Niner Ready Laptop FAQs

• If you have already accepted your full financial aid offer and you need additional aid to cover the laptop purchase, you may apply for either an Alternative Loan or a PLUS Loan. If you need assistance with this process, please contact Niner Central.

• If you have already accepted a lower amount of your loan (less than the total amount offered) but want to increase your loan amount to cover your laptop purchase (up to the maximum amount offered), you may request the increase on the Loan Change Form.

Not through the NinerTech Store, but other retailers may offer financing options. Financing typically involves pre-approval and may include an interest-free period. Information about Dell financing is available through the Dell Store online. Apple financing is available through Apple Card.

• The Library offers short-term loaner laptops. For more information, visit this site.

No, if you already have a laptop, you don’t need to purchase a new one.

No. The NinerTech Store offers great educational discounts and on-site support, but you are free to use the retailer of your choice if you need to purchase a laptop. We recommend these hardware specs to ensure your laptop can meet your needs for your next four+ years.

Maybe, especially in your first couple of years. But as you advance in your academic career, you may find that you need a laptop with more computing power and processing speed. Use these hardware specs as a guide to help ensure your device will last you through graduation.

Chromebook’s capabilities do not meet the Niner Ready Laptop Initiative. A Chromebook is browser-based and will not allow you to download specialized software you may need to complete your coursework.

Your instructors will let you know if you are expected to bring a laptop to class.

A desktop is fine, but most students prefer the portability of a laptop. A laptop also comes with a built-in camera and microphone, both of which may be required for some courses.

As soon as you activate your NinerNET account, you can download Microsoft Office. Once your classes start, you can download antivirus software, endnotes, and more—all at software.charlotte.edu. See a full list of free software.

Microsoft 365 is now available through Software Center for Windows users. It includes: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, and Access. See this Microsoft site for more information about Microsoft 365. Once you upgrade to Microsoft 365, all future updates will happen automatically and be less dramatic (like regular browser updates). Please upgrade by December 31, 2023. Anyone who does not upgrade on their own will be upgraded beginning January 3.

Why are we switching?

Microsoft is moving away from version based software (Office 2019, Office 2021) to the continually updated Microsoft 365. Also, faculty want to teach on the Office version that students use which is Microsoft 365.

What is the upgrade process like?

• The upgrade will take approximately 15 minutes to install.
• You will not be able to use Office products (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel) while Microsoft 365 is being installed; It will also automatically quit any open Office applications.
• The upgrade will remove all older versions of Office (Office 2016, 2019). If you need to use an older version of the software for a specialized reason, don’t upgrade at this time and contact the OneIT Service Desk to be excluded from the December deadline.

What to expect on Windows:

• The Office icons in your Start Menu may not update until after you log out and back in to your computer. 
• Microsoft 365 has an AutoSave switch that is turned Off by default (see image below). If a user chooses to toggle it on, they will be prompted to sign in to OneDrive and any changes they make to that particular document will be automatically saved to OneDrive going forward.
  Note: since we use Google Drive and DropBox for file storage, OneIT recommends not using this feature. Also, AutoSave is not the same as AutoRecovery; AutoRecovery is enabled by default.​

What happens to older versions of Microsoft Project and Visio?

Microsoft Project and Visio are not included in Office but can be purchased separately. If you or your department purchased Project or Visio:

• Project and Visio 2019 will continue to work after this upgrade.
• Project and Visio 2021 will need to be installed after the upgrade, please submit a ticket to the OneIT Service Desk.
• Project and Visio 2016 and older should be repurchased, see this FAQ.

See these FAQs for additional information. Contact the OneIT Service Desk with questions.

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Note: This information does not apply to the William States Lee College of Engineering MOSAIC computers.

In addition to Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini with Data Protection (Google’s generative AI chatbot) is now available to students, faculty, and staff. To get started with Gemini, go to https://gemini.google.com and login with your @charlotte account or use the Google apps menu when logged into any other Google Workspace tool like Gmail.           

Key features of Google Gemini:

• Enhanced Understanding: Gemini exhibits a deep understanding of language, enabling it to engage in more natural and informative conversations.
• Versatility: Gemini can write different kinds of creative text formats, translate languages, write different kinds of code, and answer your questions in an informative way.  
• Efficiency: Gemini is designed to be efficient, allowing it to process information and generate responses quickly.
• Research: Gemini can be used to analyze large datasets, identify trends, and generate new insights.
• Content Creation: Gemini can be used to create high-quality content, such as articles, blog posts, and marketing materials.

