Welcome to Computing
at Central Washington University
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Table of Contents
Introduction
- Log on to the CWU network.
- View/save files to network and/or local drives.
- Log on to GroupWise.
- Send/receive e-mail via GroupWise.
Here at Central, we are all connected to the CWU network, or “Tree.”
Everyone with network access is given a full context log in name. This log in name generally starts with a period (.). It is not necessary to use this full context log in name everywhere but it is a good idea to know what it is for things like adding a network printer, host registering a new computer and a variety of other networking tasks. For the most part though, you will just need the first part of the name Username.
.Username.Department.Area.CWU
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Campus Computing
You can save files to the local hard drive of your Mac unless you are using a lab Mac - those are loaded with special software that prevents anything from being saved locally.
To access your local drive,
- Double-click on the Hard Drive icon on the desktop.
Your Mac also comes with a DVD/CD drive. Once you put in a DVD or CD, the icon  will appear on the desktop.
- Double-click on the icon to access the drive.
Icons will also appear on the desktop for other types of drives when they're connected such as thumb or firewire.
If you store files on a local drive, you will want to make sure they are backed up. Network drives are backed up every night. See below.
All CWU tagged Macs are loaded with NetWare (for connecting to CWU network), GroupWise (email), the Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), and the Safari browser for accessing the internet. Other specialized software is available but may cost extra. Please contact your department secretary for more information.
There should be a shortcut for GroupWise on the desktop or the dock but if not, all programs can be accessed by going through the menu Go, Applications.
If you want to share files with PC users or need to back up your Mac, you'll want to log on to the CWU network using the NetWare Browser.
To log on to the CWU network,
- Click on the NetWare Browser in the dock or go to Go, Applications, NetWare Browser.
The NetWare for Mac client window opens and a barren tree appears in the menu.
At the time of hire (or enrollment for students) everyone at Central is given a Wildcat username and password. This password can access many things such as logging on with the NetWare client, GroupWise, Safari, Self Service, Wildcat Connection, and more.
If you forget your password, you'll need to contact the HelpDesk at x2001 so they can issue you a new one.
The most important thing you need to consider about passwords is: DON”T GIVE THEM OUT!
Your password is your responsibility. Even if you trust someone else to not use your account maliciously, do you trust them to keep your password secret?
When choosing a password (and you'll have to come up with a new one every 90 days), it has to be at least 8 characters long and cannot contain any blanks or special characters. You can, however, pick a mixture of upper and lower case letters as well as numbers.
- Type in your Wildcat username and password in the boxes provided.
- Make sure it says CWU_TREE in the Tree field.
Note: The very first time you log in, type in alecto.cwu.edu in the Tree field. It will then default to CWU_TREE thereafter.
- Under Context:, type in the rest of your full context.
- Click on Login.
The barren tree in the menu bar becomes a fruitful tree.
Once logged on, your personal data drive should mount automatically on the desktop. Your username will appear below the world icon like in the example below.
You are allotted 30MB of storage on this drive.
Across the top of the Netware client window are three buttons.
- Click on the Browse button to look for the network drives you wish to access.
The Browse function in NetWare uses the column view to navigate.
- Click on the World icon in the left pane to display its contents in the next pane to the right (which will be the CWU_Tree).
- Click on the CWU_Tree in the next pane to display its contents in the next pane to the right and so on until you've reached the drives you want to access.
Many at CWU have been given the responsibility of updating a department web page. In order to do this, one must access the Zeus drive (also known as the “I” drive among PC users) where all CWU web pages are stored.
If you store files there, others can access by going to http://www.cwu.edu/~username where username is your Wildcat username.
To access the Web drive once you've logged onto the network,
- From the NetWare window, browse through until you've reached the Acad folder.
- With the contents of the Acad folder displayed, scroll down until you see the zeus.www drive.
- Click on the name to select it, then click on the Mount button.
The mounted drive appears as an icon on the desktop.
In addition to your own data drive, you also are likely to have access to a shared drive that your entire department has access to. This is a convenient way to share files within the department.
To access the shared drive from the Browse window in NetWare,
- Navigate through until you locate the area you work in (i.e. Acad, Admin, etc)
Note: Although you'll also see specific department folders (i.e. HR, AMBE), stay with the upper level area folders.
The following screen shows how to navigate to the shared drive for someone working in ITS (username.its.admin.cwu).
Once you've located the shared drive (designated with your server name then _SHARED_DATA)
- Click on it to select it.
- Click on the Mount button.
The mounted drive will appear as an icon on the desktop.
Once you've mounted a drive from NetWare, you don't have to keep going through the Browse feature every time you want to mount that drive again. You can even use the “Auto Mount” feature to automatically mount the drives you usually access when you log in to Novell.
To automatically have certain drives mounted,
- From the log in screen, select the Mount button at the top. Any drives you've previously mounted will appear in this list.
- Place a check mark in the Active box to the left of the drive name.
The next time you log in, those drives will automatically appear mounted on your desktop.
To access a file (once logged into Netware - see above) on the network,
- Double-click on the network drive icon on the desktop.
A Finder window opens and displays the drive contents.
- Navigate to the folder that contains the file you want and double-click on it to open it.
When you are ready to save your work,
- Click on the File menu of whatever program you have running and select Save As.
- Click the drop-down arrow next to the Save As field to expand the options.
- Click the drop-down menu in the where field and select the Mac name (i.e probably Mac plus the tag number).
Once those options have been selected, you'll see the network drives in the pane below.
- Click on the network drive in the pane below to navigate to where you want to save your file.
- Click Save when done.
The following types of files should NOT be on the network drives unless used specifically for learning, teaching, research or University business:
QuickTime Movies
Real Audio/Real Video
MP3 Audio (iTunes, Internet music, etc.)
Windows Media Audio/Video files
MPG files
AVI files
copies of programs
These types of files can get very large and if they are infrequently needed, please burn them to CD/DVD or move them to your hard drive:
Huge ZIP files
Powerpoint Presentations (ppt)
Backup files
Copies of databases
Pictures/slide shows
Everyone should know that the Acceptable and Ethical Use of University Information Technology Resources Policy is at http://www.cwu.edu/~terilee/aup.html and should be reviewed periodically to stay in compliance.
When you are done and want to log off of the CWU network,
- Click on the NetWare menu and select NDS Logout.
The NetWare window appears.
- Click on the Log Out button.
The mounted drives disappear from the desktop and the fruitful tree becomes barren.
- Close the Netware window.
Your Mac should be set up to periodically check for updates and you'll get a prompt to download and install these updates.
If you suspect your computer is not keeping up to date, or if you have any questions on the update process, please call the Help Desk at x2001.
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Computing From Home
You can use CWU as an internet service provider if you don't already have one although it's limited to dial-up access. You just need a modem and to set your internet connection to dial into 963-8002. For more instructions in setting up this connection, go to http://www.resnet.cwu.edu/dial_up.php
Although these instructions were written for students, the same can be applied to staff as well. This will be one of those instances where you will need to know your full context login name.
You can access your network drives from home as long as you have Internet access. See above if you don't already have an Internet Service Provider. The Wildcat Connection also has many other useful services.
- Go to the CWU Home page at www.cwu.edu/
- Click on the Wildcat Connection
 icon towards the bottom of the page.
- Log in with your Wildcat username and password.
The links along the side vary depending on your job access. You may see some or more of the following:
IntraNet: This displays the CWU Intranet as seen in the main GroupWise window for on campus PC users.
Safari: Safari is the primary source of information for students and faculty including class schedules, registration, grades, and financial need.
Employee Link: This opens a separate site where employees can see their payroll items, benefit information, and more.
Financial Management System (FMS): The Financial Management System (FMS) is the system-of-record for financial transactions at Central Washington University.
GroupWise E-mail: This opens a separate site for GroupWise on the web. See the GroupWise Web section below for more information.
Blackboard: A course management system with tools that enable instructors to provide their students with course materials, discussion boards, virtual chat, online assessments, and other features/tools for online courses or as supplements to face-to-face courses
CWU at iTunes University: if you have iTunes installed on your computer, click here to get faculty podcasts, hear sports broadcasts and more.
NetStorage: This displays your network drives in the right pane. See the below for more information.
