Asking for Help
If your request cannot be addressed by using one of the forms to the left, you can ask for help by sending email to CS Staff at csstaff@cs.princeton.edu. When asking for help, please try to be as descriptive as possible. You will receive a response to your question as soon as possible.
Walk-in Help and Support
You can get in-person help by going to the Computer Science Building, Room 226 located at 35 Olden Street Princeton, NJ 08540. Walk-ins hours are: Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Requests for Software Installation
Requests for software installation on the departmental machines (cycles, ionic, or courselab) should be sent to csstaff@cs.princeton.edu. Please include what you want installed, where you want it installed, what it does, and a pointer to an official site from which the software can be obtained. Source code is always preferred but we will install prebuilt binaries if necessary. Be sure to include any licensing restrictions and how you intend to pay for it if it needs to be purchased. Lastly, please, tell us how urgent the request is and include any deadlines involved.
Reporting Problems
To report a problem (such as a broken computer or jammed printer) send an email message to csstaff@cs.princeton.edu. When reporting problems, please try to be as descriptive as possible. At a minimum, all problem reports should include:
- The system you are having a problem with.
Include the host name, software package name, or the URL of the problematic system. - Your CS login ID (your NetID).
- ALL error messages related to the problem you are experiencing.
- When was the last time you used this system without a problem?
- When did the problem first appear?
- What steps have you taken to try to fix the problem?
- How can CS Staff reproduce the problem?
Without the above information, it is nearly impossible for support personnel to diagnose a problem.
In the event that part or parts of the department computer systems or the network is down and mail cannot be used the Status Information page describes how to check on current problems. Unreported/urgent network/email problems can be reported to a CS Staff member by phone at the appropriate office extension.