COMPUTING SERVICES: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The focus of this FAQ is computing by students at the law school and library. Other members of the law school community should seek answers from the department that provides their computer support. If in doubt, contact burnshelp@law.gwu.edu and your question will be directed as appropriate. More information is available at the Computing Resources main page.

Help

What is the scope of services available at the Help Desk in Burns 204?

Other than referring to online documentation, the Help Desk is the best place to seek assistance or information about student computing at GW Law. For more details see the Help chapter in the Student Computing Guide.
What systems are eligible for assistance from the Help Desk staff?

Assistance is available for any computer hardware provided by the Law School (such as lab computers, email stations, or library reference computers). In some circumstances (such as with classroom technology) the Help Desk may refer you to another department.

Regarding personal notebook computers, the Help Desk provides assistance for any computer that meets the required specifications applicable to your entering class. Click here to review the current specifications. The operating system requirement is crucial (must be English version of Windows XP Professional or Windows Vista). Note: The Apple Mac operating system is not supported by the Law School, but for exams the Law School will authorize Extegrity to release its versions of Exam4 software for Apples. Students who choose to use this version of Exam4 are cautioned that the Law School will not provide any assistance. Some basic setup and troubleshooting assistance may be available from Extegrity. Students choosing to use this version of Exam4 will do so entirely at their own risk. Problems with taking and submitting exams will impact the Law School’s future decisions by the Law School to release these versions of Exam4. More information on using Apple computers at the Law School is available in an FAQ.
Who is available to assist me at the Help Desk and when will they be there?

Part time student assistants usually are found at the front desk of Burns 204 during most of the Help Desk's hours of operation, which generally mirror the library's hours. Evening and weekend coverage may be limited in cases of staffing shortages or when the undergraduate academic calendar does not match the Law School's. Full time Help Desk staff members generally are available during regular business hours, Monday to Friday. Schedules will be posted at the Burns 204 door.
How do I report general problems with the Law School's computer facilities (such as lab computers, email stations, printers, wireless network)?

Please report such items to the Help Desk in Burns 204. Also, send a message to burnshelp@law.gwu.edu . This account is monitored by full time Help Desk staff members and computing services managers.

Locations

Where can I ... (use a lab computer, print, connect to the wireless network, etc.)?

For details on the locations of various computer services for students see the Locations chapter in the Student Computing Guide.

Connecting

How do I configure my wireless card to connect to the GW Law network?

See the the Connecting chapter in the Student Computing Guide.

Labs

Beyond my personal notebook computer, what hardware is available to accomplish ... (word processing, online research, etc.)?

For more details the Labs chapter in the Student Computing Guide.
Where in the Law School can I view streaming video of my recorded classes?

Lab computers are intended to accommodate this function as a backup to your personal notebook computer. Security software on the lab computers may, on occasion, interfere with this function. Follow-up with the Help Desk via burnshelp@law.gwu.edu for assistance.
Where in the Law School can I use a computer to check my Hotmail/Yahoo Mail/GMail account?

Although the stand-up email stations in the Burns first floor alcove and the second floor of Stockton are intended for access to your @law.gwu.edu accounts only, the computers in the labs have unrestricted Internet access and may readily be used to check commercial email accounts.

Printing

How do I set up my notebook computer for Pharos printing through the wireless network?

For details see the Printing chapter in the Student Computing Guide.
Where should I seek assistance when the Pharos printers need paper or toner, or when a paid-for print job has disappeared?

The Help Desk in Burns 204 is your primary provider of printing assistance. They regularly monitor the printing supplies, but should be notified quickly if any unforeseen shortages occur. Access to the storage containing the printing supplies is restricted, so in the absence of Help Desk support (i.e., during late night extended hours for exams) there may not be anyone available to re-supply the printers. If foreseen, the Help Desk may place extra supplies near the printers for self-service. Note: the Xerox Copy Center does *not* provide any support or supplies for the Pharos printers at the Law School.

Software

What software does the Law School provide to its students?

