Yes. Through Columbia University Information Technology (CUIT), Barnard has made arrangements with Dell and Apple to provide educational discounts to Barnard students. See the CUIT Sales page for more information. We also have a contact with e-Academy for software discounts.

You should bring all software, hardware, information related to your computer with you to Barnard. This includes manuals, install disks, cables, etc. If something should happen to your computer, you might need to re-install some of your programs and therefore need the original disks and license number for them. It is particularly important to bring the main manual for your computer. If an ACE needs to assist you with your connection, she might need it to figure out how to open a difficult computer case or for a variety of other reasons.

Barnard Resnet provides support for both PC and Macintosh computers. ACEs are trained to troubleshoot both Macs and PCs and will be able to assist you no matter which operating system you choose. Barnard computer labs that are open for student use have primarily Dell computers. The Lehman Computer Center in the Barnard library also has several Macintosh computers for student use.

Although many students prefer the convenience of owning their own computers, it is not absolutely necessary. There are 24-hour computing labs in the Sulzberger basement and in the Plimpton and 616 residence halls. Lehman Computer Center is a staffed lab in the library with Dell and Macintosh computers. All of the computer labshave laser printing available. Please see the computer labs page for more information.

Barnard students may print 100 pages per week in the labs for free. However, while there are laser printers available in the every computer lab, many students choose to purchase their own inkjet or laser printers for the convenience of printing in their rooms. During rush times (i.e., midterms and finals), there can be long waits for a computer while many students try to complete and print out papers. In such situations, having a personal printer can be much more convenient. Note: When purchasing printers, please take into account that wireless printers will not work in dorms with secure residential wireless.

Most computers now come with ethernet cards already installed! Make sure your purchase is not redundant. Ethernet cards can be purchased at any computer store. Make sure to get a 10 or 10/100base-T that uses an RJ-45 twisted pair connection, as well as the appropriate cable to connect the card to the wall jack.

Popups are most commonly caused by spyware, which are malicious programs infecting your computer. A common solution many users take to mask spyware is installing a popup blocker, which prevents you from seeing the popups. Please note that while having a popup blocker installed erases this type of spyware symptom, it does not remove the spyware. Spybot and Malwarebytes are two programs that can help remove much of the spyware on your computer causing the popups you see. You can download Spybot and Malwarebytes from our Downloads page.

The MAC Capture system is a measure Barnard AT takes to ensure the integrity of its network. Because networks are especially vulnerable to viruses, worms, trojans, spamming, and other illicit trafficking activity, we have employed the Capture system as a method of policing the network by monitoring its activity. Illicit activity is traced to the source computer, and that computer's internet access is suspended until it is successfully reformatted. The three most common trafficking violations users are captured for include:

1. Particularly malicious viruses
2. Spamming
3. Illegal filesharing

See our MAC Capture/Compromise Information page for instructions on what to do if you have been captured.

To help diagnose the problem and the damages the virus may have caused:

1. Google the symptom. This may be anything from "disappearing desktop icons" to "disabled firewall" to any error messages that might pop up.
2. The google search will most likely return message board threads. These are long conversations with multiple participants who experienced the same problem. Some are more helpful than others; you may need to read a few of the posts before you even understand what the discussion topic is. This topic may refer to a different problem, but it may still contain information that pertains to your problem. If you find something relevant and/or helpful, be sure to read the remainder of the posts to see how this method worked out for other people and whether there were any more recent corrections. If you have the time (responses can take up to a few days), you can leave your own post, but be sure to follow that particular board’s etiquette.
3. Test out different methods of solving the problem and removing the virus. If you download a scan or a fix, make sure it is legitimate. If you find the id of the virus, check it out at Symantec’s website or even McAfee, Trend Micro, or any kind of internet security database.

See our Viruses, Spyware, and Scams Tutorial for more information, or bring your laptop into the Lehman Computer Center during office hours and an ACE will help you troubleshoot the problem.

This procedure is commonly requested among Barnard students, and is easily performed. See our Email Forwarding page.

There is information on types of spam, spam prevention, and spam reporting on the AT Spam and Annoying Email page. In addition, there are instructions on how to filter spam into a spam folder. If you receive a particularly horrible spam email, you can forward it as an attachment to with your comments. The email team will not reply but reviews these messages periodically and adjusts the College spam filters accordingly.

You must be at a location on the Barnard or Columbia campus where wireless access is facilitated in order to pick up a signal strong enough for your wireless card to work.

See our Wireless Networking page for general information on setting up wireless on your personal computer. If you live in a dorm with secure wireless, see our Secure Wireless page for set up instructions and more information.

If you still cannot access wireless on campus, you can bring your computer into office hours to have an ACE troubleshoot the problem.

If you have any type of hub, router, wireless access point, or LAN gaming system, you must fill out the Network Device Approval Form, located here.

An ACE needs to inspect each jack before it gets called in for repair. Contact Resnet, fill out the Jack Report Form, or visit the Lehman Computer Center to make an appointment.

The Columbia Student Store, in the basement of Lerner Hall, sells ethernet cables. Vendors on the Lehman Lawn during New Student Orientation generally sell ethernet cables as well.

Yes! Not only can you print to Barnard lab printers, but you can also print to virtually any public printer on the Columbia campus, including those at Butler. Barnard students may print 100 pages per week in the labs for free. See our Printing Policy page and scroll down to "How to Print From Your Room."

Unfortunately, Barnard does not have a license with Microsoft enabling the college to dispense Office to its students. Columbia University does offer highly discounted versions of software such as MS Office for students and faculty on their e-Academy webpage. You can also download a free, alternative version of Office called Open Office.

In addition, we are licensed to provide you with Symantec Anti-Virus clients, various free email and FTP clients, and other useful software. See our Downloads page at: http://www.barnard.edu/resnet/downloads.html

Go to our Download page and get the Office 2007 Convert Pack at the bottom of the page. 

Barnard ACEs follow CUIT policy and do not provide support for hardware issues on student computers. However, we can refer you to qualified outside support sources and guide you through some procedures, such as reformatting your computer. You best source for hardware repair is often your manufacturer, especially if you are still under warranty. For more information on hardware policies and other options for computer support, please refer to this CUIT page.

Keyboard keys often pop off of laptop keyboards and can easily be popped back on. See Dell's article on replacing keyboard keys for more information.

We make our best efforts to reach all students who request help in as timely a manner as possible. General policy is that an ACE will attempt to reach a student 3 times within two weeks via email and/or phone before a ticket is closed. If you feel you have not been contacted soon enough, you may always come speak to an ACE during office hours or contact us.

Contact an ACE if you have questions.

You can find answers to common alumna questions in the Alumnae FAQ.

See our Personal Security page for tips on preventing identity theft and credit card fraud, as well as what to do if you've been victimized.

We have compiled Computing Tips for Students Going Abroad or Traveling. You should familiarize yourself with the content of this page before going abroad.