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New Mexico State University

Computers

New Mexico State University does not require students to buy a personal computer; however, the majority of the courses offered will require documents to be typed and some will require the document to be submitted digitally. Many students opt to buy or rent a personal computer for convenience purposes. In addition to renting or buying a computer, there are many Student Computing Services (SCS) labs on campus.

Labs

Computer labs are equipped with computers and printers and are staffed by a trained lab assistant . There are several computer labs and public workstations located throughout campus, including some labs that are open 24 hours. For a complete list of campus labs and hours, please see Lab Locations and Lab Hours below.

Maintenance

The Internet is a great source for information, entertainment, and communication, however, using the Internet includes risks such as viruses, hackers and computer crashes. To prevent some of these issues, follow the five easy steps below to keep your computer as up-to-date and maintained as possible.

Five Steps to Computer Maintenance

  1. Use Antivirus Software - Viruses can sneak into your computer simply by connecting to and using the Internet. Viruses can cause file damage and may leave you susceptible to identity theft. NMSU provides free anti virus software called Sophos that you can use to protect your computer against viruses. Go to http://ict.nmsu.edu/software/Licenses/Sophos/ to download and install Sophos Antivirus.
  2. Install a Firewall - In addition to antivirus software, a firewall can be installed for added protection. It is recommended to install a firewall to safeguard your financial documents, personal information, photos and online communications. The Microsoft Web site can provide information and a free firewall for Windows computers.
  3. Update Your Operating System - Keep your Windows operating system current by using free automatic updates.
  4. Install and Use Antispyware Software - Spyware programs can get into your system by downloading free software from the Web, clicking on an online advertisement or by simply visiting a Web site. The spyware program gathers information about the user and sends the information to the companies that created the program. Some of the effects of spyware can be:
    • Changing your homepage to a particular Web site
    • Producing unwanted pop-up ads - even when your browser isn't running
    • Causing your browser or system applications to close or crash
    • Stopping your ability to connect to the Internet
    • Slowing down your computer at start-up or reducing the performance of your system

      Some commonly used Antispyware programs are:
      SpyBot Search and Destroy
      Ad-Aware Personal
  1. Backup Your Important Files - It is important to make sure that you have a backup of all of your important files in case there is a power failure, your computer becomes infected with a virus or your computer crashes. Flash drives are a particular good back-up storage device.

My Computer

NMSU students, faculty and staff can get discounts on computers from Apple, Dell and Gateway. For additional details about available discounts, please visit https://www.nmsu.edu/ONLINE/buy.html.

Rentals

NMSU students can rent a computer for semester or an entire academic year from ICT Student Computing Services department. All rental computers have Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Encarta, and Microsoft Office 2003 installed. For additional information on the rental program, pricing, and hardware maintenance please visit http://ict.nmsu.edu/scs/rental.html .

Rental Computer Information:

  • All rental laptops have a wireless capabilities.
  • Most of the rental computers are capable of burning CDs. If you are interested in CD burning features, make sure to ask the technician for a rental that has this capability before you sign the rental agreement.
  • If your rental computer has a virus or software issue, please call 646-4209 or take the computer to Jacobs Hall Room 121 for assistance. The technicians will work on the rental computer for free as part of the rental agreement.
  • All rentals are completely reformatted after they have been returned. You must remove all information that you would like to retain on a flash drive or CD before returning your rental.
  • If you wish to continue renting the computer, go to Jacobs Hall Room 121 and sign a renewal contract.

Software

If your personal computer does not have software installed that is necessary for you to use it for class, you can either purchase the software or visit a lab on campus that has the software you need. You can also visit ICT free software site to view the software plug-ins, updates, utilities, and browsers that are available.

Generally speaking, the following software programs will be needed by the majority of NMSU students.

  • MS Word
  • MS PowerPoint
  • MS Excel
  • MS Internet Explorer
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader