Wispic Helpdesk Services

Mission

The Wispic IT Helpdesk aims to support the technological needs of Department users so they can carry out their work productively.

Availability

We make every effort to have a Helpdesk team member present and available during normal business hours: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm.  Although this is our aim, there are many factors that make it challenging to always have a person available for immediate assistance.  We frequently have to leave our desks to help users in various locations throughout the building, service equipment in building closets, or step in to meetings.  As a result, there will be lapses in coverage for those who reach out for immediate help, but we will always follow up with Helpdesk requests as soon as possible.  Please visit our Contact Us page for information about availability and requesting help.

Services

Some of the services we DO provide:

  • Basic hardware and software installation/troubleshooting
    • We order, configure, and install workstations for pretty much everyone in the department.  We troubleshoot/replace keyboards, mice, monitors, etc. We will also assist with upgrading hardware, like adding RAM or a new graphics card to a system.
  • Basic audio/visual troubleshooting in conference rooms (preferably by advanced scheduling)
    • The projector systems in the conference rooms are meant to be end-user friendly.  Given that there are many conference rooms and they are used frequently, we cannot realistically support all rooms and all users.  We therefore expect that end-users will learn to operate the equipment independently.  We are happy to provide tutorials for those who are unsure how to use the equipment.  Please visit our projector help page to view instructions for the equipment in each conference room.
  • Basic printer/scanner/copier installation and troubleshooting
    • We can help with connecting to a printer and troubleshoot basic printing tasks like double-sided, staples, collation, etc.  We are not able to help with advanced layout designs, such as with Adobe Photoshop.
    • We do have a poster printer and we process requests for posters.  Although we can help with basic resizing of images to fit onto the paper, we do not help with the design of posters.  Please visit our poster printing page for more details.
  • Basic website hosting/design
    • We can help with the creation of a new website.  We can get the generic website up and then hand off the design controls to the end-user.
  • Consulting (e.g. connecting users with campus resources, providing hardware recommendations)
    • We can assist users with planning and implementing mainstream technical solutions, such as networking, data storage, and processing.  We are not able to assist with advanced or specialized equipment like high-powered microscopes or biometric devices.
  • Account management (e.g. password resets, creating accounts, granting permissions)
    • We manage the accounts for SMPH computer logons and certain shared folders like the J drive.  If you are having trouble logging into a device, please contact us for help.
  • Equipment checkout (e.g. loaner laptops, camera, miscellaneous hardware)
    • We keep a number of common-use devices on hand for temporary use, such as loaner laptops.  Please contact us in advance if you would like to check out a device.

Some of the services we do NOT provide:

  • Advanced software configuration/troubleshooting
    • We do not have the resources nor the expertise to service all of the many complicated software packages used in our environment, especially within research labs.  We are only able to provide basic troubleshooting assistance, which is essentially meeting the minimum system requirements to get the software running.  Any advanced issues with software will need to be the responsibility of the end user.  We will assist with getting end users in touch with technical support from the manufacturer, but the end user will be the primary point of contact for that support.
  • Highly customized software configurations
    • We are able to provide basic troubleshooting for common programs like Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat.  However, we are not able to support highly customized configurations, where the end user deviates quite far from the default settings.  Add-ons like plugins, special fonts, special layouts, etc. are beyond the scope of our supported services.
  • Personal device maintenance
    • We do not service personal devices like phones, laptops, or desktops.  We can assist with installing software for work-related reasons (e.g. the Duo MFA application), but otherwise have to refer users to other resources for help with their personal devices
  • WebEx hosting
    • While we are able to help with the basic connectivity of WebEx meetings, we do not create meetings, invite participants, or configure settings for end users.  Users must use their own WebEx accounts to host meetings.  WebEx is meant to be an end-user tool and it is the responsibility of the end user to obtain technical training if he or she wishes to use it.  We have a WebEx help page here to assist with WebEx usage.  Also, please consult DoIT’s help page for training options here.

Other Helpdesks

  • UW Department of Information Technology (DoIT):
    • Contact Information: 608-264-4357; help@doit.wisc.eduhttps://it.wisc.edu/help
    • The NetID system is handled by DoIT.  If you are having trouble logging into my.wisc.edu or your email, please contact their helpdesk to have them reset your password.
    • Duo Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is handled by DoIT.  Please consult DoIT’s help page for Duo MFA if you are having trouble.
    • UW-Madison Box service is handled by DoIT.  We can help get Box Drive installed on your computer; however, if you are having trouble logging in or experiencing errors within Box, please contact them.
    • Cisco’s WebEx video conferencing software is hosted by DoIT.  We can help get the WebEx software installed on your computer; however, if you are having trouble logging in or experiencing errors with WebEx, please contact them.
  • UWHealth Helpdesk
    • The UWHealth Helpdesk handles everything related to Healthlink.  Our Helpdesk can assist with basic connectivity troubleshooting (e.g. Citrix) but UWHealth’s Helpdesk services everything internal to Healthlink, including passwords, permissions, and settings.  You can reach them at 608-265-7777 or visit Uconnect for more information.

Please note that the content of this page is subject to change as Helpdesk policies are revised and new technologies emerge.