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Important News! Helpful Hints Contact Us IT Home

Helpful Hints

Last Update: 12/14/07

Using a Flash or Thumb Drive

  • USB flash or thumb drives are very useful tools, but they have limitations. They may fail without warning so you should NEVER keep the only copy of a file on a flash drive. Keep a copy on your hard drive or a server like Excelsior. If neither are available, you can use a second flash drive. To help prevent flash drive failures, you should always disconnect power from the drive before pulling it out. See Flash Drive Instructions).

Compatibility Between Office 2007 and Earlier Versions of Office

  • By default Office 2007 saves Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents in a new and different format. If these documents are shared electronically (either by attachment to an email or from your Outbox on Enterprise, for example), other users may have a problem accessing the documents.
  • Users of Office 2003 will need to download a "compatibility" pack from Microsoft. The first time they access an Office 2007 document, the users typically receive a pop-up requesting they download this pack.
  • Users of Office 2002 or earlier can NOT open an Office 2007 document. It must be saved as a "97-2003 Document" by the Office 2007 user.
  • If you're an Office 2007 user and correspond regularly with Office 2002 or earlier users, you can reset the default to always save documents so they're accessible to them. This will not affect the accessibility by Office 2007 users, but might eliminate special features only available in Office 2007. The instructions to reset the default follow:
    • Start Microsoft Word 2007
    • Click the Windows button in upper left and click the Word Options button
    • Click Save on the left menu
    • In the box to the right of "Save files in this format" select "Word 97-2003 Document"
    • Click the OK button
    •  
    • Do the same steps in Excel and PowerPoint

Do NOT Turn Your Computer Off During Updates

  • Your computer should be set to download updates for Windows automatically, but it allows you to select when to install the updates. A yellow shield will appear in the lower right of your screen when the updates are downloading and are ready to install. When they're ready, you may click on the shield and install them (Express or Custom doesn't matter). Be aware that some updates require a restart when complete. If you don't restart the computer, it will continually "nag" you until you do. If you don't manually install the updates, Windows will want to install them when you shut down your computer. This is acceptable as well.
  • Do NOT force the computer to power off (by holding the power button in or unplugging the computer) once updates have begun installing. Doing so with LIKELY result in an inoperable computer. No data will be lost, but the computer operating system and software will have to be completely reinstalled.

Another Location for Recycling

  • El Paso County has begun a program to recycle electronics equipment for free from residents of El Paso and Teller Counties. This is open only for personally-owned equipment. (Contact Facilities to recycle university-owned electronics.) Federal law prohibits companies (including educational) from discarding anything electronic. That means virtually anything that plugs into the wall or uses batteries. While the law doesn't apply to personally-owned electronics, it's a good thing not to continue to fill up our waste sites with hazardous materials. The Household Chemical Waste Collection Facility at 3470 N. Marksheffel Road is open from 7 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday. Appointments are recommended - call 520-7878. Almost all electronics are accepted including televisions up to 19". They also accept other hazardous waste including paint and pesticides, etc.

Recommendations for Buying Computers

  • Are you considering a new desktop or laptop computer? Need one for work or yourself or a gift? Check out our website for recommendations at www.uccs.edu/helpdesk/hardware.htm. You can get a discount on computers and software for working or attending classes at UCCS. Call me if you have questions or need further information.
    • Brad Cook
    • IT Help Desk
    • 262-3826

Recycling Personal Computers

  • This information applies ONLY to personally-owned equipment. University-owned equipment must still go through Facilities.
  • Community Intersections recycles computers and other electronics equipment. The company hires people that have disabilities to disassemble equipment correctly to protect the environment. The company is tax exempt so you may be able to claim a deduction on your taxes. There is no cost, but they ask for donations.
  • Drop off times are 9 am to 2 pm Monday through Friday; evening/weekend hours by appointment (call 219-3996). They're located at 601 S. Wahsatch.

Proper Cleaning Procedure For Flat-Panel LCD Monitors

  • Many people have flat panel monitors and they require more care than the old CRT monitors. Flat panels consist of an array of liquid crystals which are very fragile. If you push on the screen, you may break one or more crystals. If you break enough in one place, you will lose a clear picture in that spot. Therefore, you should never touch the screen.
  • Cleaning a flat panel monitor is similar as cleaning a CRT except you must be very gentle. Do not use things like regular Windex or other cleaners that contain ethyl alcohol or ammonia. Also don't use a paper towel, as they might scratch the surface. First try using a clean cotton cloth and wipe it off using light pressure. Turning the monitor off will allow you to see the dirt easier. If your screen is still dirty, you will need to use a wet cleaner. There are many commercial cleaners out there, but water will often do the trick. Moisten the cloth but not so much that it drips. Never spray directly onto the screen as it may short out the circuitry. A more powerful solution can be made by mixing water and rubbing alcohol 50/50.

Email Safety

  • Do you know what phishing is? Do you know how to recognize an email hoax? Do you know how to manage spam?
  • The Help Desk website can help (imagine that). Click on "Using the Campus Email" to the home page.

Faster Surfin'

  • If you're using an on-campus computer, you're typically connected to the UCCS domain. Therefore, it's unnecessary to use the domain when accessing a campus website. Gobbly-gook, huh? Let me give a few examples.
  • To go to the UCCS home page, just type www
  • If you're trying to go to the Help Desk website (and you should), which is www.uccs.edu/helpdesk, just type www/helpdesk
  • For the Kraemer Family Library, which is web.uccs.edu/library, just type web/library
  • Other websites work in a similar manner.

Flash Drives

  • USB flash drives (also called thumb drives) are a convenient way of storing data and moving it from one computer to another. We strongly recommend them instead of floppy drives which are untrustworthy. However flash drives contain a memory chip which is susceptible to damage from static electricity. Pulling the flash drive out of a computer without first disconnecting it electrically can result in a spark. Once damaged, the data is unretrievable and the flash drive is no longer usable. (It cannot be repaired.)
  • When you insert the flash drive into a computer, an icon appears in the lower right of your computer screen. (The icon has a green arrow.) Before removing the flash drive, click on this icon and you'll get a small pop-up that reads "Safely remove ..." Click on the pop-up and you'll get a larger pop-up that states "Safe to remove..." Now you can remove the flash drive without damaging it.