Tips for Using Computers in the William and Mary Labs

Table of Contents
Introduction
1. How to Log into a PACLab Computer
2. What a PACLab Computer Presents You When You Log In
3. Starting Microsoft Word in a PACLab: an Application Example
4. How to Format Your 3-1/2" Floppy in a PACLab: Using Windows Explorer
5. Other Uses for Windows Explorer
6. Accessing the Online Registration System at William and Mary
7. Accessing Online Information at William and Mary
8. Accessing a Remote System such as Stats and Other Hosts: Using F-Secure SSH Client
9. Transferring a File To/From the PC and a Host: SFTPing
10. E-mail User Programs via PACLab
11. Netstore: A Remote Shared Disk Storage Source
12. PACLAB Print Management
13. Getting Around Multiple Opened Applications
14. Canceling a Hung Application
15. Logging Off in a PACLab
16. What to Do When a PACLab Session Is Locked, Frozen, or Will Not Log Off
Appendix A: PACLab Disk Storage
Appendix B: More about your H: drive
Appendix C: A Listing/Description of Software on the Programs Menu
Appendix D: Using F-Secure SSH File Transfer

Introduction (GoBack)

So what's new in PACLab (as of Fall 2004) at William and Mary? Most significantly Windows 2000 has given way to Windows XP; and as of the Spring break, Swem Information Commons has been added to the list of PACLabs.

In the area of hardware changes, most desktop hardware is the same, while all printers are now HP 4200/4300s..

Application software changes include the Mozilla Firefox WEB browser replacing Netscape, and Dreamweaver added to the list of WEB Publishers (while Netscape Composer WEB Publisher lost with Netscape's removal); also a number of updates have occurred: (see list below).

You can now create PDF files from many applications (click here for how); but you can no longer connect to printers in other labs (click here for more).

And finally, this year all lab users have access to thre W& M "Stats" remote computer instead of the W & M "Unix" remote Unix computer.

PACLab Synopsis of Hardware/Software Changes:

Hardware Changes:

• Printers are all now HP4200s or HP4200/4300s, except for Swem IKON'sxxx on trial use
• PC Hardware has changed little.

Removed Software

• Netscape

Added Software:

• Mozilla Firefox 9.2
• Dreamweaver 7.2
• Cute PDF Writer 2.2

Changed/Updated Software

• SPSS Updated to Version 12.0
• Amos updated to Version 9.0
• Matlab updated to Version 7.0, Release 14
• Symatic?? Anti Virus Updated to Version 9.0 (used by XP Windows)
• Windows Media Player Updated to Version 9.0
• Acrobat Reader Updated to Version 6.02
• QuckTime Updated to Version 6.5
• Xwin32 Updated to Version 6.02
• F-Secure SSH Client Updated to Version 5.20
• Eviews Updated to Version 5
• Splus Updated to Version 6.2
• Maple Updated to Version 9.0
• Ghost Script Updated to 8.11
• GSView Updated to 4.5
• WinZip 9

So now that we've introduced you to the new PACLab, lets get to some basic PACLab tips:

1. How to Log into a PACLab Computer (GoBack)

To log into a PACLab computer, press the keys CTRL, ALT, and DELETE simultaneously. You will then get a box showing you the rules you must follow when using the PACLabs. Press ENTER or click OK and you get a log in box prompting you for your userid and password in separate entry boxes. You should then enter your userid and password defined as follows:

(1) Your lab userid is your first initial, middle initial (or "x" if none), and the first four letters of your last name (right padded with "x's" as needed); e.g., Thomas Jefferson's lab userid is "txjeff". Note: your userid is not case sensitive ("Txjeff" or "TXJEFF" works just as well as "txjeff"). Your lab, E-mail, and Unix userid are the same.

(2) The default lab password is the lowercase letter "p" followed by the last 6 digits of your social security number. Just as with your userid, your lab, E-mail, and Stats remote Unix computer passwords are the same (a change in one, alters the other in about 20 minutes).

After you type your lab userid and password, you register it all by pressing the ENTER key or clicking OK; your log in should now commence.

Note: Again, your lab, E-Mail, and Stats unix computer password are the same; if you change it for one, you change it for the others (within 20 minutes). You can change your lab password (and again the others), by logging into a lab PC, simultaneously pressing Ctrl-Alt-Delete (same keys to start your log in) and clicking "Change Password" in the emerging "Windows NT Security" Box. Then, in the "Change Password" box, enter your current password where it asks for the "Old Password" entry, your new password for the "New Password" entry, and repeat for the "Confirm New Password" entry; this immediately changes your lab password (and again within 20 minutes your E-mail and Unix password). Should you change your password and forget it, you can reset it to "p" plus "the last six digits of your social security number" by going to the Technology Support Center in Jones 7 with your college ID card. For more about lab passwords, click here; to go to the Information Technology passwords WEB site, click here).

2. What a PACLab Computer Presents You When You Log In (GoBack)

After you log in, PACLab loads a fresh copy of some of the application files onto the "C:" drive and then starts your PACLab session. It begins with a "Desktop" screen with the "Start" button (bottom left corner), and five icons above the "Start".

Your screen now becomes the Windows XP (Version 5.1, Service Pack 1) interface. Click on the "Start" button; The "start" menu pops up; Click on the "Programs" option and the "Programs" menu pops up, which lists the application group items. Here you find the majority of the program applications. Large Icons above the "Start" button let you immediately access those applications by double clicking them: (1) "My Files" for accessing your Netstore ("H" drive) remote disk storage (also accesses other folders/drives/devices and Internet), (2) "My Computer" for a compact file manager (accesses all folders/drives/devices and Internet), (3) "Recycle Bin" for retaining deleted "C:\" drive files until log off, (4) "Internet Explorer" for Microsoft's WEB browser, (5) "Mozilla Firefox" WEB browser (replaces the Netscape browser in PACLab 2003).   .

