New Student Orientation

Setup Tips

Before unpacking your PC, choose the location carefully. Be sure you have ample room for your PC, monitor and peripheral devices, such as your printer. Your PC houses the disk drives and accepts the connectors for your peripherals.

Avoid dusty areas. If you must set up your system in a dusty area, consider buying dust covers.

Do not plug your system into an electrical outlet that has a major appliance on the same circuit, such as a refrigerator. Large appliances draw substantial power when they are turned on, causing power drops that can damage your PC.

Be sure your PC is not placed near heat sources such as warm air vents or heaters.

If your computer came with a fax / modem or network connection, be sure to choose a location near a phone or network jack.

Make sure that the power switches for all of your components are in the off position. Put the power switch on your surge suppressor in the off position.

Remember to connect one device at a time. If this is the first time you are setting up a PC, don't be intimidated! The connector slots on your new PC are clearly marked.

Some connectors may be placed in different slots. Use the pin configuration to identify a particular connector. Connectors are covered in greater detail below.

When setting up your system, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is; if it doesn't fit, it probably doesn't go there. So don't force anything.

Your monitor comes with a cable for power and a cable that connects to your PC. The power cable has a three-prong plug for standard electrical outlets. The cable that connects to your PC has a 15-pin male connector on one end. (A male connector has pins that stick out and a female connector has holes to accept pins.)

Find the female 15-pin connector on the back of your PC, press the male connector firmly in place, and tighten the retaining screws on either side. The other end of the cable, if it is not permanently attached, plugs into the back of your monitor.

Note: If your connector does not have the full complement of pins, don't worry. Not all connectors utilize the maximum number of pins.

The keyboard has only one cable, which is permanently attached at the keyboard end. The other end has a round male connector with a notch for orientation.

Find the female counterpart to this connector on the back of your PC. Press the connector firmly into place. It may be necessary to rotate the connector as you gently push, until the correct position is found.

Your printer has two cables. One has a three-prong plug that fits into a standard electrical outlet. The other cable is for communicating with your PC. The end of the printer cable that attaches to the printer has an odd-looking connector (called a Centronics connector) on one end. The other end has a 25-pin male connector, which will be connected to the PC. Press the 25-pin male connector into the 25-pin female connector on the back of your PC and tighten the mounting screws. Find the Centronics connector on your printer and press the cable firmly in place. Press the mounting clips toward the center until they click into place. The 25-pin female connector on the computer is labeled LPT 1.

Your mouse probably has a PS/2 type interface. The cable connector is the same as the keyboard connector. Be sure that the mouse and keyboard are plugged into the proper connectors on the rear of the computer.

Your PC has a power cord with a three-prong plug that fits into any standard electrical outlet; however, it should be plugged into a surge suppressor rather than directly into a wall outlet. The other end has a female plug that fits into the back of your PC. (There is also an auxiliary power source on the PC. Some monitors draw electrical power from this adapter.)

Note: After you have connected all of your devices, there may be unused connectors on the back of your PC. Don't worry about them. If you get additional devices that connect to them later, you will also get connection instructions.

Getting started on the network
In order to connect to the Elon University network, you will need an Ethernet card. Any network card that is a 10/100 twisted pair interface card is acceptable. An Ethernet cable is also needed. Network cables (not cards) will be available at no cost to new students in each area during move-in weekend. Ethernet cards may be purchased from any computer vendor or they can be purchased from Elon Student Computer Services (ESCS).

ESCS is available to sell, install and configure Ethernet cards on campus during move in days for a fee. However, due to a high volume of business during the first month of each semester, we recommend that you call (336) 278-5200 early to set up an appointment to install your Ethernet card. You can also come to campus with an Ethernet card already installed by yourself or another service center. We have included detailed instructions for configuring an Ethernet card for both the PC and the Mac computers.

Once you have an Ethernet card installed and configured you are ready to connect to the network. There are Ethernet jacks located on the wall in each residence hall. These jacks are labeled with the letter "D" (meaning data) followed by four digits and another letter. All Ethernet ports are labeled in this manner. Connect one end of your Ethernet cable to this jack and the other end to the connection on your Ethernet card. An Ethernet cable must be used. A normal telephone cable will not work.

Once the connection is made, you should see a green light on the card edge of the Ethernet card. You are now connected to the network. During move-in days, there will be people available to help you with this connection if needed. Since the Ethernet connection takes the place of a modem connection, there is no need to establish any other connections. When you are connected through an Ethernet network, your connection is constant. To access the Internet, just open a Web browser anytime.

Virus protection
Viruses are merely programs that are written to destroy or adversely alter other programs or data. Viruses can infect any file that is in any way executed, including BAT, COM, EXE, SYS, VBS and BIN files. There are also viruses that infect MACRO files in word processor and spreadsheet programs. The most common ways of picking up a virus are by sharing diskettes with other users, downloading an infected file via a modem or network connection, or opening an infected e-mail attachment.

Never trust any diskettes to be virus-free, including those from brand new "sealed" software packages. Always check for viruses on any diskettes or 'downloaded' software before executing it on your computer. You should buy an "off-the-shelf" virus protection program such as McAfee or Norton Anti-virus, but the secret to any of the virus protection programs is that you must use it!

Most viruses can be removed without having to reformat a hard drive or diskette. You will need to purchase (or download) a virus product as mentioned above. Follow the instructions provided with the virus software. Once the virus is removed, be sure to check all diskettes you have used in your computer to be sure you won't re-infect it.


