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Frequently Asked Questions

In this section, we'll attempt to answer some of the more frequently asked questions and give concise answers where possible.  Some questions may require a more complex response and in such a case we'll point you to the appropriate documentation or contact person.  This FAQ generally only addresses issues unique to the center.  For more general questions, please see the FAQ ITS has accumlated here. 

If you have any suggestions for this FAQ please send mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

What is a CIS account and how do I get one?

How do I set up my email client to get my CIS email?

How do I access my CIS email when I'm away from my normal email client?

I have an emergency and I need service right away.  What do I do?

I need computing support and my question isn't answered here.

How do I get software installed on my CIS-owned machine?

What printers are publicly available? How do I set them up?

I lost data on my CIS-owned machine, how do I get it back?

I'm going on vacation, how do I set my email up for auto-reply?

What are the differences between my RIT and CIS account? 

Where can I get a map of Building 76 (CIS)? 

How do I use FTP to move files to and from my account?

How do I set up my Outlook calendar?

What is a mail alias and how do I get one? 

What computing practices should I follow?

I want to buy a new computer, what should I get?

What is the Winmail.dat problem and how do I fix it? 

I have an emergency, how do I page the sys admins?

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What is a CIS account and how do I get one?

In order to get a CIS computer account, you must obtain approval through the proper channels.  The general people who approve accounts are as follows:

  • Students including grads: Faculty Advisor
  • Researchers: Head of Group or Stefi Baum
  • Staff: Supervisor

Before you can get a CIS computer account, you must also read the following document fully.  As well, you must fill our and sign the final page:

  • CIS Computing Guide (doc)(pdf)

After we have recieved the appropriate approval, your account will be generated.  This account will be the same as your RIT account (ie. abc1234).  You will just have to stop by and bring the last page of the CIS Computing Guide signed.  Then we'll reset you're password for you to set.  Your computer account enables you to:

  • Send and receive email from a This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it address
  • Log in both locally and remotely to the UNIX workstations in the UDIP and DIP laboratories
  • Access Samba shares from CIS-owned computers

How do I set up my email client to get my CIS email?

We have more in-depth tutorials on how to set up your mail clients to access CIS email.  Just as a summary of the important information you'll need:

  • Mail Server Type: IMAP
  • Mail Server: mail.cis.rit.edu
  • Account Name: CIS account name (ie. abc1234)
  • Account Password: CIS account password

Links to setup documentation:

How do I access my CIS email when I'm away from my normal email client?

When you are away from your normal email client, you may still want to access your CIS email.  Instead of having to set up an email client, which on a public machine is unreasonable, you can access your CIS email through our webmail system.  This is a web interface into your email on the server.  Detailed instructions on its use are found in the documentation section of this site.  You can also follow this links to the documentation and the mail interface itself:

Access CIS webmail using your normal CIS account name and password.  Also, please note, on your first login to CIS webmail, take the following steps to save all your sent mail:

You will want to activate your Sent, Trash and Drafts folders so they will appear in your webmail client.
  • Click Options at the top of the screen
  • Click the boxes next to the following folders:
    • Enable Sent Folder
    • Enable Trash Folder
    • Enable Drafts Folder
  • Click Update Settings below the box you made changes in.

I have an emergency and I need service right away.  What do I do?

For any emergencies, see Brett or Jim in their offices (76-2140 and 76-2144).  They can also be paged here. You can also see the Student System Administrators in the back of the UDIP lab if needed.

I need computing support and my question isn't answered here.

Send mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

How do I get software installed on my CIS-owned machine?

Send a request to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .  If the software needs a single license like Adobe Acrobat, you may have to provide a account charge number.  Other software like Microsoft Office, we have a site license for and no purchase is necessary.

What printers are publicly available? How do I set them up?

For a list of available printers go here. For instructions on how to set up the printers on your computer see the instructions at the following links:


I lost data on my CIS-owned machine, how do I get it back?

