IMPERO - Fast User Switching - Not supported?

[burgemaster]

We've found that Impero doesn't appear to support fast user switching?

When the IT teachers view machines where a students have switched users it shows a black screen for that thumbnail.

 

Impero gave the option of:

 

1) Automatically log students off after X amount of time - Very risky... no thanks

2) Limit number of logins to 1 - This was a nightmare year back when we had Ranger. Students leaving classrooms and no remembering where they left themselves logged on.

3) Disable Fast User Switching - This means that we are going to get calls all the time "XX has left themselves logging in" or worse them holding the power button to hard reboot.

 

What does everyone else do please?

[synaesthesia]

Not sure - can't see a reason why anyone would use fast user switching in a school?

[JATSO]

Try this:

 

How to disable Fast User Switching in Windows

[burgemaster]

For this reason?

Without fast user switching on XP meant that we are going to get calls all the time "XX has left themselves logging in, can you please log them off" or worse them holding the power button to hard reboot.

Students leave themselves logged in all the time. Or am i missing a way for students to log other students off?

[synaesthesia]

Classroom control. Failing that, you're using Impero - do the teachers in said suites have access to log off machines?

We don't get any issues with people leaving themselves logged on really - certainly more problems with staff doing it than kids!

[PotNoodleTech]

We don't allow pupils to lock their workstations - so if they leave them logged on, the next pupil can always just click log off and carry on.

 

If they forget to log off and any vandalism or data loss occurs as a result - then that is their fault. (I do of course end up retrieving it for them from volume shadow copies as I am not _that evil). Actually this very rarely happens.

[plexer]

If you disable fast user switching you can install administrative unlock dll.

 

Ben

[Boredguy]

We don't allow pupils to lock their workstations - so if they leave them logged on, the next pupil can always just click log off and carry on.

 

If they forget to log off and any vandalism or data loss occurs as a result - then that is their fault. (I do of course end up retrieving it for them from volume shadow copies as I am not _that evil). Actually this very rarely happens.

 

We do the same, and it is very rare that anything gets deleted.

[burgemaster]

If you disable fast user switching you can install administrative unlock dll.

 

Ben

 

Hi Ben,

Still means we get a call from ICT Rooms.. "XXXX has left themselves logged in, can you unlock them"

 

What is the negativity towards enabling Fast User Switching? Resources?

[synaesthesia]

Can't see a need for it, especially when it still means multiple users are logged on. It will use more resources if 4 users are still logged onto the same machine and have user-centric software running. (like browsers, nasty memory hogs as it is).

[plexer]

Hi Ben,

Still means we get a call from ICT Rooms.. "XXXX has left themselves logged in, can you unlock them"

 

What is the negativity towards enabling Fast User Switching? Resources?

 

True, we disabled it on teacher pc's in classrooms as the iwb driver didn't like it.

 

Ben

[russdev]

Just small point as title of thread could be misleading. Fast user switching means can have more than one session on PC (windows sees them as seprate sessions) like when RDP into server you get separate session. Problem is when you fast user switch the session is still active according to Windows.

 

Impero handles these sessions like it handles RDP sessions similar to if you don't logout the rdp session and just close it.

 

The best way to handle fast user switching sessions this is to set up group and put a logout the session is inactive for so many minutes policy against it. That way if they fast user switches and then leaves it then as session is not used for 30 minutes say the policy will log them out (but not the other sessions).

 

PM if want details or want one of the support people to remote in and help you.

 

Russ

Edited March 18, 2014 by russdev

[burgemaster]

Thanks Russ.

 

Yes, title maybe a little misleading, i should have added "Not supported in thumbnail view") but when there are multiple sessions it doesnt show ANY of the sessions... it doesnt show anything.

A forced log off would be a little dangerous for double lessons with a lunch between. Could I please request that Impero has a tick box to maybe "View latest session thumbnail" instead of just a blank screen when there are multiple sessions. Or possibly if Impero showed any of the sessions so the IT teachers can see that the session is locked.

 

Any other suggestions please?

Edited March 18, 2014 by burgemaster

[mattianuk]

Gotta say, I have never found it a problem, and we do have fast user switching enabled. Kids don't tend to use it, but staff do, if they do the live session shows up, and a blank screen for the inactive session - can't really see the problem? Certainly no one has complained ...

[burgemaster]

We possibly have a problem here then!

If anyone has previously switched user here, all the teacher sees a black square. Will check again with support.

[mattianuk]

We get blank screens if we have double clicked a screen to view in a bigger window :s will double check when back in on Thursday

[russdev]

As Matt pointed out expected behaviour is that swithced sessions (inactive sessions) will produce blank thumbnail but live session should produce a thumbnail image.

 

Russ