Allow staff to unlock workstations logged in as a student

[mac_shinobi]

found this :

e-motional.com software -- Unlock Administrator for Windows 2000,XP,2003

would be good if there was an opensource equivelant

[stratisphere]

lol i just saw that. Tbh it's pretty easy (and if im reading right) wouldnt stop the normal SAS keys. Meaning a user could just come along and do ctrl-alt-del and have access to anything the original user could.

It's easy to make a prog to lock a user out and give x person/group control/options. It's another thing to lock windows and give security aswell. AFAIK there is no way to block ctrl-alt-del via a program unless you are physically hooked into the Gina (which requires either a custom gina or a hook on the MS gina).

I've looked into this in the past and writting your own gina isnt easy (Well, i lie, it is... it's just a pain in the ass to debug as if there is ANYTHING wrong, you get a BSOD with no useful info).

Saying that, im in the middle of writting one.

[stratisphere]

and i just downloaded that program and it does exactually what I just said above. It doesnt replace the gina (well yes it does) but it hooks into the original gina.

Unless you are willing to replace the gina... I dont think you are going to find the perfect solution to this.

[Bestbett]

I always just have the students that find a locked one press the power button to automate a shutdown then turn it back on and log in. It really is the most simple way of doing it, requires no change in gpo and they don't even have to wait on a staff member to fix it. Over time I even have less trouble with people locking it because everyone knows how to get around it.

Otherwise why couldn't you disable them locking and have them log off instead of locking? Either way it seems like more of a training issue solution than a software one.

[FN-GM]

why couldn't you disable them locking and have them log off instead of locking?

Allow staff to unlock workstations logged in as a student

[theeldergeek]

To be honest, you asked for a more Microsoft way of doing this... letting a "normal" user be able to unlock a desktop goes against the idea of having normal level accounts.

As far as I know, there is no true microsoft way to do what you ask

Did you not see the link I posted? It won't prevent the workstation from being locked - which in itself isn't a bad thing as workstations DO need to be locked from time to time - but it does log the user off if they don't return to the machine after a determined time.

FWIW, I haven't tested it, but all the literature suggests it will do exactly what is required, and is from MS.

[stratisphere]

I saw it, but it's not a perfect solution as if a user still has work unsaved (or as he said earlier in the thread, if the user has a double period with lunch in the middle) then they will be logged off.

I was trying to find a solution for the whole thing. And as i said, Microsoft do not provide any solution (or mix of solutions) that would get the perfect outcome for this.

As for locking, i'm very aware that locking workstations is a good idea. I ensure staff do it when ever they leave their machines logged in (and are going back) but in an education environment, it's not practical for students as half the time they do it just to waste time in the lesson.

[K.C.Leblanc]

Could you set something up using PSSHUTDOWN remotely from the teacher PC.

[mac_shinobi]

David Carlin: Automatically log off users

[mrbill]

This is not a technical issue, it's a behavioral problem best fixed by changing the practice not by adding more technology to the problem. If you leave unsaved work on your system you deserve to have lost. Have that happen once or twice and behavior will change. Yes lock it when you leave but don't expect it to be their when you get back. Then if someone needs on the system use the the "Any Key" (Power Button) to continue.

[TheFopp]

This is not a technical issue, it's a behavioral problem best fixed by changing the practice not by adding more technology to the problem. If you leave unsaved work on your system you deserve to have lost. Have that happen once or twice and behavior will change. Yes lock it when you leave but don't expect it to be their when you get back. Then if someone needs on the system use the the "Any Key" (Power Button) to continue.

Absolutely agree. If the can't be bothered to save work and log off, then its their own problem. Surely ICT lessons teach them that this is best practice for keeping work safe and secure.

For the sake of 20 seconds to log off and 20 to log on, it seems like you're creating a lot of work for yourself over nothing.

[Mr.Ben]

How about not allowing pupils to lock the workstation and getting the staff member to lock the room when they leave for lunch?

[BBrian]

What happens if you reset a password while a user is logged in?

[rvdmast]

Thanks John. Some weeks back i've spent days googling and searching for a preferably free/open source solution for this and all i could come up with was
a commercial product called Unlock Administrator. Good thing i havent already bought it, as this looks quiet promising.

As ever Google provides the solution - Any user can unlock now with this custom GINA That seems to offer you what you need but check the legality of it

[daveyboy]

Maybe its a Netware thing......
Ive created a user and given them local admin rights - Then disabled the login.
On our workstations it will log the user off (back to a login prompt) - but deny login to the network.

Like I've said - Maybe its a Netware thing....................