Your new laptop is leased by the school district. You will receive a copy of the leasing agreement and terms that apply to your computer, and also a copy of the district laptop agreement. The agreement lists core software that has been installed on your machine. Additional curriculum software should be requested through Priscilla Kotyk of the TII department. Please remember that the hardware on your leased laptop may not be modified by you or by an outside vendor. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
The back of your machine contains multiple ports for connecting external devices as well as the power supply connection. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
On the right side of your laptop is where you insert CDs and DVDs. Note: do not use mini DVDs as they do not work and can damage the drive. You will also find two USB ports for connecting a mouse, flash drive, and digital camera, etc. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
On the bottom of your laptop you will find asset and identification tags added by the TRC group to help identify your laptop. Use the device name on your identification tag when you make requests for service to the TRC. The battery compartment is located here, but you should never remove the battery. Any battery replacement or recalls will be handled by the TRC. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
You can find out approximately how much time is left on your battery by pressing the battery indicator button, which is found on the battery compartment. Each of the five green dots equals approximately 20% of the total battery time. For example, four green dots means you have 80% of battery operating time left. See the Battery section for more information regarding your battery. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
To turn on your laptop, open the cover and press the power button, which is located beneath the “Dell” logo on the screen. High School and Junior High laptop users will connect automatically to the wireless network at your school. See the “Wireless Best Practices” section of this document for more information regarding wireless connectivity. If you cannot connect to the network via the school’s wireless connection, you can connect using an ethernet cable. The port for connecting an ethernet cable is found on the back of your laptop. You may also be instructed by the TRC to connect via ethernet during some software or system updates. Note: If your laptop won’t turn on when you press the power button, make sure that it is connected to the power supply before you assume that there is a problem. If the battery is completely drained, the laptop will not turn on without connection to the power supply. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
A process called “synchronization” occurs when you log into your machine and again when you log out. This process ensures that your My Documents folder on the school’s network server and on your laptop contain the same up-to-date files. If you add, change, or delete a file on your laptop in your My Documents folder, the synchronization process will add, change, or delete the same file on the school’s server. This allows you to work on any of your files in your My Documents folder while you are away from school, and have them automatically backed up to the server when you return to school. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
If you are on the network at school, either wired or wireless, and you see the “Offline Files” icon in the notification area of the task bar (found at the bottom-right of the desktop), you should right-click on the icon and choose the Synchronization option. Synchronizing should restore your connection to the school’s network and ensure that your files are being properly backed up. If manually synchronizing does not correct the problem you should submit a Tech Request for assistance. Most users have a disk quota of 450MB on the server. Any pictures, movies, or music files need to be stored locally on your laptop. You are responsible for backing up files and folders other than those found in your My Documents folder. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
Sometimes the synchronization process is interrupted, or a file becomes corrupted in the process of copying between the server and the laptop. If this occurs, you will see a synchronization error (see illustration above). If this happens, try deleting the offending file (if possible); if this does not solve the problem, then you can submit a Tech Request to have the issue fixed. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
The laptop has an internal mouse, called a Trackpad, that is centered in front of the keyboard. The trackpad has much of the functionality of an external mouse. You can left click and right click using the trackpad. The TRC does not provide an external mouse but you may decide to buy a mouse to connect to one of the USB ports. However, if you or your school decides to purchase a USB mouse that requires special software (especially a wireless mouse), be aware that you will have to submit a tech request (or request elevated privileges) in order to have the software installed. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
It’s a good idea to let your battery fully discharge monthly. The battery has been fully discharged when you see a warning about running on reserve power -the battery indicator is found on task bar. When you see the warning, you should plug in the laptop and recharge the battery. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
You should avoid starting your laptop on battery power in extreme hot or cold conditions (above 95 degrees, below 50 degrees) . Battery operating time varies depending on how you’re using your laptop. You’ll use a lot of battery power when you are: Connected to a wireless network Playing or burning CDs/DVDs Using USB devices (cameras, camcorders, mouse, etc) Using high-brightness display settings, 3D screen savers, or other power-intensive programs such as 3D games 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
Your wireless connection at school can be affected by several factors. Refer to the information below to troubleshoot your wireless issues: Yellow triangle on the wireless icon: Restart computer Yellow triangle persists after restart: Submit a tech request Red “X” on the wireless icon: Check that the wireless On/Off switch on the left side of the laptop is set to the “on” position Red “X” after checking On/Off switch: Connect the power supply; low battery can affect network connection Red “X” after connecting to A/C: Move to an area of the building that you know has good wireless connection and restart Red “X” after restart in new location: Submit a tech request 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
If you are connected to the wireless network at school, and you want to move from one room to another within the same building, you don’t need to log off or shut down your laptop. You can close the cover and move to a new room; when you open the cover, you may be prompted to enter your password in order to to continue working. If you are moving from one building to another, you must log off of the network before leaving the building and re-connecting at a different location. If you do not log off before moving to a new location, your files will not be properly synchronized and you may lose your work. A screensaver will automatically launch if your laptop is untouched for more than 10 minutes. To resume working, simply touch the trackpad or press the spacebar, and then enter your password. Your screensaver password is the same as your log on password and is set automatically. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
If you are moving from one building to another, you must log off of the network before leaving the building and re-connecting at a different location. If you do not log off before moving to a new location, your files will not be properly synchronized and you may lose your work. A screensaver will automatically launch if your laptop is untouched for more than 10 minutes. To resume working, simply touch the trackpad or press the spacebar, and then enter your password. Your screensaver password is the same as your log on password and is set automatically. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
A screensaver will automatically launch if your laptop is untouched for more than 10 minutes. To resume working, simply touch the trackpad or press the spacebar, and then enter your password. Your screensaver password is the same as your log on password and is set automatically. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
It’s important to quit all applications before you shut down and pack up your laptop to go home. Logging off the computer will not turn it off, so be sure to use the Shut Down command to turn off your laptop at the end of the day. By ensuring that the laptop is powered-off completely before you place it in the laptop bag, you protect the hard from overheating during transport, and also preserve battery power. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
If your computer is not responding when you try to quit or shut down, and it appears to be frozen, follow these steps: Connect to your power supply (if not already connected) and try again to quit the application Wait for a full 5 minutes, and then try again to quit the application Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, select “Task Manger,” and then select Log Off or Shut Down. If none of the previous instructions work, then shut down your computer by holding down the power button. You should submit an urgent Tech Request so that the TRC can evaluate your computer. Shutting down your laptop by holding down the power button can corrupt your computer and should only be done as a last resort. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
Connect your laptop at home the same way you connect your other home devices, using an ethernet connection or via a wireless network. Contact your internet service provider if you need assistance connecting to your home network. To use a printer from home, simply connect your printer to the laptop using a USB cable. Your laptop has many drivers installed, but some printers require you to install other drivers in order for your printer to work. Submit a tech request if you need elevated privileges on your laptop in order to install home printer drivers. Important : Remember to completely shut down your laptop when you leave home, so that your documents will synchronize correctly when you return and connect to the school’s network. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
Your laptop is a valuable resource and needs to be safe guarded. Care for it as you do your wallet and put it in a safe place when you are not using it. Be aware that your screen should only be cleaned with wipes designed for LCD displays. Do not use Windex, water, or a cleaner designed for traditional "tube" displays (CRT monitors or TVs) as these will permanently damage the screen. Never store your laptop in a hot car, especially in the trunk. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
Software updates will be handled by the TRC. You should not attempt to launch Windows updates or updates to any applications. Please continue to use the tech request system for hardware issues you experience with your laptop. You can always check the Tips and Tricks folder in First Class, located in the News conference for information. The TII department is also a great resource for how-to’s. 02/03/12 Acton Boxborough Regional School District