Many of the CIS-owned machines are backed up to tape.  This includes information stored in your home directory on the server and your email.  If you lost something, accidentally deleted it or had the gremlins steal it, contact Jim Bodie at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and he will be able to help you.

I'm going on vacation, how do I set my email up for auto-reply?

See the tutorial on this here. If you are having trouble getting it to work, just contact us and we'll be able to help you.

What are the differences between my RIT and CIS account?

Though both your RIT and CIS account have the same name, they have different passwords (or they should anyways) and are used to access different resources.

Your RIT account grants you access to:

  • Your RIT email ending in @rit.edu
  • RIT services from the bursar, registrar, etc.
  • Access your RIT webspace on grace.rit.edu
  • ITS run computer systems such as the computers in the library

Your CIS accounts lets you access:

  • Your CIS email ending in @cis.rit.edu
  • UNIX machines and the Mac OSX machines in the DIP and UDIP labs.
  • Your home directory on the server.  Any subsequent permission changes you need will be enacted on this account.


Where can I get a map of Building 76 (CIS)?

There is are annotated floor plans available on the CIS website.  Here are the links:

How do I use FTP to move files to and from my account?

Coming soon 

How do I set up my Outlook calendar?

ITS has a good set of instructions for setting up and using the Outlook Calendaring with the RIT exchange mail service. Click here.

What is a mail alias and how do I get one?

An alias lets you simplify your email address to something more usable and easier to rememmber.  For example, if my user name is something like abcpci, I could have an alias set up for albert.  Now any email sent to \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it would also be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it   Faculty and Staff can have a mail alias set up for them.  It is not something you can do on your own and must be done by on of the systems administrators.

What computing practices should I follow?

A list of policies that effect you can be found here.

It is vital that these policies are followed.  Failure to do so could have your account suspended, privleges revoked, computer blocked from the network and/or possible disciplinary action for more severe infractions.   If you have any questions at all about policy and standards, please This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

I want to buy a new computer, what should I get?

We don't provide our own set of guidelines for purchasing, instead we refer to ITS' guide on the subject.  The guide is found here.  Please note, you need an RIT account to view the purchasing guidelines.

What is the Winmail.dat problem and how do I fix it?

Winmail.dat files are a proprietary encoding for email sent by Microsoft's Outlook email clients to non-Outlook email clients.  Specifically the problem is caused by the handling of RTF (Rich Text Formatted) files being sent.  This problem manifests itself as an attachment winmail.dat in the sent email.  The .dat file cannot be opened without the assistance of a specialized utility.

Receiver

If you recieve a winmail.dat file, there are a number of utilities that will unpack the attachment for you:

  • Linux - Fentun
  • UNIX - Bob Krzaczek wrote a filter for procmail that fixes this problem.  
  • Mac OSX - TNEF's Enough
  • Windows - WMDecode

Sender

The sender is the source of the winmail.dat file.  The only way to prevent your Outlook client from sending winmail.dat files is to make it send all emails in plain text format.  RTF or HTML formatting can generate the winmail.dat attachment.  

Preventing the winmail.dat files in Outlook: 

  1. Select Tools->Options from the Outlook menu bar.
  2. Select the "Mail Format" tab in the dialog window.
  3. In the first drop-down list, under the "Message Format" heading, select Plain Text
  4. Click the "OK" button.

Note: This problem no longer occurs in Outlook 2007.

I have an emergency, how do I page the sys admins?

In case of emergency the CIS System Administrators carry pagers and can be contacted to report critical problems with the CIS Computing System.
The most effective way to page the System Administrators is through the following URL:

http://www.cis.rit.edu/content/view/164/217/

This will allow you to compose a short message with a very brief description of your problem and also a method of contact.

The other method is to call the pager directly from a telephone:

Jim  - 585-527-5930
Brett - 585-529-3245
At the beep enter a contact number followed by the "#" sign.

If I were paging myself from my office the sequence would be:
-Dial 529-3245
-At the beep I would type 5854755977
-Press the # key

This would send a page with the contact number (585) 475-5977 to my pager. 

 

Last Updated ( Monday, 26 March 2007 )
 
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