COEN Windows Lab Computers FAQs
Saving to Lab Computers
Can I install applications or save files to these computers?
No. All computer lab systems are configured with software that protects them from viruses and unintended software installs (they’re ‘frozen’ with Deep Freeze software, which prevents changes to the computers).
Save your files to a thumb drive, W: drive, Dropbox or other location, because files temporarily stored on a lab computer’s hard drive ARE NOT PERMANENT. When the machine is restarted, all machine changes are lost.
Lab machines are configured to restart nightly after lab hours (6am to 10PM daily) as part of routine system maintenance (typically around 1:30am in the morning).
When Updates are Applied
How do I request software for a new semester?
Each semester faculty and staff may request software changes by contacting the COEN IT Services Department by responding to the email sent out to all faculty and staff from the Dean’s office about software change requests (prior to the deadline).
Requests can be submitted at any time by sending an email to COENITSVCS-group@boisestate.edu, well in advance of the next semester, also.
Why can’t changes be made to lab computers during the middle of a semester?
COEN classrooms and labs are heavily scheduled during fall and spring semesters. Some areas are so busy there’s no available time in the room prior to 8am or after 6pm on weekdays. This means that scheduling software updates is extremely difficult, as changes cannot be made while the computers are in use.
To make changes, the systems also need to be ‘thawed’ which takes around fifteen minutes for an entire lab (including restarts). The software installation may also require several minutes. Afterward the systems must be re-frozen, which requires another restart.
Slow Login
Why is it slow to login to lab machines?
Try using the generic lab accounts (ET215, ET238, ET213) account during open lab hours, because the account profiles are already saved on the machine.
When you login as yourself on a ‘frozen’ machine, your profile loads each time and isn’t saved to the system upon logoff, which adds more time to the login experience. Faculty should login to consoles prior to the start of the semester in order to save their own profiles to the system (making it faster to access your desktop settings).
For generic account password assistance, contact the COEN IT Services Department.