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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

I need urgent help and I do not know how to explain it. Can I talk to someone ASAP?

If you need to reach us, log into GU-Q Helpcenter, the IT ticketing system.  If you have a problem that prevents you from doing so, contact at on our hotline number 4457-8130.  One of our technicians will respond to your call at our earliest possible convenience.

The GUQ IT office is primarily tasked with supporting University computer systems, but we do provide limited support for personal systems.

The following is not an exhaustive list, nor a guarantee that the GUQ IT office can provide help, and is provided without any implied warranty or guarantee:

  • Help setting up a system to connect to our wireless network
  • Help setting up a system to our Campus printers
  • Help configuring a system with Duo Mobile
  • Help accessing Office 365

Some of the things GUQ IT office will not provide help with:

  • Hardware and software upgrades on personal systems
  • Hardware and software repairs
  • Restoring or recovering the operating system of personal systems from corruption, viruses or other malware

The IT support for personal devices is provided on a “best effort” basis at the discretion of the support staff. IT support staff will provide written and/or verbal guidance only (without touching or remotely accessing personal hardware) to limit risk, perceived or actual. IT support staff are not expected to physically touch personal hardware.

If you have a question about what we can or cannot help with, feel free to contact the Helpdesk center, and we can let you know, or maybe point you in the direction of where to find help with your personal device.

I have a visitor. How can I borrow a laptop or get assistance with setting up his or her laptop with our network?

If you want to borrow a laptop for OIT for a visitor, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

Please note that preparing one or two laptops will take one business day.  Three to five laptops will take three business days.  More than five laptops will take five business days lead time.  The technician who handles your case will be sure to discuss the time frame with you if you need anything non-standard.

I need help with my NetID password. It doesn’t work anymore.

If your Georgetown NetID password has stopped working for any of our services, Georgetown email, Box, etc., please go to the Georgetown Password Tool and check that your password is correct.  If not, open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

I have problems connecting to the network.

If you have problems connecting to the wired network, please ensure the network cable is securely fastened to the network port on one end and your computer on the other end.

For the wireless guest network, GU-Q Guest, please connect and visit a web page to enter your email address.  You will not be able to access the Internet until you have completed guest registration.

For the wireless networks available to staff and eduroam participants, follow the documentation for eduroam.

If you still cannot determine the problem, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

I need to access Georgetown resources outside the building. How do I set up the VPN?

If you need help configuring the VPN on your laptop, or want to confirm the settings are correct, visit the VPN documentation pages.

If the documentation does not help, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter and someone will come to assist you.

I can’t log into my laptop after typing my username and password.

When you change your Georgetown NetID password with the Georgetown Password Tool, your laptop or desktop can expect the new password or the old password depending on a variety of circumstances.  First, make sure the computer is connected to the network.  Try the new password first.  If it does not work, try the old password.

If neither work, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

Note, do not try to log into your computer with subsequent failed attempts more than 3 times. More than 3 times will potentially lock your account or further delay restored access to your system.

I have been prompted to update software on my system. When I enter my username and password it does not work. What should I do?

To maintain the security of your system, we configure all university machines to accept software updates and operating system patches as early as possible.  These updates will occasionally be initiated by vendor-controlled update software before our system management tool can initiate them.

If you urgently need the patching to be completed for new functionality or increased reliability of work-critical software, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

If this is routine software, or you have not been otherwise instructed by a technician from IT User Support, please wait for our system management tool to complete the software updates on a pre-determined schedule so we may best accommodate all university faculty, staff, and students.

I want to buy or just install software I need for work. What do I do?

All university-provided laptops come with a selection of commonly-used software packages needed for work and study at the university.

We provide additional software, if deemed appropriate, after you open a formal request with a ticket in the GU-Q Helpcenter system.  After approval by IT staff, a technician will contact you to install the software.

If we do not have the additional software you requested, and it must be purchased, acquiring the software, either by your department or on your behalf by IT, will be done after you open the formal request.

Please note you can purchase software items, or freely download certain software packages for which you are eligible, by visiting the Georgetown OnTheHub system.

I have questions about how to use my software, can you help me?

Our team can assist you with common operations and frequently used functions of common software packages.  For assistance, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

For advanced training in common software packages and select domain-specific software tools, we coordinate with the library to provide training material on Lynda.com, as well as hosting periodic training on services we provide.  Moreover, we provide on-demand training sessions for teams and small departments as requested.

I saw an anti-virus alert on my computer or I am concerned about malware and phishing. What should I do?

If you receive a notification from the Symantec or FireAMP anti-virus software installed by IT on your university computer, we will receive notification on their accompanying server components.  If you have concerns about the specific files infected or believe it will directly impact your work, please open a ticket with GU-Q Helpcenter.

If IT technicians contact you with anti-virus concerns, please follow their instructions immediately to avoid further damaging the operating system or your files.

How do I request IT equipment for the new employee in our department?

New employees customarily require a new computer and a new phone.  Please open a request for the computer and a separate request for the phone accordingly in GU-Q Helpcenter.

What does IT provide for email, calendar, and collaborative services to the GU-Q community?

Georgetown Google Apps provides email, calendar, and additional collaborative services to all faculty, staff, and students of GU-Q.

The following links go to the main campus pages for Georgetown Google Apps:

Your Network Identifier: NetID

You will use you NetID to log into most of Georgetown’s computer systems and online services. This includes:

Unless you leave Georgetown before you graduate, your NetID will never expire. You will continue to use your NetID to access University systems and service, even as an alumnus. However, having a NetID does not automatically give you access to all computer systems or services. It may be necessary to apply for access.

It is important that you create a strong password and keep it secure. Please follow the Georgetown University guidelines for protecting your NetID when you are creating or updating your NetID password.

  • If you don’t know your NetID, you can look yourself up in the online directory.
  • If you don’t know your NetID password
  • Enroll in the Georgetown NetID Password Management System to configure security questions. You can change the password if you remember your current one, and even change a forgotten password by correctly answering the security questions.

For new students – Getting and Setting Your NetID

You will receive a letter with your NetID and a temporary NetID password. You can also look up your NetID in the Georgetown online directory at http://contact.georgetown.edu.

You must set a permanent NetID password before your temporary password expires. If you fail to do so, you will need to visit the IT support desk to reset your password.