The "computers" in the computer lab and at the public desks are not actually individual machines, but rather VDI (virtual desktop interface) devices that connect students to a virtual desktop on a server computer. This means that there are no "real" computers in the lab or at the public desks, which in turn limits the amount of troubleshooting we can do. You will likely need to submit a ticket to IT for most VDI problems.
If a patron is unable to log in on one particular VDI device, turn that device off and on using the power button on the device (the VDI devices are bolted to the underside of the desks; you may have to kneel on the ground to see the device and find the power button). If they are still unable to log in, have the patron try a different device. If they still continue to be unable to log in to any VDI, they may need to contact IT to see if something is wrong with their account.
If a VDI device is not connecting to the printers, first try restarting the device. If the problem persists, try turning it off and on. If the problem persists again, have the patron try a difference device.
When this happens, the program a student is trying to print a document from (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint) will default to the "Print as PDF" option. If a student asks for printing help and you see that their VDI has defaulted to the PDF option, check the drop-down menu to see what printing options are available. It is likely that the VDI device is not connecting to the printers.
If a patron has headphones or earbuds with a standard headphone jack, they can connect them using the headphone jack port on the VDI device. If they have headphones or earbuds with a USB connection, they can connect them using the USB port on the VDI device or the monitor. There is no way to connect Bluetooth headphones/earbuds to the computers.
The VDI devices do not have a CD/DVD drive. If students need to play a CD or watch a DVD on one of the computers, they will need to borrow one of the USB CD/DVD drives from the loanable tech collection (located in the bottom drawer of the gray cabinet next to the circulation printer). These are external CD/DVD drives that connect to the VDI devices via USB. Patrons can also borrow one of the drives to use with their personal laptop or tablet, although the drive must be used in the library. See the loanable tech page of this guide for more information on lending out tech devices.