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User Guides for Remote Learning

Minimum Specification for Equipment and Internet Connection

Access to Office 365

Devices Cleaning Guidance - Helping Address Coronavirus

Microsoft Support Centre

A guide to studying remotely and effective learning online

The guide is available here.

Minimum Specification for Equipment and Internet Connection

The recommended minimum specification for IT equipment to be procured and used by QM students is as follows.

A laptop with:

  • 8GB RAM
  • Windows 10
  • 256 GB SSD

Connectivity should be via one of:

  • a broadband link with at least 10Mbps download speed and at least 1Mbps upload speed
  • a 4G unlimited data plan PAYG SIM

Note:

  • It is recommended that if a broadband link is being used, the laptop is cabled directly into the router rather than relying on wi-fi (to improve reliability and performance)
  • If you already own a device with a different specification (e.g. a hard drive that is not an SSD) then that may be adequate. The above minimum specification is to guide you if you conclude that you need to buy a new device

Office 365 - Free Microsoft Access for Students

  • Students at Queen Mary are able to download the Microsoft Office Suite free for PC and Mac OS X to up to 5 personal devices.
  • This includes the latest versions of Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote, Access, Publisher, Outlook and OneDrive.
  • You will need to sign in to Office365 with your full University email address and password, and will then be directed to the Office Installation page where you will be offered the version most suitable for your computer. Click Install to start the download process.
  • When the software is downloaded, navigate to where you saved the file and open it to start the installation.
  • This subscription lasts for the duration of your University course, while your student account remains active.

Devices Cleaning Guidance - Helping Address Coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends cleaning surfaces, followed by disinfection, as a best practice for the prevention of coronavirus in households and community settings. HP recommends the following guidance:

Cleaning Guidance:
A CDC-recommended disinfectant that is an alcohol solution consisting of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% water. Please follow the steps below to use the CDC recommended alcohol solution to clean high-touch, external surfaces on Dell and HP products:

1. Wear disposable gloves made of latex (or nitrile gloves if you are latex-sensitive) when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

2. Turn off the device and disconnect AC power (for printers, devices should be unplugged from the outlet). Remove batteries from items like wireless keyboards. Never clean a product while it is powered on or plugged in.

3. Disconnect any external devices.

4. Moisten a microfiber cloth with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol / 30% water. Do not use fibrous materials, such as paper towels or toilet paper. The cloth should be moist, but not dripping wet.

5. Do not spray any liquids directly onto the product.

6. Gently wipe the moistened cloth on the surfaces to be cleaned. Do not allow any moisture to drip into areas like keyboards, display panels or USB ports located on the printer control panels, as moisture entering the inside of an electronic product can cause extensive damage to the product.

7. Start with the display or printer control panel (if applicable) and end with any flexible cables, like power, keyboard and USB cables.

8. When cleaning a display screen or printer control panel, carefully wipe in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom.

9. Ensure surfaces have completely air-dried before turning the device on after cleaning. No moisture should be visible on the surfaces of the product before it is powered on.

10. After disinfecting, copier/scanner glass should be cleaned again using an office glass cleaner sprayed onto a clean rag to remove streaking. Streaking on the copier/scanner glass from the CDC-recommended cleaning solution could cause copy quality defects.

11. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.

Safe Handling

We recommend that customers adhere to the Instructions for cleaning product Safe Handling instructions. It is always important to handle isopropyl alcohol in a safe manner .

Many common household cleaners and disinfectants can damage electronic products. Do not use any of the following chemicals or any solutions that contain them, including spray-based surface cleaners: bleach, peroxides (including hydrogen peroxide), acetone, ammonia, ethyl alcohol, methylene chloride or any petroleum-based materials, such as gasoline, paint thinner, benzene or toluene. Some disinfecting wipes containing bleach and hydrogen peroxide can be used on select Healthcare Edition product and select Retail Solutions only. Wipes containing bleach and hydrogen peroxide should not be used on any other products.

If you are not sure whether a cleaning product is suitable, do not use it. Using any of the chemicals previously listed in this paragraph may cause permanent damage to the product.

More advice from Dell and HP here can be found here.

 If you are unable to find the answer you are looking for, please chat to us. We welcome any suggestions you may have.

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