Computing Sites FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions in Computing Sites

Have a question that should be answered here but isn't? Please contact us through our Comments & Questions Form. (Also see Comm-Q FAQs, Classroom Support FAQs and Classroom Scheduling FAQs).

Q: Is software training available on campus?

A: The Learning Resource Center provides a number of software workshops and software training. Click here for more information.

Q: Where should I save my files?

A: We recommend that you save in the Documents folder of the T: drive on PCs and the Local Disk folder on iMacs while working on any file in the Computing Sites, and copy your file(s) to your AFS space when done. Files saved to other locations on the site workstations are subject to deletion when the system is restarted.

Q: How do I "burn" a Data CD?

A: Dell GX270 PCs (black computers) along with Flat-Panel iMacs (white computers) are equipped with CD-RW drives. The process for burning a CD is shown below. Please bear in mind that data cannot be erased from a CD-R (one of the available CD formats). You should be prepared for the fact that over time you will need multiple CD-Rs.

PC CD Burning Process:

  1. Copy your files to the hard disk.
  2. Insert your CD. These instructions assume that you are using a blank CD.
  3. Start Roxio by clicking Start > All Programs > Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 > Project Selector
  4. Click the blue button in the "Select a Project" window that corresponds to the type of CD you'd like to make. (The remainder of these instructions assume that you've selected "make a data CD". The other types progress similarly though not exactly according to these instructions.)
  5. Click on "dataCD project". The dataCD Project window will appear, showing three window panes.
  6. Drag the icons for any files you want to copy to the CD into the window pane below the "Add" button. You may select files either via the "Select source files" window pane, or by dragging them in from other windows.
  7. By default, your CD will be named based on the current date and a random number (e.g. 030716_1137). You may rename the disc or create folders on it by right-clicking on the window pane where the CD icon is displayed.
  8. Once any and all files you want to put onto your CD are displayed in the window pane beneath the "Add" button, click the red "Record" button.
  9. In most cases, the default options in the "Record CD Setup" window that appears will work best.

(If you want to be certain that your CD will work on any PC, you should select the "Disc-At-Once" Record Method and "Test and Record CD" under the Record Options. Note that a CD-R created in this method cannot have files added to it at a later date.)

iMac CD Burning Process:

  1. Copy your files to the hard disk.
  2. Insert your CD.
  3. Launch Toast Titanium through Applications > Toast Titanium > Toast Titanium.
  4. Drag ALL the files for your CD into the "Drag files and folders into this area" window.
  5. Click on the words "Untitled CD" above your list of files if you'd like your CD to have a name other than "Untitled CD".
  6. Click the red "Record" button to burn the CD.
  7. Insert the CD to be burned when prompted if you haven't already.
  8. Check the "Buffer Underrun Prevention" box.
  9. Click the "Write Disc" button.
  10. Wait for automatic verification to complete.
  11. Click "Eject" to remove your CD.

When quitting the Toast Titanium software, a message will appear if you wish to "Save changes" before quitting. This option is for saving Toast Titanium settings, not for saving anything to your CD.

Q: What is the difference between a CD-R and a CD-RW?

If your CD is a CD-R, burning it will permanently lock it with the contents you selected. You cannot make any changes to files on a CD-R, nor is it truly possible to work with files saved on a CD-R. To work with these files in the future, you will need to copy them to another location (such as the Documents or Local Disk folder) then burn them to another CD later.

If your CD is a CD-RW, it can be burned additional times, but you must first copy any files you wish to keep to another location (such as the Documents or Local Disk folder) then erase the disc.

  • Erasing the CD on PCs: From the top menu bar in "Easy CD Creator" [see step 2 - PC CD Burning Process] select Disc > Erase Disc. This will permanently erase the contents of the CD!
  • Erasing the CD on iMacs: From the main menu bar in Toast [see step 3 in the iMac CD Burning Process above] select Recorder > Erase. Once the CD-RW has been erased, you will effectively return to Step #3 in the CD Burning process described earlier in this document. This will permanently erase the contents of the CD!
Once the CD-RW has been erased, you will effectively return to Step #2 in the CD Burning process described earlier in this document.

Q: Can a PC read a Macintosh formatted disk and vice versa?

A: A PC cannot read a Macintosh formatted disk, but an iMac can read a PC disk. The iMacs can also format a disk in PC format, which will be useable on both platforms. You will see a few extra files on the disk after you use a PC disk on an iMac. iMacs must write certain files to your disk in order to display the proper icons on the Desktop. You can safely delete these files at a later date if necessary.

Q: What should I do if my diskette is stuck in the floppy drive?

A: This is a very common occurrence, and improper removal of jammed diskettes is the single greatest cause of unusable PCs in the sites. Please ask site staff for assistance. They will retrieve your diskette.

Q: How do I reboot a frozen iMac?

A: Hold down the power button for five seconds. This will shut down the iMac. Press the power button again to start up the iMac. If restarting the system in this fashion is necessary, all unsaved data will be lost!

Q: How do I force a cell to display it's formula rather than it's value in MS Excel?

A: Select the cell using the mouse. On a Mac, press the Command (Apple) key + ' (tilde) On a PC, press CTRL + ' (tilde)