Quick Help - Frequently Asked Questions

Help Desk | Email | Phone | Web Server Space and HTML | Networking | Microsoft
Apple/Macintosh | Dell | Viruses | Labs and Hardware/Software | WebCT | Spyware/Adware
Registration/Grades

Help Desk

Email

Phone

Web Server Space and HTML

Networking

Microsoft

Apple/Macintosh

Dell

Viruses

Labs and Hardware/Software

WebCT

Spyware/Adware

Registration/Grades

What happens when I contact the Help Desk?

If you contact us by phone, we will:
  1. Record your contact information, which ensures that a technician will be able to get into contact with you.
  2. Gather complete information about your issue and troubleshoot the problem if appropriate.
  3. If a call ticket is issued, you will receive an email with the ticket information after your ticket is assigned.
  4. A technician will contact you.
If you enter your issue via the web, we will:
  1. Review the information you entered and contact you to clarify if necessary.
  2. Either call you to resolve the issue or send your ticket to the appropriate department.
  3. If a call ticket is issued, you will receive an email with the ticket information.
  4. A technician will contact you.
If you can contact us via email, we will:
  1. Review the email and respond with information OR
  2. Enter a call ticket, at which point you will get an email with the ticket information.
If you manage to resolve your problem on your own, or you are no longer having the problem, please call the Help Desk so we can update your call ticket information. You can call the Help Desk at any time to change or update your call ticket information.

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Email

How do I access my Webster email?

You can configure an email client such as Netscape, Outlook, Eudora, or Mac mail in order to access your email. Please see the question below for instructions on how to do so. You can also check your email over the Intenet with any browser by logging on to the Connections portal. To do so, please follow the proceeding steps:
  1. Go to the following web address: http://connections.webster.edu.
  2. Type in your Connections username and password in the appropriate boxes within the Secure Access Login box. Please note that passwords are case sensitive so make sure your caps lock key is not turned on and that you enter your password exactly how you set it up.
  3. Click the "E-mail" icon at the upper right side of the page.

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How do I configure my email client?

Information regarding general guidelines to configuring your email account on the client of your choosing can be found at the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/acs/kb/mailconfig.html.

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How do I attach items to an email message?

Instructions on how to attach files to email messages can be found at the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/acs/kb/attachment.html.

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I am a student. How can I obtain and activate a Webster email account?

Free email accounts are available to all currently enrolled students. When you sign up for a Connections account, that username and password is what you will use for your Webster email account. You can sign up for your Connections account by visiting http://connections.webster.edu/myaccount and clicking on the button that says "Create a New Account". In order to setup your account, you will need your current username and password for the Registration and Services Online system. For more information on Connections, please visit the "Connections ID" section of this site.

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I am a faculty/staff member. How can I obtain and activate a Webster email account?

Faculty and staff may request access to email by calling the Help Desk at 314-968-5995 or toll-free at 1-866-435-7270. This MUST be done over the telephone and you must be calling to activate your own account. We will not activate any account if someone is calling on your behalf. We must have you on the phone as you must be ready and willing to provide several pieces of personal information for authentication purposes.

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I am a student, and I've lost my email password. What should I do?

Please visit http://connections.webster.edu/myaccount and click on the button that says "I've Forgotten My ID or Password". You will need to provide answers to the two secret questions you specified when you set up your Connections account before you are able to reset your password.

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I am a faculty/staff member, and I've lost my email password. What should I do?

Please visit http://connections.webster.edu/myaccount and click on the button that says "I've Forgotten My ID or Password". You will need to provide answers to the two secret questions you specified when you set up your Connections account before you are able to reset your password.

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I have been receiving a lot of junk email/spam. Is there anything I can do?

Yes! Instructions on setting up email filters for Outlook, Netscape Mail, Eudora, and Macintosh Mail can be found at the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/acs/kb/filter.html.

Filtering is also an option if you use the Mail tool within Connections. Click on the "Options" tab within your email and then click on the "Filters" link.

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What is Webster University's statement of practice regarding spam?

You can find Webster's complete statement on spam at http://www.webster.edu/technology/spam.

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What is Webster University's official email policy?

You can find Webster's official email policy at http://www.webster.edu/technology/email_policy/.

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Can I forward my Webster email to an external or my personal email address?

Our development team has addressed this issue and unfortunately this option will not be available in the foreseeable future. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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Can I change my username?

Usernames are automatically generated and there is no way for your username to be changed. However, in the near future, we will be introducing email aliasing. Creation of an e-mail alias will allow some level of personalization to your Webster e-mail address. (For example, you could then use jane.doe@webster.edu rather than janedoe91@webster.edu.) There will be required guidelines in the construction of the alias, and users will probably be limited to one lifetime alias in addition to their official issued Webster e-mail address. More information and assistance will follow when we have this capability implemented. Please note that this is just an alias and your username will still remain the same.

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I've setup my Connections account and am logged into the portal. When I click on the "Mail" icon, I get an error message that says: "Couldn't authenticate to the mail server. The system couldn't authenticate to the mail server for account 'Webster mail'. Please enter the correct password into the pop-up dialog box and press OK."

