer that is configured for your use, with all of your pertinent files from your old computer, and a fresh overview of the many productive ways you can use your computer in your office, on the campus, from home and on the road.
You will leave with the following hardware:
- Your new computer
- A new dock
- Two power supplies if this is your first Lenovo laptop, one for your office, and the other for travel (If you have a Lenovo computer, please hold on to your power cords)