Gibbo Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 My HOD has just given me ICT4Life to install. It seems to have gone onto the network ok, and staff and pupils can see and start the application. However, they cannot log in. If they try they get the error box "Wrong Login name or Password. Please try again". The accounts do work, if I log into the computer (Windows XP Pro SP2 / SP3) as myself or any other domain admin I can log in without a problem. The only account which works for staff and pupils is the admin account. But, when I got to "ASSESS" and then try any of the admin options, I get the error box "Please try to submit this later: someone is assessing this task at the moment". Has anyone else encountered issues with this software?
plexer Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 How have you installed it? To the machines or a network share? When you set it up as admin the data path has to be to a mapped drive it doesn't work with uncs. When you or the students log in to it the mapped drive that you've told ict4life to use must be present. Users will also need write permissions to the data folder where the db is created on the mapped drive. Ben 1
stjtech Posted September 18, 2008 Posted September 18, 2008 (edited) I am having the same sort of problems. We have the application installed on each XP desktop and the assessment data within a shared folder on our SAN. We have set the data path to "\\STJ3\ICT4Life". Staff and students have modify rights to this folder and subfolders. Although the data path is not using mapped drive users can gain access. Does it have to be a mapped drive in this configuration ?. Most users can log in no problem but on occasions it tells the user that their username and password are wrong, and then the next day they can log in no problem. We are also getting an error when students attempt to submit work saying that they can not as they do not belong to a Teaching Group when I know they do. I can see them in groups as the administrator and teachers can view their pupils. I have contacted the telephone number in the booklet and they seem more concerned with selling software. I was told they had no telephone contact with their support department and I could only send an email to the address in the booklet. I have sent several emails to this address and appear that they ignore them. Anyone got any ideas please?. Edited September 18, 2008 by stjtech
Gibbo Posted September 19, 2008 Author Posted September 19, 2008 My emails have been ignored too. A shame that the IT teaching staff buy the software and we're left to pick up the pieces.
plexer Posted September 19, 2008 Posted September 19, 2008 You can't use a unc for the data path it has to be a mapped drive. They buy the software they are told has to be used to support teaching the curriculumn. Ben
Gibbo Posted September 19, 2008 Author Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) But that's no excuse for poor support, or badly designed software. Take, for example, an earlier problem I had with the software asking for the CD. The reply I got was: The error message regarding disc availability is a known Macromedia Director issue that appears to affect some configurations of machine. To date we have found no work around other than to click 'continue'. The software has not been configured to expect a disc. EDIT: Oops, forgot to answer your original reply - yes it's a mapped drive. We don't normally use them as most of our network apps are web based or the shortcuts work with UNC. It seems that it is a permissions issue, but this is going to cause problems with my other shares. This post on another forum sums the matter up for me: Maybe this is a stupid question, but why can't this application use a UNC path? Network drive mappings are meant for the convenience of users...not computers, and if the user isn't going to be using a drive mapping to that share, why map one at all? Edited September 19, 2008 by Gibbo
stjtech Posted September 21, 2008 Posted September 21, 2008 (edited) Thanks, sticking with a mapped drive appears to work with some sample users. One problem, the users can gain access to the data via the mapped drive as they have NTFS read/write security rights. The hidden UNC in the application seemed more ideal for this purpose. I also find it a bit strange that the users can change their names and user ID as well as their password. Anyone found a quick way to delete a pupil in the application rather than searching the XML files that are named user1 to userx ?. Edited September 21, 2008 by stjtech
Gibbo Posted September 23, 2008 Author Posted September 23, 2008 You're at the same point as me. You can obviously modify the group policy templates to incorporate your mapped drive, but I find it illogical to share a drive just to hide it again.
AliG Posted October 13, 2008 Posted October 13, 2008 I also have the same problems "Wrong Login name or Password. Please try again" and "Please try to submit this later: someone is assessing this task at the moment" did anyone resolve this issue? I'm using a mapped drive, I am waiting for a call back you can contact them on 01865 888038.
Gibbo Posted October 14, 2008 Author Posted October 14, 2008 Check your permissions. I recall making sure that the EVERYONE group had full permissions.
User3204 Posted October 14, 2008 Posted October 14, 2008 Thanks, sticking with a mapped drive appears to work with some sample users. One problem, the users can gain access to the data via the mapped drive as they have NTFS read/write security rights. The hidden UNC in the application seemed more ideal for this purpose. Righto, I've looked for something like this before, but never found anything useful, but Hiding mapped drives - Petri.co.il forums by Daniel Petri Seems to offer an ADM that would allow hiding mapped drive letters. The config of the ADM would need a little editing, as it only allows ABCD, to be hidden, (which is kinda wierd, as I'm sure the inbuilt ADM templates have these already) but change to whatever letter you want.
