Information Regarding Century College's Conversion to Microsoft

Frequently Asked Questions

How to setup Advanced Delegation & Permissions In Outlook 2007?

Delegate access grants another person permission to manage your folders, such as E-mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, Notes, or Journal, on your behalf. To learn more about this click here.

Establishing First-Time Access to the Century Network from Off-Campus?

If you would like to access your files and e-mail for the first time remotely, (from an off-campus location), please click on follow the procedure.

What will happen to all of my e-mail?

Your e-mail will migrate from GroupWise into Outlook. This will include your calendar items, any tasks you may have, your inbox messages and all messages within folders you have set up.

What will not transition are any rules you may have set up, as well as any proxy permissions you have granted others. These will need to be manually created in Outlook once your account has been converted. Steps to accomplish this are found in our Outlook Conversion training classes.

What about my GroupWise Archive files?

We have a tool that will help us convert GroupWise archive files. If you have a GroupWise Archive, please email outlook@century.edu as we are gathering that information as a special software tool is used to convert those archives to be viewed through Outlook.

Will my network files be moved?

Yes, all files on your H:\ drive will be migrated to the same location in the new Microsoft network structure. This is part of the reason for downtime - to move your files, we need exclusive access to them.

This is an excellent time to go through that H:\ folder and determine if you truly need all of the files and folders. Many of you have made copies of CDs and DVDs or posted large image files. Now is a perfect time to archive those off on to CD or DVD media. The primary purpose of network storage is for your work-related materials.

What happens to the files/software I have installed on my computer's hard drive?

Remember, part of the conversion may involve completely wiping clean your local hard drive and installing a new, clean software image onto your computer. It is your responsibility to insure your files are located on your network H:\ (home) drive. Instructions on how to accomplish this may be found on the common drive in the "J:\IT Tips and Tricks" folder.

We may also have to re-install software on your office computer, so be prepared and have copies of installation disks/files. Remember, though, all software installed on Century College computers must be fully licensed. Unauthorized software is not allowed.

What about the Common drive and my department's I:\ drive?

The common drive will also migrate and remain the J:\ drive.

One of the most noticeable changes you will see as a result of the conversion is that your departmental (or I:\) drive will have more folders. As departments have collaborated more, the need for individuals to see information from other departments' I:\ drive has grown. To accommodate this, we are moving the I:\ drives up one folder level. This way, if you teach for both Math and Computer Science, you will have both folders on your I:\ drive.

Unfortunately, this may mean that if you have created shortcuts to files on the I:\ drive, you will have to recreate them again. Also, if you are a power-user and have created macros in Microsoft Office files, those may also need to be adjusted to reflect the new I:\ drive layout.

Where can I ask my questions about Outlook?

Please email outlook@century.edu. We have staff monitoring this email account to answer questions. We will also be adding those questions and answers to our FAQ area on the http://www.century.edu/microsoft site.

I have a mobile computer; how will I get this converted?

Please send an e-mail to the outlook@century.edu e-mail account so that we can add you to our list. At this point, we will need to have you bring your laptop to campus for us to convert. We anticipate that this will occur the week after migration (beginning on Monday, March 24).

When will the system be down?

We anticipate that the network (including your home directory, shared directory and network applications - including ISRS) and GroupWise will be entirely unavailable from 5 PM on Saturday, March 15 through noon on Tuesday, March 18. During this time, we will be migrating accounts and files, as well as re-imaging and replacing computers. Please notify students and plan on the network being unavailable during those times.

The college website and D2L will remain operational during this downtime.

Any mail you receive from outside the college during this downtime will be queued and delivered to your new Outlook e-mail account.

When will my department be converted?

We will be publishing a schedule and working directly with departments early next week. Stay tuned for more!

How do I make certain I have moved my files from the local hard drive to the network?

I am attaching a file management document, as well as a document on how to copy your Internet Explorer favorites. Remember - we will be completely overwriting your local computer hard drive during the transition. Your computer background, links you have on your Windows desktop and other items stored locally on your hard drive will be permanently erased by this conversion! It is YOUR responsibility to make certain you have these items stored safely on your network home (H:\) drive.

Also, you can find these documents (and many more like them) on the Common drive in the J:\IT Tips and Tricks folder.

Can you recover files from my local hard drive after my computer has been re-imaged?

No. These files will be permanently overwritten.

What will happen to CenturyDirect?

CenturyDirect is currently powered by a Novell portal server. The application was declared end-of-life by Novell almost immediately after we put the portal into production here at Century. This is a part of the reason we are opting to move away from Novell.

As we migrate away from Novell, the portal will be morphed into a temporary website which you can access without username/password. The same links will be available, but may require you to log in to the specific services you select.

This is temporary as we begin building our new Microsoft SharePoint portal which will have many more features and capabilities. Stay tuned for more information about how you can be involved with the development of the new SharePoint portal - including naming suggestions!

Will I still be able to access network files and e-mail from off-campus?

Absolutely - we are introducing Outlook Web Access for remote e-mail access and a new service for remote file and application access. Look for more information about this exciting new service in my next update!

Should I still schedule appointments in GroupWise?

We need you to help us by planning ahead and scheduling those critical meetings and sending those required mass emails in advance. We know that the email system will be entirely unavailable for a period of time during the migration which is scheduled for spring break. If you are responsible for committee work or other public meetings or high-visibility projects that rely on email or calendaring in that timeframe, please plan ahead.