This error most often occurs when you try to access your email for the very first time after setting up your account. If you receive this error message, you should also receive another popup box, titled "Enter Password" asking you to re-enter your password. Simply type in your Connections password once more into this box and click OK. This should load your email for you without a problem, and you will not receive this error message in the future.

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I receive the error message specified above but I do not see any other popup box to enter my password again.

If you are not seeing any popup box after receiving the error message specified above, you have some sort of popup blocker or security program installed on your machine that is preventing this box from appearing. You will need to determine what is installed on your machine and disable it in order to get the popup box to come up. Examples of popup blockers include the Yahoo toolbar and Google toolbar and the popup blocker that comes standard with Internet Explorer on Windows XP Service Pack 2 machines. Programs like Norton Internet Security or McAfee are also known to block certain popup windows. After temporarily disabling any and all of these programs, close your browser, reopen it, and then login to Connections again and attempt to access your email. The popup box should now appear. If it does not, not all programs preventing popups have been disabled.

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Phone

Where can I find information about my phone?

Specific information about ROLM phones can be found at the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/acs/kb/rolm.html. For more information, you can visit the web site for Telecommunications at the following link: http://www.webster.edu/compcen/tel.html.

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Web Server Space and HTML

I am a student and would like to obtain some web server space. What can I do?

Server space for web pages and FTP is automatically provided for students when you activate your Connections account. If you do not already have a Connections account and are a current Webster student, you may obtain one using the instructions above regarding email. Specific instructions in uploading to your web space can be found in one of the questions below, but the basic information you will need to setup your FTP account and access your site is as follows:

Host/server name: Your email server name. To find out your email server, go to http://connections.webster.edu/myaccount and login with your Connections username and password. After logging in, click on the link that says “Settings for my desktop e-mail program”. Whatever is listed for incoming and outgoing server will be your FTP Host/Server name.
Username: Connections username
Password: Connections password
To access go to: http://servername.webster.edu/~username

Replace "servername" with your email server name and "username" with your Connections username.

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I am a faculty/staff member and would like to obtain some web server space. What can I do?

Server space for web pages and FTP is automatically provided for faculty/staff when you activate your Connections account. If you do not already have a Connections account, you may obtain one using the instructions above regarding email. Specific instructions in uploading to your web space can be found in one of the questions below, but the basic information you will need to setup your FTP account and access your site is as follows:

Host/server name: Your email server name. To find out your email server, go to http://connections.webster.edu/myaccount and login with your Connections username and password. After logging in, click on the link that says “Settings for my desktop e-mail program”. Whatever is listed for incoming and outgoing server will be your FTP Host/Server name.
Username: Connections username
Password: Connections password
To access go to: http://servername.webster.edu/~username

Replace "servername" with your email server name and "username" with your Connections username.

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Where can I find additional information about building and uploading web pages?

Instructions for posting your documents to the web can be found for Macintosh (Fetch) and Windows (WS_FTP). There is also a public FTP server available at ftp.webster.edu. Log in using "anonymous" as your username and your email address as your password. All information relating to the subject of server space and HTML can be found at the following link:
http://www.webster.edu/technology/biglist.html#web

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Networking

I live on campus. Where can I find information on connecting my computer to the campus network?

Instructions on how to connect your computer to the campus network can be found at the following link: http://www.webster.edu/technology/campus_network/.

If you are a student connecting to our network, you should have the Student Technology Handbook located in your room. Please follow the instructions exactly as they are in the book. Please also note that in order to connect to our network, you must be running the Windows XP Professional operating system rather than the Windows XP Home edition. If you do not have Windows XP Professional, you can purchase it at a discounted rate through this site.

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Microsoft

I am a Webster University student, faculty, or staff member. Can I receive special discounted Microsoft software?

Yes! To obtain information and details on special pricing for certain Microsoft software, please visit the following link: http://www.webster.edu/technology/microsoft/. After you log in with your Webster ID and agree to the licensing agreement, pricing information will become available.

Where can I get help with Microsoft products?

Microsoft's Support web site offers a comprehensive database of various support issues. You can visit Microsoft Support by visiting the following link: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?pr=faqs.

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Apple/Macintosh

I am a Webster University student, faculty, or staff member. Can I get special pricing on Apple products?

Yes! To obtain information and details on special pricing for certain Apple products, please visit the following link: http://www.showmeapple.com/webster.html.

Where can I get help with Apple/Macintosh products?

Apple's Support web site offers a comprehensive database of varioius support issues. You can visit Apple Support by visiting the following link: http://www.apple.com/support/.

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Dell

I am a Webster University student, faculty, or staff member. Can I get special pricing on Dell products?

Yes! For information on how to receive up to 10% off on special Dell products, please visit the following link: http://www.webster.edu/technology/dell/.

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Viruses

Where can I find general information about viruses?

To obtain information from Webster University's Virus Center, please visit the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/mrc/virus.html.

How can I get anti-virus software for my computer?

Webster University has recently purchased a university-wide licensing agreement for Symantec's Norton Antivirus. The Information Technology Department has tested this product and determined that it provides optimum virus protection for on-campus computers, as well as having the added feature of automatic updates of the program and virus definitions.

