Engineering Computing - FAQ/Solutions

Windows

Linux

Mac OS

VMware

FAQ/Solutions

HOWTOs

Updated: Please see the CRC wiki for Linux troubleshooting.

Have you tried rebooting? Sometimes you can fix problems by rebooting, since this ends potentially conflicting processes. To restart a Windows computer just press Ctrl-Alt-Delete, click Shutdown, and then Restart. In the Linux cluster, try logging out and logging back in.

Note: to prevent damage to the computers, please do not press the power off button.

I can't log in!

Windows: Are you sure that you have a NetID account and password to log in? Is OIT performing maintenance on their servers? Have you forgotten your password ? Otherwise, see the Contact Us section to get help.

Linux: If you get a message saying that your session was less than 10 seconds, you probably have exceeded your AFS quota. At the login prompt press Alt-Ctrl-F4 to access the virtual console, which is a text-only login environment. Login as you normally would (type your username, then when prompted type your password). To see if you have ran out of quota, type `quota`. If your usage percentage (under the column %Used) is close to or over 100%, then you have run out of quota and must delete some of your files. A quick way to view your largest files is with the command `du | sort -n`, which will output a list of all your files with the largest at the bottom. You can now begin to delete some of your largest files until you are under quota. Note: the ~/YESTRDAY folder contains a daily backup and uses none of your quota. If you need more quota than you have, you may request a higher quota be set with the OIT Quota Request Form.

A program I'm trying to run won't work- what do I do?

      If the program (such as MathCad) asks for a license server, enter "knuth.helios.nd.edu". Otherwise, see the Contact Us section to get help.

How do I print? How do I print double sided?

      Check out our printing guide.

The Cluster printers are not working!

      If there's a problem with them that a consultant can't help with, contact us at engtrouble@nd.edu.

How can I back up my files?

      On Windows machines, the 'My Documents', 'Favorites', and 'Desktop' folders are automatically backed up to Netfile space (in the Private folder of your N: drive). You may copy all other files onto the N: drive in order to back them up. Netfile storage is backed up regularly by Notre Dame OIT .

What kind of new computer should I buy?

See the recommended specifications for new machines, provided by Notre Dame OIT . The ratio of PCs to Macintosh machines on campus is roughly 4:1. Also, Engineering Computing does not officially support Mac OS X at this time (stay tuned though!). As such, a PC is recommended for most users.