I have a new employee starting soon. What can I expect?

Please remember that for a few days prior to the migration, there will be no administrative changes allowed in GroupWise (i.e., no new email accounts will be created; no existing accounts will be deleted or changed, etc.)

I have a number of rules and special filters I use in GroupWise. What will happen to them?

Your Rules and saved Filters will not be migrated. If you wish to recreate them in Outlook, you will need to document them before the migration - make a list, or consider opening the Rule or Filter and saving them with a screen shot (Alt+PrintScn, then Paste the image into a Word document).

I still have people sending to my old e-mail addresses. Will they still work when we migrate?

No. The only supported e-mail addresses will be FirstName.LastName@century.edu. If you are using anything that ends with century.mnscu.edu or cc.mn.us, they will no longer work. Please update your contacts with your new e-mail address.

How can I help the ITS team make this transition as seamless as possible?

Great question - we really appreciate your thoughtfulness! Simply do the following and you will have greatly assisted our team:

Complete the attached checklist prior to departing on Friday.
Clear the area around your computer/monitor.
Remove all floppy disks and CDs from your computer.
If you would like, please send out a pre-emptive e-mail to all of your contacts letting them know you will be out of e-mail commission until noon on Tuesday, March 18.
Be kind to us when we are in your office areas during/after the conversion; a little kindness goes a LONG way! So does chocolate for that matter :-)
Plan on needing some time to reconfigure/restore your personalized settings after your office computer has been converted.
If you have legally installed software from a textbook or demo software package, you will need to re-install the software when you return to campus.

So what is going to transfer and what isn't?

This is a complete conversion of network files and the e-mail system. Both are currently provided by Novell servers and will be migrated to Microsoft servers.

E-Mail

All messages (including those you have stored in folders) will transfer.
All folders you have created (and the e-mails therein) will transfer.
The system and your personal address books will transfer.

Your Frequent Contacts will not transfer. You can simply drag and drop them into your personal address books so that they do migrate.
Your Rules will not transfer. You should make hard copies of your rules if you would like to recreate them in Outlook.
Your Proxy permissions will not transfer. Again, you can make hard copies of the proxy permissions and recreate them in Outlook.

Your GroupWise Archive may transfer. If you haven't already, please send an e-mail to Outlook@century.edu and let us know that you have an archive and where it is located. If you have already sent us a message, you do not need to send another one.

Files

C:\ drive (aka local computer hard drive):

Will be overwritten: transfer files, favorites, etc. to your H:\ drive to avoid data loss

Some network drive mappings do different things for different individuals/departments. I am including the "AKA" names for your convenience only.

H:\ drive (aka "Home" drive):	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
I:\ drive (aka "Departmental" drive):	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
J:\ drive (aka "Common" drive):	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
K:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
L:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
M:\ drive (aka "Maps" drive):	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
N:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
O:\ drive (aka "Pictures" drive):	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
P:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
Q:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
R:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
S:\ drive (aka "Class" drive):	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
T:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST
U:\ drive:	Will be migrated to Microsoft; NO FILES WILL BE LOST

I use a laptop and am confused about what I should be doing?

First and most importantly: back-up all of your data on the laptop hard drive (C:\) to the network and/or removeable media (CD/DVD-RW).

On-Campus Employees:

You may choose to wait until March 24th and bring your laptop to the Help Desk and we will update it.

You may leave your laptop in your office over break and it will be converted by March 24th.

Off-Campus Employees:

We have arranged dates with Jane Nicholson for the off-campus DHS project group to upgrade. Please check with Jane for more information.

Other employees who have laptops and are not frequently on-campus should contact the Help Desk (helpdesk@century.edu) and make arrangements for a time to have your laptop transitioned.

How can I access my files and e-mails if I am off-campus during Spring Break?

The CenturyDirect website will be offline until Tuesday, March 18. When it relaunches on Tuesday, you will be able to use Century Direct to access your new e-mail and network files.

Will my username be the same? What about my password?

Your username will remain the same (mine is rohledjo).
Your password does not migrate. You will be required to change it when you log into either Outlook or the network for the first time.

Can we still access Desire2Learn (D2L) during the downtime?

During the network downtime (5 PM on Saturday, March 15 through Noon on Tuesday, March 18) campus computers will be offline. You will not be able to log in or check e-mail or access websites during this time (with the exception of some CE/CT classes) from your campus computer.

From home, you will be able to access the Century College website, which will contain a link to D2L.

I use Firefox (or any other web browser) at home - will it still work with the online mail?

OK - here's the deal. Microsoft Internet Explorer is designed to work with all Microsoft products, including the web access version of Outlook. Your best performance will be with Internet Explorer. Other web browsers will work, but not all features of the web version of Outlook may be available.

What about students?

Students received a message yesterday with instructions on what will happen during the conversion.

The biggest difference for students is that they will use an online form with their TechID/PIN to establish their new Microsoft network/e-mail password. There will be assistance available to them in the Open Computer Labs and by sending an e-mail to StudentHelp@century.edu. They may also do this from home beginning at noon on Tuesday, March 18.

The student conversion web site may be found at: http://www.century.edu/studentmicrosoft/