Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Prepare Your Student Computer for Use at UAB

Preparing Your Computer for Use at UAB

Incoming students are required to verify that their computers are up-to-date with the latest patches and antivirus software. This step must be completed prior to connecting to the UAB network using a wired Ethernet (in residence halls only) or wireless (Wi-Fi) connection. Please follow these steps to prepare your computer. When you have prepared your computer, click the link in Step 4 to verify that you have the correct settings.

1. Ensure that your computer is running a valid, licensed operating system. For students, UAB supports PCs with Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 and

Windows 7 with Service pack 1. UAB also supports Macs with OS X 10.6 or later. 

2. Check for updates that are available for your operating system. Windows operating systems can be updated by visitingwww.update.microsoft.com

Mac OS X operating systems can be updated by clicking on the Apple icon in the Menu ribbon and choosing Software Update.

3. Ensure that one of the antivirus applications in the list below is installed. Microsoft Forefront and Microsoft Security Essentials are free of charge to students and can be downloaded at the links provided. Contact the AskIT Help Desk at 205-966-5555 for assistance with antivirus issues.

For Windows Operating Systems:

  • Microsoft Forefront (available to students at no cost)
  • Norton (Symantec)
  • McAfee
  • AVGKaspersky
  • Microsoft Security Essentials  (available to students at no cost)

    • For Mac Operating Systems:

  • Sophos (available to all students at no additional cost)
  • Avast
  • ClamAV
  • McAfee
  • Norton
  • Intego

    • When you select and install your antivirus software, be sure to enable the Auto-update feature so the application will automatically download the latest antivirus definitions at regularly scheduled intervals.

    4. Secunia PSI is a security tool designed to detect out-of-date programs and plug-ins which expose your computer to attacks. This tool regularly scans your computer to determine if installed programs need to be patched or are no longer in service. Click here for Secunia PSI

    5. Click here to perform the final verification! This final step will either indicate a successful completion or indicate where further changes must be made. http://bradford-nas-vip.dpo.uab.edu/authentication/remote.html

    6. Setting up Wifi-Nac for Network Access

    7. Blackboard (UAB Online Learning System)   http://www.uab.edu/bblearn/student-support

    For students who will be using Blackboard, visit the Blackboard Student Support page and follow the directions to ensure that your computer is configured properly. Several tutorials are provided to familiarize you with the Blackboard system.

    8. For assistance with the information above or any technical issue, contact AskIT or send an email to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
    Last modified on Wednesday, October 31, 2012
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