Microcomputer Services

Services Overview

Services
We support Windows XP, Windows Vista and Mac OS X. We also provide application support for email programs such as Alphamail, Thunderbird, Outlook and Mac Mail. We support McAfee VirusScan as well as virus and spyware removal. Our group produces the annual Duckware CD. We have recently merged with our hardware repair shop which allows us to provide two tiers of service. Free help is still available for many issues, and we also offer services on a convenient drop-off basis (fee-based). In person and phone advice is free, and in-person sit-down help (limited to one hour) on a laptop is also free.

Audience
The University of Oregon community (students, faculty and staff). We regrettably cannot serve UO alumni or Eugene community members.

Hours
Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. Closed on official holidays.

Location
151 McKenzie Hall; see our Help Desk page for a map and other ways to contact us.

Details
We can best answer questions related to University business and of common demand. If asked an esoteric question that applies to very few users and/or takes inordinate resources to resolve, we will probably not be able to help you directly, but will refer you to external resources like books or fee-based consulting.

Important Limitations (Desktop PCs and Time Limits):

The lists below are not all inclusive. If you have a question, please ask!

What We Do:

Help Desk

Our staff is available Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, 151 McKenzie Hall, to answer questions in person. (Holiday and break hours may vary.) For more information on our Help Desk services, please see our Help Desk page.

Disk Repair and File Recovery

We can attempt routine file and disk recoveries for Macintosh and PC-compatible removable disk formats (floppy, zip, CD, USB). Bring unreadable disks to Microcomputer Services. At the discretion of the consultant on duty, disk repair may be attempted promptly, or the disks may be checked in for up to three working days, depending on current workload. Note that we will not attempt to recover damaged hard disks due to the inherent complexity involved. For example, we typically help students who have lost a paper in Microsoft Word format. We recommend the use of USB drives instead of floppy disks. These drives can be purchased at the hardware desk in 151 McKenzie Hall.

Our service is available free of charge to the University of Oregon campus community. We will do our best to recover all information in its original form, but this may not always be possible. In addition, we are not liable for any loss of data that may occur due to an attempted file recovery.

Some Things to Help in File Recovery

Antivirus Software Distribution

Information Services provides a campus-wide site license for McAfee VirusScan for Windows and Mac OS X.

For more information, please read the antivirus section of this web site. To download McAfee VirusScan, please visit our McAfee download page.

Virus and Spyware Removal

We will help customers determine the scope of a viral or spyware infection, provide direction for removal and explain how to avoid the problem. However, with severe virus or spyware infections often the best course of action is to backup your data and start fresh. Our Electronics Shop offers virus removal and reformat services for a fee. We manage a University-wide license, available for Windows and MacOS. If you would like in-depth information about viruses and how to protect yourself, please read the antivirus section of this web site. Our in-person free help is only available for laptop computers.

Connecting to Banner

Internet Native Banner (http://inb.uoregon.edu/) requires a functional Java environment. We will assist users in getting their computers configured to properly access the INB login window. Other Banner questions should be directed to the appropriate person or group. (http://bg.uoregon.edu/help.htm)

Provide Pre-sales Advice

We like to guide UO users toward products we know work before a purchase is made. Whenever possible, we obtain new hardware and software and test it ourselves. We also keep track of industry reviews and trends and listen to customer experience when recommending products. If you would like an in-depth document discussing computer purchases, read our on-line Buyers Guide.