Getting Help at the Helpdesk

By Claudia Lynch, Benchmarks Online Editor

If you click on "Help" from one of the official pages off the main UNT Website, you will be taken to a page that tells you how to get help on a variety of things. The first item listed there is "Computing Center Helpdesk," followed by the statement: The place to go for help with anything related to computing at UNT. That statement is worth remembering.

What's the best way to contact the Helpdesk?

There are several ways to get help at the Helpdesk. Choose the method that makes the most sense for you and the type of problem you have. If possible, it is always a good idea to see if your question has been answered before calling or mailing the staff, however. Than can be done by checking the Helpdesk Webpage, method #1.

1. Access the Helpdesk Webpage and attempt to find an answer to your problem there. FAQs and other information are readily available from that page.
   
2. Call the Helpdesk at (940) 565-2324 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.
   
3. Send E-mail to helpdesk@unt.edu
   
4. Come by the Helpdesk in person, between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday through Friday and between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday. The Helpdesk is located in the Computing Center and is the main access point to that facility for most people. It is in the Information Science Building, ISB 119, directly across from the Science Library. You need to enter the main doors of the building for direct access to the Helpdesk.

If you visit the Helpdesk in person you will find that they have a series of handouts available for people to take with them for future reference. Many of these documents are available online, also, most of them accessible from the FAQ section. Three recent documents that have been created may be of interest to you. Right now they are only available in print form but should be up on the Web soon. The documents are:

• PPP/Dial-up for Windows ME Installation Instructions

• PPP/Dial-up for Windows 2000 Professional Instructions

• Smartforce Courseware Listing (see "The Force is almost with us!" in this issue for more information .)

What can I do to make the HelpDesk's job easier?

According to one of their FAQs: there are some things that you can do that may seem rather insignificant to you, but could go a long, long way towards making our jobs easier and us happier (and a happy consultant is a helpful consultant!):

1. We are using a call tracking system, called REMEDY, and will need to ask questions to make sure we have the correct person. We will need your UNT ID number, and the preferred phone number to contact you.
   
2. Know the system you are working on, the operating system and version - WIN/95, WIN 3.1, Mac 7.5, Mac 8.0 3., [etc.]
   
3. Remember your User ID. Remember your password. Protect your password. Know at least the name of the system you have an account on. And please, keep multiple backups of all your really important files.

Happy Computing. . .