Ag IT Matters is an electronic newsletter from the Ag Information Technologies unit. The purpose of this newsletter is to communicate relevant IT issues and projects, keeping our customers engaged and informed.

Box to OneDrive Migration Information Sessions

March 23, 2021

Ag IT is hosting Box Migration Information Sessions via Zoom in March and April. Details for each session are provided below. Please reach out to Ag IT for the Zoom link. We hope you can join!

Zoom-bombing prevention and mitigation tips

March 8, 2021

In response to recent security breaches in Zoom meetings, the Penn State Zoom team has prepared specific guidance on what we can do before and during meetings to prevent unwanted guests from joining and mitigate disruptions if they occur. Zoom security is critical and it will take our collective actions to protect ourselves from these unwarranted attacks on members of our University Community.

Box to OneDrive migrations to resume in April for College

March 5, 2021

After January's pause in Box to OneDrive migrations, the work is scheduled to restart in April

Required changes to your Penn State account password

February 15, 2021

Penn State's Office of Information Security introduces Lifetime Passwords for Penn State Accounts

Temporary pause in the College's Box to OneDrive migrations

January 27, 2021

College-wide Box to OneDrive migrations have been temporarily paused until April 2021.

County Help Desk Support During the 2020-2021 Winter Break

December 16, 2020

Although Penn State is officially closed for the Winter Break December 24, 2020 through January 4, 2021, we know that many of your offices will be open and many of you will still be working during that time. If you have a service outage in your office, Ag IT staff will be there to get you back into service!

University Park Help Desk Support During the 2020-2021 Winter Break

December 16, 2020

Although Penn State is officially closed for the Winter Break beginning on December 24, 2020 and reopens on January 4, 2021, we know that many of you will still be working during that time. If you have a service outage in your office, Ag IT staff will be there to get you back into service!

December: A time of Family, Friendship, Fellowship… and Fraud! Beware!

December 4, 2019

These new video doorbells allow you to have a little extra assurance about who is on the other side of your interaction. When the doorbell rings and your video doorbell shows you a guy dressed as a 1940’s gangster, you know something is fishy even if he is telling you that he is the UPS delivery man. But we don’t have that yet in email, so when you get the ring from the email box from somebody claiming to be the UPS delivery staff, you can’t see the familiar uniform or the classic thief costume. Whether at the door or at the email box, don’t let the thief in!

Keep in Touch!

December 4, 2019

If you get a new smartphone over the holidays you may not want to wait for the new year to talk to your colleagues in Ag IT to get the phone set up to send/receive Penn State email. Even though it would give you plausible deniability..."Huh? I didn't see your December 23 message until January 2!!"…you would also be out of the loop for messages that you may want to see. Never fear – configuring email is easy on a new phone!

Enterprise Active Directory

December 4, 2019

Ag IT has just about completed the project we began in early September to migrate the backup/sync of user My Documents from county servers to OneDrive. Thanks to each of you who took the time to work with us to get this project completed. It is rare for us to complete an IT project ahead of schedule, but with your cooperation, we have done just that.

Ag IT Retirement Party!

September 20, 2019

Ag IT is planning a retirement party…not for any individual on our team, but for the Windows 7 Operating System. As with any retirement party, relatives are often invited. In this case we’re inviting Windows 7’s ancestors; Windows Vista, XP, ME, 2000, 98, and NT 4! Windows 95, 3, 2, 1 and DOS don't get around much anymore.

Computer Repairs Available in Ag IT

September 20, 2019

You know that we have software expertise and access to tools and services to keep your computer humming along, but what if it’s flat-out busted? A little smoke from the side of a laptop? Buzzing noise in the desktop? You can call us for that, too!

Office 365 Access after Separation

September 20, 2019

An old country music classic by Jim Stafford includes the phrase, “All good things gotta come to an end…” It is good to have personal and professional use of Microsoft Office 365, but remember that this ‘good thing’ comes to an end when you are no longer a Penn State employee – and it comes to an end startlingly fast!

Remote My Documents to OneDrive

September 20, 2019

Moving up is usually a good thing – moving up in the organizational chart, moving up in housing, moving up in the tax brackets (well, not that one). Now your My Documents Folder is moving up – moving up to the cloud – and it’s a good thing!

Windows 7 Operating System Set to Retire

June 4, 2019

Microsoft introduced the Windows 7 operating system in 2009. After ten years of dedicated service, Microsoft has announced its retirement date of December 31, 2019. Those of us who toil for Penn State usually need more than ten years before retirement – it must be nice to be a part of Microsoft!

