Instructions

Here you will find several instructions which can help you improve the work with your computer.

If you are missing an important instruction please let us know. We will then be able to enlarge our instructionset for you.

As a first Help you can also use the Userflyer for DownloadWindows (PDF, 193 KB) or DownloadMac (PDF, 193 KB)

New Users

This "user manual" is intended to give you a first introduction to the IT structure and services provided by the ISG-HEST.

If you encounter problems that you cannot solve yourself, contact at first your Informatik-Koordinator (IK).

If the IK is absent:

Problems with standard software (Word, Excel, SAP usw...): contact the Helpdesk of the IT services of the ETH: 2 77 77.
If your problem is not absolutely urgent, write an e-mail to the Informatics Support Group () or enter your question/request on the Helpdesk of ISG-HEST. Note: sending mails directly to members of the ISG are less likely to be answered quickly.
In very urgent cases and if the IK is absent, you can contact the ISG-HEST hotline by phone: 2 65 00

Being a customer of the ISG, you own several accounts on our servers:

A Unix account for accessing data on the data servers as well as your personal web pages.
A Windows domain account that allows you to work on a Windows PC or Terminal Server, and to connect so called Samba shares on our servers.

Your username is the same for all the above mentioned accounts, and we suggest to use the same password for all the accounts. The passwort may have initially been set when your accounts were created. To change this password, login on https://passwort.ethz.ch.

By default, you have access to certain resources:

Private disk space (by default max. 20 Gb, 2 Gb for students). This is your disk space on a file server, and only you are allowed to access the data stored there. There is a separate web page indicating the paths to your data. Your data on your private disk space are automatically backed up every night.
Group disk space with read/write rights for all users of your group. The paths to your data can be found on the paths web page. Also these data are automatically backed up every night.
Terminal Server (green-t.ethz.ch): allows you to access a Windows session including all provided applications from any computer (Windows, Mac, Linux etc.) connected to the Internet. Your Windows account (see above) enables you to logon to our Terminal Server. Please read the according instructions.

Save your data if ever possible on the server (i.e. your drive T:)! This way, your data is backed up automatically and the possibility of Data Loss can be reduced. More information on this topic can be found at the ETH campaign Prevent Data Loss.
Choose a good and safe password: If you set/change your password via the web page passwort.ethz.ch, the web page form will check for the safety of your password, and will deny it if it does not meet the requirements listed there.
Lock your computer when you don't use it for a longer time and/or leave the room. Even better: Turn the computer off!
Do not save data on the "Desktop", but always on the network drive (i.e. your drive T:).
Please note, that the use of ETH computer facilities is regulated by the "ETH Zurich Acceptable Use Policy for Information and Communications Technology (“BOT”) and Appendix (Partial revision as of 1 May 2022) ". The full text can be found in the BOT.pdf
Obey the IT Guidelines and IT Baseline Protection Rules of ETH Zurich.