Information Technology Self Help

What services does the Technology Support Center provide for student-owned computers?

Student-Owned PC Support

The Technology Support Center's main responsibility and use of resources is to support university-owned computer systems. We also ensure that personally-owned systems are able to access the campus network, and we offer some limited support for personal systems. For the things we do not support, we can offer you a list of independent service providers along with their contact information. In order to give you a clearer idea of what services we can provide for your personal computer we have compiled the list below.

We will...

  • assist you in registering your computer devices for network access.
  • ensure that your dorm room's network port works.
  • troubleshoot and attempt to diagnose and resolve your network connectivity problems.
  • confirm compliance with network connectivity policies.
  • assist you with installing AVG Antivirus if you are an off-campus student.
  • assist you with installing McAfee Antivirus if you are an on-campus student.
  • make recommendations regarding software and hardware service upgrades.
  • provide contacts for local computer retailers and service technicians.

We will NOT...

  • repair or replace broken computer components. The Technology Support Center hardware resources are reserved for university-owned computers. INSTEAD we can provide contacts for local computer retailers and service providers. At your request we can also send an email to our technicians to see if any of them can assist you on their own time.
  • take apart your computer in order to troubleshoot it. Due to liability and warranty concerns for your PC we cannot perform tasks outside of normal user maintenance and service. INSTEAD we can attempt to diagnose your problem and make recommendations about how to get it fixed.
  • perform data-recovery or data-backup for you. Due to both liability concerns and the time and resources required to perform data-recovery, we cannot recover or backup your data. INSTEAD we can tell you how you may be able to backup or recover your data, and we can provide you with retail contacts that may be able to backup or recover your data for you.
  • format and reinstall your operating system for you. INSTEAD we can answer your specific questions about the install. While it is generally not necessary, if you require extensive assistance you can bring your PC or laptop in and reload your OS at the Technology Support Center; however if you choose this option you will need to plan on remaining at the TSC while you reload your laptop.
  • support or troubleshoot student-owned routers, game consoles, and PDAs. These devices are permitted on the campus network but are not required for school and thus are not supported. INSTEAD we can ensure your router, game console, or PDA is registered for network access, and if you are unable to resolve your router, etc problem we recommend that you connect your PC directly to the wall outlet.
  • remove spyware, malware, or malignant software for you. Spyware removal is often extremely time-consuming and can also be a liability. INSTEAD we can recommend spyware removal tools or suggest a format-reinstall to ensure complete spyware removal.
  • repair your computer if it will not boot up normally. Most of the time if your computer will not boot up normally it will either require a format-reinstall or hardware service. INSTEAD we can make recommendations and troubleshoot the issue to get you pointed in the right direction so that you can get your computer repaired.
  • provide you with software for your PC. INSTEAD links for free and discounted software can be found on the FIT website at http://it.fit.edu/purchase/software/ ...install software on your PC for you. INSTEAD we can try to answer questions about the software you are installing and assist you with the install if you can bring your PC/laptop in; however if you bring in your computer for install-assistance you will need to plan on remaining at the TSC with it.

Last Update: 2009-04-29 10:00 AM