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Software
Software
At VCOM the majority of the software you will be using can be downloaded from the internet. If you purchase one of the recommended Dell computers, Microsoft® Office and Symantec (Norton's) Endpoint Protection® will be provided at no cost to you. Due to licensing restrictions, you will not receive a physical disk for either of these products. if you choose to purchase a computer outside of the VCOM process or bring your current Windows-based laptop computer to VCOM, you will be responsible for purchasing Microsoft® Office 2010 and an anti-virus product on your own.
Even if you prefer a different anti-virus solution, PLEASE make sure that you have something protecting your computer. Repairing an infected computer is a time-intensive task, which means time your computer will not be available to you to use, so a little prevention on your part goes a long way. See the Anti-Virus section for more information.
Software Updates
We recommend that you keep your computer up-to-date with the latest Microsoft Windows® updates and Microsoft Office updates. These are critical software packages that are released by Microsoft to repair any security holes in a program or to repair any bugs that might be found in a program. To access the Microsoft Windows update, go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and to update Microsoft Office, go to http://office.microsoft.com and look for the link to check for updates. Computers at VCOM are updated weekly, and we ask students to update their laptops and any computers they have at home.
Spyware
Another program that we recommend that students to install on their laptops is at least one form of adware/spyware removal tool (preferably two). These programs scan your computer for spyware that has been installed on your computer while surfing the internet or was packaged with a program that you downloaded and installed and removes these files. Usually you immediately notice an improved performance with your internet browser. See the Spyware section for more information.
For further information, see more IT links on the navigation bar on the left of this page.