Gibbo Posted October 16, 2008 Author Posted October 16, 2008 A very useful link: ICT 4 Life Support pages The info I was given says: "Cambridge Digital are the company that we worked with when building the software." 1
mortstar Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 A very useful link: ICT 4 Life Support pages The info I was given says: "Cambridge Digital are the company that we worked with when building the software." Excellent link Gibbo - cheers. Some of the support pages are classic: Pupils can't submit work: If pupils can't submit work, it's probably because a teacher or administrator has got the marking page or the 'View uploaded work' page open for that class. This locks access to other people who might be making changes to the same pages, so that you don't get version issues or files trying to write themselves back to the record database concurrently. Just log out of the administration areas to sort the issue. It is likely one teacher might report this problem with more than one class because they will be viewing the class's record to see who has submitted their work at the end of the lesson. While it's very handy, it's what causes the problems! It's not handy, it's normal functionality of educational software!
Gibbo Posted October 16, 2008 Author Posted October 16, 2008 Their site uses the same flashy rubbish as their software. If you're not logged in, try posting something and watch what happens with the pop-up!
Gibbo Posted October 17, 2008 Author Posted October 17, 2008 More lies today, direct from their FAQ Why can't you set ICT 4 Life - or ICT4Life - up with a UNC share? This issue is not actually anything to do with the application. Microsoft and Adobe security settings currently stop video files running over a local UNC share. As the course includes video presentations and teaching materials, these won't run if you're set up on a UNC - you'll just see a black screen. Microsoft's solution to this is to require that the drive the video is being delivered from is mapped. Interesting how my video streaming system is running on Microsoft software, with IE7, and streams videos direct from a UNC address.
AliG Posted October 17, 2008 Posted October 17, 2008 Search on your system for: 1) AssessmentDatabase 2) .xml.lock You should only have one copy of the AssessmentDatabase folder. If there are more, you’ll get problems, and more can be created if Admin users set any of the workstations up and point the Shared Folder location in different places – including at an existing AssessmentDatabase folder. It sounds more like that some of the users don’t have read, write and delete permission on the AssessmentDatabase folder, or have tried to save data before they were given such rights. In that case, they will have created lock files to stop other people over-writing the data they were accessing, and when they closed the application, these were left because their network security profile didn’t allow them to be deleted. If you search for files with the extension .xml.lock then, and delete any you find, you’ll be able to access the application again. If you get the issue again, someone needs their permissions changing. Once you’ve set all the permissions as required, you’ll then need to do a search and destroy on the lock files again, as they won’t clear automatically once the permissions change. As soon as the users are set up as required, the lock files will clear on log-out or on a timer and you won’t get the issue again. With thanks to Will at Cambridge Digital.
Psymon Posted October 17, 2008 Posted October 17, 2008 As this program couldnt use a UNC path for the shared data, i explained to the head of department that they will not be able to track student progress, however can use it as an interactive teaching tool etc... All you do is enable "Quick Launch" or something along them lines, and the students dont have to type a username and password to get in.
plexer Posted March 6, 2009 Posted March 6, 2009 In case you are not aware I've just had a letter passed on to me by the head of ICT. It is from Longman aka Pearson who now own this software. They have identified issues which may cause the "database" to become corrupted which will result in pupils not being able to login. This is being investigated but no timescale given. Ben
ebschool Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) Plexer, is this an open letter we could have copies of please, or just salient paragraphs. I can then continue my case for ridding the school of this awful software. In the meantime I have sent the following to Longmans' Support (insert sarcastic laugh here): I am aware that there is a known issue with the database in ict4life becoming corrupt and not allowing pupils to log in, this is a problem that we (as is the case for numerous others) are having. As of the beginning of March there was no timescale available for a resolve, given that this is a key time in the school year are you now any closer to being able to offer advice? will update when/if they reply Edited March 23, 2009 by ebschool
stjtech Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 Hi, Did you get any further update regarding the problems identified in the letter ? Thanks
plexer Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 Sorry didn't see the response. You should find the letter attached. We've not heard anymore so far. BenKMBT35020090430153251.pdf
ebschool Posted April 30, 2009 Posted April 30, 2009 stjtech, my letter has prompted no response, not even an acknowledgement of receipt. On the plus side alternatives for curriculum delivery are being explored and ict4life is on the way out of our establishment.
Gibbo Posted May 7, 2009 Author Posted May 7, 2009 One of our IT teachers has reported that a number of links in the software to external web pages don't exist anymore. Some at Longman and some at the BBC.
Gibbo Posted May 13, 2009 Author Posted May 13, 2009 Just tried to install this on a Samsung NC-10: Got the error message "ICT for Life cannot be installed on systems with screen resolution less than 1024 x 768"
stjtech Posted July 21, 2009 Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) Hi, Now that year 7 is returning as year 8 in September has anyone any ideas on how you move them to ICT4Life2? I can not seem to see any export feature with this software, maybe it is a case of archiving the data and creating the databases all over again? Thanks Edited July 21, 2009 by stjtech
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