The Law School, as part of the University, provides Symantec Norton Antivirus and Firewall programs at no cost to its students. This software may be downloaded by visiting the "Library Services" section of the portal, then looking under "BurnsHelp." The Law School also provides Extegrity Exam 4 to its students; the Records Office directs the exam process and will announce when updated exam software is available for download from Extegrity. The Help Desk also recommends antispyware software, but may only provide links to freeware available online. Neither the Law School nor the University provides word processing software (such as Word or WordPerfect) or productivity suites (such as Microsoft Office) directly to its students. Students must personally acquire such software for their notebooks or other computers.
Where may I obtain assistance with ... (Word, Norton Antivirus, exam software, etc.)?

Provided that your notebook computer meets the specified requirements, the Help Desk will attempt to assist you in troubleshooting your software problems. The assistance may be more in-depth for software that was provided to you by the Law School. Exam software assistance is provided by the Records Office with related wireless network connection support provided by the Help Desk.
What software is required to view course-related videos on the Law School's portal?

You must access the video listings inside the portal using Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, which will launch a session of Microsoft Silverlight. If you do not have the Silverlight viewer installed, you will be prompted to install it when you click on "Play Video".

Portal & Email

Where may I obtain assistance with ... (logging into the portal, viewing course information in the portal, troubleshooting webmail)?

The Help Desk does not manage your portal or email accounts, but will gladly serve as a liaison between you and the department responsible for the accounts. A self-completed "Request for Portal Account Assistance" form is preferred for portal problems; visit the Help Desk to obtain the form. Email issues may be reported to the Help Desk in person or via burnshelp@law.gwu.edu . For more details see the Portal & Email chapter in the Student Computing Guide.
How do I change my password?

A function for changing your portal/webmail password is available inside the portal. Select "Options" from the bar above the portal homepage content, then select "Change your password."
How long do students retain access to their @law.gwu.edu email accounts?

The Law School intends to support your email accounts indefinitely after graduation. At this time your portal account status also will switch to "alumni" and your portal will begin showing alumni-related announcements and other relevant information. This plan, of course, is subject to the continued viability of email as a communication platform for the Law School community.
How do I configure other email client software (such as Outlook or Thunderbird) to work with my Law School email account (via IMAP or POP)?

As the Law School provides webmail as the official platform for email accounts, the Help Desk does *not* provide setup or troubleshooting assistance for other email clients. In addition, for security reasons the mail server (mail.law.gwu.edu) is configured to allow only the retrieval of mail, but not the sending of mail. This cripples the effectiveness of using another client to manage the account. Some students choose to set up forwarding in webmail to direct their incoming messages to another account, but this is not recommended as an exclusive solution because of the regular need to send messages from your official Law School account.
How do I accomplish [assorted specific tasks] within webmail?

Many tasks can be accomplished within webmail, such as folders, filtering, personal whitelists. A tip sheet on these items is under consideration. Other tasks, such as message exporting, are more involved or may require case-by-case assessment. Please send a message to burnshelp@law.gwu.edu with questions about webmail tasks or functions. Substantive answers will be posted to this FAQ as appropriate.
To whom do I raise a concern about messages that are blocked or filtered to junk mail by the Law School email system?

Incoming messages are processed by our system to eliminate malicious attacks and to filter spam based on a scoring of spam-like characteristics. If you have a concern about the system's handling of a particular message, contact burnshelp@law.gwu.edu about the matter. Include or attach any relevant messages, including the full headers of the message. The Help Desk will then take your concern to the email administrator (in a different department) for investigation or explanation.
How do I remove announcements from my portal homepage?

Only announcements specifically addressed to your portal user type show up on your portal homepage. Each announcement has an expiration date, at which time it will disappear from the page. In the meantime, though, the messages may build up to the point of annoyance. For this reason you may clear a particular message by viewing it, then selecting "Mark this message as read" and clicking the "Submit" button. This action clears the message from your portal home page, but does not eliminate it entirely. You still may view it by selecting at the bottom of the announcements area of the portal homepage to view all messages.
How do I get course updates delivered to my email or mobile device?

This functionality currently is not available in the portal system. You must visit the portal to view changes to your online course content.

Other Computing Resources

How do I obtain credentials to use other GWU computing facilities outside the Law School.

For more information see the Labs chapter of the Student Computing Guide.