Library Computers

Welcome to Open Access Labs (OAL) Computing!

As TAMU Library staff, you now have OAL computers in many of your library sites. These computers are configured exactly as the OAL Labs computers. Students are already accustomed to the layout of the OAL computer so there will be very little adjustment. However, you will find a FAQ section below that addresses some of the most common questions you might have, as well as some important URLs or links that you may need.

Common URLs:

http://gateway.tamu.edu/
http://oal.tamu.edu/Home/Software/Software_List.php
http://techdocs.tamu.edu/oal/printing-in-the-oal-information/RequestforCredit.pdf
https://howdy.tamu.edu/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Login Accounts

If a student, faculty or staff member has a UIN, they have the ability to have a NetID or username for OAL computing.

How does a patron activate their NetID?
You must have your UIN and birthdate to activate a new NetID. Log in to http://gateway.tamu.edu/, click Activate NetID under the "NetID Account Management" section in the middle of the screen.


Figure 1 - Gateway.tamu.edu    

What if a patron has a NetID but cannot log in to an OAL Computer?
They might need to activate their account. At http://gateway.tamu.edu/ choose Manage OAL Account, have them log in with their NetID and Password, choose Activate Account in the upper left and then again in the middle of the next screen. Once the account is enabled (it will state Account is enabled), have them log off and wait up to 15 minutes then try to log in again. If there is a problem, call HDC to report.

How do I help someone who forgot their password?
If the patron has set up security questions for self serve password change you can take them to http://gateway.tamu.edu/, access the NetID Password Management option under NetID Account Management in the center of the screen (see above) and choose Self Service Password Reset. If Self Service is not possible, call HDC at 979.845.8300 and allow the patron to talk to an HDC attendant or refer the patron to the closest Open Access Labs with picture ID.

Troubleshooting

All problems that are not solvable in the library are to be reported to HDC at 979.845.8300. Report the difficulty as well as the fact that it is on an OAL computer.

What do I do when a computer doesn’t work properly?
Try another computer to see if the problem is isolated to that computer. If the problem persists, reboot the computer. If the problem persists, call HDC at 979.845.8300 to report the problem.

What if a computer is locked so that nobody can log in?
Check for the patron that locked it. You would hate to log someone off if they were just getting a book or printout. If patron cannot be located, reboot.

What if someone cannot log off?
Reboot. How does a patron save their work? All work saved to Desktop or My Documents saves to the patron's Home Drive. Anything saved to the C: drive will most likely be lost when logging off the computer. Thumb or key drives, cd's, dvd's, etc. may also be used.

What do I do if someone wants their laptop setup for TAMU wireless?
Refer them to the closest Open Access Lab.

How do I help a patron who has lost work or a file?
If the loss is due to a power outage, most installed programs have an auto recovery system. Have the patron log back into the same computer. You can also have them restore their home drive by choosing Start Button > Utilities > Home Drive Restore. If all else fails, refer them to a lab or call HDC at 979.845.8300 to open a trouble ticket. Backups, or Snapshots, are taken frequently.

Where do I check to see if a software title is installed on an OAL computer?
http://oal.tamu.edu/Home/Software/Software_List.php

How does a patron save their work?
If a patron has an OAL account, they have a Home Drive. All work saved to Desktop or My Documents saves to the patron's Home Drive. Anything saved to the C: drive will most likely be lost when logging off the computer. Thumb or key drives, cd's, dvd's, etc. may also be used. If a patron does not have an OAL account (guest, unallocated staff) they will not have a Home Drive and must save to some type of removable media such as a thumb/key drive, cd, dvd, etc.

Who prints to which printers?
Students are mapped to the closest OAL printer. Staff is mapped to the closest Ikon printer.

How do I map additional printers?
Start Button > All Programs > Utilities > Map Printers