What to Expect What to Bring Move-in Day/Schedule Orientation Directions About the Area Orientation Home About the Web site First-Year Summer Experience First-Year Q & A Common Reading Campus Dining Phoenix Card Bursar's Office Parking Campus Shop Other Services Setup Tips Troubleshooting Specs & Software E-mail Cable & Phone Technology Support Staying Connected Contact Info Parent Questions Family Weekend New Student Orientation Home	Setup Tips Before unpacking your PC, choose the location carefully. Be sure you have ample room for your PC, monitor and peripheral devices, such as your printer. Your PC houses the disk drives and accepts the connectors for your peripherals. Avoid dusty areas. If you must set up your system in a dusty area, consider buying dust covers. Do not plug your system into an electrical outlet that has a major appliance on the same circuit, such as a refrigerator. Large appliances draw substantial power when they are turned on, causing power drops that can damage your PC. Be sure your PC is not placed near heat sources such as warm air vents or heaters. If your computer came with a fax / modem or network connection, be sure to choose a location near a phone or network jack. Make sure that the power switches for all of your components are in the off position. Put the power switch on your surge suppressor in the off position. Remember to connect one device at a time. If this is the first time you are setting up a PC, don't be intimidated! The connector slots on your new PC are clearly marked. Some connectors may be placed in different slots. Use the pin configuration to identify a particular connector. Connectors are covered in greater detail below. When setting up your system, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind is; if it doesn't fit, it probably doesn't go there. So don't force anything. Your monitor comes with a cable for power and a cable that connects to your PC. The power cable has a three-prong plug for standard electrical outlets. The cable that connects to your PC has a 15-pin male connector on one end. (A male connector has pins that stick out and a female connector has holes to accept pins.) Find the female 15-pin connector on the back of your PC, press the male connector firmly in place, and tighten the retaining screws on either side. The other end of the cable, if it is not permanently attached, plugs into the back of your monitor. Note: If your connector does not have the full complement of pins, don't worry. Not all connectors utilize the maximum number of pins. The keyboard has only one cable, which is permanently attached at the keyboard end. The other end has a round male connector with a notch for orientation. Find the female counterpart to this connector on the back of your PC. Press the connector firmly into place. It may be necessary to rotate the connector as you gently push, until the correct position is found. Your printer has two cables. One has a three-prong plug that fits into a standard electrical outlet. The other cable is for communicating with your PC. The end of the printer cable that attaches to the printer has an odd-looking connector (called a Centronics connector) on one end. The other end has a 25-pin male connector, which will be connected to the PC. Press the 25-pin male connector into the 25-pin female connector on the back of your PC and tighten the mounting screws. Find the Centronics connector on your printer and press the cable firmly in place. Press the mounting clips toward the center until they click into place. The 25-pin female connector on the computer is labeled LPT 1. Your mouse probably has a PS/2 type interface. The cable connector is the same as the keyboard connector. Be sure that the mouse and keyboard are plugged into the proper connectors on the rear of the computer. Your PC has a power cord with a three-prong plug that fits into any standard electrical outlet; however, it should be plugged into a surge suppressor rather than directly into a wall outlet. The other end has a female plug that fits into the back of your PC. (There is also an auxiliary power source on the PC. Some monitors draw electrical power from this adapter.) Note: After you have connected all of your devices, there may be unused connectors on the back of your PC. Don't worry about them. If you get additional devices that connect to them later, you will also get connection instructions. Getting started on the network In order to connect to the Elon University network, you will need an Ethernet card. Any network card that is a 10/100 twisted pair interface card is acceptable. An Ethernet cable is also needed. Network cables (not cards) will be available at no cost to new students in each area during move-in weekend. Ethernet cards may be purchased from any computer vendor or they can be purchased from Elon Student Computer Services (ESCS). ESCS is available to sell, install and configure Ethernet cards on campus during move in days for a fee. However, due to a high volume of business during the first month of each semester, we recommend that you call (336) 278-5200 early to set up an appointment to install your Ethernet card. You can also come to campus with an Ethernet card already installed by yourself or another service center. We have included detailed instructions for configuring an Ethernet card for both the PC and the Mac computers. Once you have an Ethernet card installed and configured you are ready to connect to the network. There are Ethernet jacks located on the wall in each residence hall. These jacks are labeled with the letter "D" (meaning data) followed by four digits and another letter. All Ethernet ports are labeled in this manner. Connect one end of your Ethernet cable to this jack and the other end to the connection on your Ethernet card. An Ethernet cable must be used. A normal telephone cable will not work. Once the connection is made, you should see a green light on the card edge of the Ethernet card. You are now connected to the network. During move-in days, there will be people available to help you with this connection if needed. Since the Ethernet connection takes the place of a modem connection, there is no need to establish any other connections. When you are connected through an Ethernet network, your connection is constant. To access the Internet, just open a Web browser anytime. Virus protection Viruses are merely programs that are written to destroy or adversely alter other programs or data. Viruses can infect any file that is in any way executed, including BAT, COM, EXE, SYS, VBS and BIN files. There are also viruses that infect MACRO files in word processor and spreadsheet programs. The most common ways of picking up a virus are by sharing diskettes with other users, downloading an infected file via a modem or network connection, or opening an infected e-mail attachment. Never trust any diskettes to be virus-free, including those from brand new "sealed" software packages. Always check for viruses on any diskettes or 'downloaded' software before executing it on your computer. You should buy an "off-the-shelf" virus protection program such as McAfee or Norton Anti-virus, but the secret to any of the virus protection programs is that you must use it! Most viruses can be removed without having to reformat a hard drive or diskette. You will need to purchase (or download) a virus product as mentioned above. Follow the instructions provided with the virus software. Once the virus is removed, be sure to check all diskettes you have used in your computer to be sure you won't re-infect it.