Smart Notebook 10

[TimJing]

Originally Posted by NickJones

@TimJing - similar results here too, the .mst from the Install Manager seems to get ignored, and if I try to configure any Gallery settings with it, it crashes on install, Event Viewer lists an "unknown error". Helpful.

Just AN FYI

There seems to be some issues they might be having with the Activation engine, a new release is supposed to come out on the 15th. Not sure if that will address the Gallery install issues.

[Flinders]

Has anyone managed to successfully activate Smart Notebook 10, using a MST file, outside of Active Directory? Ive followed several methods on here and other places, and it seems like the installer is simply ignoring the MST file.

[SimpleSi]

Just for Information

One of my ICT Co-ords received some information from a source(who would undoubtably be sacked if found out) that says that V10 is unstable and the advice is to leave it alone until a service pack appears.

Regular fellow edugeekers can PM me for details.

regards

Simon

[NickJones]

Originally Posted by Flinders

it seems like the installer is simply ignoring the MST file.

Exactly my experience. I'm now trying to decide whether to go with the standard MSI or wait until they fix it - both have their merits...

[Geoff]

Don't forget you can integrate the changes from an MST into the MSI and generate fresh MSI that includes the changes using ORCA.

[NickJones]

Originally Posted by Geoff

Don't forget you can integrate the changes from an MST into the MSI and generate fresh MSI that includes the changes using ORCA.

Tried that too, and it still went funny.

[Bluetooth]

I've only read the first 3 pages of this thread and i can see a wonderful disdain for the smartboard software growing nicely lol.

In response to some of the posts about the install manager that no one seems to know what to do with, there IS a PDF file full of what to do how to do it etc on the smarttech website, you need to go into the knowledge base and then put administrative tools into the search box and youll find what you need, if need be ill host the file someplace for you all.

Also i have configured the 2 packages through the install manager, basically you need to have the 3 files first, the install manager, the notebook software, and the smartboard drives, you open each respective exe and save it to someplace (i just saved it to my MSI dir on the server) once extracted you can create the mst file to modify both packages, i did make one mistake and tell notebook to download the gallery while installing via MSI and it just didnt work for an hour.

After removing the gallery download choices from the MST file i republished the MSI's and MST's and it installed the drivers and notebook software in under 10 mins, granted, a fair old while for a peice of software that just draws some lines on a board etc but meh.

I can report that this method does work but i suppose deploying it via MSI is a bit poo for those people who dont have laptops or teaching machines on a domain with GPO's, apart from that the only choice is to run the install manually.

Hope this helped!

[NickJones]

@Bluetooth - that could be where I'm going wrong; I've only been doing this on the Notebook software not the drivers too. I was trying to get one MSI (with or without MST) for the software, which I would put on all PCs, and a second for the drivers, which I would only put on the IWB-PCs. Your method puts application and drivers on all PCs, right? Not ideal, but if it works, it is better than nothing.

Where is your Gallery located?

[contink]

What can I say... my disdain for all the "we're listening to you honest" marketing spiel was bang on the money...

Since the plethora of issues came to light there's not been a peep from any of them...

On a more practical note, I'm not allowing any upgrades, nor deploying till the new academic year now... Just too much to do and if it ain't broke.. ?

[Flinders]

Originally Posted by Bluetooth

I've only read the first 3 pages of this thread and i can see a wonderful disdain for the smartboard software growing nicely lol.

In response to some of the posts about the install manager that no one seems to know what to do with, there IS a PDF file full of what to do how to do it etc on the smarttech website, you need to go into the knowledge base and then put administrative tools into the search box and youll find what you need, if need be ill host the file someplace for you all.

Also i have configured the 2 packages through the install manager, basically you need to have the 3 files first, the install manager, the notebook software, and the smartboard drives, you open each respective exe and save it to someplace (i just saved it to my MSI dir on the server) once extracted you can create the mst file to modify both packages, i did make one mistake and tell notebook to download the gallery while installing via MSI and it just didnt work for an hour.

After removing the gallery download choices from the MST file i republished the MSI's and MST's and it installed the drivers and notebook software in under 10 mins, granted, a fair old while for a peice of software that just draws some lines on a board etc but meh.

I can report that this method does work but i suppose deploying it via MSI is a bit poo for those people who dont have laptops or teaching machines on a domain with GPO's, apart from that the only choice is to run the install manually.

Hope this helped!

Ive tried pretty much everything ive read and can think of, including the documentation for the Smart Admin toolkit. You seem to be publishing this through AD, so my question remains, has anyone successfully managed to create a MST (or combine it into an MSI) than can be run from a non AD drive that will end up in an activated install? Im trying to get this running on a Zenworks lab, and whatever I try I cannot end up with an activated installation.

[Bluetooth]

As far as i understand it unless you use AD you cant use the MST file.

I wouldnt want to mess about using wininstall to make an msi from an msi as it could probably go horridly wrong.

Also about the board drivers and notebook software, again, as far as i understand it you only need the drivers on the machines with IWB's attached, the other standalone machines can have NB10 put onto them, this is something ill be trying since i have several ICT suites which are used for planning and for the kids to play with.

Gallery wise i havent done anything with this yet, i have an hour last friday to work on it at the school i wanted to work on it at but apart from that i havent done anything, i may download the gallery and such after the hollidays and try to host it on the server.

I really dont know if its worth putting laptops on the domain just so i can deploy software from them, i can see more problems than its worth

[NickJones]

Originally Posted by Bluetooth

Also about the board drivers and notebook software, again, as far as i understand it you only need the drivers on the machines with IWB's attached, the other standalone machines can have NB10 put onto them, this is something ill be trying since i have several ICT suites which are used for planning and for the kids to play with.

That was my understanding too, so I'll hold off until I can get a working driver-less install. We have Notebook on every PC in the school and I'd rather not push the drivers out to all of them if I can help it.

[oliphanj]

I just talked to Smarttech and he said that if you don't include in the Gallery content in the notebook install that the mst file will work. I have yet to try this out but I will today and if I still have trouble I am calling them again to get to the bottom of this. Our district of 1200 teachers is going with 10 in the fall.

[Flinders]

Originally Posted by oliphanj

I just talked to Smarttech and he said that if you don't include in the Gallery content in the notebook install that the mst file will work. I have yet to try this out but I will today and if I still have trouble I am calling them again to get to the bottom of this. Our district of 1200 teachers is going with 10 in the fall.

doesnt work for me, with or without the Gallery content.

And a slight rant, why on earth are they using such ridiculous copy protection for a piece of software that is useless without a massive hardware dongle?

[NickJones]

Originally Posted by Flinders

doesnt work for me, with or without the Gallery content.

Me either :-(

Originally Posted by Flinders

And a slight rant, why on earth are they using such ridiculous copy protection for a piece of software that is useless without a massive hardware dongle?

What massive hardware dongle? Notebook works on any PC, no additional hardware needed...