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Information Technology Services  

Computer Refresh FAQ

General

How do you determine which computers to refresh?

Computers are refreshed based on age and warranty status. Our standard lifecycle is 4 years, thus any machines over 4 years old are refreshed.

How will I know that my computer will be refreshed? (How do I know if I'm "on the list"?)

After we have analyzed the inventory data (Jan - Feb) we will directly email those individuals who have "made the list" to be refreshed. This email will include a survey requesting your feedback and preferences so that we can match you with the most appropriate computer for your job.

When will I get my new computer?
Anticipated delivery of computers is during the months of May and June.

Software

The software that I use most is not on your default software list. How do I get this software installed on my new machine?

If you have a licensed copy of the software on your current machine we will install that software on your new machine. We may need you to produce the installation media and/or license information if we do not have it on file.

Can I "trade-in" default software I don't want for something I'll use like Adobe Photoshop?

UNC Asheville does not have a site license for the Adobe products. If you're using an Adobe product then your department (or you via a grant) has purchased a license for that piece of software. It is possible that UNC Asheville will site license Adobe products in the future - your responses to the refresh survey help us determine what is in high demand and help us decide if there is a business case to be made for site licenses or if it is economically advantageous to purchase licenses "one-off" as we do now.

Why is all this software installed on my new computer?

All Faculty, Staff, and Lab computers are loaded with the same default set of software for a purpose: if an instructor and student are discussing something on the computer, the environment (OS, software, settings) they are discussing is the same. There are things there that you might not use, but it hurts nothing to have them there. With the size of hard drives today a few extra programs don't take up that much space in the grand scheme of things. From an IT perspective, it give us one base environment to maintain, making the entire computing environment more stable.

What is all this software installed on my new computer?

The software noted on the supported software list is software that is either free or that UNC Asheville has a site license for, thus it is legal for us to install on all machines. Given the wide variety of disciplines a liberal arts university encompasses, there are bound to be pieces of software that one discipline relies on while another has no use for.

I don't know what a particular piece of software does, how can I find out more about it?

If you're curious about a particular piece of software open it up and take a look. There's nothing pre-installed on your machine that is data destructive just by starting the application. Often there will be a Help menu within the application that will give details on general use and specific functionality. If that isn't the case a web search on the name of the software will often reveal websites full of information regarding the software. Many of these pieces of software have nothing to do with IT per se, thus our experience is limited to making sure it gets installed correctly - not the actual use or functionality of the software. In most cases the Help menu within the application is your best option 

Hardware

Will my old computer be around in case some of the files do not get transferred?

When we remove your old machine it goes back to our shop where we create a disk image of your hard drive. We will keep this image for 30 days just in case you missed some files that you need. The physical machine may be in pieces, but you'll have a 30 day window to get any missed files back.

Can I keep my old computer?

The short answer is, no you cannot. The university computer refresh plan philosophy is that of "one machine per FTE", but we recognize that one computer for each faculty and staff member does not account for other machines, such as research, student/temp worker, or grant computers which are needed. In consultation with the Deans, ITS has adopted the following system for addressing additional "non-FTE" computers:

  • The computer refresh program includes all faculty and staff office systems, all smart classroom systems, and all ITS-managed student computer labs. Departments/programs that have needs for additional systems should discuss these needs with their deans to see if there is justification for adding those systems to the computer refresh program. All systems provided through the computer refresh program will be serviced by ITS staff.
  • Departments/programs interested in additional systems whose use falls outside the computer refresh program may purchase them using department/program funds. These systems must be purchased through ITS and will be serviced by ITS staff as long as all warranties are in place, but they will remain outside of the computer refresh program (i.e., department/program expense to replace ). Computing systems purchased through grants, gifts or contracts would most likely fall into this category.
  • Departments/programs also may request a refurbished system from ITS. Refurbished systems will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis using the following set of priorities. These systems will not be serviced by ITS, and this option will no longer be available once all new systems on refresh are leased.
  •  Work-study use, for which the department does not have adequate computer resources or funds to purchase new machines.
  • Undergraduate Research.
  • Laptops to loan out for faculty travel.

If you request an additional machine and through coincidence you get your old machine back, ITS is taking all "old" machines back to our shop to do a checkup on the hardware, wipe old data from the machine, and install a new "image" (operating system and software) to make sure that the computer is functional, configured appropriately, and has up-to-date software.

Last edited by webmaster@unca.edu on June 21, 2011