Accessing CWU Services from the Internet: Links and instructions for downloading and installing the VPN, GroupWise, Messenger, and file transfer options. The various options will be covered in more detail later on this web page.
Update eDir & GW Info: Update your personal information as it is seen in GroupWise.
My Favorite Shortcuts: Customize your Wildcat Connection experience.
Change Password: This changes your Wildcat password.
Portal Help: If you get stuck.
Connection Card Balance: Find out if you have enough money for B&G on Friday.
Sponsor Guest Account: Create temporary accounts for official CWU guests.
Campus Repair & Maintenance: Request repair work from Facilities Management on campus.
NetStorage is where you can transfer files back and forth between your home computer and the network.
- Use the File menu to Download a file from the network to your local computer to work on it.
- Use the File menu to Upload a file from your home computer.
For more information on using NetStorage, please visit http://www.cwu.edu/~itstraining/TechTips/ostelecommute.html and click on the NetStorage section.
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The GroupWise E-mail and Calendar Program
There are two different ways you can log on to GroupWise
- Using the client version.
- Using the web version
The client version is installed locally on your computer and is generally what people use when on campus.
- Click on the GroupWise icon on the dock.
- Enter your Wildcat password in the box provided.
- Click on the Mailbox icon in the left pane to display your mail in the right pane.
All new mail will appear as an unopened envelope with bolded text next to it.
- Double-click on the bolded text to open the mail.
To send an e-mail,
- Click on File, New, Mail.
- Fill in the fields as necessary (To, Subject, and Message) and click Send.
The GroupWise calendar keeps track of all your appointments, notes, and tasks. You can view your calendar several different ways but the most common are Day, Week, and Month.
- Click on the View
 buttons to switch between the different views.
Use the left and right arrows next to the numbers in black to navigate ahead or behind a day (1), a week (7), a month (31), or even a year (365).
To post an appointment to your calendar,
- Navigate to the appropriate date in Day or Week view.
- Double-click on the appointment grid.
- Fill out the fields as necessary and click Post.
You can also send an appointment (meeting request) to others.
- Click on File, New, Appointment.
The screen is similar to the Posted Appointment dialog box but also includes To:, CC:, and BC: fields like an e-mail.
For more information on using the GroupWise calendar go to http://www.cwu.edu/~itstraining/GWHelpPages/macgwcalnew.html
If you have an Internet connection set up, open up a browser (Safari, Firefox, etc.) and go to https://gwweb.cwu.edu
- Log in with your Wildcat username and password.
Most of the functions available on the client version are available here as well.
- Click on a message to open and read.
- Click on the New button to compose mail, tasks, notes, and appointments.
- Click on the Address Book button to look up addresses, add contacts and groups.
- Click the Manage Folders button to add/edit/delete folders.
There's also a Proxy access button which many students do not use.
When you are done with GroupWise web, make sure you click on Logout to log out properly.
For more information on using GroupWise on the web, check out http://www.cwu.edu/~itstraining/GWHelpPages/gwweb.html
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Where To Get Help
Network issues, passwords, Safari issues, hardware problems (CWU tagged machines only), etc.
Call 509-963-2001.
www.cwu.edu/~helpdesk/
helpdesk@cwu.edu
Assistance and training for faculty, staff, and student employees on office software applications, including spreadsheets, databases, word processors, operating systems, e-mail, etc.
Call 509-963-2392.
www.cwu.edu/~itstraining/
training@cwu.edu
Assistance and training on the CWU PeopleSoft administrative systems, Safari, FMS and rapid-time entry.
Call 509-963-2407.
www.cwu.edu/~pmits/
lonowsda@cwu.edu
Assistance and training for faculty, staff, and student employees relating to departmental, unit, and individual web pages, using tools such as Adobe Photoshop and HTML editors.
Call 509-963-2810.
www.cwu.edu/~web/
daysj@cwu.edu
Other departments have their own training resources. Technology training is also available from Multimedia Technology and Instructional Support and the Ed Tech Center.
The Human Resources department lists training from all departments at www.cwu.edu/~training/
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Page last updated 08/19/08. Send questions or comments to ITS Training.
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