Fair Season Ahead

June 4, 2019

Most Pennsylvanians think that fairs are fun places to enjoy the kinds of food that can make a cardiologist weep – unless they are seeking new patients. The people of our communities look forward to the fun and relaxation time with friends, exhibits, shows and sales. We in Ag IT know that for many extension professionals it is one of the most stressful times of the year.

Documents on the Move!

June 4, 2019

My documents are on the move…or rather, your documents are on the move….no…make that your My Documents are on the move!

Go Fishing, But Don’t get Caught in the Net!

June 4, 2019

Pennsylvania is a great state for fishing! There is fishing for steelhead in Erie, and fishing for compliments and votes in Harrisburg. Muskie are found in Raystown Lake, and tuna can be found even in small communities. The other activity – phishing – is also prevalent in Pennsylvania, especially at Penn State – and it has hazards all its own!

Cloud Computing

March 7, 2019

If you’re feeling a little constrained by earthly computing, cloud computing might be right for you!

Projects with Significant Impact Underway

March 7, 2019

As spring arrives and moves into summer, two projects with big impacts will be shifting from the planning and preparation stages into implementation – and the implementation phase of one or both will impact you!

Office 365 – Not your Father’s Microsoft Office 2016!

December 7, 2018

Over the past many months you’ve been upgraded to the newest version of Microsoft Office – Office 365 and also to a university-wide mail system, Exchange 365. Learning to do what you’ve always done is pretty straightforward between your older versions and the new one….but that is the boring and safe place on the sidelines. The big kids jump into the fray, give things a shot and learn how much more the newest Office Suite can be!

Preserve Your Self Esteem!

December 7, 2018

The holidays are here, and your brand new smart-phone is on the mantle while you struggle to read email on a spiderwebbed-cracked phone screen. Why? Because Ag IT is closed for the week and you don’t know the steps to configure the new one to your email!

So Long Windows 7; Hello Windows 10!

December 7, 2018

Ag IT, just like all of you, has routine work to do every day, every week, and every year. And, just like you, we also tackle bigger projects. Some are year-long, and others are multi-year. We just finished the Office 365 migration project, and we’ve been casting about for our next big project since we know that idle hands are the Devil’s playground, and we don’t want to draw the Devil’s attention to us!

University Park HelpDesk Support During the Holidays

December 7, 2018

While Ag IT enjoys the December Break just like most other offices at UP, we also understand that you have important responsibilities that do not necessarily follow a calendar. For that reason, we have put measures in place to respond to significant IT service interruptions during the holiday break.

HelpDesk Support for County Offices During the Holidays

December 7, 2018

“Hey Siri! How long do I cook a 25 lb. turkey in the microwave?” “Seriously? You’re trying that one on me?” “Alexa: How much rum do I need to keep a kettle of Hot Buttered Rum throughout the holiday? Is it different if the in-laws are visiting?” “Have you seen the barrels of rum in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? Yeah, more than that.” “Google! What do I do if the whole office network fails during the holiday break?” “You call your friends and colleagues at Ag IT, just like always!”

Click Ye Not!

December 7, 2018

I need advice! I have this email that wants me to ‘Click here to…..’ and it says it is URGENT!! “Ix-nay!” - Curly Howard, 1936 “Just Say No.” – Nancy Reagan, 1986 "No, no, no. Just....No." - Ag IT Staff, 2018

College Email Migration Announcement

September 6, 2018

The College of Ag Sciences will be migrating mail and calendaring service to the Office 365 service hosted by the University in October!

HelpDesk Support during the Holidays

December 11, 2017

Butterball offers a turkey emergency hotline for the holidays, and if you look a little on Google you’re likely to find a hotline for fruitcake or eggnog emergencies as well. No need to use Google to find help for network and server issues in the College of Ag though...your IT colleagues will be on recliner-chair standby for just that sort of emergency.

How the Grinch Stole…..

December 11, 2017

…Every Who down in Whoville liked email and credit cards a lot . . . but the Grinch, who lived just north did NOT! Or, at least, he liked using YOUR credit cards and accounts more than his own. (with deepest apologies to Dr. Seuss)

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) Over Winter Break

December 11, 2017

If you use your personal cell phone for two-factor authentication to Penn State services, we’ve found a few reminders that may be helpful to you for the upcoming winter break. There are 2FA considerations if you get a new phone, and suggestions for success if you travel over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house – or especially if your destinations are more exotic or remote.

Information Technologies

Address

401 Ag Administration Building
State College, PA 16802