Logon Menu for Primary School

[mikeTP]

I'm looking for a solution to a problem we have when small children log in to Windows. Currently we have XP and are moving to Windows 7 this coming academic year. The computers in the labs have a menu with user names (Year1, Year2, etc.) allowing even the smallest children to click on their year group and log in easily. I can't find anything that offers this functionality for Windows 7 - I had hoped to use the Vista/Win 7 Home style list of users but this doesn't appear for a domain connected PC. Has anyone any idea how to create this or of any good software available that makes this possible in Windows 7?

My apologies if anyone has already posted this but I couldn't find anything in a search.

[SYNACK]

Was XP able to do that on a domain connected environment, as far as I knew it was limited to standalone PCs. There is a simmilar picker menu for standalone Windows 7 PCs but I have not heard of a setting that would allow it to be used on a domain connected PC.

[sted]

you dont have winsuite by any chance do you as tht sounds like the one useful thing that did

for little kids i cheat and just create a user y1 no password

[elsiegee40]

Do you really need this?

It can be hard for littlies to log in, but my exerience is that our Reception children take roughly a fortnight to learn how to login. Password policy is such that the top secret password for this year group is only 3 letters long and they can't change it. server 2008 is quite handy with its OU level password policies.

By the time time they move to Year 1 and have to cope with the 4 letter password, they're logging in with confidence.

The "Today's lesson" shortcut folder that is on every pupils' desktop is handy. (We only have 1 ICT Suite btw) Teachers stick documents or short cuts to websites in this folder and their class can quickly get to what's needed for the lesson. The teachers keep it clear themeselves. Deleting everything that's in it before adding the stuff that they need for the lesson they're about to start.

[robyholmes]

Do you really need this?

It can be hard for littlies to log in, but my exerience is that our Reception children take roughly a fortnight to learn how to login. Password policy is such that the top secret password for this year group is only 3 letters long and they can't change it. server 2008 is quite handy with its OU level password policies.

By the time time they move to Year 1 and have to cope with the 4 letter password, they're logging in with confidence.

I can second this, I work in multiple primary schools and one has the reception class logging in with personal user accounts, its amazing to see kids can master it so quick and login themselves. Sometimes forget to logout but that's not a massive problem if you have a IT suite. The hardest bit it getting the teachers to trust you when you say 'They can do it!'. Good luck mate!

[mikeTP]

Thanks to everyone who posted. I'm trying to convince the Year Groups now that this is easier than they believe - but I think that may be a slow and painful process!

[Michael]

Without WinSuite or similar installed and using Windows XP, there is a GPO which allows you to disable the requirement for ctrl+alt+del, however in Windows 7, the logon box is there automatically so you don't need to enter ctrl+alt+del.

The only complicated thing I have found users struggle with a little is logging onto a domain connected laptop locally. When logging onto the domain you simply enter your username and password, but logging on locally involves entering COMPUTERNAME\USERNAME and then your password.

Previously in XP there was the drop menu of course. Either way, I am sure your staff and pupils will get along with Windows 7 better in the longterm.

[sted]

Without WinSuite or similar installed and using Windows XP, there is a GPO which allows you to disable the requirement for ctrl+alt+del, however in Windows 7, the logon box is there automatically so you don't need to enter ctrl+alt+del.

The only complicated thing I have found users struggle with a little is logging onto a domain connected laptop locally. When logging onto the domain you simply enter your username and password, but logging on locally involves entering COMPUTERNAME\USERNAME and then your password.

Previously in XP there was the drop menu of course. Either way, I am sure your staff and pupils will get along with Windows 7 better in the longterm.

You can use .\ rather than computername on win7

Its not just kids i set staff laptops to remember last user and have one teacher swear blind she has never had a login and as i rebuilt her pc she can now not log in im only there once a week and over phone she wont listen and do as she is told

[SimpleSi]

The computers in the labs have a menu with user names (Year1, Year2, etc.) allowing even the smallest children to click on their year group and log in easily.

Just seen this thread
I'm not sure if my simple network share system would help you but I have my computers auto-login and then present them with a simple AutoIt GUI dialog box where they click on their classname and then the P: drive gets mapped to their class folder.

It works with XP and Win7.

Simon

[tommej]

Out of interest when do you guys move kids from their class logins to personal ones? (y3class -> john.doe etc.)

[mikeTP]

Out of interest when do you guys move kids from their class logins to personal ones? (y3class -> john.doe etc.)

At Year 6 at the moment but we are looking at lowering that (we are a through school 3 - 18)