Laptop Repair / Maintenance / Other

My laptop is broken! What should I do?

Answer: If you have the Kellogg Laptop Program laptop, come to the Technical Support Center (TSC) in Room 163 of the Jacobs Center. We will issue you a loaner laptop, should you require one while we coordinate the repair for you.

If you are a student with an unsupported laptop, you can stop by our office in room 163 and we will provide our best recommendation on a case by case basis. You can also visit the Northwestern IT Support Center.

If you are a faculty or staff member, contact the Faculty/Staff Tehnical Support Group.

Does KIS have any maintenance suggestions?

Answer: KIS has some basic recommendations for laptop care which you can see here.

I broke or lost one of the cables or components that came with my Kellogg Laptop Program laptop. How can I replace it?

Answer: Please stop by the Technical Support Center in Room 163 of the Jacobs Center and we wlil assist you in replacing your broken component, provided it is covered under warranty. In the case of Ethernet cables, we have a limited amount of cables available to students.

I think I have a computer virus. What should I do?

Answer: If you are a Kellogg Laptop Program participant, please stop by the Technical Support Center in room 163 immediately or call us at 847.467.2100 and we can assist you.

If you did not purchase the KLP laptop, first verify that you have antivirus software installed and that it is up to date. You should then start your computer in Safe Mode by pressing F8 during bootup. Once in Safe Mode, you can perform a scan of your computer. While this is not guaranteed to remove viruses, it is more reliable than scanning in normal Windows.

If your computer is still infected after running this scan, you may want to contact a third party service or stop by Northwestern IT's Technical Support Center.

How do I back up the data on my laptop?

Answer: Since the Kellogg Laptop Program ThinkPad T60, the Kellogg Laptop Program laptop has come equipped with a DVD-RW drive capable of burning to DVD. Please see our Kellogg Laptop Program DVD backup documentation located here for either Vista (ThinkPad T60p) or XP (ThinkPad T60).

How do I enable the fingerprint reader on my KLP T60?

Answer: While the software technologies that handle biometrics are continuing to advance rapidly, they are currently not ready for our environment.  Because of this, KIS discourages the use of the fingerprint reader during your time at Kellogg.  We have no plans to provide any documentation on how to install theThinkPad software for the fingerprint reader or to provide troubleshooting information.  KIS will not provide any assistance for installing or using this software, nor will we be able to support the problems it can cause, short of removing the software or reimaging your laptop.

E-mail

I can't send e-mail from home or work. Why not?

Answer: Please note that this information does not apply to students, faculty or staff using Kellogg's Exchange messaging and calendaring system.

Your computer is probably set up to send mail through Northwestern's SMTP (mail) server. NU's mail server rejects mail from any computers not on the Northwestern network. When off-campus, you'll need to connect to NU VPN or change your settings in Outlook to use your Internet Service Provider's SMTP server. See our email transiting documentation for a more detailed explanation and instructions on how to resolve the problem.

Update: Some Internet Service Providers, including SBC, have begun blocking outbound SMTP traffic on port 25 across their networks. This means that you may not be able to send mail even when connected to NU VPN from home. If this is the case, you will need to set your outgoing mail server to that of your ISP when connected from home. The list of SMTP servers for SBC! Yahoo can be found here. For more information contact your Internet Service Provider.

How do I forward/unforward mail?

Answer: New EMBA students, full-time students, faculty, and staff on Kellogg's Exchange messaging and calendaring system can set up forwarding here.

PTMBA students, current EMBA students, and all others can visit the Northwestern IT Mail Tools Page.

How do I set up my Kellogg permanent e-mail address?

Answer: Specific information on Kellogg lifetime email address setup and alumni activation will be emailed to you shortly after graduation. For any additional questions, please contact us directly.

How can I check my e-mail via the Web?

Answer: New EMBA students, full-time students, faculty, and staff on Kellogg's Exchange messaging and calendaring system can access their email through Outlook Web Access.

PTMBA students, current EMBA students, and all others can access their email through NU Webmail. You will need to know your NetID, password, and which mail server your mail resides on (casbah, hecky, lulu or merle).

How do I turn on/off a vacation message?

Answer: New EMBA students, full-time students, faculty, and staff on Kellogg's Exchange messaging and calendaring system can set up a vacation message here.

PTMBA students, current EMBA students, and all others can visit the Northwestern IT Mail Tools Page.

General

What are your hours? / Where is your office?

