Frequently Asked Questions
General
- "How can I lock my computer or Citrix session when I must leave my computer or terminal unattended."
The quickest way is to hold down the Windows key (between Ctrl and Alt) and press L. This will not work on all terminals, so you may have to hold down Ctrl and Alt and press Delete, then select "Lock this Computer"
Students
- "I am not able to open nor save to 'My Documents.'"
Sometimes your "My Documents" icon doesn't get set correctly to your network home folder when you log in. You can always get to your documents by going to "My Computer". You'll find your network home folder icon in the "Network Drives" section near the bottom. You can also save to this location by clicking "My Computer" in a file save dialog.
Teachers
- "When I use my projector with my computer, I only see the computer background, not all my icons, open windows, etc."
Right-click anywhere on the computer desktop and select "screen resolution". Click on the pull-down menu that says "Extend these displays" and select the option "Duplicate these displays" then "keep these changes", and you're done. The extended mode can be very useful because it allows you to be selective about what displays through the projector and what is for your eyes only. Experiment with it when you have some free time.
- "My workstation goes to sleep and will not turn on again."
Hold the power button down until the computer shuts off (you can tell because the fans stop. It usually takes about 5 seconds). Then press the power button again, it may take a few minutes for Windows to resume. To prevent this from happening again, turn off the computer sleep function, but leave the display sleep on. Here's how:
Start
Control Panel
View By - small icons
Power Options
Change Plan Settings
Put Computer to Sleep: Never
Save Changes
- "When I try to log in to PowerSchool, Gaggle or other secure sites using Internet Explorer 8, the password autocompletes, but it is incorrect so I cannot log in."
IE 8 has some issues with storing passwords for secure sites. Try this: Delete all the dots in the password field and then type in the correct password. When the dialog box comes up asking if you want to replace with the new entry, click "Yes". If you'd rather not have IE try to autocomplete your password, go to the tools menu (right side of screen), and select "internet options". Go to the "Content" tab. In the "AutoComplete" section, click on "settings". Uncheck "Usernames and Passwords on Forms," and click on "Delete autocomplete history."
- "When I try to install software, a dialog box appears saying I need administrative credentials. My username and password will not work."
Like most organizations, Cascade School District users do not have administrative privileges for a number of reasons, but the main three are: 1. Your computer is less likely to be infected by viruses or other malware when you are logged in as a non-administrative user. 2. Users may not be aware of conflicts between applications or problems introduced by updates. 3. Central control of applications insures compliance with licensing requirements.