Student FAQs - Technical Support

How do I contact technical support?

The CUMC IT Service Desk is the main technical support group for students at CUMC. You can call extension 5-Help (212-305-4357), email 5help@columbia.edu, or stop by the Service Desk on the 2nd floor of the Hammer building at 701 West 168th Street (above the Library).

What are the hours for technical support?

The CUMC IT Service Desk hours are:

Monday through Friday 8am* to 7:30pm
Saturday 9am to 5pm
Sunday 10am to 6pm
* Phone support begins at 7:30am

If you have arranged to drop off or pick up a laptop for advanced troubleshooting please see important guidelines below.

Can I bring my computer to CUMC IT Service Desk if I need help?

If you are simply trying to connect to a resource such as wireless or the Pharos printers, please be sure to review our web site and the documents at our Tutorials page. We've posted step by step instructions for a number of commonly requested services.

If you'd still like to bring your computer in, we are not able to accept desktops at the service desk, due in part to building security requirements. Laptop users are welcome to bring their computers to the CUMC IT Service Desk, however advanced issues may require special arrangements. Initial troubleshooting and diagnosis can be performed (though during busy periods we may not be able to look at your computer immediately) but the following will apply if the issue cannot be resolved quickly:

You will be given a ticket number and arrangements will be made for a field technician to continue working on the problem.

• Laptops
  1. After initial troubleshooting has been performed and you have been advised to bring in your laptop, it can be dropped off Monday through Thursday between 8am and 7pm.
  2. After you've been notified that the work was completed, your laptop can be picked up Monday through Friday between 8am and 7pm.
  Do not attempt to drop off or pick up a laptop without having first made arrangements with a technician.
• Desktops - a technician will make an appointment to work on any desktops in campus housing that require advanced troubleshooting.
  

Please note this is for student-owned computers only. Department owned computers must abide by their own IT support group's rules if they require advanced troubleshooting.

What support is provided?

Support of personally owned student computers is best effort within the guidelines of Columbia Policies and CUMC IT Computing Use and Procedures. Rebuilds (complete re-installation of all software), Operating System installation or upgrading, and installation of virtual environments to run another operating system are not performed by CUMC IT - please contact a commercial vendor such as Techs in a Sec to arrange for these services if desired.

Can a technician assist me in connecting my computer to the network?

Students must follow the detailed instructions in order to connect their personal systems with CUMC's Residential and Wireless networks; there are also handouts on how to connect that can be picked up across from the Service Desk on the 2nd floor of the Hammer building, or printed from our Tutorials page.

The vast majority of students are able to configure their computers without trouble by following these instructions on their own. If you have any questions or problems while trying to connect, you can contact the CUMC IT Service Desk at extension 5-Help. It is best to call from your computer while experiencing any issues as some may be location specific.