Laptop "slowness" can usually be attributed to 1 of 3 issues:
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A hard drive that is failing.
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Viruses and spyware interfering with normal OS operation.
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Too many programs / addons loading at startup and holding onto system resources (e.g. multiple instant message clients, printer & digital camera software, AOL software).
Please bring your machine to Laptop Central for testing if you are experiencing consistently sluggish responses from your system. If your hard drive is starting to fail, it is best to catch the issue as quickly as possible to maximize the chances of data recovery.
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The battery issued with your laptop is under a one year warranty. Battery life does degrade over time, as the battery accumulates "cycles." Each battery cycle represents one full charge and discharge of the battery. To avoid gaining cycles, leave your battery plugged into the charger when stationary, and do not let the battery fully discharge. The battery cannot be "over charged" or damaged by leaving it plugged into the AC adapter for extended periods of time.
To see how many cycles your battery currently has, left click on the battery gauge on your desktop and choose the "Launch Power Manager" option. If you have closed this display, the Power Manager can also be accessed by going to Start --> All Programs --> ThinkVantage --> Power Manager. Once the Power Manager has opened, click on the "Battery Information" tab. If your battery has over 250 cycles, you can expect its performance to significantly decline.
Performance can be sometimes be improved through a process called "reconditioning." To recondition your battery, click on the "Battery Maintenance" button on the Battery Information tab of the Power Manager. Before proceeding, make sure your laptop can be left unused and plugged into AC power for 4-5 hours. Then click on the "Perform Reset" button. You will be notified when the recondition is complete.
If you continue to receive unsatisfactory performance from your battery, check with Laptop Central. It may be a sign of a more serious hardware issue.
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If your battery displays an error message such as "Irreparable battery damage detected" or "battery cannot be charged," then it has failed, and can no longer be used.
While the battery provided to you has a one year warranty which begins at the date of its manufacture, it may be possible for Bryant to replace such failed batteries past this date at no cost to you. Contact Laptop Central to determine whether or not you qualify for such a replacement.
If we cannot provide you with a replacement at our expense, there are discounted batteries available through our Student Discounts page.
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If you are using Internet Explorer as your browser, and you find that Bryant's Blackboard website crashes whenever you attempt to open a file through Blackboard, it may be a conflict with the Adobe plug-in.
With a website open in Internet Explorer, go to Tools --> Manage Add-ons --> Enable or Disable Add-ons.
Select the "Adobe PDF" toolbar, and choose "Disable." Press ok. This issue should now be resolved.
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Students using Mozilla Firefox 3.0 as their browser have reported having issues when attempting to upload a file into Blackboard. An error is returned via a pop-up message stating that the file has an invalid file name, and is unable to be uploaded. This a known issue with the Firefox browser and Blackboard. To prevent this problem, please use Internet Explorer or Safari browsers when uploading files to Blackboard.
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If the WEP key to access the Bryant wireless network has been accidentally cleared, you will need to visit Laptop Central to have it reentered for you. It cannot be provided over the phone or via email due to its length and for security reasons.
If you are a guest to Bryant, or do not have a Bryant issued laptop, please join the #bryantguest# network. This will provide normal internet access to websites, but will NOT allow you to access protected Bryant service sites such as Banner and our public printers.
On older model Bryant-issued laptops the WEP key stored in a text file on your machine as backup. Open your My Documents folder, and find the folder called Help Files. Inside this folder is the text document entitled WEP.txt. Open this document in Notepad, and copy the contents to the clipboard. Then, right click the Wireless Network icon in your system tray, and choose "View Available Wireless Networks." Select the #bryant# SSID, and choose "Connect." When prompted for the network password, paste the contents from your clipboard.
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To set up a wireless printer in your dorm room for your use, please perform the following steps:
1) Locate your printer's MAC address, and provide to Laptop Central for manual registration. This will allow your printer access to our network.
2) Both your printer and your laptop must be on the same wireless SSID, ie. #bryant# or #bryantwireless#. As Laptop Central personnel cannot give out the #bryantwireless# WPA2 access key, you will need to speak with us to determine how best to proceed.
