Our website has a wide range of information to help you with your IT support issues. 

If you are experiencing an issue you can Create a support request or call us if you have any IT issue that impacts on your studies, and we’ll do our best to help.

When you call, or email, it is very helpful if you quote your student ID number to speed up the job logging process. You may be asked some questions to verify your identity, just so we are sure we are helping the right person.

We can help students who are experiencing trouble with:

• Login/password issues

• Student e-mail, on the OP Office 365 system

• Moodle, Bracken, KuraCloud, PathBrite

• Adobe Connect

• eTV

• PaperCut printing account top-ups and enquiries

• Help connecting to the OP student wireless network – laptops and phones

• Advice and assistance with student laptops and smart devices

Dunedin and Central Campuses

Holiday operating hours of service

Please note: there are times during the day when the Student IT Service Desk call queue can get rather busy.

Please be patient and hold on. If we have a significant delay in answering your call, you will be able to leave a voice message after approximately five minutes on hold – but please leave your full name, Student ID number, and a contact phone number so we can call you back.

Hours of Service - Auckland Campus

Off campus or distance learners at OP can get IT Support through a remote support system.

We have the ability to link up with computers through the internet and see what is on your screen, using our BeyondTrust remote support system. However, we can only connect with computers owned by you, and only with your permission. 

If you are experiencing problems with a computer owned by your employer, we ask you to first contact the IT support person who looks after your business' computers. We are very happy to work with them to help resolve your IT issue, but we need to respect your employer’s IT policies. 

About Beyond Trust - Our remote support system

Our BeyondTrust system is a safe and secure “client/server” system where we ask you to log onto our BeyondTrust system website, and we meet you on the BeyondTrust server. (This system is not a “peer-to-peer” connection and is very secure.) 

At the end of the support session all trace of the connection is removed and your computer privacy is assured. 

To obtain help via a remote support call, please call the Student IT Service Desk, and they will provide the instructions on how to make this connection.

Deciding to purchase a new laptop can be a confusing time. Here is some information to help shape your purchasing decision.

The most common types of laptops in use by learners are either Windows laptops or Apple MacBooks. We don’t recommend Chrome Books due to the limitations on the software that can be loaded on these devices.

Can I use my old computer?

Many learners coming from school to tertiary education may already have a Windows or Apple MacBook laptop, but it may be up to 5 years old and becoming close to needing replacement. How well it is performing will guide you to whether it needs updating prior to commencing your tertiary studies.

Windows Laptops to support your studies

Top tips

• Operating system: Minimum: Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home (Pro, Education, Enterprise versions are ok, too)
  Avoid Windows 8.1, or earlier, as these operating systems are no longer supported.
• Processor: The Processor does all the computational work. The higher the spec Processor, the more powerful the laptop.
• For an Entry to Mid-Level laptop processor: Intel i3 to i5 – AMD Ryzen 3 to Ryzen 5
  For a high-performance laptop processor: Intel i5 to i7 – AMD Ryzen 5 to Ryzen 7
• Memory (RAM): Minimum 8 GB.
  If your studies or interests include Design or Art Studies, or Computer Virtualisation (VMWare or VirtualBox) then 16 GB is better
• Storage (SSD – Solid State Drive): Minimum: 256 SSD Hard Drive
  If your studies or interests includes lots of photos or videos then a 500 GB SSD is better
• WebCam: WebCams are now standard on laptops. You will need a WebCam for Teams Meetings.
• Audio: All modern laptops have sound capability built in. Both laptop speakers and built-in microphones which can be used for Teams Meetings. Alternatively, Teams Meetings may require a USB Headset for privacy or for noisy learning environments.

Apple MacBook Laptops to support your studies

Top tips

Minimum specifications:

• Processor: Apple M1 Chip with 8 Core CPU and 7 Core GPU
• Memory (RAM) 8GB
• SSD Storage: 256 GB
  MacOS: Update to the latest version your MacBook will support

Things to remember:

• Apple MacBooks are not user configurable – you can’t expand the RAM or change the SSD once you purchase your MacBook.
• The current version of Microsoft Office will run on the last three versions on MacOS.
  The Apple version of Microsoft Office is limited to these applications: Word Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, Editor. (There are no Apple versions of Microsoft Project, Access, or Publisher)

Programme specific recommendations

For most programmes at OP an entry to mid level computer will be sufficient. If you can afford a mid-level device this would be recommended as this will prolong the usefulness and life of the device and help you avoid issues with storage space and slow processing.

Programmes with high specification recommendations

If you are enrolled in the following programmes we recommend purchasing a device with high level specifications:

• Auckland International Campus (AIC) - all programmes
• Engineering Technologies (ETEC) - Bachelor of Architectural Studies specific 
• Information Technology (ICTA)

Note: If you use SolidWorks, having a device with integrated graphics is not recommended. 

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