At the very bottom immediately to the right of "Start", are four tiny icons for one click access to your "Desktop" (another click returns to your current window), "Internet Explorer", "Mozilla Firefox", and "Microsoft Word" (multiple clicks of these icons opens multiple sessions), .

But again, you will access most of the applications via the "Programs" menu; these include:

(1) "Accessories" for number of the Windows XP utilities (Accessibility {e.g., Magnifier}, Calculator, etc.);
(2) "Courseware" for software specific to academic departments;
(3) "Editors and Viewers" (Ghost Script, Acrobat Reader, Dreamweaver, Notepad and Wordpad.);.
(4) "Graphics" for image editors;
(5)"Internet and Communication" for accessing remote computers (optionally X-Windows mode) and the internet via Mozilla browser, AOL Instant Messenger, etc;
(6) Microsoft Office XP" for Microsoft XP products.(Microsoft Word processor, Excel spreadsheet, etc.).

3. Starting Microsoft Word in PACLab: an Application Example (GoBack)

If you click the "Microsoft Office XP item in the "Programs" menu (selected from the "Start" menu), you get a sub menu window with six items, the last being "Microsoft Word"; click this and you open the Microsoft Word processor. The other sub menu items are for opening other Microsoft office products ("Excel" spread sheet, "Power Point" presentation, etc. --  see Appendix C.6 for more).

In Microsoft Word you should not swap disks in a given drive. To keep copies on separate diskettes, you should do your Microsoft Word work on the "H:" drive. The Windows Explorer file manager is helpful when you are trying to keep track of your files.

An alternative to Microsoft Word as a word processor is Word Perfect; you can open it by clicking the "Word Perfect" item of the "Programs" menu and then clicking "Word Perfect 9" in the "Word Perfect" sub menu that emerges.

4. How to Format Your 3-1/2" Floppy in PACLab: Using the Windows Explorer (GoBack)

To format your 3.5" diskette, double click "My Computer" on the Desktop and then right mouse click the diskette drive icon (usually associated with the "A:" drive) under Devices with Removable Storage; a pop up menu containing the "Format" item should emerge. Click the "Format" item and you get the Format dialogue box for formatting the diskette in the selected drive. Click "Start" in the Format box; "OK" to the message "Warning: Formatting will erase all data on the disk" (or "Cancel" or if you decide to format a a different diskette, replace, and click "OK"). If you OKed it, your diskette should format, possibly taking some time.

5. Other Uses for Windows Explorer (GoBack)

You can also use Windows Explorer for file management. With Windows Explorer you can copy, delete, rename, and move files. You can also use it to start an application associated with a file, the file being automatically opened in the application identified by the filename's extension. For example, assume that file "mypaper.doc" is listed in the Explorer for a given drive; if you double click " mypaper.doc", the application Microsoft Word (identified by the extension "doc") starts with file "mypaper.doc" opened in the editor's window and ready for viewing, editing, saving, printing, etc. You can also directly print a file via the Explorer ; you right click the file in the list and then click"Print"(the Explorer will actually use the associated application -- again determined by the file's extension -- to do the printing); e.g., if you apply "print" to file "mypaper.doc", the Explorer starts and runs Microsoft Word long enough to open and print file "mypaper.doc" (although you now won't see Microsoft Word open, so fast are the lab PCs)..Note: this prints only with the default options (defaults such as one copy); to print beyond the defaults, double click the file (instead of right clicking it) to open it in the associated application and print from their via the usual approach; this permits your specifying options in the Print box (which doesn't open with the right click approach).

You can copy a file to another drive/folder by clicking a file name listed in the right window and dragging to a drive/folder listed in the left window until it highlights; then release the mouse. Note: when doing a copy via this method, it's best to hold down the "Ctrl" key doing the clicking and dragging; else when copying a file to the same drive, it gets moved instead of copied.

6. Accessing the Online Registration System at William and Mary in PAC Lab(GoBack)

You access "W & M Registration" in PAC Lab just as you do with other computer systems that have internet access; you open the "My W & M" portal by going to WEB address "my.wm.edu" on any PAC Lab WEB browser; you then following these steps to log in the portal and access the "Registration":

• Type your userid (same as you would to check your email); after you type the last id letter, you automatically tab to the Password field.
• Type your Password (the same as your PAC Lab password).
• Press ENTER.
• Select the light blue Banner icon in the upper right icon list.
• Then select Personal Information.

For further information on registration please go to www.wm.edu/registrar. Please call the TSC at 221-4357 if you are having problems logging into myWM. If you have question about certain courses please call the Registrar's Office at x12800.

7. Accessing online Information at William and Mary (GoBack)

You can access a number of William and Mary online information resources via the default Bookmark list of PAC Lab's World Wide Web browser "Internet Explorer" (abbreviated IE); here "Bookmarks" are called "Favorites". To open IE just double click its large icon on the desk top or single click its tiny icon just to the right of the desktop's Start button. To list the Bookmarks (again Favorites in IE), click the "FAVORITES" icon on IE's main menu. This will list several Bookmark folders; the "W & M" General" folder lists Bookmarks for accessing W & M information resources; the "Information Technology" folder lists IT Bookmarks. Selected Bookmarks from all these are listed as follows in a selected order, immediately accessible by clicking on any one:

