Laptop ER: Convenient Technical Support

Laptop ER provides support for Northwestern faculty, staff, and students at various locations on campus.

This service is an effort by NUIT to expand technical support services to the University community in a convenient and efficient manner. Students, staff, and faculty should continue to call the NUIT Support Center for basic assistance and use the Laptop ER for hands-on support of laptop computers. On-site appointments will continue to be scheduled for students living in on-campus housing who own desktop computers.

Hours and Location
The convenient service, regularly located in the Norris University Center, is available on a first come, first serve basis, and no appointment is needed. A Web-based sign-in sheet is used at each location to fully ensure a fair and effective support process. To facilitate the support process, users should bring a power cable, their computer's operating system CD, and any driver CDs, if applicable.

During the regular school year, Laptop ER is available at the Norris couches near Starbucks from the first week of class through reading week. Laptop ER is not available during finals week, winter break, spring break, or during the summer. Contact the NUIT Support Center for assistance when Laptop ER is unavailable.

Support for Students
The following services are available to students who experience problems with their laptop computers running Windows XP or Vista or Mac OS X 10.4 or greater:

• Wireless configuration assistance, including 802.1x access
• Limited virus and spyware diagnosis and remediation
• Network connectivity troubleshooting
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) configuration
• E-mail client configuration assistance
• NUTV configuration and troubleshooting
• NetPass registration assistance
• Operating system problem diagnosis and assistance

To assist as many customers as possible, support assistance for students is limited to one hour.

Support for Faculty and Staff
The following services are available to faculty and staff who experience problems with their laptop computers running Windows XP or Vista or Mac OS X 10.4 or greater:

• Wireless configuration assistance, including 802.1x access
• E-mail client configuration assistance
• Network connectivity troubleshooting
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) configuration

To minimize the risk of troubleshooting mishaps, faculty and staff must operate their own computers during Laptop ER support sessions, however student consultants will instruct users through the process.

Support assistance for faculty and staff is limited to 15 minutes. If a problem cannot be solved within that time, faculty and staff will be referred to their local departmental tech support.

Support Exceptions
These services are not available through NUIT:

• Hardware maintenance and repair
• Operating system installations
• Software tutoring or usage assistance

In the event that NUIT is unable to assist a student, faculty, or staff member, the student consultant will direct the user to alternative resources that may be able to help solve the problem.