How to Bookmark your Bookmarks

Have you ever tried to open up your saved bookmarks on your browser after an event takes place, such as a power outage, and were shocked to find that they’re not there? Your bookmarks to sites and articles, what you rely on to safely navigate through your day to day work items, are no longer at the ease of your fingertips. If only there were a way to keep those bookmarks saved for good, similar to how you wish you could save the sites you search up, which is the very reason bookmarks were created. If only there were a way that we could bookmark our bookmarks.

Well, luckily there is (so-to-speak). For free! All that’s required is to create an account on either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Unfortunately, this means there is the added annoyance of, yet again, having to create an online account and password; but thanks to your integration of Enpass or LastPass this will no longer pose an annoyance or deterrent to adding another online account. Thank goodness someone has already covered this dilemma previously. All you have to do is choose your favorite, and most frequented, web browser (typically Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox) and create an account. Once you have an account, you can save all of your tabs to that account and cross-integrate those saved items to any device that you open up on the browser you have chosen (after logging into your account). Not only does this save you from losing these bookmarks when your computer goes down, or when a power outage wipes your bookmarks, but it also allows you to link up your work bookmarks with your home bookmarks as well. You, of course, have freedom in your account as to what you want linked up across devices when you login to your account on multiple outlets. So if you don’t want your browser history linked, for example, but you want your bookmarks linked then you are now able to have that option.

This is revelatory and triumphant news, for those of us that have gone through the annoyance of losing all our cached items in our web browser after an unexpected power outage or computer failure. I know it’s a question that often gets posed after a power outage, “where did all my bookmarks go?” and this is an article to answer any future questions on the topic. Down below I’ve provided some links to the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox account creation page. Follow the links and quickly create an account to avoid future issues with lost and non-malleable bookmark integration. Quick Note: If you have a Google account for things such as Gmail then you already have an account for accessing your saved bookmarks on Chrome. All you have to do now is login to your Google account and save your bookmarks to your account so that when you login to Chrome on another device it integrates those saved bookmarks.

Google:

https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2

Firefox:

https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/access-mozilla-services-firefox-account

Hope this helps with any confusion about lost bookmarks, both now and in the future.

 

Passwords that Pass Along (Permeant Passwords)

Do you keep the same password for every major site you frequently visit? Perhaps you have a set of 2, 3, or possibly 5 different passwords that you like to cycle through as viable options for your accounts.

The world that we live in today demands us to have passwords for every single account we make and that, for maximum security, those passwords are complex, unique and untraceable. However, it’s not a natural thing for humans to do: remembering highly complex random combination sequences of letters and numbers.

So, that’s why there are companies that have capitalized on that dilemma and provided an opportunity for you to sync all of your passwords to one account and manage the rest of your account logins from there. You can go back to remembering one password: the one that gets you into this third party program. From there, it will autogenerate random sequences of numbers and letters for your synced accounts so that you don’t have to. Then, when you go to access that account, you simply circle back to this third party program and access your information.

A reliable company that does this is Enpass and I’ve provided a link to their site for you to check out here:

https://www.enpass.io/

Their desktop version is free, and their mobile app (which syncs to your desktop version) has a free lite option (capable of saving 25 password accounts). If you’re interested in saving more than 25 account passwords then there’s a full mobile version available for $6 a year (monthly basis of $0.49 a month) OR a one cost buy in of $39.99 if you expect to use it for more than 6 years.

Another reliable company to check out for essentially the same features, is LastPass. Their link is located here:

https://www.lastpass.com/how-lastpass-works

LastPass has a slight variant from Enpass, in that it works through your browser. It has an app function as well that links to your main account but on your desktop it is operated as a browser tab extension. The pricing for it breaks down similarly to Enpass, except that it lacks the one cost option. The only option is on a monthly basis; but it does offer a family plan for you and your members that includes up to 6 users for only $1.35 extra a month. Overall, it is a more pricey option than Enpass: $4.01/month for Premium and $5.35/month for families. So, it’s a significant jump in price when compared to Enpass, but it does offer the ability to link up multiple users under one umbrella and sounds like it has an easier time transferring your passwords through to the integration process of logging into accounts. So if the price jump is worth it for the easier access and joint users, then the LastPass option makes more sense.

If you have an Apple product at home and at work then another option to use would be Apple Keychain. Unfortunately, most of us at work have Windows devices for our operations within the school. That means that for the majority of us, this isn’t an option. However, if you’re able to operate solely on Mac devices in your life then Apple Keychain is another option that also happens to be free. Here is a link to help you understand more about Apple Keychain, if that is an avenue that you wish to go down for at least your personal items at home:

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/keychain-access/kyca1083/mac

These are just some things to consider as an alternative to using the same passwords over and over again for different accounts and risking a hacker gaining access to all your accounts through the cracking of one password. The world we live in expects us to be robots that can generate random passwords out of thin air and then remember each individual one indefinitely, regardless of how infrequent the use of it is. I’m simply suggesting a solution that doesn’t tax your memory with useless information, while still maintaining your account security, so that you can focus on the more important things.

