On Friday January 8th, the Office of Technology Services will begin upgrading campus faculty/staff office computers to Internet Explorer 8 (IE8). Like other updates, computers that are powered on and connected to the campus network will be updated automatically sometime between January 8 and 10 (we spread the distribution out over several days to avoid network traffic jams). The computer will be restarted automatically after the installation finishes.
A special note to faculty: We strongly encourage you to leave your computer powered on (but logged off) during the January break. If you turn it off, you will likely face a backlog of updates in addition to IE 8, such as Windows security patches and McAfee antivirus updates. Having to crunch through that backlog will be a challenge for your computer as well as your patience if you turn on your computer right before the spring semester starts. Again, leaving your computer powered on (but logged off) is your best bet.
Exclusions: Computers in smart classrooms are exempt from the January 8 automatic update. They will be “manually” updated on a case-by-case basis in cooperation with the departments that use the rooms. Also, lab computers will be exempt from the January 8 automatic update; each lab manager will be able to decide the best strategy to upgrade to IE 8.
Self Help Documents: The Office of Technology Services has created three Self Help documents available for IE 8. Please visit the following link to review the documentation: {http://www.towson.edu/adminfinance/ots/trainingdoc/shr11-internet.asp}
If you need assistance installing Internet Explorer 8 or run into problems, please contact the OTS Faculty/Staff Help Center at 410-704-5151 (2+2+2 on the voice menu).
