Requirements for Computing Devices Shipped to Home Addresses | Information Technology | University of Pittsburgh
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Requirements for Computing Devices Shipped to Home Addresses

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the University is temporarily allowing departments to purchase and have certain products delivered to home addresses. 

If a new computer is shipped to you, follow the steps below to ensure it meets the University’s information security standards for protecting data and computing assets. 

Before Your Department Buys

  • We strongly encourage you to purchase a standardized device through the Computer Purchasing and Standardization Program. Devices obtained through this program are ready to be shipped to home and used right out of the box.  
  • When purchasing a Windows PC, make certain the operating system is Windows 10 Professional or higher. Devices obtained through the Computer Purchasing and Standardization Program meet this requirement. 
  • When purchasing a Mac, make sure to order it directly through PantherExpress on the SHI punchout.

After You Receive Your Device

Standardized Device

If you have a standardized device obtained through the Computer Purchasing and Standardization Program, your computer is ship-to-home ready. You do not need to contact the Technology Help Desk after receiving your device. The computer is designed to use the new out-of-the-box experience that involves a quick, one-time setup. If you need additional support after completing the setup, please follow your normal departmental IT procedures.  

Other Devices

If you do not have a standardized device, please follow the steps listed under "Windows Requirements" and "Mac Requirements". 

  • Important: Before you turn on the device, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) or your departmental IT support to assist in setting up your device. The Help Desk will ask you for the device's hostname (Windows) or serial number (Mac) and will explain how to obtain this information.  

Windows Requirements

Windows Requirements

Important: Before you turn on the device, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) or your departmental IT support to assist in setting up your device. The Help Desk will ask you for the device's hostname (Windows) and will explain how to obtain this information.  

1. Please keep in mind that your computer is University-owned equipment intended for University business, and its use should adhere to the University's Acceptable Computing Access and Use standards. 

2. You'll need to join your Windows computer to Azure Active Directory so that you can log in to your computer with your University credentials. After you turn on your computer and reach the How would you like to set up? screen shown below, complete the following steps:

A. Select Set up for an organization.

B. On the Sign in with Microsoft screen, enter your University email address. 

C. On the Pitt Passport login screen, log in with your University Computing Account username and password. 

3. Contact the University's Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) and provide the hostname of your computer (the Help Desk will explain how to obtain the hostname). After you have contacted the Technology Help Desk, the following software will be installed and configured automatically:

  • Acrobat Reader
  • Box Drive
  • GlobalProtect
  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • Microsoft Office
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Zoom

In addition, the following configurations will occur: 

  • The Windows operating system will be upgraded to Windows 10 Education
  • The computer will be automatically encrypted with BitLocker
  • Windows will be configured to receive automatic updates

Note: This process may take up to two hours to complete.    

Mac Requirements

Mac Requirements

Important: Before you turn on the device, please contact the Technology Help Desk at 412-624-HELP (4357) or your departmental IT support to assist in setting up your device. The Help Desk will ask you for the device's serial number (Mac) and will explain how to obtain this information.  

1. Please keep in mind that your computer is University-owned equipment intended for University business, and its use should adhere to the University's Acceptable Computing Access and Use standards. 

2. Before your turn on the computer, be sure the Apple Sales Order Number has been submitted to the Technology Help Desk.

3. Power the computer on, select the region for the computer, and click Continue.

4. Connect to a Wi-Fi network by selecting the network name and providing any additional authentication information (e.g., password, key, etc.). Click Continue.
Note: This screen may not display if the computer has a wired network connection.
 
 
5. On the Remote Management screen, click Continue.
Note: If this screen does not display, the default programs and settings will not be applied. Please contact your local IT administrator for assistance.
 
 
6. Review the information on the Pitt Passport Enrollment screen and click Enroll.
Note: This screen will not display on macOS versions older than 10.15.x.
 
 
7. Log in to Pitt Passport with your University Computing Account username and password.
 
8. Create a password for your macOS user account and click Continue.
Note: Full name and Account name will be pre-populated; do not change these.
 
 
9. The standard macOS desktop will be displayed for a moment, followed by a screen showing the progress of default software installation.
 
 
10. Once the software installation is complete, the progress screen will be removed, and the machine will reboot. Click your account icon/name, enter your password, and log into macOS.
 
 
11. When prompted, click Enable Now to enable FileVault encryption.
 
 
12. FileVault will continue to encrypt the disk in the background, and the macOS computer can be used at this time. 
 
Note: The following software will be installed and configured automatically:
  • Acrobat Reader
  • Box Drive
  • GlobalProtect
  • Google Chrome
  • Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • Microsoft Office
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Zoom

In addition, the following configurations will occur:

  • The computer will be automatically encrypted with FileVault 2
  • MacOS will be configured to receive automatic updates

Remote Work Resources

Pitt IT has compiled list of IT resources to support your remote work. We encourage you to review the list and take advantage of these resources, which include: 

  • Microsoft Office apps for Windows or Mac, which can be installed on up to five devices. 
  • PittNet VPN (virtual private network) service, which enables you to remotely access restricted University resources. Learn more about when to use and not use PittNet VPN
  • A new Virtual Desktop service, which allows you to utilize a wide range of software resources, even if they are not installed on your computer.