• College of William and Mary (www.wm.edu) - the W&M front page; links to major W&M Web resources plus a search facility to find W&M resources/people.
• Information Technology (www.wm.edu/IT ) - the W&M Info Tech front page, Web site for the organization that maintains/supports much of the information related technology at W&M (PC labs, office PCs, computer servers, mainframe computers, networks, telephones, visual aids, video, televising, etc.) From here you can access the Technology Support Center Front Page by clicking Support, then Technology Support Center.From www.wm.edu/IT you can also access PAC Lab front page by clicking Academic Computing and then PAC Lab
• Registrar (www.wm.edu/registrar ) - the University Registrar's Office front page.
• my.wm.edu- Main portal to W&M on-line services including the SCT Banner system (student or faculty personnel information plus registration), Blackboard (student class information), my.wm.edu E-mail (Web based E-mail) , targeted and campus-wide announcements, and group and calendar features.
• Blackboard (my.wm.edu) accesses the "myWM" portal where clicking the Backboard item accesses the student class information system (class introduction, outline, notices, assignments, readings, etc.).
• Student Info Network (www.sin.wm.edu) - a student bulletin board leading to just about everything student related (Ride Board, Virtual Market and Book Exchange, Information and Schedules, Student Events, Job Search, College Web Pages, Accessories, Downloadables, etc.).
• Career Services - (www.wm.edu/career/) - Web site for W&M Career Services (nationally recognized).
• Swem Library - (www.swem.wm.edu) - Swem Library front page (all about Swem Library plus gateways to its resources and services).
• Card Catalog - (http://swem.wm.edu/lion/) - the Swem Library Catalogue System.

8. Accessing a Remote System such as Stats and Other Hosts: Using F-Secure SSH Client (GoBack)

(a) Overview

You can readily log into W&M's Stats, or any other host (at W&M or elsewhere) for which you have log in rights by using Secure Shelling (SSHing); to do this in the Labs, you select (click) the "Internet and Communications" menu item (reached via the "Programs" menu opened from "Start") and then click either "F-Secure SSH Client" and then again in the emerging sub menu. Below we discuss how to use these, including how to use the "F-Secure Client" in both the X-Windows and non X-Windows mode; when specifying the name of the computer (host) to Safe Secure Shell, you should enter "stat.wm.edu" to telnet to the W&M's Unix computer (to access your Netstore H: drive files, run the mail program Pine, etc.). Otherwise, if you know the internet name of the computer you wish to telnet (at W&M or anywhere else in the world), you enter its name.

(b) Safe, Secure Shelling with "F-Secure SSH Client " (abbreviated F-SSH-Client )

When you click "F-Secure SSH Client" , (from "F-Secure SSH Client" again in the "Communications and Internet menu"), you get a "F-SSH-Client " window. To SSH in X-Windows mode , you follow the steps listed in (1) below. To to SSH in non X-Windows, you do (2) which tells you to do (1) omitting Steps 1 and 4. Basically the difference between the two modes is that in X-Windows mode you enable X-Windowing; otherwise its just a straight access/log in via SSHing.

(1) SSHing in X-Windows Mode

Step 1: Click "X-Win32" (reached by clicking "X-Win32" from the "Communications and Internet" menu); an "X-Win32" window will momentarily appear, then vanish. a tiny "X" icon will show on the far right of your task bar at the bottom of the screen; this shows that the X-Windowing software has been invoked.

Step 2: Now click the " F-Secure SSH Client" (reached by clicking "F-Secure SSH Client" from the "Communications and Internet menu"); this will get you an "F-Secure SSH Client" window where the first time this is done on this specific lab PC, the "Generate Random Seed" box appears within; move the mouse pointer back and forth across the box until blue progress line completes its course and the box disappears (again this seed box should not appear with future clicking of "F-Secure SSH Client" on this PC).

Step 3: If this is a lab computer, ignore this step; else click "EDIT" from the "F-Secure" main menu, and then "Settings;" in the "Settings" box, click "Tunneling" in the left sub window, and then click (check) "Enable X11 Tunneling," upper-right; now click OK. In PACLabs this is the default, but if this is another computer, this setting may require specifying.

Step 4: Open the "Connect to Remote Host" box by clicking "FILE" and then "Connect."
.
Step 5: In the Host text box, enter the name of the Host to telnet (e.g., type "stat.wm.edu" to reach "W&M"'s Stats Unix computer); then in the "User Name" text box type your Stats log in "id" and in the "Password" text box your Stats log in "password"; now click OK.

Step 6: You should now have SSHed into to the specified computer and be logged in X-Windows mode; if in "Stats" for example you can type "xstata" and bring up Stata/X-Windows (an environment very much like PC Stata/Windows).

(2) SSHing in Non X-Windows Mode

To SSH in non X-Windows mode, go back to (1) above and do Steps 2 thru 6, omitting Step 4 (the X-Windows part); you should now have SSHed to the specified remote computer and be logged in non X-Windows mode.

9. Transferring a File from the PC to a Host or from a Host to the PC: SFTPing (GoBack)

You can rapidly transfer a file between your PC and a host (a remote system) via "F-Secure SSH File Transfer"; this procedure transfers files in a "Safe,Secure" manner, unlike the former FTP (File Transfer Protocol) method for file transferring which did not have this feature. To do it in PAC Lab just select (click) the "Internet and Communications" item in the "Programs" menu (opened via the "Start" menu), select "F-Secure SSH Client", and then "F-Secure SSH File Transfer". See Appendix D for how. Note although file transferring in the labs gains nothing if done with the W & M Stats Unix computer since the PAC Lab"H:" drive files are essential the same as those on "Stats", this procedure if done on your own PC which may not have access to "H:" allows you to transfer"H:" files to your PC. (e.g., to your hard drive). You can down load "F-Secure SSH File Transfer" to your own computer by going to www.wm.edu/it and clicking "Software"; then if your computer is a Windows PC, click "Internet Browsers and Network Tools" under the Windows products and then click "F-Secure Secure Shell Client 3.29 and Secure FTP Client ; if your computer is a MAC click "Internet Navigation" under Mac OS and then "Secure FTP Clients".

