Windows 10 managed laptop manual

Owned by Ryan Drescher
Last updated: Sep 29, 2022
4 min read

The following is a brief overview of the most important features to make note of when using a domain-joined laptop.


Wireless networking

On campus, your laptop will automatically be connected to "SUAD" (S.U. Active Directory) which is specifically configured for wireless domain-joined devices. This network connects at system start-up and provides all the benefits of a wired logon (software deployment, account login, etc).


First logon

You'll sign into the laptop using your SU NetID and password (same as e-mail, MySlice, etc.). The first login to the device should be done on campus, while joined to the 'SUAD' wi-fi network, or connected to the network via ethernet. This will force your NetID account to be cached (saved locally) in order to allow you to log into the device at home or elsewhere away from campus.


Network storage (H: and G: drives) and Offline Files

Campus H: Drive: Your NetID account comes with a personal network storage drive (100GB capacity, automatically mapped as the H: drive) and is automatically configured to use the Windows offline files sync feature (more info here). Basically, a copy of your H: drive is stored locally on the laptop hard drive in an encrypted directory. This allows you to access to your network files even when a network connection is not available. Any changes made to these files while working in "offline" mode are then synchronized back to the network location the next time you have an internet connection.

Several folders on the laptop, as noted below, are redirected to your H: drive storage, meaning that the files in these folders are actually stored on your H: drive, not locally on the laptop hard drive as they appear. This also means that these folders are subject to your H: drive disk space quota. We ask that you utilize this space for work-related data only, as network disk space comes at a cost to the school. Should you require more space, we will first have to evaluate the data that is currently stored on your network drive.

  • Desktop to H:\Desktop\
  • Documents to H:\
  • Downloads to H:\Downloads\
  • Favorites to H:\Favorites\
  • Music to H:\Music\
  • Pictures to H:\Pictures\
  • Videos to H:\Videos\


Campus G: Drive - The G: drive is a shared file storage space for teams or departments. You'll automatically have access to some folders based on your role (i.e. 'Faculty' or 'Staff' folders) but additional access will be granted by Tech Services on an 'as-needed' basis.


OneDrive - All active faculty, staff, and students are provided an Office 365 account that includes Microsoft OneDrive. To login, simply visit http://microsoft.onedrive.com/ and use your campus email address as your username. Additional details, including accessing by device type, can be found on the Microsoft OneDrive page. 
 
Google Drive - All active faculty, staff, and students are provided a Google G Suite account that includes Google Drive access. If you are looking to login into your Syracuse University Google account, navigate to the Google sign in page and use NetID@g.syr.edu as your username. Additional help can be found on the Logging into G Suite page.


Software installation and updates

Most common applications (i.e. Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Acrobat, Zoom) are automatically deployed to your device. This software, including the Windows OS, will periodically receive routine security/version updates. Some software is able to install in the background while you're working, but other programs and OS updates will require a restart and will install during startup. It is recommended that you periodically (at least weekly) restart the computer at a point when you'll be away from it for 30+ minutes. Not only will this ensure that your computer stays current on updates, but it will avoid any unexpected and intrusive installations.


VPN

Windows 10 laptops are equipped with an "always-on" VPN connection, called 'Device Tunnel', that is available automatically at startup.  Only SU-campus network traffic is sent over the Device Tunnel connection. When the VPN connection is established, the PC will be able to reach campus resources (network files, software installations/updates) as if it was connected directly to the campus network. 


AppLocker

 Windows devices have a security policy enabled called 'Applocker' to prevent accidental installation/execution of malicious software. Applocker blocks any executable that tries to run from outside of the accepted 'Program Files' locations. However some legitimate 'portable' or open-source programs also behave this way, so there's a process to bypass Applocker in such cases. If you are confident that the application you are attempting to run is not a virus, you can try putting the application file(s) in special folder named "Apps-SU" which you can use to 'whitelist' the application. You must first create this folder and then place the file(s) in it.



Valid locations for an "Apps-SU" folder:


  • On the user Desktop
  • The root of any drive letter, i.e. "H:\Apps-SU" (placing the file in your H: drive will allow the portable executable to 'travel' with you if you log in to other computers on campus).
  • The root location of any USB or external drive


Q: What if I still need help getting my application to run? OR What if the application was installed by a system administrator?
A: Please contact your IT support group for assistance getting the software to run properly.


Q: What if I'm attempting to install software as an EDA user and then run it as a standard user.
A: Install the software under "C:\Program Files" when asked for a location during the installation of the software.