OIT is happy to announce that Inside.SMU, our on-campus collaboration tool, is moving from an onsite Microsoft SharePoint server to a Microsoft-hosted SharePoint in the Cloud service. This upgrades our SharePoint software to the latest version automatically. On top of that, we also will have greater storage and backup capabilities. Most existing sites within Inside.SMU can be moved over to the new system with ease. We are working with primary stakeholders to design a roadmap for a final switchover sometime before the end of Q2.
Even though the functionality of SharePoint remains the same, some features have been renamed and moved around. The new version will also have a look-and-feel that is reminiscent of Office 365 and Office 2016. In preparation for the conversion to the cloud service, OIT will be offering a webinar for current users interested in learning more about how the new system will function and the new features. The webinar will take place on February 26 at 2PM. Visit our upcoming workshops page to register.
Microsoft will soon stop supporting older versions of Internet Explorer and will only continue to support Internet Explorer (IE) 11 and their new Edge web browser.
In fact, you may begin receiving prompts to upgrade your version of IE from Microsoft. This raises a common question regarding browser compatibility issues with the various applications and tools we use on a daily basis.
What browsers are available?
Microsoft Internet Explorer/Edge, Firefox and Chrome are the most popular browsers. It is recommended that you have at least two if not all three of these browsers installed on your computer.
Should I upgrade my browser when prompted?
Yes! The vendors provide upgrades to the browser software on a regular basis. Most of these upgrades include critical security patches to ensure the safety of your browsing sessions. Failing to install the latest version makes your system vulnerable.
What do I do if my web applications aren’t working?
When vendors develop the upgrades, they are not able to test their upgrades with every application on the market. Unfortunately, it is not unusual for a website or web application to “break” with a particular update. Thus, it is beneficial to know a few troubleshooting steps when you encounter issues with an application:
Clear the browser cache and relaunch the browser completely
Sometimes, the temporary files behind the scenes cause issues. Clearing the browser cache and restarting the browser completely often fixes application issues.
Try a different browser
If one browser isn’t working right with your application, try launching that application in a different browser. Believe it or not, the applications may function a little differently in each browser.
Use the browser compatibility option in Internet Explorer Because application developers are not always able to integrate new changes in the browser code quickly, browsers have several tools built in to fix compatibility issues. It is often helpful to know how to activate these tools if you really want to continue using a specific browser. For example– in Internet Explorer, click the gear icon and select Compatibility View Settings.
For additional troubleshooting tips for each browser, click on the appropriate links below
Some SMU users have multiple extensions assigned to their personal mailbox for Unified Messaging Voice Mail. The secondary extension could be a department number or resource phone. By default, the same voicemail message will be played for all extensions assigned to a mailbox.
Here is how to record a unique greeting for a secondary extension:
Under Add conditions, select “If the caller dialed my phone extension…”, and select your secondary extension.
Keep the default action, and click “Call the Play on Phone number to play or record a greeting for this call answering rule…”.
Click Yes to save the call answering rule.
You will receive a call which will prompt you to leave a voice mail message. Be sure to include “press pound to leave a message”; this is a requirement for secondary extensions.
If you would like to switch your primary and secondary extensions, please email help@smu.edu to create a help desk ticket.
When enabled for our new voicemail system (Microsoft Exchange Unified Messaging, or UM), you received a notification email with a temporary PIN. This PIN allows you to access to the voicemail system. If you are a new user, you will need to change it when you first log in to the system.
What happens if you lose your PIN, or misplace the notification email?
There are two options for PIN recovery.
Please note that the following options are not available for departmental accounts. Please contact the OIT Help Desk to reset a departmental account PIN.
In Microsoft Outlook:
Click File -> Manage Voice Mail and logon to the web interface.
Click Reset PIN -> “Reset My Voice Mail PIN”, then click “OK”
You will receive an email with a new temporary PIN.
Windows 10 has been out in the wild for about three months now. A frequent question we get here at OIT is “How is it?” and “Should I upgrade?” In the IT industry, we always like to thoroughly test things out before putting our approval stamp on it. After a few months with Windows 10, we can now make some recommendations.
Windows 10 brings the familiar Start menu back but in a new way that allows you to customize it with the things that are most important to you – your favorite apps, people, and files.
As many people know either by personal experience or word of mouth, Windows 8.1, the previous version of Windows, was a very divisive iteration. The Start button evolved into the Start Screen, a strange mix of menus and giant colorful buttons that left a bad taste in the mouths of many. Windows 10 has backed off of the Start Screen and tile concept, bringing back the good ‘ol Start button and start menu, albeit with some changes.
One feature that has carried on from Windows 8.1 is the recommendation that a Microsoft Account be used to log into your computer. This allows the majority of your computer settings, from font sizes to wallpaper, to be synced to all of your computers and devices that also use your Microsoft Account. Your settings will even carry over to a friend’s computer if you use this account. If this type of feature isn’t your cup of tea, you can always create a regular local account like you could in Windows 7 and versions previous.
The all-new Windows 10 browser that takes you beyond browsing to doing. One that is personal, responsive, and productive – for getting things done online.
A very noticeable change from previous versions of Windows is the web browser. Gone is the ubiquitous Internet Explorer that has graced Windows since 1995. The replacement is Microsoft Edge and has a familiar looking blue E for its logo. Although the logo may be similar, the two browsers couldn’t be more different. Edge is a very lean, stripped-down browser. It’s fast and simple to use but has significant drawbacks in that it has very little customization features and does not currently allow add-ons like IE. Microsoft intends to add back the add-on capability next year. In the meantime, we recommend using a different browser like Firefox or Google Chrome if you need a little bit more flexibility.
Other cool features include better multiple display support, Cortana; a voice-activated search tool and “personal assistant,” as well as improved built-in programs for e-mail, paint, etc.
Another huge factor in recommending Windows 10 is its reliability. So far, we haven’t found many major issues regarding program compatibility or glaring bugs that would negatively affect the user experience. Issues that you may run into could include hardware driver compatibility problems if the manufacturer has not provided a Windows 10 compatible update for your particular device. Apart from this, there have been few issues that would be considered severe.
Overall, Windows 10 has proven to be a solid and enjoyable experience in its first few months of life. If your machine meets the minimum requirements, you can upgrade without much worry. If you use Windows 8 or 8.1, we definitely recommend the upgrade in order to revive much-needed usability.
![App_Icon_Sharepoint_90x86[1]](https://blog.smu.edu/itconnect/files/2016/02/App_Icon_Sharepoint_90x861.png){kind=icon}
OIT is happy to announce that Inside.SMU, our on-campus collaboration tool, is moving from an onsite Microsoft SharePoint server to a Microsoft-hosted SharePoint in the Cloud service. This upgrades our SharePoint software to the latest version automatically. On top of that, we also will have greater storage and backup capabilities. Most existing sites within Inside.SMU can be moved over to the new system with ease. We are working with primary stakeholders to design a roadmap for a final switchover sometime before the end of Q2.
Microsoft will soon stop supporting older versions of Internet Explorer and will only continue to support Internet Explorer (IE) 11 and their new Edge web browser.
Click File -> Manage Voice Mail and logon to the web interface.
Windows 10 has been out in the wild for about three months now. A frequent question we get here at OIT is “How is it?” and “Should I upgrade?” In the IT industry, we always like to thoroughly test things out before putting our approval stamp on it. After a few months with Windows 10, we can now make some recommendations.
