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Office 2007 SP2 released; may slow first start of Outlook June 19, 2009

Office 2007 Service Pack 2 was released this week. It is a large update, and 'trickles' out to the various Nebula computers. The speed depends upon the network capacity. Once the update is complete, the system will install it at a specified time. For most systems, that will be tonight at 11:00 p.m. Once installed, the system will probably reboot. The first time you open Outlook after Office 2007 SP2 has been installed, it may take one or two minutes longer. This is a one-time delay, and it should only inconvenience you for a few minutes. If you have problems or questions, please let us know. Thank you.

Update Alerts June 1, 2009

Nebula does not support these updates at this time:

Internet Explorer v8
McAfee v8.5, patch 7
Windows v7

We don't expect to begin deployment of either Internet Explorer v8 or Windows v7 until at least the first service pack has been released. In particular, we don't advise upgrading to IE8 until campus web applications such as eProcurement and OWLS have been updated. While McAfee v8.5, patch 7 is now available through the UWICK, we have found that it is not compatible with our version of Outlook without some configuration changes. Since there are no security implications for staying on patch 6, we will remain there for now.

What's New in Nebula

Adobe Reader Upgrade: PLEASE INSTALL! March 31

Adobe has released an important security upgrade to its popular Reader software. Reader is a free program that lets you open PDF files, and Nebula installs this program on all its Gold computers. If you use Nebula's version of Adobe Reader, please follow the instructions below to install the upgrade using Nebula's new Run Advertised Programs or RAP method.

Some clients have purchased and installed the more robust applications that Adobe offers: Acrobat Pro, Creative Suite, etc. These products include their own version of Reader. These clients should upgrade their version of Reader using whatever method Adobe recommends for their particular product.

How to upgrade the Nebula Reader program

Close Adobe Reader and any open PDF files.
Open Control Panel, and then open "Run Advertised Programs".
Find "Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.1". Click on it, then click Run.
Click Close. Close Control Panel.

The Adobe Reader 9.1 installation will continue in a smaller window on your desktop; it may take up to a minute to complete.

Why can't we do this for you?

If we force this upgrade to all Nebula Gold desktops, we will break the non-Nebula version of Reader. We have chosen instead to ask that clients install this upgrade using the new RAP method. Thank you for your prompt attention to this upgrade.

Microsoft Home Use Program (HUP) April 13, 2009

Nebula subscribers are eligible to participate in the Microsoft Home Use Program (HUP). This program enables you to purchase a single licensed copy of Microsoft Office 2007 desktop to install and use on your home computer, for about $20.00. Both Windows and Mac versions of Office are available. The license includes Microsoft Office Access, Excel, FrontPage, InfoPath, Outlook, OneNote, PowerPoint, Project (Standard), Publisher, Visio, and Word.

Nebula along with other UW departments purchases software through the Microsoft Campus Agreement (MCA) making our subscribers eligible for this benefit. You may use this copy of Office 2007 for as long as you are employed by a University of Washington department, which in turn is subscribed to the Nebula service.

If you are interested in participating in this program, please contact Nebula Support and we will send detailed instructions.

Office 2007 page has been updated , April 2, 2009

With the end of the the conversion to Office 2007 in sight, we have updated our Office 2007 page with useful links, including one on Using Outlook 2007 in Nebula. Please take a look and let us know what you think.

Nebula Brown Bag lunch March 9

About 50 clients attended the Winter Nebula Brown Bag on February 25. We talked about the ways we're helping our clients get more out of their equipment, and about how Nebula is collaborating with the UW Technology Service Center to provide faster response to your basic user requests. Richard Ortiz, Manager of the Service Center, gave a Powerpoint presentation that described this collaboration. More information on this and additional topics is presented below.

Nebula partnering with UW Technology Service Center March 9

Beginning March 11, Nebula requests will go first to the Service Center, a call center that is staffed Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Simple, routine requests for password changes, file restores, and some software configuration will be handled expeditiously. All other requests will be passed to the Nebula Support queue, where they will be handled by your regular support persons.

Like all of campus, UW Technology is working to do more with less. This new arrangement lets us answer your basic requests more efficiently, and gives support staff more time to work with you on more complicated problems and technical projects. It also lets us leverage the processes already in place for UW NetID password changes, which verify the requestor's ID based on a number of criteria. Passwords will now be given only to the account's owner, which is in accordance with University of Washington security policy.

Stretching your hardware dollars March 9

In these difficult times, we are looking at strategies that will help you stretch your hardware dollars.

We are working to locate other sources of Dell computers such as those surplused by other campus departments and from vendors re-selling previously leased Dell equipment.
Some clients are currently unable to extend warranties on existing equipment. In these cases, Nebula will work with the client to continue to provide support for out-of-warranty equipment, but in these instances the department must pay the cost for any hardware repairs.
We've also started providing more detailed billing information so you can identify out-of-use or surplused computers and request their removal. An electronic form of this billing is available upon request.

Increased Security Scanning March 9

Since the virus incident last summer, Nebula has increased its security threshold. Systems now are scanned more frequently and more intensely. This maximizes the security of all 3,600 Nebula computers and is supported by the UW's Chief Information Security Officer. As a result, we have been able to identify computers that have been compromised by other malware, and we are working with our clients to rebuild these computers as quickly as possible.

Nebula Training Room

The Nebula Training Room is equipped with newer Dell computers that have been configured with the Microsoft Vista operating system and Microsoft Office 2007. It has 12 student seats and one instructor computer, as well as an overhead projector and plenty of whiteboard space. This space is available at no charge for any Nebula client to conduct their own trainings, and is located in the UW Tower on Floor C3. To schedule, please send email to nebula@u.

New way to install software February 23, 2009

Nebula is moving to a new method of delivering software. This method allows greater control of package delivery and better reporting. It uses the Run Advertised Programs or RAP option in the Control Panel. For software delivered via in this way, you will use the RAP instructions. Please let us know if you have any questions about this instructions page, or using the new method.

Please notify Nebula of staffing changes

Please be sure to notify your Nebula Support person of any staffing changes, such as folks leaving the department, whether permanently or via extended leaves of any kind. This can help us more accurately manage user accounts and email lists. Thank you!

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