Win32 Virus Removal

The UT Information Technology Department has extended the hours of the two walk-in help desks to 24 hours a day, five days a week.

They will also be open from noon until 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

The extension will allow the help desk to provide students with better technological support whenever it is necessary, according to Vice President for Information Technology Godfrey Ovwigho.

“It was a logical extension,” Ovwigho said. “We want to be there for the students.”

The desks are located at the Carlson Library on Main Campus and the Mulford Library on the Health Science Campus. According to Ovwigho, most other research institutions in the United States have a 24-7 help desk for their students so following this standard at UT was necessary.

“If we were a community college, we wouldn’t need to provide round-the-clock support for students. Most of those students at a community college leave school and don’t work past five,” Ovwigho said. “I know that students here will work on their assignments all through the night.”

Ovwigho said he urges students to take advantage of UT’s “virtual lab,” which is a new service students can access anywhere they have an internet connection.

The virtual lab provides students access to costly software such as Adobe Flash Player, Accounting Lab and Adobe Photoshop, so they can work on assignments from their home computers, according to Ovwigho.

“The virtual lab is there to make students’ lives easier,” Ovwigho said. “You don’t have to panic if the weather is bad and you can’t get here, you would have the ability to do it from home. I know I can’t even find a parking spot most days, I feel strongly that students don’t have to make the trip here.”

Ovwigho said he feels students are unaware of all the services the help desk can provide.

According to Ovwigho, the help desk can talk students through setting up wireless connections and provide guidance on the installation of virus and malware removal tools along with helping rid students’ computers of any viruses and spyware they may have downloaded. The help desk will also aid a student when installing new software, Ovwigho said.

While the IT department works to increase accessibility, some students feel that the extended hours are unnecessary.

“I didn’t use it before,” said JJ Lubinski, a freshman majoring in psychology. “I know I won’t use it at night.”

Lubinski said he was unaware of the services the help desk offered.

“We can help with the basics of finding something in the library or on the database,” Ovwigho said. “But we can also help with extended issues, such as virus problems.”

According to Ralph Sharfy, a help desk employee on the Health Science Campus, the help desk is consistently busy, especially at the beginning of new semesters, at times of system malfunctions and when new software is released.

“Picture a snake; now picture that snake after it swallows a large meal,” Sharfy said. “This is like the beginning of the semester, it’s a lot at first, but slowly it gets to be less and less.”

Sharfy said though some students may be unaware of the services the help desk can provide, lots of students who already utilize the help desk will benefit from the extended hours.

“I’ve had students ask ‘how do I do this, and how do I find that,’” Sharfy said. “When you have 20,000 students returning to a university, there are going to be a lot of freshman, and a lot of questions. The help desk is there to provide an easy transition.”

Those students who utilize the services provided by the IT department may find it comforting to know that they can get help with computer problems whenever they need it.

“I don’t think I would use it at night, but I have called before,” said Virginia Sentman, a undecided freshman. “I know that they will cite sources for you too. If something were to come up, it’s nice to know there is something like this to go to.”

Ovwigho said the help desk can solve any technology problem a student may have and if the IT department can’t fix it on the spot, they can refer the student to somewhere they can have the problem fixed.

“It is my goal to make everything easier for the student,” Ovwigho said. “I want to provide the best experience for the student, and make each student confident and comfortable with their software.”