3) Your printer and your laptop must be connected to the same access point to successfully communicate. For most individuals this is not an issue, as both pieces of equipment are designed to connect to the closest / strongest signal access point, but there may be some areas
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Once you have notified the University of your intent to withdraw, you will receive an email detailing your need to return your laptop, power adapter, and all provided accessories to Laptop Central. These accessories include: the long and short Ethernet cables, backpack, and USB storage key. If mailing your laptop back to us, be sure to insure the package and provide adequate padding inside an appropriate box. Depending on how many semester you have possessed the laptop, you may be given the option to purchase your machine at a depreciated price. Once your laptop has been returned, the transcript hold on your account will be lifted. Failure to return the laptop in a timely fashion will result in eventual legal proceedings.
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If your T400 fails to reconnect to the Bryant wireless network automatically upon a fresh boot, or resuming from standby or hibernate, simply right-click the wireless tray icon and choose "View Available Wireless Networks." From the list, choose #bryantwireless# and press Connect. The stored security key will be automatically filled in, and you should press Connect once more.
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If your T400 model laptop blue screens while coming out of standby or hibernate, the driver for your video card most likely needs to be updated. Please bring your laptop in to Laptop Central for service; the repair will take less than 10 minutes.
If you are unable to come in to Laptop Central and wish to perform this repair yourself, the appropriate driver can be found here. Download the .exe file to your desktop, and then make a new folder on your desktop called ATI. Double-click the downloaded .exe file to extract it. When prompted, change the extraction path to the ATI folder you created. When it is finished extracting, open the ATI folder and double-click the setup.exe file to update your driver. Reboot your laptop when prompted to do so.
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There is an updated audio driver available for the T400 which will correct these types of errors.
Simply visit Laptop Central during our normal hours of operation for this repair, which can be completed in under 10 minutes.
If you are unable to come in to Laptop Central and wish to perform this repair yourself, the appropriate driver can be found here. Download the .exe file to your desktop, and then make a new folder on your desktop called Audio. Double-click the downloaded .exe file to extract it. When prompted, change the extraction path to the Audio folder you created. When it is finished extracting, open the Audio folder and double-click the setup.exe file to update your driver. Reboot your laptop when the installation is complete.
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When you are outputting video to an external device and you wish to view the video on your laptop in full screen, you must make a change to your video card settings.
Double-click the ATI icon in the taskbar located in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. This will open the Catalyst Control Center. If you have never opened this before, you will be prompted to choose what mode you wish to view your options. Select "Advanced."
Select the Notebook Panel Properties item. Under scaling options, select Full Screen and press OK at the bottom of the window. Close the window.
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Bryant Alumni Email registration is currently disabled.
Recent graduates will continue to be able to use their existing Bryant email address until the December, 2009 timeframe, when all student accounts will transition to an entirely new email system being created in partnership with Microsoft. Be sure to watch your Bryant email address during this timeframe for details and requirements.
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To reset the default font in Microsoft Word 2007, please take the following steps:
1) Open Microsoft Word 2007
2) Make sure you have the Home tab selected, and open the font dialog box by clicking on the area highlighted in yellow as shown below:
3) Once the font dialog box opens, change the font and size to whatever you wish. Be sure to press the Default button when you are finished.
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You may have noticed that there is more space between paragraph lines and between paragraphs themselves in Word 2007. This was done by Microsoft to improve readability.
To return spacing to the defaults found in previous versions of Word, you must change the Style Set option. To do this, please follow these steps:
In Word 2007, click the Home tab to ensure it is selected.
Click Change Styles in the Styles group, point to Style Set, and then click Word 2003.
To make this your default style, click Change Styles in the Styles group, and then click Set as Default.
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For questions relating to basic differences between the 2003 and 2007 versions of Office programs, or for help regarding the new Office Ribbon that all Office programs employ, check out our helpsheets on the subject, which can be found here.
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To clear Ruckus' DRM store, please do the following:
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Close down all programs you have running.
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Check your year, date and time and year on your computer. Ensure they are current.
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Open My Computer, and then double click drive C.
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Open the “Documents and Settings” --> "All Users" folder.
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From the "Tools" menu, select "Folder Options" and click the "View" tab.
Make sure that the "Show hidden files and folders" option is selected, and that "Hide protected operating system files" is unchecked, as shown in the image below.
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Click "OK" and close this window.
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You should now see a folder called "DRM." Rename this folder to "DRMOLD."
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Launch the Ruckus player application, and it will reinitialize and resynch your licenses for any previously downloaded songs.
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Some users have reported that their T61 model laptop will come out of standby without any user intervention or input.
Should you be experiencing this, try the following:
Go to Start --> Control Panel --> System
Click the "Hardware" tab, and then "Device Manager."
Right click the "Intel(R) 82566MM Gigabit Network Connection" and choose Properties. Click the "Power Management" tab.
Uncheck the two highlighted options above. Press OK and exit out of Device Manager.
If you continue to experience this issue after making the changes above, please come in to Laptop Central for further consultation.
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If the CD/DVD burning software bundled on your T400 model ThinkPad fails to launch correctly, you will either need to visit Laptop Central to have us repair the software install from CD, or you may download a replacement program which provides the same functionality.
Simply click here to download the program, and choose RUN when prompted to launch it. It will then automatically install itself to your machine.
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If Windows Movie Maker crashes upon launch, it is most likely due to a conflict with the InterVideo DVD playing software. This issue can be easily resolved, however. From your desktop, open "My Computer" and open the C: drive. Open the "Program Files" folder, and locate the "InterVideo" folder. Rename this folder to "InterVideo1," and choose "Yes" when you are prompted that renaming the folder may cause some programs not to work. Then go to Start --> All Programs --> Accessories and open Windows Movie Maker. The application should now start successfully. Close Windows Movie Maker, and then rename the "InterVideo1" folder in Program Files back to "InterVideo".
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Random lockups are known to occur during DVD playback using the version of of the InterVideo WinDVD playing software provided on the R61 model ThinkPad. Students are urged to use either Windows Media Player 11 found on their laptop for DVD playback, or download the freeware application VLC Media Player instead.
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An updated wireless driver is now available for the R61 model ThinkPad, which corrects for persistent dropping of the wireless connection when bringing the laptop out of standby of hibernation.
Simply right-click and save the following file to your laptop's desktop:
R61 Wireless Driver Update
After downloading the file, simply double-click the "r61wifiupdate.exe" file, and the updated driver will be installed on your machine.
If you continue to have issues with your wireless connection, please bring your laptop down to Laptop Central for a consultation.
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If you receive an install window for Symantec AntiVirus when you right-click on a file, then the version installed on your laptop has become damaged, and must be reinstalled. Please bring your laptop in to Laptop Central for this quick procedure.
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If you no longer can see the indicator bar on your screen as you raise and lower your laptop's volume via the keyboard, the Hotkey driver will need to be installed. You will also most likely need to have Symantec AntiVirus reinstalled as well, as these two issues appear to be linked. These are simple software fixes, however, and can be fixed in a matter of minutes. Please stop by Laptop Central at your convenience.
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There is a known issue with the current audio driver for the R61 model ThinkPad that results in audio output only being heard through the left speaker. This problem is normally fixed by simply rebooting the laptop. In rare cases, the audio driver needs to be reinstalled. If you continue to experience this issue after rebooting your laptop, please bring it down to Laptop Central for assistance.
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The association between Microsoft Access 2007 and the file type .mdb has been broken. To make Access the default application to open these database files, right-click and save the following file to your laptop's desktop:
R61 Access Fix
After downloading this file, double-click the "accessfix.exe" file to install. A registry patch will be applied to your machine, and correct the file type associations. A reboot after installation is recommended.
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There appears to be a conflict with the Pharos pay-to-print software loaded on the R61 model laptop and many new printers, which results in the inability to print, and constant "Spooler Subsytem" related errors. We are currently working with the software developer for Pharos to correct this issue as soon as possible.
For now, to be able to install and use your personal printer, you need to uninstall the Pharos software from your laptop. To do so, go to the Start Menu --> Control Panel --> Add / Remove Programs, and scroll down the list until you find the Pharos software. Select it in the list, and click the Change / Remove button. Choose the Run Uninstaller option, then select Next. Select Next on the following screen, then the Select All option, and Next again. Pharos will begin to uninstall. Your laptop will now be unable to send to the public labs, but you may still log in on any other public computer and print to them.
We also recommend uninstalling any printer software or drivers you may have added to your machine, and then rebooting. This will ensure a clean install of your printer, and reduce chances of a conflict or further problems.
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The R61 model ThinkPad comes loaded with the Windows XP Professional operating system. No college or university in Rhode Island is choosing to migrate to Windows Vista at this time. The option to upgrade to Vista will be made to students in the future, once all Bryant services and applications have been certified as fully compatible.
