Information Systems Services contact details are now displayed on all DCU PC screens.

This is to aid ISS technicians when troubleshooting issues with DCU staff and students remotely. 

If you wish to contact ISS directly, log a ticket, send ISS an email or visit the ISS website you can do so by clicking on one of the links under the Contact Information heading. 

The following information is displayed:

• Windows: Microsoft Windows Operating System
• Host Names: The name of the PC you are logged into
• User: Your DCU user name
• Network Interfaces: The IP address of the PC you are logged into

If for a business reason, you do not want this information to appear press Windows button + D (show desktop toggle). If you need this to show again at any time, press the same Windows shortcut.

Slack Simplifies Communication

Slack brings all your team's communication together, giving everyone a shared workspace where conversations are organised, accessible and is organised by Channels which can be either:

1. Public channels
   • Channels for projects, groups, and topics that are open to anyone on who is a member of the DCU workspace.
2. Private channels
   • Across your team, project or research group, there's a range of things people need to communicate about. Private channels in Slack give everyone a way to organise all those conversations while making sure the right people are involved at the right time. Everyone within the channel has a transparent view of all that's going on.

Types of communications possible

1. Broadcast messages
   • One-to-many, choose any one of the public channels and start a conversation by posting a question or simply use the thread function to comment on a question or request from a colleague
2. Direct Messages
   • One-to-one and small group messaging adds flexibility around more focused conversations. You can convert direct messages to a private channel for longer-running topics.
3. Calls and Screen sharing
   • Make calls and share your screen right from channels and direct messages in Slack. Give everyone on the call a voice (and a cursor) by inviting them to directly click and type within your shared screen. If you're on the go, calls on Slack's mobile apps make it simple to reach anyone on your team.

Download Slack's desktop and mobile apps

It is not necessary to download the application as Slack is available to all DCU staff via an internet browser.

By downloading the desktop and mobile apps, you can stay signed in to multiple workspaces, have more control over notifications, and stay in sync even when you’re on the move.

For download instructions, click the link for the apps that are right for you.

Mobile

• Slack for IOS
• Slack for Android
• Slack for Windows Phone (Beta)

Desktop

• Slack for Mac OS X
• Slack for Windows
• Slack for Linux(Beta)

 Visit our dedicated Slack information page to view more information and videos on how to best utilise Slack for you and your team!

There are 2 ways to report spam email from within Gmail as highlighted in the image below. 

Good news, it is now possible to schedule emails from within you DCU apps.

All you need to do is follow the steps outlined below.

1. Compose an email as usual and press the down arrow located by the send button as highlighted by the red arrow below.

   

2. Select the date and the time you wish to schedule the email to be sent.

   

3. It is then possible to check all scheduled emails from the left navigation panel within Gmail and to further edit the schedule date and copy.

   

Microsoft Windows 7 End of Support – 14th January 2020

The Windows 7 End of Life date has been announced: January 14, 2020. This means Microsoft will no longer update or support Windows 7 operating system after that date.

What does this mean for me?

Continuing with Windows 7 beyond this date will expose serious risks to the DCU network such as security compromises, data breaches, virus and malware attacks.

Any PC or Laptop running Windows 7 after January 14, 2020, will be blocked from the DCU network until the operating system has been upgraded to Windows 10.

I use a Dell computer, can I upgrade to Windows 10?

Yes, if you are running Windows 7 it is possible for ISS to upgrade your PC or laptop in situ or remotely.

None of your existing applications will be affected but we do advise that you back up all your data before we commence the process.

What should I do next?

If you are running Windows 7 we advise that you contact ISS so we can arrange a time that suits both parties for the upgrade.

ISS has undertaken an analysis of DCU computers running Windows 7 to determine which computers can be upgraded or need to be replaced.

This means you'll experience the minimum of disruption when upgrading to Windows 10. Most programs you use will have been updated to work on Windows 10 as well, and the layout and interface are similar to Windows 7, so you shouldn’t find it too hard to adjust.

Windows 7 End of Life: back up your documents.

It is important that you make sure that your documents are safely backed up. If you’re upgrading to Windows 10 from Windows 7 on the same machine the transfer of your files is part of the process, but it’s best to back up just in case something goes wrong.

There are a number of ways to do this.

• Use Google Drive Back Up & Snyc which is available from Software Center on all DCU assets for all DCU staff. This is the ISS preferred solution.
• You can copy your files to an external hard drive or you could use a cloud storage service, which uploads your data to the internet, then allows you to download and synchronise the files on your new device.
• Use a third-party cloud solution.

PC Requirements

If your desktop or laptop is more than five years old, ISS advises that you should replace it with a new PC or Laptop at your earliest convenience.

To check how old your Dell computer is, click here and enter the 7-character Service TAG number of your computer in the space provided. The Service Tag number can be found on the top, side or back of the computer.

If your Dell desktop computer has less than four digits in its title e.g. Dell OptiPlex 790, then it is not supported for Windows 10 and needs to be replaced.

ISS are happy to provide advice and guidance regarding the requirements for upgrade/replacement as well as the options available.

Full details on how to purchase new computers from Dell yourself once you have decided what is needed are available from the ISS procurement web page.

How to Monitor DCU email Logins

Do you think somebody is accessing your DCU email account without your permission?

Whether you suspect someone is reading your mail or just want to double check to make sure there is no suspicious activity, there is an easy way to check.

Gmail keeps a log of when and where you are logging in from so you can monitor recent activity on your account by following the steps below:

1. Log into your DCU email account
2. Scroll down to the bottom of your inbox.
3. Then click the Details link, highlighted in red in the image below.
4. This will open a new window where you can view all recent activity, including browser type, IP address and the date /time

Activity of your DCU email account

By clicking on the Details Link a new window will bring up a log that displays the number of places you have logged in from — including your current session, circled in red in the image below.

If something looks off, you can sign out of all sessions by clicking on the button to the left of the red arrow in the image below. This will close all active sessions on all devices. 

If you feel that your email account has been comprised in any way, ISS advise that you change your password via easypass.dcu.ie

You can also check if your email address or password has been compromised by visiting the following website, haveibeenpawned and entering your email in the relevant field: