Room Setup Overview
The PSEM conference room has the following setup:
- Laptop on a docking station
- Large screen TV as the primary display, connected through the dock
- External conference room camera connected through the dock, used for video and as the room microphone
- TV speakers used for meeting audio
- Wireless keyboard and mouse available for a desktop-like experience
Display Options
You have two options for how to work with the laptop while docked:
- Laptop lid open — The TV acts as your primary display and the laptop screen can serve as a secondary display, giving you a dual-screen setup.
- Laptop lid closed — The TV automatically becomes the only display. Use the provided wireless keyboard and mouse to control the laptop. This gives a cleaner, desktop-like experience without the dual screens.
Both options work the same way for meetings — audio, video, and display all route through the dock regardless of whether the lid is open or closed.
⚠️ Important: Keep the Laptop on the Docking Station
The laptop must remain on the docking station during meetings. The dock provides three critical connections simultaneously:
- Wired ethernet to the Pitt network
- External camera (video and microphone for your meeting)
- TV display output
Removing the laptop from the dock will automatically disconnect all three. The laptop will fall back to Wi-Fi, the internal camera and microphone, and will lose its connection to the TV. If you believe you need to use the laptop away from the dock, please contact IT support in advance.
Logging In — Two Methods
Method 1 — Automated Local Login (for quick browsing or USB media only) Simply restart the laptop. It will auto-log in with a local account (UPPD user). This account does not have access to printers, network drives, or your Office 365 apps. Use this method only if you need to quickly display something from a USB drive without logging in.
Method 2 — Login with Your Pitt Account (required for meetings) This gives you access to your network drives, shared drives, and Office 365 apps including Zoom and Teams. Follow the steps below.
Step 1 — Power On and Connect to the Network
Ensure the laptop is seated on the docking station before powering on. The wired ethernet connection to the Pitt network will activate automatically through the dock.
Step 2 — Log In to Windows
- On the Windows login screen, click Other user if your name is not already shown.
- Enter your credentials:
- Username: PITT\abc123 (replace abc123 with your Pitt username)
- Password: Your University Computing Account password
- Press Enter or click the arrow to sign in.
⏳ First-Time Login Notice: Your first login may take 10–15 minutes as Windows builds your user profile. You may see messages like "Preparing your desktop" or "Applying computer settings." Do not shut down or restart during this process. Subsequent logins will be much faster.
Step 3 — Connect to Global Protect VPN
Global Protect VPN is required to access shared drives, printers, and internet for Zoom and Teams meetings.
- Find the Global Protect icon in the system tray (bottom-right corner of the taskbar, near the clock). It may be hidden under the ^ arrow.
- Click the icon, then click Connect.
- If the portal address is not already filled in, enter: portal-palo.pitt.edu
- Enter your Pitt credentials:
- Username: Your Pitt username (e.g., abc123) — not your full email or alias
- Password: Your University Computing Account password
- Complete Duo Multi-Factor Authentication when prompted. You can authenticate via push notification to the Duo Mobile app, a phone call, or a passcode.
- Wait for the status to show Connected. The Global Protect icon will display a small shield when connected. An "x" or warning symbol means you are not connected.
Step 4 — Verify Network Drives and Printers
After VPN connects, your mapped drives and printers become available automatically within a few minutes.
To verify mapped drives:
- Open File Explorer (folder icon on the taskbar).
- Click This PC in the left panel (scroll down if needed).
- Your mapped network drives should appear under Network locations (e.g., H: Drive, department shared drives).
To verify printers:
- Click Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- Your assigned printers should appear in the list.
If drives or printers do not appear after a few minutes, restart the laptop while connected to the dock and VPN.
Launching a Meeting — Zoom
- Since you logged in with your Pitt credentials, there is no need to invite the room separately.
- Joining another person's meeting: Open Zoom → click Join → enter the Meeting ID and Passcode.
- Starting a scheduled meeting: Sign into the Zoom application with your Pitt credentials → locate your meeting → click to start.
- Starting an unscheduled meeting: Click New Meeting.
- When prompted, click Join with Computer Audio. Audio will play through the TV speakers and the external camera will serve as your microphone.
Sharing a PowerPoint presentation via Zoom:
- Open PowerPoint → select your file → Slide Show → From Beginning.
- If slides appear on the wrong screen: In PowerPoint, click Slide Show > Monitor 2.
- In Zoom, click Share → under Applications, select the PowerPoint Slide Show window (without the PPT controls) → click Share. Remote participants will now see your slides.
Troubleshooting: If the slide show appears on the wrong screen, drag the Slide Show window left or right to move it to the correct display.
Launching a Meeting — Teams
- Open Teams on the laptop. It is recommended to avoid opening the Outlook app so your full mailbox does not load on this PC.
- Go to your Calendar in Teams and click your scheduled meeting to join or start it.
- For an unscheduled meeting: click New Meeting or Meet now in the top-right corner of your Teams Calendar. You can also join using Join with an ID.
Sharing a PowerPoint presentation via Teams:
- Open PowerPoint → select your file → Slide Show → From Beginning.
- In Teams, click Screen Sharing → from the Share Content panel, select the PowerPoint Slide Show-(filename) window → click to share. Remote participants will now see your slides.
Troubleshooting: If the slide show appears on the wrong screen, drag it left or right to move it to the correct display.
Camera and Microphone Notes
When the laptop is docked, Zoom and Teams will automatically use:
- External conference room camera for video
- External conference room camera microphone for audio input
- TV speakers for audio output
If the laptop is removed from the dock, it will automatically switch to the laptop's built-in camera and microphone, and audio will route through the laptop speakers. This is one of the key reasons the laptop should remain on the dock during meetings. If you notice the wrong camera or microphone is selected during a meeting, check your audio/video settings within Zoom or Teams and select the correct device manually.
Logging Out After Your Meeting
When your meeting is complete, log out of the laptop but leave it powered on so it is ready for the next user. To log out: click Start > click your profile icon > Sign out.
Troubleshooting
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Issue
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What to Do
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Wi-Fi won't connect
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Select PittNet and verify credentials. Toggle Wi-Fi off and back on.
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Windows login fails
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Use PITT\username format. Ensure ethernet or Wi-Fi is connected first.
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Global Protect won't connect
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Confirm network is active. Verify portal address is portal-palo.pitt.edu. Restart Global Protect from the system tray.
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Drives/printers missing
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Wait 5 minutes after VPN connects. If still missing, restart the laptop while on the dock.
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Duo prompt not received
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Open the Duo Mobile app and check for pending requests, or select an alternate authentication method.
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Login is taking very long
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First-time logins can take 10–15+ minutes. Do not power off. If it exceeds 30 minutes, contact the help desk.
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TV not displaying laptop screen
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Confirm laptop is seated on the dock. Try undocking and re-docking the laptop.
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Wrong camera or mic in Zoom/Teams
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Confirm laptop is on the dock. In Zoom or Teams, go to Settings > Video/Audio and select the external conference room camera and microphone.
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No audio through TV
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In Zoom or Teams, go to Settings > Audio and select the TV as the speaker output.
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Need Help? PSEM-ITSupport@pitt.edu