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The battery provided with the R60 model ThinkPad is currently out of warranty. The battery is provided with only a one year warranty, while the rest of the machine has a 3 year warranty. Due to the number of issues Bryant students experienced with these batteries, Lenovo did extend the warranty an additional 8 months, but that grace period has since expired.
If you are currently experiencing reduced battery life, sudden drops in charged percentage, or errors reported via the Power Management software, you will most likely need to replace your battery. While a replacement battery can be purchased directly from Lenovo, you may be able to find a replacement online for a lesser amount. Be sure to search for the specific FRUs of your battery model, 92P1137 or 92P1141, to ensure compatibility with your laptop.
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This is a common issue with the R60 model ThinkPad, and can be corrected through a combination of an update of the system's BIOS, and a change in the way the laptop's graphics card handles power issues when going into standby. These updates take approximately 15 minutes to complete, and will not result in any loss of data. Please visit Laptop Central as soon as possible to resolve this issue.
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There can be issues when updating the Pharos Pay-To-Print software via the web. If the uninstall process does not complete correctly, the user can not only be left unable to update Pharos, but find they can no longer print to their personal printer, or read from USB devices. To remove the registry entries that are causing the Pharos software to fail to install, click here to download a zipped batch file. Save the file to your laptop's desktop, extract the two files, and double-click the printerfix.bat file. A DOS window will briefly open and then close. Then return to the Pharos installation website, and attempt to uninstall Pharos again. You may receive an error stating that the "printer cannot be found," which is normal. Follow the instructions on the website to install the Bryant campus printers. If you continue to receive an error, please bring your laptop to Laptop Central for a resolution.
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Heightened fan noise is usually the result of accumulated dust and debris built up inside the fan. A blast of compressed air will usually dislodge the blockage, and return fan operation to normal. Abnormal flexing of the bottom bezel or internal damage to the laptop rollcage may also cause fan noise to increase due to metal components that may begin to touch the fan blades. Please bring your laptop in to Laptop Central for an examination should the noise persist.
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While Lenovo first believed this error was a flaw in RAM modules when it first appeared in the Fall of 2006, it seems to occur as a result of a driver issue with the laptop's wireless LAN card (Intel 3945 b/g).
Please visit Laptop Central at your convenience to have this driver update installed, or if you feel comfortable doing so, click here to download and install the driver yourself. Be sure to follow all on-screen instructions exactly.
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If you are receiving repeated blue screens referencing hardware malfunction, despite having fully up to date drivers and patches for your machine, the motherboard in your laptop is most likely starting to have issues. As the R60 runs rather warm, heat stress to the board over time can cause these types of blue screens. Please bring your laptop in for an examination as soon as possible.
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The R60 model ThinkPad does run on the warm side, even under normal conditions. To prevent the machine from overheating, always make sure that the fan exhaust port is not blocked by any materials on your working surface. Placing the laptop on top of thick bedding may also cause issues. NEVER put your laptop into a carrying case without placing it into Standby or Hibernate modes, as the laptop will quickly overheat, possibly resulting in hardware failure.
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This issue has been addressed in a BIOS update for this system. Click here to download the BIOS update directly, or you may also go to the Start Menu -> All Programs -> Access IBM -> Software Installer, and choose "Install or upgrade driver(s) or software." The latest BIOS will be shown in the list of available updates for your system. NOTE: It is extremely important that you follow all provided on-screen instructions for the BIOS update. Failure to do so can result in an inoperable machine.
If you are uncomfortable performing a BIOS update, a "quick fix" for this issue is simply to depress the hibernation button on the laptop, which is located in the upper left corner of frame, just above the microphone. This will cause the screen to resize itself once more, back to its original higher resolution.
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The earliest provided software image contained the beta version of Quicktime 7 (7.0.2). This version cannot be uninstalled cleanly through Add / Remove Programs, nor can later versions of Itunes remove it. Microsoft does provide a utility that can remove this beta version of Quicktime, which can be found here. Save the application to your laptop, and run the program which will install the Windows Clean-Up Utility. Once the installation finishes, you will have to go to your Start Menu -> Program Files and run the Clean-Up Utility. A list will be generated of all installed applications. Scroll through the list until you see Quicktime 7.0.2. Select it, and choose to remove it. Once it is removed, you can freely install the latest versions of Quicktime and Itunes from the Apple website.
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