Research student guide to Computer Services
Computer Services supports the University through the provision of a comprehensive range of computing and information services which facilitate learning, teaching and research.
Computer Services
Access to a wide range of computing facilities is available. As a research student you have access to all the facilities available to undergraduate and postgraduate course students. In addition you will have access to many of the facilities that academic staff have. For instance, you may have use of an office PC in your school, and you can get support from our team of academic computing officers.
Your computer account
You will be given your student number and allocated your password when you enrol. Please keep your password safe. Your computer account will be available the day of enrolment.
Your password gives you access to the following facilities:
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Gives you access to PCs in the computer rooms and Libraries and breakfast bar PCs around the University. Also access to most office PCs. |
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Every student has their own Google@Brookes email account from which they can send and receive email |
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Your Personal Information Portal (PIP) pages where you can see your details, and the Brookes Intranet which is mentioned later. |
Computer rooms
There are over 875 networked PCs available in 34 open access rooms across
all campuses. A typical room has 20 Pentium PCs running Windows XP, Office
2003, Office 2007 and a local high quality black and white printer. Many
of the rooms are easily accessible to wheelchair users.
Some rooms are open 24 hours throughout most of the year. Just swipe your
library card in the bar code reader at the door to get in.
Logging on
Whether you are using a PC in a computer room, or your own office PC you will need to log on to gain access to the Brookes PC network.
Type your eight digit student number e.g. 10123456, the type in your password.
Once you have logged on you will be able to change your password.
For more information see our Computer Services document Getting Online at Brookes or watch the video guide available at: www.brookes.ac.uk/go/gettingonline
Software
There are over 400 different software packages available on the Brookes
PC network. These cover word processing, spreadsheets, statistics, CAD,
graphing, drawing, presentations, project management, desk top publishing,
programming, library resources, email and internet services.
If you need software installing on your office PC contact your school IT
support staff who will be able to advise you.
If you need software installing on your home PC it may be possible to buy
the software at reduced academic rates; enquire at the IT Service Desks or
or see:
www.brookes.ac.uk/services/cs/useful_info/licences.html
Home directories
All students and staff are allocated their own folder called My Documents
on the Brookes central file store. This folder is also known as your Home
Directory and is assigned to drive 'H:' in the computer rooms. The initial
allocation of storage space - the 'quota' - is set at 50MB for students
and 100MB for staff.
If you need a larger home directory for your work, you will need authorisation
from your tutor. Application forms are available at the Computer Services
Centre, or the IT Service Desks at Wheatley and Harcourt Hill, or as a download
on our web pages.
Read the document How
to save large files safely for more advice on saving.
Your office PC can also be set up to connect to your home directory, and your school shared directories - see your school IT support staff.
You can access your home directory off-site. Read the document How to access your files off-campus.
Google@Brookes Mail is a web based email system powered by Google and used for accessing Oxford Brookes University email. Its main function is to provide simple and fast access to email for Brookes offering the same interface on any computer, including off-campus access. All you need is a connection to the Internet and a web browser; no configuration is necessary.
Every fully enrolled student is automatically given a university email account. Your email address will be available on your PIP page and will normally be based on your first name followed a dot then your surname: Joe.bloggs@brookes.ac.uk (check your PIP page for variations of this). For more details see: www.brookes.ac.uk/go/google.
Scanning
Scanners are available as follows:
- six A4 scanners in BH6 at Gipsy Lane
- one A4 scanner in DEM17
- two A4 scanners in DEM18 at Gipsy Lane
- two A3 scanners in the Graphics Workshop (M109) at Gipsy Lane
- one A4 and one A3 scanner in the Audio Visual section of the Gipsy Lane Library
- three A4 scanners in the Assistive Technology room L3.12 in the Gipsy Lane Library
- two A4 scanners in G2/03 at Wheatley
- three A4 scanners in G105 at Wheatley
- one A4 scanner in the Wheatley Library
- one A4 scanner in FLG01 at Harcourt Hill
Specialist systems
In addition to the distributed PC network there is a specialist Unix system dealing with GIS and database design (Oracle).
If you require access to these systems as part of your research speak to your school IT support staff.
Printing
Each Computer room has its own black and white high quality printer. In addition there are central printers including colour printers up to A1 size.
Each student is allocated a charge account and an initial printing allowance of £1. You can pay money into your charge account at the Computer Services Centre, as well as the Harcourt Hill, Wheatley and Headington Libraries.
