Welcome incoming students

Summer 2008 Orientation
To access the information covered in orientation click here

College resources:

Building Wide Wireless
TCAUP is wireless!  To access the wireless network, connect to UM Wireless Network, open a web browser, and an authentication page will load asking you to enter your uniqname and uniqname password.  That's it!

Register Your PC for wired networking!
You will need to register your desktop or laptop if you want to use the wired network connection in the college. You do NOT need to register if you use the wireless network.  We recommend that you use the wired network when working with large data files (printing to the Media Center, sending and receiving electronic files).  The wired network is much faster and more capable of handling large data files versus wireless. To register your desktop or laptop, click on the Register Your PC button to the left.

Secure your computer
The basics 1) keep your software up-to-date by using Windows Update or Apple's Software Update; 2) use anti-virus software (available free for both Windows and Mac here); 3) turn on your firewall (Windows ; Mac); 4) use strong passwords for your accounts; test their strength here . Physically, use a security cable (available at the Computer Showcase ). Remember, if you have a Mac running Windows, regardless of whether it is in Boot Camp or a Fusion or Parallels environment, it is as though you have a separate Windows computer and you will need to pay attention to the Windows guidelines to secure the Windows installation as well as Mac guidelines.

Get your software at great prices
The College recommends students own Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium and Microsoft Office. Current versions of both products -- CS3 and Office 2007 (for Windows) or Office 2008 (for OSX) -- are available at exceptional educational pricing at the Central and North Campus branches of the Computer Showcase. The North Campus Store is located across from the bookstore in the Pierpont Commons just across the street. Rhino 4.0 (both the full version and upgrade version) are available at the Media Center in TCAUP.  Full versions of Rhino 4.0 are $130 and upgrade versions, to upgrade from an existing installation of version 1.X, 2.0, or 3.0, are $60. Macintosh users may want to purchase a copy of Windows XP Pro from the Computer Showcase if you plan to run Bootcamp or Parallels.

Printing in TCAUP
The College provides a variety of printing options for its users from basic black and white printing to high-end color plotting. Click on the Printing Wizard link at the left to find out where each printer is located and how to print to it. Those designated "mPrint" printers can be used with your 400 page/semester University printing allocation.

Log out of Lab machines or risk your printing allocation
The BCP system charges printing to the user logged in to the machine. If you leave a machine logged in, anyone who prints from that machine will be using your allocation. Be sure to log off.

mPrint printers in TCAUP
When using mPrint (http://mprint.umich.edu) to send your work to a BCP printer in the College, look for these printers in the "North Campus" section:

Art & Architecture 3 East
Art & Architecture 3 West
Art & Architecture 1 BTLAB
Art & Architecture 1 MUPLAB

File Storage
We recommend you use a backup system.  External hard drives are a good option.  USB Flash drives are not.  Flash drives should only be used for transporting data between computers.  The best option is to use the 1GB (expandable up to 10Gb at no additional cost) of file storage space that you receive as a UM affiliate, called IFS space.  IFS  is a central file storage, sharing, and retrieval system that you can access from Macintosh, Windows, and Unix computers.  You can access this space through the web http://mfile.umich.edu/To find out more about IFS space go to http://www.itd.umich.edu/files/index.html. 

The College also provides temporary file storage space on one of our servers -- "Temp Storage". Click here for instructions on accessing the server.

Still need to back-up?
1. Check your IFS Home Directory space here
http://www.itd.umich.edu/files/ifssize.html
Call the Accounts Office (4-HELP) if you need more (up to 10Gb is available at no charge).  Use mFile or sftp software to copy your critical files there.

2. Use your external drive.

3. Put a copy on Temp Storage.  Note that Temp Storage is not intended to be store permanent or critical files, but it is better than nothing if 1) and 2) aren't options.

Remember that you are able to access Temp Storage from off-campus by using the sftp software freely available from ITCS (SSH for Windows -- http://www.itd.umich.edu/itcsdocs/s4304/ or FUGU for Macs http://rsug.itd.umich.edu/software/fugu/).  There are full instructions for connecting to Temp Storage on the College's Help Desk web site here:
http://www.tcaup.umich.edu/computing/tempstorage-update.html

Summer '08 Software List
TCAUP offers a variety of software packages available to students on our lab computers. Click here to see our Summer 2008 software list.

11x17 scanner available in East Cluster
An Epson GT-15000 11.7"x17" flatbed scanner is available in the 3rd Floor East Cluster computing space. This scanner offers 600x1200 dpi resolution and 48-bit color.

Classroom Use
TCAUP has several classrooms equipped with ceiling mounted projectors and audio.  Some classrooms have more equipment than others.  A list of the equipment availiable in each room as well as instructions are soon to come!

Help Desk Hours and contact info
The TCAUP IT Help Desk is located at 2107A Art and Architecture Building.  We are between the A&A Campus Computing Sites Lab (2109) and the Faculty/Staff Mailboxes.  Our Summer 2008 hours are 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. E-mail us at any time at tcaup.help.desk@umich.edu.

Green up -- Energy Star computing
College lab computers have been set to observe Energy Star 4.0 power management settings to reduce energy consumption. After:
15 min. idle -- screen blanks; touch a key to restore
30 min. idle -- "standby" mode; touch power button
1 hr. idle -- "hiberation"; press and hold power button
If machine starts from "hiberation" locked for another user, press and hold power button until off, then restart
Be sure to logoff when leaving a computer

Groundworks Media Conversion Lab
Need to convert, edit or produce media? Check out Groundworks in the Duderstadt Center.