 

Connecting to a Zoom Classroom

Heritage College and Seminary has introduced a new method of lesson delivery through our connected classrooms.  As of Winter 2020, we are using Zoom as the connected classroom software platform.  With Zoom, remote students can connect in via a computer with a webcam, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Virtually any device that has internet access can be used to connect in.

Quick Start

The easiest way to connect to a classroom is to click the meeting link. They look like this.

https://zoom.us/j/116952355

The meeting link is provided on the course page in myHeritage.  Look in the Links section.  Click on the link and follow the on-screen instructions. Your computer, smartphone, or tablet will attempt to download the Zoom App, install it and connect to the meeting.

For Assistants

The connected classroom system uses a number of hardware components (camera, microphones, touchscreen controller) and software (Zoom, Teams, Fuze, etc.).  A few minutes before each class please ensure that the hardware is turned on and working properly, and then connect it to the software conferencing platform on the in-room computer.

During the class, please monitor the remote students to ensure they can see and hear, and to note any problem they may experience.

Welcome to Heritage College and Seminary

Hey there, welcome aboard!  As you already know, we’re pretty excited to have you join the team here at Heritage.  And we have high hopes about your partnership in our continuing mission to equip men and women for life and ministry.  Here are a few things that will help you get started.

Accounts

You have a Heritage ID account and a myHeritage account.  They are two different things.  I know, we were very original about the naming of these accounts.

  • Heritage ID – This is the account that is tied to your email and will grant you access to most computers on campus.  It is made up of the username/email and password that you were given by your manager when you started.  It will also grant you access to a number of systems; office computers, your email, Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, printers, ADP Workforce Now, etc.
  • myHeritage account – myHeritage (the developer is Populi) is the system that keeps track of our student records, handles course and program details, manages student billing and donations, and is also a learning management system.

Wireless Access

There are two wireless networks available on-campus.  The first is a public access network for use by our students and guests for general access to the internet.  The second is our secured network for use by our staff and faculty that provides direct access to our server infrastructure and faster upload speeds.  Details are below.

  • Name: Heritage. Open network, needs no password.
  • Name: Heritage Staff. Closed network.  See the IT Manager for access.

Other Apps & Tools

  • Office 365 is a set of cloud-based apps and tools that enable us to communicate, write, organize, and manage.  Login to Office 365 by using the URL office.heritagecs.edu.
  • Microsoft OneDrive is personal cloud storage that’s included as an App within your school Office 365.  Navigate to office.heritagecs.edu and login with your Heritage ID.  OneDrive provides you with 1TB of cloud storage and can be setup to synchronize files between your computer and the cloud.
  • Microsoft Teams is an excellent video conference and collaboration solution.  We use Microsoft Teams for inter-office chat and team collaboration on projects.  We also use Teams as a video conference tools for meetings and to delivery our live streaming courses.  There are Windows 10, MacOS, iOS and Android apps for both OneDrive and Teams.  You can access Teams directly from teams.microsoft.com or by logging into Office 365 (above) and clicking the Teams icon.
  • Your Home drive.  When you login to a Windows-based computer, your home drive will automatically mount.  The H: drive is a spot on the server where you can store your own personal files that only you have access to.  In some cases, the primary Documents, Desktop, Photos, etc. directories point to these same folders on the server.  Access to your Home drive can be setup for MacOS users with a quick trip to see the IT Manager.
  • File storage and collaboration is handled by our file servers.  One of the main locations for this is the Staff Drive, which will be mounted automatically when you log in to a Windows-based computer.  For Mac users, please see the IT Manager to get set up.
  • Heritage VPN – this tools provides a way to connect back to the Heritage campus network when you’re off-site.  If you have a Heritage laptop, chances are the VPN configuration is already complete.  All you need to do connect using your Heritage ID.  Feel free to check out the article on Connecting to the Heritage Network using a VPN for more details.

If you need tech support, please email rshouldice@heritagecs.edu or message me on Microsoft Teams.

Our Website (Outlook & Helpdesk)

There are a few easter eggs on our website that act as quick links to important locations.  So, head over to discoverheritage.ca and check out these links.

  • Outlook & Helpdesk – links to these two locations can be found in the footer of the website.  Just head to discoverheritage.ca and scroll all the way to the bottom.  Outlook is a web-based version of Outlook where you can access your Heritage email.  Helpdesk is a page that provides a useful jumping off point to the most important Apps & Tools, including to this Helpdesk site (Salo).
  • myHeritage, Moodle, and Live –  These three links live in the header of every page.  They are located there because they are the most high traffic and timely links that folks look for.

Classroom Articles

The knowledgebase contains several articles about classroom equipment and how to operate it.  All classroom articles can be found under the Classrooms category.  Two specific articles that will help you get up to speed quickly are as follows.

Articles

These are useful articles on how to add an email account to a Smartphone (if desired) and how to connect to a printer from any of the Windows 10 workstations.  MacOS users, please see the IT Manager.

