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Northwest Missouri State University

  • myNorthwest

Mapping Your Computer to the Dashboards

DATE: August 26, 2008
TO: Faculty, Staff, Students
FROM: Douglas Dunham, x1120

To map your computer to the dashboard, which contains department-/unit-specific data, survey data (e.g., NSSE, Noel-Levitz, etc.), and information on NCA-HLC reaccreditation:

  1. On your desktop, right mouse click (single click) the 'My Computer' icon.
  2. Left mouse click (single click) 'Map Network Drive' from the menu.
  3. To the right of the 'Drive' selection, left mouse click (single click) the drop down arrow, and left mouse click (single click) the 'I:' selection.
  4. Left mouse click (single click) the 'Folder:' box, and type in '\\dennis\dashboard'
  5. Check the 'Reconnect at Logon' box with a single left mouse click.
  6. Left mouse click (single click) 'OK'
  7. Close all windows.

To access the on-line data:

  1. Open EXCEL to view EXCEL spreadsheets or WORD to view WORD documents.
  2. From the Microsoft 'File' menu (i.e., in Office 2007 it is the Microsoft office circle in the upper-lefthand corner of the screen) select 'Open'
  3. Left single click the 'my computer' option.  You should see a choice labeled "dashboard on 'dennis' (I:)"  Double-left-click that selection.
  4. Access dashboard data by opening the Northwest Dashboard Index file (in Excel).  This file contains hyperlinks to other workbooks in the system.  Single click on links to move through the system.  (See note below.)

NOTE:  When you open any of these spreadsheets, you may see a message that the workbook contains links to other sheets and you will be asked if you want to update all linked information.  Since many of the files are updated through links to other workbooks, you should select 'Yes'. IMPORTANT:  When you close the workbook you will get a message asking if you want to save the changes to the workbook.  Since these are read-only, you should choose 'No'.  If you choose 'Yes' it will tell you it can?t be saved in the original location and it will ask you where you want to save it.

To create a shortcut to the dashboard system on your desktop:

  1. Follow steps 1-3 in the 'To access the on-line data:' section above
  2. Right single click on the 'Northwest Dashboard Index' Excel file
  3. Left single click on 'Create Shortcut'.  You should get a message that you can't create a shortcut here, but you can put a shortcut on your desktop.  Select the appropriate affirmative response to do so.  (If your computer does create a shortcut on the "dashboard on 'dennis' (I:)" drive, 'cut' it and 'paste' it to your desktop.)
  4. The next time you want to access the dashboard system, double-click your desktop icon!