There is also a system where you can credit your charge account online using a credit or debit card. See: https://chargeaccounts.brookes.ac.uk for services.
If you are working from your office PC you can print to school printers, or the central colour printers. Contact your IT support staff to arrange access.
For more information see: Getting started with printing at Brookes.
Professional binding for dissertations is available from the University Print and Reprographic Service located in the Media Centre on the Gipsy Lane campus.
Computer Services Centre
The Computer Services Centre is the focal point of Computer Services on the Gipsy Lane campus and provides support for HallNet, Hardware sales and PC clinic. You can also purchase disks, CDs, USB memory sticks, self-teach workbooks, collect your A4-A1 colour printing, send and collect faxes, and hire laptop PCs. All libraries and most Brookes shops also sell USB sticks, and CDs.
Graphics Workshop
The Graphics Workshop provides a range of facilities for staff and students with specialist requirements, e.g. digital video editing, streaming media, access to the latest graphics, multimedia and CAD visualisation software, high resolution scanning, slide scanning, as well as access to Computer Services colour printing.
For more information, see: www.brookes.ac.uk/graphics
HallNet
The Brookes HallNet service allows students in most halls of residence to use their PCs to access email, Internet and the intranet. See: http://hallnet.brookes.ac.uk
Wireless (Eduroam)
Wireless connectivity is available across the Brookes campuses and is available to all Brookes staff and students and is free of charge. Authorised visitors (and members of other universities who are registered with their home site's Eduroam service), can also use the service.
The service is part of the Eduroam project which allows members of different
educational institutions to use the wireless service offered at each participating
location without requiring additional configuration.
For more details, see:http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/cs/wireless/wireless_setup.html
Getting Help
Need Help? |
Contact |
Your Office PC (networking,
computer problems/set-ups) |
Your school IT support staff and/or your Academic Computing Officer (ACO) |
General computing enquiries, computer rooms, Software |
Computer Services IT Service Desks |
Purchase of computer
consumables, portable PC hire, |
Computer Services Centre |
Locations and opening hours of the Computer Services IT Service Desks and Library Enquiry Desks are shown later.
For details on areas of support, and names and telephone numbers of your support staff, see: Who does What in Computer Services web page.
Computer Services IT Service Desks
There are IT Service Desks at Gipsy Lane, Harcourt Hill and Wheatley campuses. The role of the IT Service Desk is to provide help and advice to enable you to get the best out of computing at Brookes.
Documentation
Computer Services There are over 100 documents covering the PC and Unix systems and the major software applications. Many are available from the Computer Services web pages. A range of self-teach workbooks and more in-depth guides are on sale at the Computer Services Centre and the Library.
Training (Computer Services)
The IT training programme covers a wide selection of the most-used software on the PC Network. Small group courses are run during semester and are scheduled in response to demand. They are normally 3 hours in length and cost £5 each.
The courses are available to researchers and postgraduate students, and
staff. A list of courses and application forms are available from the Computer
Services Centre, the Wheatley Library and Harcourt Hill IT Service Desk. Details
can be found on the Computer Services web pages (accessible from within
Brookes only)
https://www2.brookes.ac.uk/cs/training
Students and staff can study for the European Computer Driving Licence® (ECDL) the European-wide qualification which enables people to demonstrate their competence in computer skills. See the web page below for more information on this course: www.brookes.ac.uk/cs/ecdl
The Computer Services web pages contain a wealth of useful information and
online documentation. See: www.brookes.ac.uk/cs
Computer Services - opening hours
| Computer Services
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Semester | Vacation | |
Weekends |
Sat |
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Closed Closed |
Harcourt Hill IT Service Desk |
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri Wed |
09.00 - 17.00 09.00 - 16.30 |
09.00 - 17.00 09.00 - 16.30 |
| Wheatley IT Help
Desk |
Mon - Fri |
09.00 -17:00 |
Closed |
| You can email non-urgent queries to the IT Service Desk staff - send to servicedesk@brookes.ac.uk |
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| Computer Services
Centre |
Mon - Thurs Fri |
08.30 -17.30 16.30 |
09.00 - 16.30 16.00 |
| Graphics Workshop |
Mon - Fri |
09.00 - 17.00 | 09.00 - 13.00 14.00 - 17.00 |
Computer rooms Refer to the map
for location of the computer rooms. If ringing from outside Brookes, precede extension numbers given above with '48'. The Oxford code is 01865. |
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