How to Upload a Video File

From time to time, students will be asked to upload a large file such as a video clip or audio recording.  To upload a video file for your course…

  • Visit the course page in myHeritage and look on the right-hand side of the page for the Links section.
  • In the links section click on the link that says Upload Videos Files.
  • A new page or tab will open showing a Microsoft Office 365 OneDrive folder.  The folder will either be owned by your professor, or the IT Manager of Heritage College and Seminary.
  • Drag and drop your video file into the browser window to initiate the upload.
  • Note that video files tend to be rather large and the upload will take some time.  This is expected.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please send an email to support@heritagecs.edu or bring it up with your professor.

Windows 10 Command Line Equivalent of wuauclt

I’m saving this info for my own interest.  This article has been super-helpful regarding the command line tools available for diagnosing and fixing Windows update on Windows 10.

From the follow blog, I found these amazingly useful commands.

https://omgdebugging.com/2017/10/09/command-line-equivalent-of-wuauclt-in-windows-10-windows-server-2016/

  • StartScan Used To Start Scan
  • StartDownload Used to Start Download of Patches
  • StartInstall Used to Install Downloaded Patches
  • RefreshSettings Refresh Settings if any changes were made
  • StartInteractiveScan May ask for user input and/or open dialogues to show progress or report errors
  • RestartDevice Restart device to finish installation of updates
  • ScanInstallWait Combined Scan Download Install
  • ResumeUpdate Resume Update Installation On Boot

Communicating With Other Students Using myHeritage

Question: Can we make personal contact information available to others?

Yes.  In your own profile, on the Info tab, each piece of contact info (such as an email address or phone number) can be marked as private or not.  Click the little lock icon to make an item public.  An item is by default not public.  Please see this support article for more details.  https://support.populiweb.com/hc/en-us/articles/223792047-My-Profile

Question: Can I find contact information for other students and send them a message directly?

Sort of. Heritage does not publish lists of contact info as this would be a breach of privacy.  However, you may contact a student directly who has made their contact info public.  See the answer to the above question for details on making contact info public.

Additionally, you can communicate with other students in your class by posting a comment on their bulletin board or contacting them directly using their public contact info.  To view the roster for your class, navigate to the class and click on the Roster tab.

Question: How about group discussions?

Yep.  myHeritage ships with a Discussion function with a per class scope.  Students can create discussions to facilitate communication with other students in a given class using a group discussion format.  To create a discussion navigate to the class, click the Discussions tab and click Add a Course Discussion.

Office 365 University

Students of Heritage College and Seminary are eligible to purchase Office 365 University.  A link is below.  The cost is $89 for four years.

https://products.office.com/en-ca/university

Follow the link and click the big green Buy Now button to add Office 365 University to you cart.  During checkout login with a Microsoft account, or create one.  Then you can verify your student status.  The easiest method is to supply documentation.  There is a wide variety of documentation that is accepted such as…

  • an unofficial transcript from myHeritage
  • a picture or scan of your student card
  • or even a dated current class schedule.

There are a ton of advantages to taking advantage of this, not least of which is fully installed versions of Microsoft Office on your PC or Mac, the ability to work across multiple devices (desktops, laptops, tables, or smartphones), and 1 TB of cloud storage through Microsoft OneDrive.  It’s a pretty awesome package.

Welcome to Microsoft Office 365

We are in the process of adopting Office 365 at Heritage.  Staff and faculty can now use their Heritage Desktop (think Windows) account to access Microsoft Office 365 and upgrade your desktop version of Office 2007 to Office 2016.

Office 365 is a super-useful set of tools for creating and editing documents, storing files in the cloud, and sharing and collaborating with team members.  It takes Microsoft Office to the next level.

Login

To access Office 365 please visit http://office.heritagecs.edu and login with your Heritage Desktop credentials.

  • Use your fully qualified username.  Typically this would be in the form of first-initial+lastname@heritagecs.edu.
  • So, if your name is Stu and your last name is Pendous, then your fully qualified username would be spendous@heritagecs.edu.

office-365-login

Welcome to Office 365

Check out these really great (and short – like 2 mins) videos on the basic Office 365 features.  It will help you get logged in, and show you how to create documents, save them to OneDrive, and share with others.

Six simple steps

Install Office 2016

  • To install Office 2016 click on the Install Office apps button in the top right corner.
  • Just follow the instructions to download and install Office 2016.
  • After installation, start any Office application and sign in with your Heritage Desktop account.  Again, use your fully qualified username + password to login.

Authenticating with Office 2016 using your Heritage Desktop account will tie Office 2016 in with Microsoft OneDrive and allow you to easily store documents in the cloud.

How Deep Does the Rabbit Hole Go?

Office 365 also gives you access to a whole host of additional products and features in one package.  Some of the highlights include.

  • Installed versions of Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and more on up to 5 PCs or Macs.
  • Microsoft Office for Tablets and Smartphones.
  • Online versions of Office including Word, Excel, and more.
  • File storage and sharing in the cloud with 1TB of storage/user using Microsoft OneDrive for Business.
  • Microsoft Teams for collaboration and sharing.
  • Skype for Business for inter-office messaging and video conferencing.

For a complete list of features in our Office 365 subscription, please visit Microsoft.com.