Helpful information to know

Websites

Student Tickets: http://sta.hampshire.edu

IT Tickets: http://ittix.hampshire.edu

Logins / where to find passwords

The usual DC username is 'labrats'. The STA password can be found on the bottom of the printed staff list. (Take the first letter of each word!)

IT username on Windows computers is 'Administrator' and on Macs is 'Admin'. Ask Chris or Rae if you need the IT Admin password.

What to do when you get in

1. Login to http://sta.hampshire.edu.
2. Read through ALL of the open tickets.
3. Check that all computers in the DC have a ticket and that all tickets have a computer.
   • If there are tickets for loaned equipment, call the user. (Leave a message if they don't pickup.) And note the call or message on the ticket, particularly any dates or times the user plans to return the equipment.
   • If any computers are unaccounted for or a ticket doesn't accurately reflect a machine's status, email the listserv at dc-sta@lists.hampshire.edu. Include the user's name, the computer model, and the latest comment with a specific question for information.
4. Continue working on as many computers as you can.
   • If you don't know the next step for a certain machine, make sure you comment in the ticket that you're leaving it for the next person.

When someone brings in a machine:

1. Talk to them about their problem.
2. Ask if the computer is under warranty.
   • If it is, direct them to one of the computer repair shops in the area.
3. Have them fill out a blue Machine Ticket. Add your own notes if their description excludes things they told you.
4. Take the user's computer (and power adapter, external HDD, etc.). Tell them that we will call and/or email them with updates.
5. Input the ticket to the online ticket system, include a note if they leave a power adapter, external HDD, etc. (Be accurate!)
6. Tape the ticket to the computer.
7. If you have ideas, begin diagnostics (don't forget to comment the ticket!) and repair. Otherwise note that you're leaving it for someone else.

• If you have free time on your shift, clean up the counters, put screwdrivers away, wipe down the counters if they're sticky.

Phone Messages

Always include the following in your voicemail messages:

• Your name
• Computer Diagnostic Center
• We are open from 9am-4pm Monday-Friday

Backups policy

Before doing anything software related with a computer, you must backup the user's Documents and Desktop folders.

1. Choose an appropriate HDD to backup to. (see the list below)
2. Name a folder "Firstname_Lastname-MM-DD-YY"
3. Copy the user's 'Documents' and 'Desktop' folders. If they are a video or music student, copy the appropriate folders.

Always inform the user before doing something that will likely lose their other data:

1. Ask if they have a full backup of their computer.
2. If not, ask them for an external HDD.
   • If they don't have one, offer to help them find one (generally we go to newegg.com).
3. Copy as much of their user folder as possible, or as much as they want.

List of HDDs and formats

Computers	Format	Enclosure	Location	Function
The Colonel	HFS	iMac		500GB, OS X 10.6 boot, temp backups on Desktop
Arrakis		huge black box		Windows 7/Ubuntu boot, backups
Elysian	NTFS			320GB, Windows/Ubuntu boot, temp backups on Desktop
Outlaw Star	NTFS			2 TB, NTFS backups
Jupiter II	FAT			1 TB, backups

External Hard Drives	Format	Enclosure	Location	Function
Millenium Falcon	HFS	Mercury Elite-AL Pro	counter	1 TB, backups
TARDIS	NTFS	WD Book	counter	1 TB, backups
Tiny	FAT32	OWC Mercury	left cabinet	82 GB, backups
Serenity/BEBOP	NTFS/FAT32	CoolMax	left cabinet	backups

Retired Hard Drives	Format	Enclosure	Location	Function, etc.
Granny Smith	HFS	CrossFire	left cabinet	backups, doesn't mount
Dennis Nedry	NTFS	i-rocks	left cabinet
Malcolm	FAT32	xcraft Cooler Master	left cabinet

HDD formats: What do they mean??

NTFS (New Technology File System)

Developed by Microsoft for the Windows operating system.

Can be opened read-only by Mac file systems.

Most Linux systems (including Ubuntu) have read/write capabilities.

HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus)

Developed by Apple for the Macintosh operating system.

Windows systems can open a read-only version via Bootcamp.

Most Linux systems (including Ubuntu) have read/write capabilities for drives under 2 TB.

FAT32 (File Allocation Table)

Simple legacy filesystem.

4 GB file size limit without FAT+ extension.

ext4 (Fourth Extended File System)

Journaling file system for Linux. Developed as a successor for ext3 after initially a series of backwards compatible extensions for ext3.

Both Mac and Windows can usually open these read-only.

Others

exFAT

Patented file system developed by Microsoft for flash drives.

Windows systems have full capabilities.

Mac systems since 10.6.5 have read/write/verify/repair capabilities.

There is an open-source Linux kernel module that supports the reading of exFAT, however it can not become an official part of Linux due to the patent status of exFAT.

If you'd like to read about other types of file systems, go visit wikipedia.

How to comment tickets

Include more information than seems necessary.

Document scans starting and finishing, whether they found/removed anything. If a scan errors, include the error number/description.

Include what you did and what you are doing. Include any specific settings or pieces you used.

Update the ticket as soon as you do something.

Only work on as many computers as you can keep updated.