10. E-mail User Programs via PAC Lab (GoBack)

In PAC Lab you can access your mail through either "myWM" on the internet or "Pine".on the W & M Stats Unix computer.

(a) myWM (access through an internet browser WEB location my.wm.edu) Enter your userid and password, and then select the email icon. The first time you use this, you will be prompted to login again. This will only occur the first time you access my WM.

(b) Pine Mail (access by "SSHing" to Stats Unix computer and typing "pine")

You can use Unix "Pine" mail by "SSHing" (Secure Shelling -- like Tenting but safer, more secure) to W & M Stats Unix computer and typing the command "pine" at the Unix command line. "Pine" like "myWM", has the advantage of being accessible anywhere you can reach the internet and can "SSH" to Stats.(which you can always do in PAC Lab).

Also like "myWM", a good reason for using "Pine" in the labs is to test the accessibility of your mail when "myWM" fails. Although "myWM" is easier to use than "Pine", you may prefer the latter when accessing your mail via the Internet. In "Pine" you save your e-mail on your H: drive (due to Unix sharing the "Student File Server" (Netstore) disk space connected to your H:); in contrast "myWM" does not let you save beyond the mail server itself.

To delete server mail from "Pine", list your INBOX mail in "Pine"and select and key the letter "D" for each message to be removed; at exit time, for each message you are sure you wish to delete, answer "Y" to the message "Expunge deleted a messages from the INBOX" (n = number of messages marked with a "D"), answer "N" to those you decide to keep.

11. Netstore: A Remote Shared Disk Storage Source (GoBack)

(a) Overview

"Netstore" is a remote disk storage source used for providing remote shared disk space; it is automatically available in the labs as the "H:" drive in association with your userid. Netstore provides you with 50 MB of private remote disk storage, accessible just as conveniently as the "C:" hard drive and with many of the advantages; unlike the "C:", however, you access the same storage from any lab PC with this same convenience. In fact you can access this disk space from any site on the Internet by SSHing or SFTPing to the server; in some cases, you can access it directly from your own PC just as you do in the labs (click here for more). You can even use it to manage your student Web pages because it now doubles as the "Student Web Server" so that files in "H:\Public_html" correspond to files on the "Student Web" ("people.wm.edu"); click here for more. And finally, because the "Stats" Unix computer shares its files with "Netstore", when you access files on the "H:" drive, you access "Stats" Unix files (click here for more).

(b) Using Netstore: Accessing the "H:" Drive

It's a "piece of cake" to save and retrieve files on Netstore; just log into a lab PC and access the "H:" drive just as if it was the "C:" hard drive (in the Windows Explorer file manager -- see 4 and 5 above -- "H:" is listed with your user-id, assuring you that only you have access to this disk area, a partition of the entire available disk storage)

Note: If you exceed your disk quota on "H:" (again 50 MB), you get a message saying that your PC failed trying to write to "H:" To remedy this, simply clean out some of your "H:" disk space (see Appendix B.I & B.II for how to display "H:" disk space usage and delete files).

(c) Accessing Netstore Outside the Labs

(i) By SSHing or SFTPing to Netstore

By SSHing the W & M Stats Unix computer, you can log into it and access the same disk storage as Netstore because Stats shares the same files with Netstore; here you can use Stats Unix commands to access your Netstore files; e.g., "ls" to list your files, "rm" to remove files, "cp" to copy files, and "cd" to change directories.

You can SFTP to Netstore and transfer files from/to Netstore to/from your PC by SFTPng to "stat.wm.edu" (the W & M Stats Unix computer which again shares its disk storage with Netstore).

.(ii) By Map Networking to Netstore

If you have access to the W & M Campus Network and have a Windows '95 or better, you should be able to "map network a drive" on your own PC to Netstore (for example, the "H:" drive); you can access the Campus Network either via wire hookup in the Residential Halls or via remote access on, for example, your laptop when in Swem where the Campus Network is remotely available via antennas within the building (assuming your laptop has remote access electronics via an E-Card); you can then access your Netstore files just as conveniently as in the labs. The following procedure connects you to Netstore:

Open Windows Explorer.

1. Click "Tools" then "Map Network Drive" (won't work if this item not in Tools).
2. Click an unused drive letter in the "Drive" pull-down menu (of the emerging "Map Network Drive" dialogue box).
3. Enter this in the "Path" entry box and click OK:

\\Netstore.wm.edu\userid$

where, again "userid" is your lab "userid"; after you perform the above command, you are prompted for your userid and you enter "campus\userid" (again because the "campus" network accesses Netstore) and when asked for your password, you type your lab password.

(d) Managing Your Web Pages on Netstore

Please refer to www.wm.edu/it , click WEB, and then look under Personal Web Space.

(e) Accessing Unix Files via the Netstore's "H:" Drive Connection

As mentioned above, the ""Stats" Unix" computer shares files with Netstore; since you can easily access Netstore files in the lab via the "H:" drive, "Stats" Unix files are just as accessible. All this makes the E-mail program "Pine" on "Stats" Unix more convenient to use (click here for more). .

On occasions in the labs, you may log in and find Netstore not connected (e.g., if you are in Microsoft Word and try to save your document on Netstore and your PC can't find it); you are then welcome to use one of the following procedures to connect it:

(i) Map Your PC to Netstore using these steps:

Step 1: Right Click on My Computer

Step 2: Select Map Network Drive

Step 3: Where it says Drive - Select H:

Step 4: Your Folder or Path should be \\netstore\userid$

Step 5: Check off Reconnect at logon and then hit Finish

If this succeeds,  your Netstore files/folders should list in a new "My Computer" type window labeled "H:\.

