cgxchange.org accounts

How can I request an account on CGX 2.0?

cgxchange.org accounts have been set up for all the CGIAR centers and programs (except IRRI) and you do not need to request an account. Follow these instructions to login. Note: if you need to share resources with users from IRRI, you should use their irri.org Google Account. 

Can I sign in if I already have a Gmail account?

Yes, your cgxchange.org account is separate from your personal Gmail or other Google accounts. If you prefer to use both in the same browser, see how to sign in to multiple accounts at once and how to switch between multiple Google Drive accounts.

I already have my own Gmail account: do I have to give that up to get a cgxchange.org account?

No, your Gmail account is not be affected. We are not asking you to shut down your personal accounts or your cgiar.org account. We create an account (n.user@cgxchange.org) for you through Google Apps. This account allows you to access and use the collaboration tools. Other CGX 2.0 users use this account to invite you to view and collaborate on their own Calendars, Documents and Sites.

Other advantages of a cgxchange.org account:

• Setting Limits: Google Apps offers CGIAR staff a private network of instant messaging and personal websites that can be limited to other CGIAR employees. Users can also change their settings so that their personal sites and documents can also be viewed by external Gmail users, or shared with the world.
• Easy communication: Share ideas with other CGIAR staff with a few clicks of a mouse. Features like live chat, personal webpages and file sharing are all accessible from any computer at any time, anywhere, all with Google's well known, user-friendly interface.
• Ultimate security: Although all applications are accessible from both work and home computers, they will always be behind the secure Google network. Moreover, in the event of a disaster, no data will be lost or compromised.
• Increased storage: users have more space on a cgxchange.org account than with a conventional gmail account.
• No-ads: we have turned off the ads in Google Apps so it will give end-users an increased corporate sensation.

What is the difference between my personal Gmail account and my cgxchange.org account?

It's the same as the difference between a Google account and a Google Apps account. They both allow you to access and use several of the same Google products, but they are separate accounts.

"A Google Account is a unified sign-in system that gives you access to a variety of free Google consumer products. (...) If you use Google's email service, Gmail, then you already have a Google Account. However, it's not necessary for you to create a Gmail email address to have a Google Account. If you signed up for any Google service in the past with your own email address (example: your_name@rediffmail.com) this account is also a Google Account. In short, if you sign in to any Google product or service, you already have a Google Account."

Google Apps is an enterprise suite of online applications, including Google Sites, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Drive - hosted at Google and available via the cgxchange.org domain for CGIAR staff.

While your personal Google/Gmail Account provides access to products administered by Google, your cgxchange.org account provides access to products powered by Google but administered by the CGXchange team, for use primarily by CGIAR staff. The major advantage with this implementation is that you can easily find your colleagues and collaborate with them because we have integrated Google Apps with our corporate directory, and offer more storage space than a conventional Gmail account and no-ads.

What happens if I forget my password?

If you forget your password, you reset your network password as you usually do or should contact your local Helpdesk to help you do this. The CGX Team does not reset passwords.

Can I request cgxchange.org accounts for partners outside CGIAR?

No, cgxchange.org accounts are available only to CGIAR staff, i.e. with active cgiar.org email/network accounts . Learn more about sharing with partners with a GMail address or a Google account.

Can I share a Google Site, Calendar or Document on CGXchange with people outside CGIAR?

Yes, if you need to share a site, calendar or document to collaborate with external partners, you need to ask them for their GMail address or Google Account. Learn more about sharing with partners with a GMail address or a Google account.

Once you have their GMail or Google account, you can add them in the SHARE tab to set their permissions and send them a notification. See also:

• Sharing documents with collaborators
• Sharing documents with non-CGXchange users
• How to upload and share large documents on Google Drive
• Sharing a Google Site on cgxchange.org with collaborators
• Sharing a Google Site on cgxchange.org with non-CGXchange users

Google Apps

What browsers are supported by Google Apps?

See Supported Browsers

Where can I find information about the privacy regulations in Google Apps terms of service with regard to security and privacy?

See GOOGLEAPPS FOR EDUCATION AGREEMENT

Access to Google Apps is sometimes slow, what can I do to improve this?

Some users may experience slow access speeds depending on their bandwidth. Gmail has an option that can help low-bandwidth users load the pages faster. However, we have also found that accessing Google Apps through Google Chrome and Firefox browsers instead of Internet Explorer results in better performance. 

How do I set up the Google Apps on my mobile device?

Learn how to set up access to Google Apps on your mobile devices.  Remember - your username is your full cgxchange.org email address (e.g.: j.smith@cgxchange.org)!

 

Documents

Does Google Docs have offline functionality?

Well, yes it does! Learn how to set up offline access

How can I backup my own Google Docs?

There is free tool called GDocs Backup that allows you to backup your own Google Documents.

 

Mail

Can I use the cgxchange.org email address as my primary work email account?

CGXchange GMail is not officially supported by the CGXchange team. If you have a cgiar.org email account, that account will still be your primary working email address. The cgxchange.org account is enabled only for notification purposes. Mail forwarding  is setup to your cgiar.org account to receive notifications.

Calendar

How do I synchronize my Calendar with my iPhone?

See Google Apps for iOS

Mailing lists

How can I request a new mailing list?

To create a mailing list, get started with Google Groups.

Sites

I am having problems accessing CGX 2.0 Sites. How can I see My Sites?

It is a known problem accessing CGX 2.0 Sites when you are logged in on other google account (e.g., gmail).  

You may see that when accessing sites.cgxchange.org, you see another google account name in the top, right-hand corner of the page. See how to sign in to multiple accounts at once

Google Chrome Browser

How do I clear the cache in Google Chrome?

Check out this tutorial on how to clear your browser’s cache