Return to General Technology Support
Soldiers who joined eArmyU under the Laptop Option received a technology package
consisting of a laptop computer, carrying case, security cable, and various
support software, including an anti-virus application.
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Where Can a Soldier Get Technical Support
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Soldiers should seek technical support from a qualified vendor in the Soldier's geographical area.
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eArmyU Laptop Specific Information
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eArmyU Laptop Training Guide
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The following training guide outlines instructions for eligible eArmyU laptop recipients for maintaining
their laptop and using Fiberlink as the Internet Service Provider. Fiberlink is available only to Soldiers,
who are in a current eArmyU Technology Package (Laptop) Participation Agreement at the point of course enrollment,
and enroll in an eArmyU class.
eArmyU Laptop Training Guide - .pdf
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GoArmyEd is not obligated contractually to provide technical support for virus-related
issues or problems with eArmyU technology packages. Technicians attempt to provide
Soldiers with basic support for virus issues. Historically, when a virus attack
affects a large number of eArmyU Soldiers, it may take up to 3 weeks before support
may be available. If a Soldier’s need for support is urgent because of a virus attack,
the Soldier is encouraged to seek technical support from a commercial vendor in
the Soldier’s geographical area and use a non-infected computer to keep up with
class work. Students should be reminded by Army Education Counselors that they are
responsible for protecting their systems against virus attacks. Students can download
patches and Symantec Norton Antivirus free of charge by logging onto Army Knowledge
Online (AKO) and enter “antivirus services” in the search field to seek antivirus
support information.
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Students should protect their laptops from theft, accidental damage, or other disasters not
covered by the laptop warranty. Students with homeowner’s or renter’s insurance
coverage are strongly encouraged to contact their insurance company since their
laptops may already be covered under their existing policy.
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Do's and Don'ts of Maintaining Your Technology
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Laptop Do's:
- Do de-fragment your system once a week, at a minimum. View Windows Help for assistance
with this process.
- Do keep your system free from dust and dirt particles.
- Do use only the software
provided by eArmyU.
- Do keep your virus protection up to date.
Laptop Don'ts:
- Don't drop the system. If you drop the system and the LCD screen breaks, you will
have to pay for repairs. Neither the Army, nor the prime contractor, nor the vendor
will provide repairs for abused or broken LCD screens. You will have to pay for
these repairs yourself. They are not covered by the warranty.
- Don't spill any liquid, such as coffee, soda, or water on the keyboard. Liquid damage
of any kind is not covered by the warranty.
- Don't overload your system with miscellaneous games, pictures, programs, and music.
They consume too much memory space on your hard drive and may degrade system performance.
- Do not download third
party software such as software that provides free music. Such software can act
as spyware that keeps track of sites you visit, and then sells your email address
to other companies. This results in you receiving SPAM mail, continuous pop-ups,
and viruses, all of which will hinder or prevent you from working on your courses.
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Important Frequently Asked Questions
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- Should I insure my eArmyU Laptop?
Yes! Experience has shown that you would be wise to protect your laptop from theft,
accidental damage, or other disasters. There are many companies you can contact
to purchase this insurance. If you have homeowner's or renter's insurance, your
computer may be covered already under that policy. You should check with your insurance
company to be sure.
- What kind of technical support does eArmyU provide?
- eArmyU technicians will provide software support, such as Fiberlink only to Soldiers, who are in a current eArmyU Technology Package (Laptop) Participation Agreement at the point of course enrollment, and enroll in an eArmyU class.
- Soldiers are responsible for protecting their technology package from viruses by
regularly downloading Microsoft patches and using antivirus software which is available
at no cost through the Army. Students can download patches and Symantec Norton Antivirus
free of charge by logging onto Army Knowledge Online (AKO) and enter “antivirus
services” in the search field to seek antivirus support information.
- What kind of technical support does eArmyU NOT provide? eArmyU does not provide
technical support for third party (i.e., non-program) software or hardware the student
has installed.
- How do I keep my system from getting viruses?
- Keep the Norton Antivirus application updated.
- Install all of the critical updates from Microsoft.
- Scan the system for viruses at least once a week.
- Do not open any messages that appear odd or are from a sender you do not recognize.
For laptops that are no longer under warranty eArmyU technicians will continue to
provide software support for the original image, such as re-imaging and installing
a Fiberlink Internet Service Provider (ISP). Software support is provided on a first-come,
first-served basis, but warranty repairs take precedence.
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Microsoft Windows Upgrades
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It is recommended that Soldiers install all updates and patches when they are released
by Microsoft.
To allow windows to update your operating system automatically via their website,
please visit the following link and follow the on-screen instructions: Windows Update.
You may also configure your laptop to update your windows system automatically through
the control panel. Follow the directions below to configure your computer.
NOTE: The following information was taken from Microsoft's informational
website support.microsoft.com. You may access the same information at: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;327838
In Windows XP or Windows Server 2003
To configure a schedule for Automatic Updates:
- Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
- On the Automatic
Updates tab, click Automatically download the updates, and install them on the schedule
that I specify.
- Click to select the day and time that you want to download and
install updates.
When critical updates are detected, Automatic Updates automatically downloads these
updates in the background while you are connected to the Internet. After the download
is complete, Automatic Updates waits until the scheduled day and time to install
the updates. On the scheduled day and time, all local users receive the following
message that has a five minute countdown timer:
Windows is ready to begin installing the updates available for your computer.
Do you want Windows to install the updates now?
(Windows will restart your computer if no action is taken within 5:00 minutes)
If you are logged on as an administrator, when you receive this message, you can
either click Yes to install the updates or click No to have Automatic Updates install
the updates at the next scheduled day and time. If you do not take any action in
five minutes, Windows automatically installs the updates.
IMPORTANT: You may have to restart your computer to complete the
update installation.
In Windows 2000
To configure a schedule for Automatic Updates:
- Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Automatic Updates.
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Click Automatically download the updates, and install them on the schedule that
I specify.
- Click to select the day and time that you want to download and install updates.
When critical updates are detected, Automatic Updates automatically downloads these
updates in the background while you are connected to the Internet. After the download
is complete, Automatic Updates waits until the scheduled day and time to install
the updates. On the scheduled day and time, all local users receive the following
message that has a five minute countdown timer:
Windows is ready to begin installing the updates available for your computer.
Do you want Windows to install the updates now?
(Windows will restart your computer if no action is taken within 5:00 minutes)
If you are logged on as an administrator, when you receive this message, you can
either click Yes to install the updates or click No to have Automatic Updates install
the updates at the next scheduled day and time. If you do not take any action in
five minutes, Windows automatically installs the updates.
IMPORTANT: You may have to restart your computer to complete the
update installation.
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Microsoft License Agreement/Product Use Rights
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Microsoft issues specific use rights and restrictions on all software. Please be
sure to review their terms and conditions below.
Download Microsoft License Agreement - .pdf
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