(ii) Log out, then Log in.

(iii) Log out, Restart, Log in.

After you log out, restart as follows:  press the keys CTRL, ALT, and DELETE simultaneously to get the Log on box, click Shut Down, select Restart from the pull down, and click OK. After your PC restarts, log in.

12. Print Management in the PACLABS (GoBack)

After queuing a print job in an application such as Word Perfect or Microsoft Word, you should see a small printer image to the left of the time stamp (bottom right); you can click it for a "Print Queue" window showing the print jobs currently queued to the lab print server. The server will, in turn, send the queued jobs to the printers that service your workstation (usually the laser printer(s) you see in the room where your workstation is located); the queued jobs are listed in the "Printer Queue" window so that the top job(s) are the active ones (flagged as "Printing" under "Status" info), those below are still waiting, and the bottom job is last to print.

You can delete any job that your workstation queued that has not reached the lab print server (after it reaches the server, it disappears from the queue list); just select (highlight) it, press the "DELETE" key (or click "Cancel" from the "DOCUMENT" menu), and it's canceled. You should delete any of your duplicate jobs, as this speeds the queue for others and avoids your printing needless copies. Unfortunately, you are still charged for canceled print jobs. You can get credit for these print jobs by contacting the TSC. They can be reached via telephone at 1-HELP, via email at support@wm.edu or you could walk in to Jones, room 7.

To get a Web document page size, click "File", then "Print Preview" in the browser showing the Web Page; the first page of the current Web document displays as it would print; showing on the bottom left or upper right (depending on the browser) is, for example, "1 of 15" to indicate "15" pages. In many PACLAB applications (all browser, Microsoft Word, etc.), you can also print multiple pages per sheet on the laser and thus cut down on using up paper; to do this open the Print box (click "File", then "Print") and depending on the application click Properties or Preferences (in the former also click Layout); then click the down arrow of the "Pages per Sheet" pull down until "2" or "4" (any more seems impractical), then "OK", and continue in the Print box with the print request.

To access your printer queue at any time (not just when the bottom right printer image appears) click "Print Manager" in the "Start" menu and in the "Printer" window that emerges, click the icon with a printer image; your printer queue window will open, listing the print jobs queued to go to the lab print server.

(b) Connecting to Other Lab Printer(s)

You can no longer manually connect to other printers and print there instead of the current lab printer; the exception is when alternate printers show in the pull down at the top of the Print box which currently only occurs in Swem IC PACLAB; here, for example, if using an east end workstation, the default printers are "\\Gutenberg\Swem Info Com E"; alternatively you can select "\\Gutenberg\Swem Info Com W" in the Print box pull down and print on the west end printers.

(c) Creating a PDF File by Printing to It

You can create a PDF file of what shows in an application (e.g., in Microsoft Word), by opening the Print box for that application and selecting "CutePDF Writer" from the pull down at the top; then when you OK the print, instead of printing the material, a "Save as" box opens to let you instead save in a PDF file.

13. Switching between Multiple Open Applications (GoBack)

Consider, for example, leaving open both Microsoft Word and Mozzila FireFox Web browser windows when you want to paste Web document(s) into a collecting Microsoft Word document (possibly editing some of the material); you can do this by going to the desktop and opening Microsoft Word and then Mozzila by clicking respectively their tine icons to the right of the Start button After you have found a desired Web document (some historical information on a subject, for example), you can copy it into the clipboard (Ctrl-A to highlight the text and then Ctrl-C or "Copy" in "Edit"). To put this in your Word document you return to your Word session by clicking its icon on the "Task Bar" at the bottom of your screen and pasting (Ctrl-V or "Paste in "Edit") the clipboard contents into your document. To return to Netscape you click its button at the bottom; you can now find another Web document to collect if you wish, copy it, go back to your collecting document (again by clicking your Word icon on the "Task Bar" at the bottom), paste it, and so on. During all this you can at the same time, edit your Web material in Word, possibly deleting unwanted text.

Note: an alternate way to switching back and forth between two opened applications is to press the Tab-Alt keys at one time; thus, in  the above example, when you are in Microsoft Word and press these keys you switch to the previously occupied  Mozzila; press Tab-Alt again and you are back in Microsoft Word, and so forth.

14. Canceling a Hung Application (GoBack)

• Press at one time Ctrl/Alt/Delete (same keys to start the log in); a dialogue box should emerge.
• Click "Task Manger"; the Windows Task Manager should show.
• Click the "Applications" button (when not depressed; else no affect); all your opened (running) applications should now list in the "Task Manager" including your hung application (sometimes showing a "Not Responding" status).
• Select (highlight) the hung application.
• Click "End Task" and one of two things should happen:
  1. Your hung application cancels (and no longer shows).
  2. Or you get an "End Program" box, click "End Now" and your hung application cancels (no longer shows). Note that the "Cancel" button in the "End Program" box cancels the "End Program" operation, not the application.

Note: If you can not reopen the canceled application, you can clear it for opening by logging off, then logging in.

Also Note: canceling an application this way may cause work you have done to be lost. However, if you cancel Microsoft Word and then reopen, the word processor should reopen your document with a timed backup copy; this also happens if you log out and then log in on the same PC. If your PC crashes in Microsoft Word and the document has not been saved elsewhere, a timed backup will continue to exist, but you have to open it manually after you log back in; to do this go to the "C:/Temp/Recover" folder in Windows Explorer and open the latest "ASD" file into Microsoft Word. Unfortunately, PACLab's WordPerfect word processor (due to a bug) does not save a timed backup; however, future PACLab's will include a WordPerfect that does.

