Preparing Your Technology for an Office Move

Questions

  • How do I prepare my computer and technology for an office move?
  • My office is moving — what do I need to do with my computer?
  • Who unplugs and reconnects my computer when I move offices?
  • Does Facilities or IT move my computer and printer?
  • I'm getting a new desk — how do I get my technology set back up?
  • How much notice does the Service Desk need before an office move?
  • How do I get a printer moved to a new location?
  • What happens to my Teams phone when I move?
  • Can I get my monitors put on a monitor arm during the move?
  • Who drills the hole if I need a monitor arm mounted to my desk?
  • What should I do with my monitor's original stand if it goes on an arm?
  • Who do I contact for a full building or department move?

Environment

This article applies to Bowdoin faculty and staff who are moving offices, receiving a new desk, or reconfiguring a workspace.

  • In scope: Bowdoin-owned computers, monitors, peripherals, printers, and MFDs being moved on campus.
  • Not in scope: Full building moves and large departmental relocations, which begin with the Facilities Project Management team; and personal equipment.

Questions

Understand who moves what

Two teams share responsibility for an office move, and knowing the split saves time:

  • Facilities Management physically moves your equipment and furniture from one location to another.
  • The Service Desk handles the technical side — disconnecting your computer and peripherals beforehand, and reconnecting and testing them at the new location. Printers and MFDs also need network configuration changes, which the Service Desk coordinates.
Important: Facilities moves the equipment, but does not unplug, un-cable, or reconnect it. Submit a request to the Service Desk so a technician can disconnect before the move and reconnect afterward.

Before the move

  1. Confirm your Facilities move date.
  2. Submit your request to the Service Desk at least 3 business days ahead (larger moves need more lead time). Choose the option that fits:
    • Moving your whole office or workspace — use Request an Office or Workspace Move.
    • Just one computer to unhook and set back up — use Request Computer Disconnect or Reconnect.
    • A printer or MFD is moving — use Request a Printer Move under the Printers & Hardware service.
  3. Back up any files saved locally to OneDrive or your department network drive before moving day.
  4. Note your equipment's asset tags or device names to include on the request.

After the move

  1. Once Facilities has placed your equipment, the Service Desk will reconnect and test it as scheduled.
  2. Confirm your computer is on the network and your printers appear as expected.
  3. For your Teams desk phone, no request is needed — plug it into any network port and it will work. See Setting Up Your Teams Phone at a New Location in the Related Articles section.
Planning a full building or department move? Those begin with the Facilities Project Management team as a larger planning conversation; IT is brought in as part of that process.

Monitor arms

If any of your monitors are on a monitor arm — or you'd like them mounted on one at the new location — tell us on your request so a technician arrives with the right tools for removal and remounting. It helps to note whether the arm is a through-desk (grommet) mount or a clamp-style mount, since desks differ.

Two things to know about monitor arms:
  • If installing an arm requires drilling a hole in a desk or surface, that work is generally Facilities Management's responsibility. Let us know so we can coordinate rather than delay your setup.
  • Please keep the monitor's original base or stand in a safe place. You'll need it if the monitor is ever taken off the arm in the future.

Additional Help

If you need further assistance, you have several options:

  • Bowdoin Bot: Chat with Bowdoin Bot directly from any KB page for instant answers.
  • Phone: Call the Bowdoin College Service Desk at (207) 725-3030.
  • In person: Visit the Tech Hub in Smith Union during business hours.
  • Submit a ticket: Request assistance through the Service Catalog.
Print Article

Related Articles (1)

Relocating a Printer or MFD: What to Know
Why a moved printer or MFD stops working, what network and PaperCut reconfiguration is required, and how to request a relocation from the Service Desk — including the analog line needed for fax-capable MFDs.

Related Services / Offerings (4)

Office Moves & Equipment Setup
Coordinates the IT side of office and workspace moves — disconnecting and reconnecting computers and peripherals, capturing monitor-arm needs, and adding an analog line for a relocated fax-capable MFD. Facilities Management moves the physical equipment; the Service Desk handles the technical reconnection. Printer and MFD moves are handled by the Printers & Hardware service.
Request a Printer Move
Request IT reconfiguration after relocating a campus network printer. Requires a Facilities work order for the physical move and a confirmed network port at the new location. Faculty and staff only.
Request an Office or Workspace Move
Use this request to coordinate the IT side of an office move, workspace reconfiguration, or setup after a desk replacement — disconnecting equipment beforehand and reconnecting it afterward.
Request Computer Disconnect or Reconnect
Use this request to have a single computer and its peripherals safely disconnected before a move, or reconnected and tested afterward.