​​​SharePoint: Our Content Management System

Get Started using SharePoint.

Due to their security settings, your Sites will often prompt for your Condor ID and password. Before launching into your site, you will want to set up your computer to attach your login credentials to your browser and prevent these redundant login prompts.

Internet Explorer & Google Chrome

1. Open your Start Menu. Select Control Panel. 
2. Click on Network and Internet. Note: Options may be presented differently if the options are not sorted using Category View. Switch to Category view by clicking the dropdown in the top right corner labelled "View By." 
3. Locate and select Internet Options. 
4. Select the Security tab, then Local Intranet, followed by the Sites button.
5. In the Local Intranet window, select the Advanced option.  
   
6. In the window that opens, type: https://*.conestogac.on.ca into the textbox then select Add. 
7. Close the window.
8. In the Local Intranet window, select OK.

Your credentials should now be synced in all Conestoga College domain sites when using Internet Explorer or Google Chrome.
 

Mozilla Firefox

1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. Type “about:config” into your address bar and press Enter.  
3. You will receive a warning message about changing advanced settings. It's fine. Choose "I'll be careful, I promise." 
4. Type "network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris" into the search bar below the address bar.   
5. Double click the text under Preference Name.
6. Type "conestogac.on.ca” into the Enter String Value Window.
7. Choose OK.
    
   You should no longer be asked for credentials when using Firefox.

Receiving Notification of a Site Shared With You

When a site is shared with you, you will receive an email asking you to go to that site.  The email will be sent from the email of the person who shared the site with you.

 

When accessing the email, the link will be embedded in the name of the site that has been shared with you.  Click the name of the site (here: Training) to open that site.  You can also follow the site from this email by clicking "Follow" in the body of the email. 

The email will not tell you the permissions level you have been assigned.  Your permissions level will be evident from what you can do when working on the site.

Navigating to Sites

To jump quickly into a site, you may want to bookmark it in your browser or create a desktop link.  If you frequently use different devices, you may want to bookmark a site in MyConestoga, to access it more flexibly.

Create a Browser Bookmark

1. Click the bookmark icon (star shape) located in the top right of your browser to save a site as a bookmark.
2. Title the Bookmark something short and relevant.
3. To see your bookmarks:

In Internet Explorer or Firefox:

Right click in empty space in the top area of your browser.  Choose Favourites Bar (IE),  or Bookmarks Toolbar (Firefox).

In Chrome:

Click the Settings option (three horizontal lines). Choose Bookmarks, then Show Bookmarks Bar.

Create a Desktop Link

A desktop link is like a desktop shortcut, except it opens the website in your default web browser.

Using Internet Explorer

1. Have the Site open in the browser, click and hold the SharePoint icon beside the URL. Note: The icon may appear differently depending on what website you are on, but it will always be located in the same area.
2. Drag the icon onto your desktop and let go of the mouse. A desktop link will be created.

Using Google Chrome

1. With the website open in the browser, select the URL in the address bar. 
2. Click and drag the URL onto your desktop.
3. Let go of your mouse, and your desktop link will be created.

Using Mozilla Firefox

1.  The site must be Bookmarked in order for it to be a desktop link.
2. Locate the Bookmark (in your bookmarks bar or under the bookmarks menu)
3. Click and drag the item onto your desktop.
4. Let go of your mouse, and your desktop link will be created. 

Create a Bookmark in MyConestoga

For those accessing Sites from a variety of devices, making a bookmark in MyConestoga will mean your sites are available to you even away from your specific browser set up.

1. Go to MyConestoga and log in.
2. In the Favourite area, click +Add.
3. In the Name field, enter the name of this SharePoint site.
4. Open the site you want to bookmark in a new tab or browser window.  In the top address bar, select and copy the URL for the site.
5. In the original tab or browser window for MyConestoga, paste in the URL from the SharePoint Site. 
6. In The target area, choose whether you want this link to open in the same window or a new window in your browser.
7. Add an image or icon if you like.  The image must be saved locally to your computer.
8. Click Save Links to complete the process.
9. The link will appear in your Favourites area in MyConestoga.
   

Getting Oriented to Sites

SharePoint Navigation Menu

This is the top black navigation menu of a SharePoint site and the first navigation menu with which to become familiar.  Sites use a look and feel similar to Office 2013, where all text is clickable and has fewer icons. 

 

​​​​A. Conestoga Navigation

These options control your movement between different departments' sites. 

• Home will jump to a list of all the Featured Departmental Sites at the College.
• Search to search across all the sites. (Currently, this function is not in use.) 
• Corporate Website will jump to the Conestoga College Corporate Site.

B. Page Actions

Some of these features are conditional on your Permissions Level.

• Page displays a ribbon of the actions you can take to edit this page.  If you have Visitor permission level, you will not see this option. 
• Browse closes the ribbon.

C. Personal Profile Navigation

These features are visible to all SharePoint users.

• Newsfeed jumps to your Profile, where you can see updates on documents and sites you follow.
• SkyDrive jumps to a personal storage drive, like your OneDrive.  It can act as supplemental storage if you need it but should not replace your use of your OneDrive.
• Sites will list all the sites you decide to follow.
• UserName allows you to view and edit Profile Information (About Me) or to Sign Out.
• Settings provides options for working with the Site.  What you see in this menu is conditional on your Permissions Level.
• ? opens a Help window, where you can search an area in which you need support.

D. Quick Actions

Some of these features are conditional on your Permissions Level.

• Share allows you to share the site with another user. You can set that user's Permission Level and notify them via email.
• Follow will add this site to your Sites list and give updates about Site changes in your Profile Newsfeed.
• Sync will sync a shortcut to a Document Library on this page to your desktop. This feature is currently unavailable.
• Edit allows you to edit the page by adding apps or text.
• Full Screen will remove the Site Navigation menus from view.  To bring them back, select Full Screen again.

Site Navigation

Individual departments will customize their site to suit their needs.  Here, find helpful information to identifying standard features built into most Sites.

 

A. Global Navigation

This lists the available sub-sites within this site.  The first link is typically the home site for the department (here: Training). This list is curated by the Site Owners, using the Edit Links option.

B. Site Navigation

This allows you to navigate to different pages within this department's site. Home will bring you to the landing page for the site. All other links jump to different pages.  This list is curated by the Site Owners, using the Edit Links option.

C. Site Page

A Site Page hosts the content and apps a department decides are needed for its service delivery and project planning.  Each landing page (the first page visible on a site) should have an introductory message and a few relevant apps (here, a calendar and document library.)  Additional pages can vary.  Pages are built by site Owners and maintained by Members. Visitors will be allowed to read, but not change, any of the content.