Why is there a polar bear icon on the computer I'm using?

DeepFreeze is a program that you may find on computers in which a large number of people on campus have access to, i.e. lab computers, teaching stations, general use computers, and printing station computers.

What is DeepFreeze?

DeepFreeze is the software we use to keep certain computers from getting junked up with personal files from a large number of users. When DeepFreeze is on, it essentially freezes the computer so that every time the computer is restarted any personal files that have been saved to that computer get wiped so that upon restart, only the things IT has put on that computer are on there. On any computer that has DeepFreeze, we put a warning on the background of the computer that tells users that data is wiped so it's important that they save any files to a flash drive, OneDrive, iCloud, or something similar.

What if I need to install a program on lab computers for prolonged use?

Computers using DeepFreeze can be "thawed" by IT personnel, the programs installed, and then "frozen" again. This process would allow you to have regular access to programs needed for classes, etc. while still preventing the device from being bogged down by an excess of files. Contact the Helpdesk at ext. 5555 to see if your situation would warrant thawing to install a program.