Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I get an Alverno account?
As a registered Alverno student, you will receive a network account as well as accounts for student email, Educator (course management software), Diagnostic Digital Portfolio (DDP) and Interactive Online (IOL). During your New Student Orientation, you will be given your account information and information about computer resources available to students.

Q: What is my Alverno computer network user name?
Your user name usually is the first 6 letters of your last name, your first initial and your middle initial. For example, if Susan B. Anthony were an Alverno student, her user name would be anthonsb

Q. What is my Educator user name?
Your Educator user name is your Alverno user name. However your Educator password is not necessarily the same as your Alverno network password.

Q. What is my Interactive Online (IOL) user name?
Your IOL user name is NOT the same as your Alverno user name. Typically, IOL uses your first name, middle initial and last name as your user name. For example, Susan B. Anthony's user name would be susanbanthony.

Q: How do I log on to campus computers?
Press Ctrl+Alt+Delete, enter your Alverno user name and password when prompted, be sure the "log in to" box says Alverno, and click OK.

Q: Do I have to change my password?
Yes, you are required to change your password every 180 days. Passwords must be at least six, and no more than 12 characters long. Passwords can be either alpha or numeric and are case-sensitive. If you will ever need to use a Macintosh computer, passwords must not be more than eight characters long.

Q: What do I do if I forget my password?
Students are able to reset their Alverno network password from any computer with an Internet connection. The network password is used to access student email, the Digital Diagnostic Portfolio (DDP) and computers on campus. The password reset feature uses password hints as identifying information. For more information please visit the Password Reset page.

Q: What is my Alverno email address?
It is your username followed by @alverno.edu. For example, if Susan B. Anthony were an Alverno student, her email address would be anthonsb@alverno.edu

Q: Can I access my Alverno e-mail account, DDP, Educator and IOL from off campus?
Many resources are available from off campus on any computer that has Internet access. For a list of those resources as well as other helpful information for students, refer to the Student Ready Reference Guide.

Q: What is the best way to save my files?
Remember, the computer you use today in the lab may not be available another day, so do not save to the local hard drive. Save files to a usb flash drive, a zip disk or to your home folder on the Alverno server. Always save important documents in two places. Saving on a usb flash drive and in your home folder, or saving on two different types of removable media are both good backup methods. Occasionally files get corrupted. Having a backup disk insures that you have a second copy of important work.

Q: How do I find my home folder?
From the PC desktop, double click on "My Computer." The icon with your logon name on it, followed by a (H) is your home folder. From the File menu, choose Open or Save As. In the Open or Save in: box, click the < for the pull down menu. Select the folder with your logon name. Your home folder will appear in the Open or Save in: box.

Q: What do I do if my paper won't print?
Make sure that your printing quota is not at zero (Double-click the $ at the bottom of the screen to check your balance.) If your paper still won't print, ask a lab assistant for help.

Q: What happens if I have a different version of software or a different kind of software on my home computer? Can I work on the same files at home and in the Computer Center?
Most software packages have the ability to save in different formats including formats compatible with older versions of the software, or formats for other software programs. To save to a different version of Word (for example), chose Save As, then in the Save As Type box choose a different file format. Rich Text Format (rtf) can be useful when transferring word processing files since it saves most formatting. MS-DOS Text format (txt) will save the text without any formatting (such as font sizes, underlining, or bold). There are also conversion programs that can translate from Word Perfect or Microsoft Works to Microsoft Word for example. See a Lab Assistant for information on how to use these.

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