15. Logging Off PACLAB (GoBack)

Before logging off, you should close all applications and remove any portable disks (diskette, CD, or Memory Key). To log off, click the "Log Off" item of the "Start" menu; then click "Yes" in the emerging "Log Off Window" (asks "Are you sure you want to log off?") and you are "out of there! Alternately, you can click "No" in the "log Off Window" to remain logged in (i.e., cancel your log off request)

What you don't want to do as an alternative to logging off is to "turn off" your machine; this could cause you to lose work if there are any open application(s) (even if you did do a save, information after a save in some applications may remain in memory buffers and only be actually stored on the disk after you exit the application); it could also damage the computer and its applications. So don't "turn off" your workstation!

NOTE: as you are logged off, the PC does not save your profile settings (although settings within individual applications may remain). All files that are saved on drive "C" are are lost.

If before logging off, you leave one or more applications open and there are pending activities (unsaved work, a dialog box left opened, etc.), your log off may pause after you click "Yes" to the question "Are you sure you want to log off?"; here a number of paths may be followed; using these examples we illustrate recommended courses to take:

In Summary if you log off with an application open with something unsaved, you should not lose the unsaved (i.e., be able to save it) if you do not click the End Program button in the "End Program." box should it appear.

16. What to Do When an PACLab Session is Locked, Frozen, or Will Not Log Off (Go Back)

Try keying these keys: CTRL, ALT, and DELETE and if the "Windows Security" dialog box appears, click Log Off; if you can't log off this way, hold the power button down for about ten seconds. This is considered a hard shut down and should only be used as a last resort. If you still have questions, please contact the TSC at (1-HELP)

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The USB Memory Key is another great innovation from Dell. Just plug the Memory Key into the USB port, and experience the convenience of sharing or transporting high-density files. It offers ease-of-use, great compatibility, and convenience.

• Easy to use - Operates as a letter drive, just like a floppy (No driver needed after Windows® 98)
• Great compatibility - Plugs into any USB connection in a desktop or notebook computer
• Convenient - Attach to key-chain, drop in pocket or purse and always have it with you
• Share files easily - Share files with friends, carry files between computer labs and home, or share important data and presentations with customers and co-workers

(1) Inserting the USB Memory Key
1. Insert the Memory Key into the USB receptacles of the desktop or notebook computer; on the Dells in PACLAB two USB receptacles exists on the left hand side of the processor; some require opening a pullout labeled Dell to show the receptacles. 2. Wait for the green light on the end of the Memory Key to flash a few times.
3. Open the "My Computer" folder. The USB Memory Key (E: drive) will now be accessible under the heading, "Devices With Removable Storage."
4. The Memory Key / USB Memory (E:) drive is now ready to use. Files/folders can be placed into, and removed from, the device in the same manner as saving to a standard drive or folder (e.g. "My Documents", C: drive, etc.)

(2)Removing the USB Memory Key

Note: Removing the Memory Key without properly stopping the device (see steps below) can potentially damage the Memory Key or the computer system.

1. On the lower right-hand corner of the screen, on the Windows task bar, locate the USB Memory Key icon (one of the icons next to the time/clock). The icon looks like a small Memory Key with a green arrow above it.
2. Click on the icon. A box containing the message, "Safely Remove USB Mass Storage Device - Drive(E:)," will appear just above the icon
3. With the mouse, highlight and select (click) this text. After a few moments, a message window will appear, "Safe To Remove Hardware."
4. The Memory Key can now be safely removed from the USB connection.

(1) Reading CD Disk

(2) Writing a CD Disk

Your can write to a CD if it is the re-writ able kind; to do this you must use Easy CD Creator (click Start, Programs, Utilities and Miscellaneous, and then Easy CD Creator). Because the software is required do any CD output, writing to a CD is more involved than writing to other devices; you may, therefore, prefer writing to a CD mainly as a backup storage medium; e.g., because of its high capacity, you may prefer using it to backup folders on your "H:" drive or even the entire drive, itself.

(3). Directly Saving Files onto the CD ( Creator not necessary)

To save files onto the CD without using the CD Creator, you go into Windows Explorer and drag and drop the files from the source (e.g., .the "H" drive) to the CD on drive "D". The steps for doing this follow::

1. Insert a R-W CD into the CD drive.
2. In the right sub window of Windows Explorer list the file(s) which include those you wish to save on the CD.
3. Click and select file(s) to save (they should highlight when selected).
4. Then dray to the CD drive (in the left sub window, drive "D") until it highlights; release the mouse.
5. These file(s) should go into a holding area for transporting to the CD.
6. Repeat Steps (1) – (3) until all file(s) for saving in holding.
7. Eject the CD; the Wizard that puts the file(s) on the CD will Appear Follow the Wizard and if successful you should get a Finish Wizard with your CD automatically ejecting; all your file(s) are now saved on your CD. Click Finish to remove the Wizard (but not destroy him; he’ll be around for more CD work)

2. Remote Disk Storage: the Netstore "H:" drive and Course Support "Y:" drive

The Netstore disk storage is available via the "H:" drive (the storage commonly referred to as simple "H"); it provides students with 50 MB of storage (faculty/staff unlimited), automatically available in the labs and as easy to access as the hard drive. You may be able to network map to "H:" from your own PC (see 11.(c).ii] above for how) and access it easily as in the labs; since you can always SSH / SFTP to it from any computer connected to the Internet (see 8. / 9. above for how), you may at least be able to SFTP to the "H:" from your computer and transport files between your own hard drive and "H:" (see 11. above, main body for a detail discussion of "H:").

In the PACLabs, the "Y:" drive lets you read course support files, accessed similarly as those on the "H:" (but read only). These are source files used to support certain courses at W & M; frequently they are data files but sometimes programs files, text files, etc.; e.g., folder "Y:\SOC\SOC353\353Spring04presentations\" has Power Point files for Soc353 presentations.

