Personal Computers
Personal Computers & Technical Services
Students planning to purchase a new computer should consider few things in order the computer to access the network on campus.
Recommended Minimum Hardware Specifications
Windows Computers
CPU – Minimum Specifications i3, AMD Phenom 800 series. Recommended Specifications: i5, i7, AMD fx-8000 series, Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5 or equivalent processor with at least 2.4 GHz base clock speed
Memory – A bare minimum of 4GB, but it is recommended to get 8GB or more
Hard drive – Most come with 250 GBs. If the main purpose of the computer is to store pictures, music, and movies, you may want to consider a larger drive. A Solid State Drive is recommended, preferably with storage over 200GBs.
Wireless – All laptops come with a wireless card. Our campus has full wireless B/G coverage. Though, it is highly recommended to utilize the wired network and consider wireless as a convenience or backup.
Dell discounts for students- Click on the link below to access various technology deals dell provides for SMSU students www.dell.com/dellU/SMSU
Macintosh
Most Macintosh machines come with our minimum specifications.
Operating Systems and Software
Software
Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus is now available for currently enrolled students to download (Includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint). Currently enrolled students will be able to install Office 365 ProPlus on up to five personally owned PC or Macintosh computer systems. Office 365 ProPlus is supported by iOS and Android platforms.
- Instructions to Install Office 365 ProPlus on your PC & MAC.
- Instructions to Install Office 365 Proplus on iOS Devices.
- Instructions to Install Office 365 ProPlus on Android Mobile Devices.
Make sure that you have an appropriate and updated Anti-Virus. Here is a link for a Free Anti-Virus program you could download before coming to campus.
For additional software that you may need we suggest this website www.journeyed.com where you can get a student's discount on some programs.
Provided Technical Services for Students
We recommend all the students to do regularly their Windows Updates. The TRC staff provides assistance for configuring your Wireless Settings for campus access.
If you have Viruses, or another serious problem (such as Blue Screen, frozen screen, etc.) please bring your computer and your power cord to the TRC Helpdesk. We will have you check the computer in, and we will remove the viruses for you. Our average turnaround time for virus-infected computers is about a week. However, some viruses are worse than others, and they will take longer to remove. Also, we operate on a first-come/first-serve basis. If there is a line of computers waiting to be fixed, the wait will be longer. When we have finished removing the viruses from your computer we will call or e-mail you to let you know that your computer is ready to be picked up.
If you think you have a hardware problem, you can bring your computer to us and we will troubleshoot it for you, and let you know what exactly the issue is. If, for example, your Hard Drive is failing or corrupt, and you purchase a new one, you may bring the computer and the new hard drive to us and we will help you install the new hardware.
Note: If your hard drive becomes corrupt, or unreadable, we will be unable to recover your files. It is always a good idea to have a backup of all your files.
The TRC Technician staff can:
- Service computers for preventive and corrective maintenance.
- Diagnose hardware problems.
- Show students how to configure their computer for Windows Updates.
- Help connect laptops to the wireless network.
- Help students load personally purchased or open sourced software on their PC.
The TRC Technician staff are unable to provide technical support for the following:
- Personal student-owned printers.
- Computers under warranty (Due to liability.)
- Devices with liquids spilled on them, or fraying/damaged power cords.
- Most hardware repairs and installations on student-owned computers. (Includes: ordering parts, motherboard maintenance, and laptop screen repair. ITS is able to refer students to local computer shops for such major repairs.)
Hardware repairs that we are able to perform include:
- Replacing laptop keyboards, hard drives, RAM, etc..
NOTE: Only an SMSU Staff member can perform these Hardware replacements.
NOTE: We DO NOT provide these parts. If a part is broken and the student orders a new part, we will simply replace the hardware for you.
To access the other pages under the Student Assistance tab, click on the links below
Last Modified: 8/16/22 2:20 PM | Website Feedback