Helpful information to know
Contents
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
- Login to http://sta.hampshire.edu.
- Read through ALL of the open tickets.
- 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 it on the ticket.
- If any computers are unaccounted for or their ticket don't accurately reflect their 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.
- 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:
- Talk to them about their problem.
- Ask if the computer is under warranty.
- If it is, direct them to one of the computer repair shops in the area.
- Have then fill out a blue Machine Ticket. Add your own notes if their description excludes things they told you.
- Take the user's computer (and power adapter, external HDD, etc.). Tell them that we will call and/or email them with updates.
- Input the ticket to the online ticket system. (Be accurate!)
- Tape the ticket to the computer.
- If you have thoughts on the issue, begin diagnostics 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.
- Choose an appropriate HDD to backup to. (see the list below)
- Name a folder "Firstname_Lastname-MM-DD-YY"
- 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:
- Ask if they have a full backup of their computer.
- 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).
- 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 and most Linux systems (including Ubuntu) have read/write capabilities.
HFS+ (Hierarchical File System Plus)
Developed by Apple for the Macintosh operating system.
Most Linux systems (including Ubuntu) have read/write capabilities.
FAT32 (File Allocation Table)
Simple legacy filesystem.
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.