3. Hard Disk Storage

The official places where you can save files temporarily, knowing they will disappear after log off, are in the hard drive folders "C:\temp" and "C:\tmp". An important reason for using these areas on the "C:" might be, for example, when you are temporarily saving a collection of very large files (e.g., image files) and later wish to copy and fit a selection on your "H:" drive. Also, using temporary areas on "C:" prevents others from seeing or copying your files, especially important for graded course work.You should also be aware that any file deleted in these areas on "C" end up in the "Recycle Bin", deleted from there after log off; you access them before log off by double clicking the "Recycle Bin" icon on your PCALab desktop.

4. Using Multiple Medium Disk Storage as a Safety Against Losing Files

As has already been discussed above, you have at hand several disk storage mediums to save files in the lab as listed below:

(c) A CD accessed via the "D:" drive

(d) A USB Memory Key accessed via the "E" drive.

(e) The Hard disk storage on the "C:" drive in the temporary folders "C:\temp" and "C:\tmp".

(f) Also, there is the mail server on which you can save files by E-mailing to yourself the files to be saved, attaching them to they your mail.

As a precaution against losing files you might save on multiple mediums; a main one and one or more backup ones. As mentioned in the introduction above, the "H:" is probably best used as your main storage, with backup files saved on your diskette, USB Key or a Compact Disk. "H:" is easy to access (again as easy as the hard drive), has considerable storage (again 50 MB), and is backed up; the latter allows you to recover the most recent backed up version of a lost "H:" file by emailing your request to "support@wm.edu". You might also save backup copies on you diskette, USB Memory Key, or CD (remember you can now drag and drop files onto your CD, no Easy Creator necessary -- see above II.1.(c)(3) Directly Saving Files onto the CD for how).

Email also provides another alternative, especially if nothing else works; this can be independent of your PC as long as you can access the internet (by using a web based mailer -- for example myWM); just sent one of more messages to yourself with the files to save attached. You should be careful of course not to excessively full up your mail server space (20 MG limit for students/50 MG limit for faculty/staff); keeping this in mind, you should be aware that when using myWM, a copy exists on the server of both sent and received mail (you might kill the sent mail shortly after sending). Probably the most convenient, safest, disk space saving way to store files via myWM, is to just save the message with your attached saved files as a draft, in stead of actually sending the message; specifically, after creating the message with the attached files in the myWM Composer window, just click "Save Draft"; this saves one copy of your files on the mail server in the "Drafts" folder, no mailing necessary, no extra copies using up more of your disk quota.

Appendix B
More about Disk Storage Space "H:"
(GoBack)

I. Displaying Disk Space Usage

Appendix C
A Listing/Description of Software on the Programs Menu
(GoBack)

The Programs Menu is organized according to software category; each Programs Menu item is listed below (italicized and bolded) along with a listing/description of its software sub items (which are just boldfaced). Courseware items being so many, are just listed, not described.

1. Accessories  includes Accessibility (configures computer for visual, hearing, and mobility needs), Microsoft Script Debugger (debugs WEB document scripts), Calculator,Character Map (accesses special characters), and Microsoft Photo Editor and Paint (image editing -- also located under Graphics item below).

2. Courseware includes these items which in turn have a number of items listed below (but not described because they are so many): Biology has Driver'sEducation, InPhy- Nervous- Carvascular- Muscular, Marieb&Tortora Directories, Business has AICPA reSource Library, Data 2.6, FARS, MarkStratOnLine, Microsoft- >Net Framwork SD- DeveloperNetwork- Visual Studio .Net 2,Oracle, Project_Visio, ProModel 4.0, Distribution Game, Peoples Express Flight Simulator, Simulate, and OPT Challenge. Chemistry has CS Chem Office, FTNMR Simulation, Nuts, PC Model, PC Spartan Plus, ScFinder Scholar, and Vortex. Computer Science has Emacs. Economics has PCGiveWin and Matrix Game Player. Geology has ArcView. Government has MicroCase Student Versions 4.0. Kinesiology has Dine Healthily. Law has CALI Library (2001 - 2002). Math has Arena 5, Lindo Suite, Maple 9.5, Matlab 7r14, S-PLUS 6.0, Flight Simulator 98, and Math 424 Course Files. Modern Languages has Arabic, Daedalus 5.3, French, German, GreekHebrew Editor, Hauppage WinTV, Japanese, Solo, Spanish, Transparent Language V4, and Viavideo. Physics has CLEA Exercises, Distant Sun 5, and Scion Image.

3. Editors and Viewers includes GhostScript (for interpreting the PostScript page description language used by laser printers), Acrobat Reader 6 (for viewing, navigating, and printing Adobe Portable Document Files (PDFs) ), Dream Weaver (Latest in Web Page Editors), NotePad (like its name suggests, a bare bones editor for keeping notes), and WordPad (basic Microsoft Word text editing plus table and image containment).

4.. Graphics includes Irfanview 3.8 (basic image viewer/editor), Microsoft Photo Editor (image viewer/editor, including scanned image work plus cropping, enlarging), Paint (image viewer/editor for making/editing simple/elaborate drawing; can also handle graphic images), Paint Shop Pro (image viewer/editor; contains tools needed for creating, editing, and retouching images), PSP Animal Shop (Paint Shop Pro animation image viewer/editor; creates/enhances animations from images).

5. Internet and Communications includes F-Secure SSH Client (to SSH and log in a remote computer or FSSH it and transfer files to/from the lab PC), X-Win32. 6.0 (to to set up X-Windowing when SSHing a remote computer), AOL R Instant Messenger (to chat with a buddy via the AOL Messenger), Mozillar Firefox (Web browser similar to Netscapte), and NetMeeting (to perform internet group conferencing ).