Please view these FAQs for guidance. Note: For this version of Gemini, extensions will not be available.

Remember, when using OneIT-provided Gen AI tools like Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, follow the Guideline for Data Handling. Need help with prompts? Checkout this AI Helpful Tip and learn about prompt engineering. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the OneIT Service Desk.

Please see below for the upcoming upgrade schedule for Mac OS Sequoia and Windows 11 24H2.

Mac OS Sequoia:	Campus-wide: Upgrade available from Monday, December 16, 2024. Mandatory Upgrade: Begins Monday, March 3, 2025. How to Upgrade: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update.
*Windows 11 24H2:	Campus-wide: Monday, December 16, 2024 Mandatory Upgrade: Begins Monday, March 3, 2025. How to Upgrade: Go to Settings > Windows Update > Check for updates.

*Windows 11 24H2 Availability: Microsoft may hold back the upgrade for some hardware. If this happens, you may see a message that says that the upgrade isn’t available for your device. Please continue to manually check for updates.

Important Notes:

• The upgrades take about 45 minutes but you should be able to continue working while the upgrade downloads and installs. The upgrades will include a reboot(s)
• Early Upgrades Encouraged: To ensure a smooth transition, feel free to update as early you can.
• Issue Reporting: If you encounter any issues, please submit a ticket to the OneIT Service Desk.

Adobe will begin discontinuing Creative Cloud Synced files. If you don’t use Creative Cloud Synced Files, you will not be affected.

If you are unsure whether your Adobe assets are impacted, check to see if you have synced files online here: https://assets.adobe.com/files (login with username@uncc.edu). If you have synced files, continue reading below for more information and recommended actions.

Starting October 1, 2024 (Now extended through February 3 2025)

Users will no longer be able to share files or folders from Creative Cloud Synced files. Adobe will also begin discontinuing the Creative Cloud content synchronization process and permanently remove the cloud-based copies of files for users.

Keypoints:

• Assets in the local Creative Cloud Files folder on user devices will no longer be synchronized with Creative Cloud storage. 

• User files will remain in their local Creative Cloud Files folder. 

• Folders and assets previously shared from Creative Cloud Synced files will no longer be accessible to others including inside UNC Charlotte as well as externally.

Note that users may not see these changes right away as Adobe rolls out the process gradually.

Recommended actions:

It is recommended that you make sure your assets are safely backed up either locally or through a UNC Charlotte cloud storage provider such as Google Drive or Dropbox. Note: students do not have access to Dropbox and should use Google Drive.

Where do I find my Creative Cloud Files folder on my local device?

The contents of the Creative Cloud Files folder can be found by navigating to the folder listed below:

Windows

• C:\Users\<Username>\Creative Cloud Files

macOS

• Mac HD/Users/<Username>/Creative Cloud Files

Note: Adobe recommends that users sign into their Adobe account and sync the latest version of their assets before October 1, 2024 (now extended through February 3, 2025). Beginning Feb 3, 2025, the Creative Cloud Files folder on users’ local devices will no longer be hidden when they sign out of Creative Cloud. The folder will be renamed to “Creative Cloud Files + <account type> + <profile_name> + <email> + <GUID> (for example: Creative Cloud Files Company Account email@xyz.com ####@AdobeID). Users can rename the folder as they see fit.

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If you are unsure of the differences between Adobe Cloud Documents and synced files, read more here.

Please read the Adobe Synced Files discontinuation article provided by Adobe for full details and how to download a copy of your files

This article was updated on 12/20/2024.

No, but the warranty will help you in the case that you have an accident with your laptop. Do you have a warranty on your phone? It’s the same reasoning—your laptop is an essential tool (like a book), and you don’t want to worry about it breaking or getting it replaced because you dropped it or spilled coffee on it.

Staff on-site at the NinerTech Store are certified to repair computers still covered under NinerCare, Dell or Apple warranty. If your computer isn’t under warranty, please take your computer to a local, reputable repair shop that specializes in fixing your type of device.

Yes.

No, warranties purchased through the NinerTech Store are not responsible for data backup or recovery. However, with a warranty from a Niner Ready Bundle combined with a backup hard drive provides an easy way to have peace of mind, as your data would be duplicated.