How to handle ICT-managed Windows PCs

particularly for people "upgrading" from Maths Win7 to ICT-managed Win11

Lately, new Dell laptops and desktop PCs come with Windows11 installed, and are managed by ICT.

Maybe see some older blurb about Windows10 machines in the MCS domain.

For any issues or problems, or requests for help, please contact the ICT HelpDesk on phone 9351-6000 (or email [email protected]).
You may (also?) want to report issues to [email protected] as usual, mainly for our records.

To get started

From then on, the machine will remember those credentials and let you log in, whether connected to any networks or not connected at all (e.g. while at home).
BEWARE: anyone with a unikey could log in (though maybe not access your "own" files), and ICT HelpDesk types have full "admin" access.
BEWARE: it is likely that remote (unikey or ICT HelpDesk) logins are possible, not just "locally" on the screen/keyboard.

Software

The PC comes with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook etc), and with Adobe Acrobat, pre-installed. You will need to "sign in" to both, with your @sydney email address (and then Okta authentication); the Office sign-in may be "automatic" from your Windows login, but is not automatic for Adobe.

You will probably want Firefox (or Google Chrome?) installed. With the default Edge browser, search for "firefox download": download the installer, run it and follow the prompts.

You will probably want TeX installed. The default Edge browser refuses to let you download (flags it as "dangerous"), use Firefox instead. With Firefox, search for "texlive install": download install-tl-windows.exe, run it and follow the prompts.

Your Maths files, when connected to Maths internal wired network

For access to your Maths files (what used to be your H: and N: drives), on PCs connected to Maths internal wired networks (e.g. most desktops), set up some "drive mappings".
Following the www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/samba.html instructions.
We now use the M: drive instead of H:, since ICT may have used H: for something else.

Maybe you want just the M: and N: drives. List of all you may set up:

      Share (folder)   Comment
   M:   \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\home   Your home directory (used to be H: on Windows7)
   N:   \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\nobackup   Your nobackup directory (a.k.a. /nb/MATHSNAME)
   L:   \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\sms   The Linux /usr/sms directory
   W:   \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\wwwfd   Your web directory (a.k.a. /u/MATHSNAME) when present
   T:   \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\teaching   The ~teaching directory
   Y:   \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\shared   (For admin people only)

Do on the "command line", within a CommandPrompt window
(Start > Programs > Accessories > CommandPrompt) or (Start > Run > cmd).

For the first drive type command:

  net use M: \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\home /persistent:yes /savecred
That will prompt you for the username, type ennagroup\MATHSNAME, then when prompted type the Samba password.
The Samba password may have been copied from what you had on Win7 and ROMEGROUP; or ask Paul to set a new password for you.

For subsequent drives type command:

  net use N: \\enna.maths.usyd.edu.au\nobackup /persistent:yes
and similar.

Printing, when connected to Maths internal wired network

Following the instructions in www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/printing.html and see also www.maths.usyd.edu.au/loc/comp/alpha/printing.html.
These Win11 PCs seem to have the Internet Printing Client already selected in Windows Features.

Go to ControlPanel > DevicesAndPrinters, choose Add a Printer, then click The printer that I want isn't listed at the bottom. Choose Select a shared printer by name and type name http://siv.maths.usyd.edu.au:631/printers/r5lw (or c0lw mslw etc); choose the "right" PS (PostScript) driver. Maybe the Microsoft PS class driver works at Win11. Otherwise, click WindowsUpdate, and (after several minutes!) see it populated with many drivers: choose the Ricoh MP7500 PS or Ricoh SP C420 PS drivers.

Your Maths files, without Maths internal wired network

For PCs not on Maths wired networks, e.g. laptops connected to UniSydney wireless or any home networks, you will need to set up access via SSH: please follow the instructions in
www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ssh-howto.html

Printing, without Maths internal wired network

Please follow the instructions in
www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ssh-howto.html and
www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/printing.html

Access to enna, there is no xdora or xenna anymore

To run commands on enna you need to use SSH, whether connected to Maths internal wired network or not. Please see
www.maths.usyd.edu.au/u/psz/ssh-howto.html
for details, note how xsess is most similar to what xenna used to be. Access is via simple "plain password" when connected to Maths internal wired network, otherwise (from outside) you need 2FA so probably Web-OTP or maybe skeys.

   

Enjoy!

Paul Szabo[email protected] 14 Nov 24