6. Microsoft Office XP includes Mirosoft Office Tools ( for viewing snapshots, orgainizing clip art, recovering an office applicaton, scanning documents into the computer and viewing them, language setting, and photo/image editing), Microsoft Access (data base managing), Microsoft Excel (spreadsheet work), Microsoft Front Page (Web page composing), Microsoft Power Point (slide presentation work), and Microsoft Word (word processing).

5. Multimedia includes Easy CD Creator (to save files on a Re-Writable CD), Power DVD (to play a DVD file), QuickTime Player (plays Macintosh video and sound files), Real Time Player (plays CDs, lets you listen to Radio Stations, and search the Web and play audios/movies from internet channels), Sound Recorder (plays a sound file), Volume Control (adjusts sound settings -- volume, etc.), Windows Media Player (plays Windows Media and other files).

6. Printing includes Printers (check the status of your print jobs, cancel your print jobs)

7. Specialty Software (work only in certain labs or certain stations) includes Ewell Lab (leads to Creative Prodkeys DM ), Finale 2004 (leads to Ewell50Finale and EwellLibraryFinale), Watson Lab (disability support software), Scanner (leads to the Scanner HP Dir -- only on Scanner Stations), Fortran Access (to login a remote computer and access Fortran), Mozilla Firefox (Web browser similarly to Netscape).

8.. Startup contains WBALANCE.EXE (gets printing usage --  also by clicking "$" icon, bottom right Task Bar)

9. Statistics includes Amos 5 (SPSS product: causal equation models, graphically developed), Eviews 4 (statistical analysis of periodical data, emphasizing the business type), Maple 9.5 (advance math work: interactive algebra, calculus, discrete mathematics, graphics, numerical computation, etc.), Matlab7r14 (easily creates data matrices, performs math analysis on them, plots/graphs them, etc.), SAS System 9 (general statistical analysis, data base management/report writing; emphasis on programming for results), S-Plus (statistics program similar SPSS, Stata, and Minitab), SPSS for Windows (version 12 -- general statistical analysis, data base management/report writing; emphasis on on menu/clicking approach)general stars and planets viewer, planetarium type viewer, etc.), Stata 8 (general statistical analysis, emphasis on graphics work, programming approach).

10. Utilities and Miscellaneous includes NR Aware (Non Resident Alien software for filling out taxes in US, must be load 1st), Win Zip 7 (utility for zipping/unzipping files in a windows environment; can create zips that automatically unzip when received).

11. WordPerfect has WordPerfect 9 (Word Perfect word processor, an alternative to Microsoft Word) and WordPerfect Help (WordPerfect help without opening WordPerfect)

12. Command Prompt opens a command line session with a simulated DOS system.

13. Windows Explorer (Microsoft file manager for the windows environment).

Appendix D
Using F-Secure SSH File Transfer
(GoBack)

As mentioned in 9 .above, the W & M Stats unix remote computer requires that when you transfer files between it and your PC (i.e., File Protocol Transfer -- common called FTP) that you do it in a Safe, Secure manner (via a Safe, Secure shell -- abbreviated SSH).; in the labs you can do this via "F-Secure SSH File Transfer" software. On your own PC you can download this software from W & M's software repository and use it on your own PC similarly as discussed here; to access the repository, go to IT's home page at "www.wm.edu/IT", click Software in the left column and then click Internet Browsers & Network Tools (under the Windows heading). Now click SSH Secure Shell Client 3.2.9 and Secure FTP Client (5.7MB) to get your safe secure FTP software.

I. Connecting to a W & M Remote Computer via "F-Secure SSH File Transfer" (abbreviate F-SSH-FT) in PACLab.

To connect to a remote computer at W & M such as Stats, you click Programs (from Start), then Internet and Communications, then F-Secure Client, and then F-Secure SSH File Transfer. In the "F-SSH-FT" window you may first get a "Generate Random Seed" box; if so slide your mouse pointer back and forth across it until it goes away; this will only happen once for the given PACLab PC. Now click File, then Connect; in the "Connect" box, enter the remote computer (host)'s name (e.g., "stat.wm.edu" for the W & M's Stats unix computer) in the "Host name" box; type your log in userid in the "User Name" box and click Connect.; now click OK in the emerging message box, then enter your password (same as your log in), and then OK. Your "F-SSH-FT" window (if you connected successfully) will now show you connected to, for example, "stat.wm.edu", listing your remote computer's home directory folders on the left, its folders/root files on the right (the one you download from the repository shows the remote home directory on the right, on the left your PC short cuts, from which you can show your PC drives and directories).

II. Downloading Files from a Remote Computer with F-SSH-FT

Having done I. above, you can download files from your remote computer to your PC by selecting the files to download from the "F-SSH-FT" window on the right , clicking Operations, and then Download; in the emerging "Download" widow, specify the drive/folder to save your down loaded files (e.g., "H:\Mydownloads" on your "H:"); then click Download. You'll then get a "Download Completion" box, in which you click Close at the completion of the blue dashed progress line.

III. Uploading Files from a Remote Computer with F-SSH-FT

To upload is pretty much the same as downloading in II. above, except you start by clicking Operations, then Upload and then select the files to download from your PC in a "Upload" window; then click Download. Similar to uploading you'll get a "Download Completion" box (instead of an "Upload..." box) in which you click Close at the completion of the blue dashed progress line. The selected files are then uploaded to the currently showing folder on your remote computer in the right window (e.g., "/home/userid/Myuploads"). Of course its best to establish the latter before you do the upload, but if you didn't, you can mouse drag the uploaded files where ever they are to the desired folder that you previously open in the left folder window.

If you have any questions/problems with this "W & M PACLab Tips" document, please send e-mail to jrdaws@wm.edu or just click here to create/send the e-mail message

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