Answer: See the contact page for students or faculty/staff.

What equipment is available for loan?

Answer: See our list of loaner equipment.

Off-Campus Connections (Cable/DSL/third-party ISP)

Do I need a cable modem or DSL connection?

Answer: Please see NUIT's recommendations for high-speed home networking and other Internet resources for travelers.

I can't access Kellogg network resources from home. Why not?

Answer: Most Kellogg network resources are on the web, with access granted by entering your NetID and password. To use the Kellogg network (printers, home directories), you will need to change some settings (see Tips for Using Kellogg Network Resources From Home) and may need to use Virtual Private Networking (VPN).

Some research databases or other network resources require you to be on the Northwestern network. Use VPN to connect to the Northwestern network or use the Northwestern proxy server. For more information on the proxy server, see Northwestern University Library's proxy help page.

See also:

• Off-Campus High-Speed Access
• KIS How-To Documentation, including NU VPN
• Kellogg Research Computing.

Passwords / Account information

How do I change my password?

Answer: Go to the Change Your NetID Password page.

I forgot my password! What do I do?

Answer: You can reset your password online here if you have set up a PIN. You will also be required to enter your NetID, EMPLID, and birth date for security purposes.

If you are on campus: You can come to the Technical Support Center (TSC) in Room 163 of the Jacobs Center. If you're an EMP student, stop by our support office in Room 156 of the Allen Center (open 8am-5pm Fridays and 8am-1pm Saturdays on weekends when EMP classes are in session). TMP students can have their password reset at the library in Wieboldt or at the Abbott Hall Help Desk in Room 600.

If you're out-of-town: Call the Technical Support Center at 847-467-2100. If you have set up a Q & A, we will be able to reset your password for you. If not, we will have you either call someone in Administration or Student Affairs who can tell us that you are who you say you are, or you will have to fax us a notarized copy of your driver's license or passport (send to 847-467-3500). EMP students, call the EMP office at 847-467-7020.

If we're not open: You can call the NUIT Help Desk at 847-491-4357. If you have set up a Q & A, they will be able to reset your password for you. Their offices in Room 57 of Kresge Hall are open 7 days a week, including Saturday 12pm - 5pm and Sunday 12pm - 8pm.

What is a password Q & A, and how do I set one up?

Answer: A Q & A is a Question & Answer that you pre-define and that a KIS consultant can use to verify your identity. If you can answer the question correctly, we can reset your password. We cannot reset your password over the phone without a Q&A. To set one up, click here. Also, when setting up your Q & A be sure to set a PIN, so that if you forget your password you can reset it online.

I am having trouble accessing Kellogg web pages that ask me to supply my password. What's wrong?

Answer: There are three likely causes for this problem.

1. You are attempting to connect to a secure page through a firewall, which does not allow SSL connections. This most often happens when attempting to connect from your place of work. As most companies protect their internal networks from outside intrusion with a firewall, you most likely will be unable to connect from work. The only remedy for this is to connect to Kellogg from work with a modem or use a computer that is not behind a firewall, such as a home computer or a computer in a Kellogg computer lab.
2. Your password has expired. See I forgot my password. What should I do?
3. You are using a web browser that does not support the SSL security used by Kellogg secure web pages. Browsers that are known not to work with Kellogg's SSL are: Netscape Navigator version 2.01 and earlier, AOL version 2.4 and earlier, and AOL for Macintosh (all versions). The only remedy for this is to update your browser to the latest supported version. To download the latest supported version of Netscape from KIS, and to see documentation on how to install it, click here.

Public Computing

How much can I store in my home directory?

Your home directory quota is 100 megabytes.

Stolen / Lost Laptop

What should I do if my laptop is stolen or lost?

First, if your laptop is stolen you should file a police report immediately. If you did not record the serial number of your Kellogg Laptop Program laptop, contact Kellogg Information Systems and we will most likely have it on file. Secondly, for security reasons, you should change your NetID password and the passwords of any accounts you accessed from your laptop. Please inform Kellogg Information Systems of the loss/theft. You can also contact Lenovo at 1-800-IBM-SERV and have them put a "note" on your laptop serial number in the event that it is submitted to the IBM depot for service. Also, while loss/theft is not covered by ThinkPad Protection, you may want to consult your homeowner's insurance for possible coverage.

If you are concerned about potential theft, you may wish to purchase a laptop lock from CDW-G here.