This agreement allows for the installation of Norton Antivirus on all University-owned desktop and laptop machines. If you need to have this software installed on your office computer, please call Help Desk at X5995 to place a work order, or email support@webster.edu. Unfortunately, this licensing agreement does not provide for student or home use.

If you are a student living on campus, it is recommended to have some sort of protection installed on your PC. Discounted software is available through Software Plus and the University Bookstore.

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Labs and Hardware/Software

Where are the computer labs located?

Sverdrup Building: Webster Hall: Computer Work Areas: Distributed and Specialized Labs:

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What are the lab hours?

Sverdrup Computer Labs, Spring 2006 Webster Hall Computer Labs (221, 223, 225), Fall 2005

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What software is available in the labs?

To view the list of all available software in the labs, please visit the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/mrc/labs/labs.html.

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What hardware is available in the labs?

To view the list of all available hardware in the labs, please visit the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/mrc/labs/acslabs.html.

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Which rooms have projectors or other special media equipment?

To view the full list of all classrooms and labs with projectors and special multimedia equipment, please visit the following link: http://www.webster.edu/depts/acs/newwired.html.

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I need to reserve a lab. What should I do?

For faculty or staff who would like to make one-time reservations for ACS labs (not classrooms), please either email support@webster.edu or call the Help Desk at extension 5995. Please include the following information:

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I need to reserve some hardware/equipment. What should I do?

Only faculty and staff members are allowed to checkout hardware and equipment. Students are not able to checkout any equipment. If you are a faculty or staff member, you can find out more information about the hardware and equipment checkout program as well as filling out an online form to reserve the equipment that you need at http://acs.webster.edu/reservations/.

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WebCT

Where can I go for help with WebCT?

The Online Programs web site (http://www.webster.edu/online/) has a variety of information available and a section for FAQs.

The Webster University Help Desk now handles support for all WebCT technical issues and general questions. Please visit our WebCT section of the site by clicking here to view our list of FAQs for faculty and students. If you are still unable to find an answer for the question you have or the problem you are having, you can contact us at 314-968-5995 or toll-free at 866-435-7270, or by emailing support@webster.edu.

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Spyware/Adware

Where can I find information about spyware/adware and access tools to remove any I may have on my computer?

To obtain information regarding spyware/adware and suggestions on how to deal with the issue, please visit the following link:
http://www.webster.edu/depts/acs/spywareadware.html

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Registration/Grades

Where can I register for classes?

You can register with your Academic Advisor or you can register online provided you have the proper clearance. If you do not know who your Academic Advisor is, you can contact the main Academic Advising office at 314-968-6972 or 1-800-982-3847.

In order to register online, you would need your logon for the Registration & Services Online system. If you don't know what this logon is, please see the question three down from this one. If you know your logon information, you can logon here -> http://www.webster.edu/registration.html. Just click on the "Student Logon" button and then the "Proceed to Student Logon" button. Once you are logged in, make sure your options are set to the semester you wish to register for and then click "Registration" on the left.

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Where can I view my grades?

Webster University no longer mails out a physical copy of your grades automatically. You can access your grades online through the Registration & Services Online system at http://www.webster.edu/registration.html. There is an option after you logon to request a physical copy of your grades be sent to an address you specify. This request must be placed online.

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What can I view/do in the Registration & Services Online system?

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How do I logon to Registration & Services Online? What's my username and password?

You logon at http://www.webster.edu/registration.html with the username and password that was mailed to you from the Registrar's office shortly after you registered for your first class with Webster. Usually this password arrives about 3-4 weeks after you register for the first time. Your username is your 7 digit student ID number and the password is what would have been written on the letter, and it is case-sensitive.

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I forgot my password to Registration & Services Online. What do I do?

If you have forgotten your password, then you can request a reset online and a new password will be mailed to the physical mailing address on file for you with the University. Due to federal privacy and security laws, this password cannot be given out over the telephone or through email. The letter with your new password is mailed out the next business day after you request the reset.

To reset your password, please visit http://www.webster.edu/registration.html and scroll down the page and click on the "Reset Password" button.

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The system is not displaying my grades and/or schedule.

The most likely reason for this is that your options are not set correctly. You will want to make sure your options are set for the semester and program of the schedule and/or grades that you are trying to view. On the main screen after you logon, near the bottom of the right-hand side pane, you will see a box that says "Current Option Settings". Click on the "Set Options" button to change the program, session, and year to match your desired settings. For example, if you are a graduate student and you want to register for Summer 2006, you would make sure Graduate Program - Summer Session - 2006 are your options. However, if you want to view your grades for Spring, you need to make sure to go back and change your options to Graduate Program - Spring Session - 2006.

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I'm trying to register for classes and the system tells me I do not have clearance to register. Why?

If you are an undergraduate student who has never registered online before, then you first need to be cleared by your Academic Advisor in order to be able to do so. Please contact them to make this request. If you do not know who your Academic Advisor is, you can contact the main Academic Advising office at 314-968-6972 or 1-800-982-3847.

In addition, if you are a new graduate student, you first need to be registered by an Academic Advisor before you are allowed to register yourself online.

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