All users of computing facilities within Balliol are subject to the College Computing Rules. This applies to all College Members and devices they use. The ICT Department reserve the right to deny access to any computers that do not have up-to-date firewalls, security patches and service packs, and up-to-date virus control software that is being updated automatically. Please read the Computing Rules carefully.
ICT help
Your machine is your responsibility. The ICT Department will help you if you have problems connecting to the network, but we can only give further assistance if time permits. If you need advice concerning a problem with your personal computer, please drop into the ICT office in the basement of Staircase XI.
We will not undertake any hardware repairs to computers (e.g. we will not buy parts for you), but we may assist you in diagnosis and with minor repairs or fitting parts if we have time. We can assist with software ‘repairs’ at our discretion.
All work done on College Members’ machines is at the owner’s risk.
Software
Software licensed for use by members of the University, e.g. Sophos (anti-virus program), can be obtained through the Self-Registration site under the ‘software’ item in the column on the left-hand side.
Firewalls
Balliol uses firewalls to protect its computers within College from outside attack. A consequence of the firewalls is that some Internet programs will not operate. Where legitimate access to an academic source is being blocked, we will try to facilitate access; please realise, however, that there are constraints on what can be achieved.
Loans of laptops for emergency use
The ICT Department have a limited number of laptops to loan out to students on a short-term (strictly two weeks) basis in times of technical catastrophe. These are available on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
Students are liable for damage to the loan equipment and will be battelled for the cost of replacement or repair to loan equipment. Loan equipment not returned by the agreed time will also incur a fee and full replacement cost of the hardware.
Disposal of unwanted computers
Under the WEEE directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) it is illegal to dispose of electronic equipment into bins; it must be taken to a certified waste disposal operator or returned to the reseller.
The ICT Department have suppliers who are able to take old electronic equipment free of charge. They will either recycle the equipment or recycle it for further use.
If you would like the ICT Department to dispose of your waste computer equipment for you, please ensure all information is removed from the computer, and then drop it by the ICT Office. While the ICT Department do their best to ensure all data has been removed from the computer before it is sent to recycling, they will not be held responsible for any data left on the computer by its previous owner.
The ICT Department are happy to take donations of computers no longer required. These generally get converted to student emergency-use computers.