Tuesday, 8 April at last saw the end of the XP era. From this date onward Microsoft will no longer release any new patches and updates for XP.

Although your XP operating system will keep on going, it does mean your pc will be much more vulnerable to virus attacks and security breaches. At the same time XP is an out of date system and not nearly as efficient as it should be.

There’s no need to panic just yet. IT has been working on the upgrade process since last year and we have gradually rolled out XP’s replacement, Windows 7, on campus.

We do realise that you have busy schedules and will try our best not inconvenience you during the upgrades. For this reason we appreciate your assistance and patience.

By implementing Windows 7 we lay down an acceptable standard of digital security and integrity, and just as importantly, we create an opportunity for users to learn new and master new technology.

This being said, it’s important to keep in mind not all computers are able to handle a heavier, newer operating system. Older workstations may need extra components and in cases like these a technician will make recommendations. In this case expenses will have to be covered by the department. 

The upgrade from XP to Windows 7 will be free of charge, but there is a cost for backups of work related data, personal data (music, movies, etc.), as well as hardware needed (if any).

 No third party software will be reinstalled – in other words if you ran AutoCAD or SAS, it will not be reinstalled. These software packages do not form part of IT’s standard software installations. We do, however, support selected packages and will be able to reinstall them if a request is sent to help@sun.ac.za.  AutoCAD is not supported by IT and it will be the responsibility of the department to reinstall the software.

Cost for data backups are R950-00 for less than 15GB and R1650-00 for over 15GB.

If you’re in a hurry to get your pc up to speed, you’re welcome to contact us and schedule a time that suits you.

Unsure of your operating system? Try HTTP://WHATSMYOS.COM/ and the website will do the thinking for you. If you do use XP, send an e-mail to HELP@SUN.AC.ZA  requesting an upgrade with the following information:

computer’s asset number, contact telephone number, building name and room number.

SUrveys.sun.ac.za is a web-based service available free of cost to University entities and staff members. Its main purpose is to support academic staff or post-graduate students who need to conduct online surveys as part of their academic research activities. SUrveys allows one to:

1. easily create a sophisticated, customised online survey that includes functionality such as branching.

2. test the survey.

3. invite respondents or publish a unique hyperlink to the survey.

4. collect responses in a central, institutional database (which means it’s backed up and is secure).

5. control one’s own response data

6. export data to SPSS or Excel.

If you are interested in doing a survey, please note the following:

1. If the survey incorporates people associated with the University, whether they are staff or students, it is subject to the approval by the University’s Ethics Committee. For information regarding these requests, please visit the web page of the Institutional Research and Planning Department and click on “Applications to undertake research involving University staff or students“.If the survey is done outside the University, ethical clearance is not necessarily required. Nevertheless, still follow the steps outlined under point 1 above. If it is indicated that no ethical clearance is required, complete the e-Survey application form . Technical information regarding the software used, is available on the site of Checkbox Survey Solutions

2. Your study leader or lecturer can be approached to provide assistance regarding the formulation of questions and the composition of the questionnaire in order to obtain the best possible results. Assistance is also available from the Centre for Research in Science and Technology and the Centre for Statistical Consultation.

In October last year a simple process was implemented to register visitors or external workers on the university’s systems. Until then departments had to complete a form and submit it to Human Resources. This is no longer necessary, since each department can register its own visitors and external workers.

When a person requires an appointment or role and he/she will not be receiving any payment during the period of appointment, he/she has to be registered as an external worker and on the SUNid system.

Only three types of appointments are still facilitated by Human Resources:

1. A permanent appointment.

2. A temporary appointment, also known as a HEMIS appointment. This refers to the type of forms needed to be completed to receive payment.

3. Diverse payments are loaded by representatives in departments by using the  sun-e-HR system. If new diverse payments are loaded, this function also creates UT numbers. The diverse payments are made by Human Resources, but if  any electronic access or access to buildings is needed, the person also has to be created as an external worker or visitor on SUNid.

For more detailed instructions, read here or follow our easy diagram below.