TechServices@Campbell

Before Things Go Wrong...

Computers, like all things, break from time to time.  Hardware fails, programs stop working right, and generally everything that you need doesn't work when you need.  This is common at finals or when working on the final draft of the final paper for English class, so don't feel like the only one that's happened to.  What can you do to prevent this?  Here are a few steps:

Update and use your spyware scans and antivirus scans.  There are ways of getting things to run automatically so that you don't ever have to do any work with the machine.  The problem with these is that if you don't see the scan run, how are you sure it is?  What if the program itself is corrupted and needs to be installed, but you are just assuming that it's working?  The updates are important.  New viruses and new spyware comes out every day, but if your machine is infected with a virus created last week and your virus definitions are from three months ago, you're not going to be able to combat it.  Are you not sure if you have the most updated versions or do you not have them at all?  Visit our Resource Page and check.

Updating the Windows software. This is not buying the newest version of Windows and putting it on the machine, this is getting the patches that you need to make sure that Windows is protected.  This is an easy process done from the Windows Update website.  Instructions on how to do this are available here.

Perform routine checks on your machine.  Every so often, schedule a Scandisk and run the Defragmenter.  If you move around a lot of data (such as cleaning spyware out of a system) this can be invaluable.  Instructions for the Scandisk and the Defragmenter can be found in the associated links.

Get a surge protector.  I had a friend once who said that his best business was after thunderstorms.  "I check the weather and when I hear about storms in the five day forecast, I order a few extra modems and a few extra power supplies."  Power surges destroy electronic equipment.  I recommend getting a surge protector that has a port to plug in your Ethernet cable and get two Ethernet cables.  This will cost a little extra, but in the case of a surge, you're protected.

Back up your data.  One of the worst things that can happen is a student working on finals have a hard drive or a floppy fail.  If that happens, your data is probably gone.  There are places that can retrieve the data, but at a hundred dollars or more, you have to ask yourself:  Is it worth it?  Keep an extra copy somewhere, burn stuff to a disk every few weeks or so so you don't lose as much in case of failure, get an online email account with a decent storage limit and email it to yourself, anything to avoid having only one copy of data that's important to you.  Hard drives are mechanical devices and everything mechanical will fail.

Be careful what you download.  There are programs out there that serve dual purposes, they do something for you, but then they bring in something you may not want.  For example, there was a program that would allow you to copy a music CD to your hard drive.  It was a versatile program that allowed you to edit the volume of the CD if it was too quiet or too loud and would copy into multiple formats, but it automatically installed the MySearch toolbar and several other pieces of spyware.  In other words, in downloading that particular installation file, you got one useful piece of software and several problematic ones.

If you think you've downloaded something you wouldn't want, it's very simple to remove it.  Just follow these instructions on uninstalling software.

Most of this may sound simple, but it's important.  Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Evenings, nights or weekends call Public Safety at extension 1375.  We have staff on duty from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. seven days a week and have service personnel on call 24 hours a day.  We are just a phone call away.

Examples of Emergencies:

  • Broken doors, locks, or windows that may cause a security problem
  • Loss of heat when the outside temperature is below 32 degrees
  • Plumbing leaks likely to cause property damage if not corrected immediately
  • Loss of electricity to an entire building
  • Roof leaking causing water damage

If you are unsure if a situation is an emergency, please call.


About Us

The Physical Plant is a service organization of the University.  Quality and responsiveness are our goal.  We are here to provide solutions to your problems large and small- including when your office is too hot, your shower is clogged,  your power is off, your telephone doesn't work or your grass needs mowing- just to name a few.

The responsibility of supporting the daily business and activities of Campbell University rests with this key department.  The most familiar faces you see around campus are probably those of the Physical Plant keeping the environment clean, beautiful and most importantly operating smoothly.

The Physical Plant works both in the limelight but more often behind-the-scenes, coordinating all maintenance, housekeeping, landscaping, energy management, safety and telephone services for the entire campus.  Our work includes:    

  • Response to all calls for repair and maintenance
  • Routine housekeeping to resident halls, classrooms, halls, entrances and stairways
  • Painting, renovations and improvements to the University
  • Snow and ice removal
  • Landscaping services
  • Garbage pick up
  • Special event set-ups
  • Energy Management
  • Assistance with emergency response

The Physical Plant responds to all maintenance issues in a timely manner.  If you have a problem please call us at extension 1610 or 893-1610