CCIT
to swap out leased computers for newer ones
by Kayann Schell and Cinnamon Clemmons
Center for Computing and Information Technology
Have you seen the new, slick computers on campus? They are black, compact
and quite speedy!
If you haven't spotted them yet, you may have seen a team of CCIT field
engineers carting large boxes of new PCs from building to building during
the last couple of months.
Wondering what's going on? It's time to swap out the leased PCs for
the newer, faster computers. MUSC has a 3-year computer lease program with
Dell and the renewal dates are here. A few months ago, a pop-up message
was sent to all ClinLAN (Clinical Local Network) users asking for the location
and lease expiration date of their computers. With this information in
hand, the field engineers began their awesome task of replacing more than
1,200 workstations before December. Thus far about 525 PCs have been replaced
since mid March.
Users may be concerned about maintaining their files or how the replacement
of their PCs will affect their workflow. Below is a list of common questions,
along with answers, asked when a user is notified that their PC will be
replaced:
Will Windows 2000 be on my new PC?
No, the new machines will be CL95. We will not be upgrading the operating
systems to Windows 2000 until midyear 2002.
How can I tell if my machine is a leased machine?
If I find that it is leased, when can I expect it to be replaced?
Leased computers should have a silver tag on the front of the CPU box
with a lease expiration date. The PC will be replaced during the month
of expiration. You will receive paper notification one to three weeks in
advance of the swap.
I got a notice on my PC a few weeks back asking
for the location of my PC so it can be replaced, does this mean it's leased?
Not necessarily, this notification went to all ClinLAN users to verify
the location for inventory purposes.
How will I know when someone is coming to swap
out my old PC for a new one? Will I be notified and how?
Yes, you'll be notified. Either your nurse/business manager will notify
you, or you will be given paper notification. Engineers will be doing site
visits for final notification one to three weeks prior to the replacement.
Do I need to do anything before you come to
get my old PC?
Yes. Move any files you have saved locally, i.e. on your C:/ drive,
by saving them to your I:/drive (Home directory on the network). Everything
on the C:/ drive will be removed so you will need to install any local
programs you have again on your new PC.
What about my WebShots and Napster?
WebShots and Napster are not ClinLAN supported applications. Playing
music from Napster or any other streaming audio sites is in violation of
the computer usage policy. It is your responsibility to download WebShots
or any other screen savers you want—these extras are not supported by CCIT.
Do I have to be present for my PC to be replaced?
Will it get replaced if I'm not?
It is not necessary for you to be present during the replacement of
your PC, but it is helpful to all involved. Due to time sensitivity regarding
getting the PCs returned to Dell on time, yes, the PC would be replaced
if you were not present. This is why it is important to save any locally
stored data/files as soon as you are notified that you are on the schedule
for PC lease replacement.
I don't have a leased PC, can I still get a
new one?
Possibly...Older GXa's and GXi's will need to be replaced for compatibility
with ClinLAN2000 which is still under development. The replacement of these
older non-leased PCs with new leased machines will begin in late 2001 and
continue through early 2002. You can tell if you have a GXa or GXi by looking
at the blue Dell tag on the front of your CPU box.
When will we be getting Microsoft Office 2000?
Currently, all ClinLAN servers are being converted to Windows 2000.
Once this “back end” upgrade process is complete, the deployment of Windows
2000 on the desktop will begin. After the ClinLAN95 operating system is
upgraded to ClinLAN2000, the deployment of Microsoft Office 2000 will begin
sometime in 2002.
Will all my programs still be available after
the swap?
All applications that are provided through the ClinLAN network will
appear again on your new computer, however, you will have to go through
a series of reboots the first time you use your new PC to reinstall all
applications associated with your ClinLAN profile. Any locally installed
applications will need to be reinstalled by the party who originally installed
them.
I just got my new leased PC and I'm having
to reboot over and over. Why?
You may remember having to reboot several times the first time you
used your ClinLAN account. Each ClinLAN user selects which applications
they will need to perform their job, like OACIS, PatCom Plus, Practice
Partner, MS Office, etc. each of these programs will need to be reinstalled
on your new PC. These applications come from a ClinLAN server so the first
time you log into a new workstation with your ClinLAN ID and password,
you will need to say YES to any prompts to load new applications or to
restart your PC for the completion of a new installation. This process
takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Are you going to take my speakers? Or do I
get new ones?
No, we will not take your speakers you may keep them. CCIT does not
provide speakers. It is the responsibility of each department to make such
purchases as appropriate.
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