Technology FAQ

Your Porter account

How do I activate my account?

Use the activation code in your admission letter. One account signs you in to email, MyPorter, the learning management system, the library, campus Wi-Fi and lab computers (technology services).

Is multi-factor authentication required?

Yes, for every student, faculty and staff member on every service behind single sign-on. The primary method is an authenticator app push or code (multi-factor authentication).

I lost my phone and cannot sign in. What now?

Use a backup method if you registered one — a second device, printed one-time codes or a security key. If not, the Help Desk verifies your identity in person and resets MFA; register a backup as soon as you are back in.

How do I reset my password?

Follow the self-service steps in the Help Desk knowledge base, or call or walk in. Use the password manager the university licenses for students so every account gets a long, unique password (password manager).

Do I really have to read my Porter email?

Yes. It is the official channel for billing, aid, registration and emergencies, and offices will not send the same information anywhere else. Check it daily.

What happens to my email after graduation?

Your mailbox stays open for a grace period, then closes. You keep a permanent name@alumni.uwporterfalls.edu forwarding address for life (alumni email forwarding).

Laptops and software

Do I need to buy a laptop?

No. Every full-time undergraduate is issued a university-managed laptop at orientation, specced for their program and loaded with the software their courses require. The cost is built into tuition and fees (laptop program).

Will I get a new one?

Laptops are refreshed on a set schedule, typically once during a four-year degree.

My laptop broke. Where do I take it?

To the Help Desk’s on-site repair shop in Halvorsen Library. Most repairs are same-day or next-day, loaners are available while yours is out, and accidental-damage coverage handles a drop or spill but not a lost machine (laptop repair).

What software can I get?

The office suite, a reference manager, statistics and CAD packages for relevant courses, and antivirus are free while you are enrolled through the software portal in MyPorter. Licenses deactivate after you graduate or withdraw (software for students).

Can I run lab software from my own device?

Yes. The virtual computer lab streams a full lab desktop to a laptop or tablet through a browser; a few titles stay lab-only (software and virtual labs).

Do I keep the laptop when I graduate?

It depends on your program and the machine’s age: some students keep it, some return it and some buy it out at a depreciated price. Move your files off university cloud storage before your account closes.

Wi-Fi, printing and labs

How do I get on Wi-Fi?

Sign in to the campus network with your Porter account. Visitors join ‘UWPorterFalls-Guest’ and self-register for a day, or a host with a Porter account can sponsor a longer stay (guest Wi-Fi).

How does printing work?

Every student gets a per-semester printing allowance. Send a job, tap your Porter Card at any release station and pick it; overage is charged to your Porter Card account (mail & printing).

Can I print from my own laptop or phone?

Yes — by web upload, by emailing the file to the print address, or with the mobile-print app. PDF is the most reliable format (printing from your own device).

Where are the computer labs?

General labs are in Halvorsen Library, Founders Union and every college building; the library labs keep the longest hours and go to 24-hour access during finals. Specialized labs are open to students in the relevant courses (computer labs).

Where can I print a poster?

On the large-format plotters in the library and the Campus Service Center, charged by size and paper.

Getting help

When is the Help Desk open?

Monday–Thursday 7:30 a.m.–9 p.m., Friday 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m., and Saturday–Sunday noon–6 p.m. by phone and email only. Hours shorten between semesters (Technology Help Desk).

How do I reach the Help Desk?

Walk in on Level 1 of Halvorsen Library, call (715) 555–0146, or email help@uwporterfalls.edu to open a ticket. Tickets get a same-business-day response during the semester; call or walk in for anything urgent.

A system went down right before my deadline. What do I do?

Screenshot the error with a timestamp, email your work to your instructor before the deadline as proof, and open a ticket. Instructors are understanding about a documented failure.

Is something down for everyone?

Check the IT service status page before you open a ticket.

Can Poly help with tech questions?

Yes. Poly, the chatbot in the corner of every page, searches the same knowledge base the Help Desk uses, so it is often the fastest route for a common issue.

Security

Will the university ever ask for my password?

Never — not by email, text or phone. Be suspicious of urgency, links that do not go where they say, and “job offers” that send you a check or ask for bank details (account security).

I think I was phished. What now?

Change your password from a device you trust, sign out of all sessions and call the Help Desk immediately. For a bank or financial account, call that bank’s fraud line.

How do I report a suspicious email?

Click “Report phishing” in the mail toolbar. The message is pulled from your inbox and sent to security, and similar messages are hunted across all mailboxes (phishing report button).

Do I need antivirus software?

Antivirus is free to install while you are enrolled, and the issued laptop ships with security tools and full-disk encryption turned on. Let pushed updates install — they patch the holes attackers use.

How do I back up my work?

Save to your university cloud storage, which keeps version history. A dead drive the night before a deadline is not an extension (backing up your coursework).