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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. Outside of renting or buying a computer, there is still the option of using the labs around campus for computing needs.

Labs

The computer labs are rooms that have been set up in different buildings around campus with computers and printers for students use. There are eight primary computer labs, six public workstations, nine computer classrooms with open hours for student access and one 24/7 lab called Pete's Place. In order to log in, students must type in their social security number and their myNMSU login ID.

Maintenance

The Internet is a great source for information, entertainment, and way of keeping in touch; however, along with this source of vast information comes the headaches of 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 at home or at work through the use of the Internet. Viruses can cause file damage and encourage identity theft. NMSU supports the Sophos antivirus protection and removal software. This is a free application and can be installed by selecting the following link: http://ict.nmsu.edu/software/Licenses/Sophos/index.php. This software can be set to check automatically for viruses. Scans can also be run on a weekly basis.
  2. Install a Firewall - Along with antivirus software, a firewall can also be installed for added protection. Viruses can easily enter your computer through your broadband connection (high speed network connection). It is recommended to install a firewall to safeguard your financial documents, personal information, photos and online communications. The Microsoft website can provide information and a free firewall for Windows machines. If you are a Mac user, please go to CNET to find out what is available regarding firewall protection.
  3. Update Your Operating System - In keeping your operating system current, the updates provide security patches to keep your computer safe. Microsoft offers free automatic updates to help avoid virus problems.
  4. Install and Use Antispyware Software - Spyware programs can get into your system from a free Web download by visiting a Web site or clicking on an online advertisement. 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 is not 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

If you choose to purchase a personal computer there are numerous stores around Las Cruces where a computer or laptop could be a pricing agreement with Apple, Dell and Gateway for laptops and desktops for university employees and students. Please look at the following site for further information on the university pricing arrangement https://www.nmsu.edu/online/buy.html .

Rentals

There are a few options for computing needs other than purchasing a personal computer or laptop. New Mexico State University has a computer and laptop rental program that rents the equipment for a semester or year-long contract. All rental computers have Microsoft Windows XP Professional, Encarta, and Microsoft Office 2003 installed. For further information on the rental program, pricing, and hardware maintenance please go to the following site http://ict.nmsu.edu/~SCS/rental.html .

Rental Computer Information:

  • All NMSU rental computers have flash drive capabilities.
  • The rental laptops will have a wireless card installed before it is rented to a student.
  • Around 95% of the rental computers are capable of burning information onto discs. If you are interested in this feature, make sure to ask the technician which rentals have this capability when you are signing 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.
  • At the end of your computer rental agreement, you must remove all information that you would like to retain on a flash drive, CD or floppy disk. The computer will be reformatted over the summer and all saved material will be deleted. If you wish to continue renting the computer, you need to go to Jacobs Hall Room 121 and sign a renewal contract. The computer will not have to be returned and reformatted if you wish to renew your 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 (the NMSU bookstore is a good source) and install it on your computer or visit a lab on campus that supports the software needed. 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
  • Macromedia Dreamweaver
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe Acrobat