ExamWritePad

[ass17]

Hello,

 

Just a quick one. I literally downloaded ExamWritePad on Monday this week and got it set up yesterday.

We used the .zip folder so the software sits on our network share.

To perform an "update" to this latest version, can I literally just download the latest .zip and overwrite the folder on our network share?

Will the config file that I created still work or will I have to create a new config file each time there is an update?

 

Thank you - great looking software, looking forward to using it for the first time when school resumes after Easter!

 

ITManLT.

 

If the built in updater works as expected, which it should do, then it will extract the contents and will not overwrite any existing config or your custom logo. But always keep a backup of your config just in case!

 

But not highlighted in the release notes is a fix with the checking for updates function. So most people will fail to get the latest version because the code is looking for an integer when the version number is now a long number. Probably get an error cannot connect to server etc.. to fix this you will need to manually update your version of EWP.

Edited April 6, 2022 by ass17

[jessica]

What's New/Fixed?

FIXED: A major overhaul of the ‘Default Paths’ for saving, exporting, opening, backups, wherein all instances of a dropped network connection or unstable USB drive set to any of these paths would result in a lock-up of the main EWP GUI for a good few minutes while waiting for the standard Windows API to timeout. To address this, each time a call is made to save, export, open or backup, each instance will now check if the path exists before proceeding for a maximum of 5 seconds, if after this timeout has passed and the result is 'path not found', EWP will automatically failover to the local user's temp folder. Each subsequent call to a save, export, open or backup will try to re-establish a connection to the default path and revert back or continue in the temporary failover path.

......../

 

Is there an easy way to stop students opening other students files whilst in an exam?

We currently use one exams account for all students using EWP. They save the file to the networked home folder. We have just realised that they can open another students file even if the other student is working on it.

Is it possible to remove the open icon from the toolbar? I couldn't see the option in the config settings.

[ass17]

Is there an easy way to stop students opening other students files whilst in an exam?

We currently use one exams account for all students using EWP. They save the file to the networked home folder. We have just realised that they can open another students file even if the other student is working on it.

Is it possible to remove the open icon from the toolbar? I couldn't see the option in the config settings.

 

Hi Jessica,

 

The current answer is no but I can give you the config option to remove it from the splash’s teen and ribbon bar. But would also have to remove the function that opens to stop users from double clicking on an examtext file. But this function is also used when restoring a backup in the event of a crash or battery outage.

 

The other option is to get your IT team to script unique home directories upon login like we do.

The user account has a separate login script that maps a home directory created on a server with a folder name that has the workstation name and the date time. So it is completely unique.

 

I can provide the VB script if you wish to see it.

[CHiLL]

Is there an easy way to stop students opening other students files whilst in an exam?

We currently use one exams account for all students using EWP. They save the file to the networked home folder. We have just realised that they can open another students file even if the other student is working on it.

Is it possible to remove the open icon from the toolbar? I couldn't see the option in the config settings.

I'd imagine that could cause other issues. The main one I can forsee is if the app or device crashes and they need to re-open their existing document. Unless I'm wrong, as far as EWP would be concerned it can open all files in that home folder because it's all authored by the same user.

 

My solution for that was to create a bunch of exam accounts, Exam01, Exam02, etc. Our exam's officer knows these and assigns them to individual students, with printed out instructions for them to follow. These accounts are all locked down by one GPO, so they can't do anything outside of what we want. Another problem of using just one network account is when you need to enable spell check for only certain students and have it disabled for everyone else. EWP lets your specify an AD security group of specific accounts that have spell check enabled. Just add the exam accounts you wish into that group and they'll have spell check, while disabled for everyone else.

[jessica]

Hi Jessica,

The current answer is no but I can give you the config option to remove it from the splash’s teen and ribbon bar. But would also have to remove the function that opens to stop users from double clicking on an examtext file. But this function is also used when restoring a backup in the event of a crash or battery outage.

The other option is to get your IT team to script unique home directories upon login like we do.

The user account has a separate login script that maps a home directory created on a server with a folder name that has the workstation name and the date time. So it is completely unique.

I can provide the VB script if you wish to see it.

 

That sounds like a much better way of doing it. Could you share the script and I will have a look at it?

Thanks

[jessica]

I'd imagine that could cause other issues. The main one I can forsee is if the app or device crashes and they need to re-open their existing document. Unless I'm wrong, as far as EWP would be concerned it can open all files in that home folder because it's all authored by the same user.

My solution for that was to create a bunch of exam accounts, Exam01, Exam02, etc. Our exam's officer knows these and assigns them to individual students, with printed out instructions for them to follow. These accounts are all locked down by one GPO, so they can't do anything outside of what we want. Another problem of using just one network account is when you need to enable spell check for only certain students and have it disabled for everyone else. EWP lets your specify an AD security group of specific accounts that have spell check enabled. Just add the exam accounts you wish into that group and they'll have spell check, while disabled for everyone else.

 

We can have up to 40 students at a time needing to use the exams account which is why we didnt go down this root.

[CHiLL]

We can have up to 40 students at a time needing to use the exams account which is why we didnt go down this root.

We're generally up to 30, but have had an instance before of 60 (two class sets), so I just created 100 exam accounts, which I keep disabled. I only enable the accounts that our exams officer wants to use during that time and disable them afterwards.

 

I also have a script to copy the contents of the exam account home folders to an archive, then delete the contents of the home folder, so they can be re-used without anything left over.

[Boredguy]

We use a single Exam account, but our Exam Laptops are configured to ensure all student users get the same "Exam Lockdown" settings regardless if they use the Exam account or their own network account, so the Exam WritePad file gets saved to a specific folder on the laptop regardless (and users can't see their own files or internet access) and it seems to have worked well over the last 12 months.

[ass17]

Here is a basic but effective way to map a unique home folder for a single exam user account. And the good thing about this is you only need to edit one line!!

 

https://github.com/sheldog17/Scripting-Snippets/blob/cbf60c96c390930b9e72ba8dd87f897c7610224f/Unique%20Home%20Directory

 

Also make sure that you do NOT specify a home directory in AD for the user account you wish to apply this to.

Edited April 7, 2022 by ass17

[ITManLT]

Hello,

 

We have started using ExamWritePad and it's working great.

The only issue we've just ran in to is that I believe one of the laptops crashed, so I'm trying to open the backup file as the auto-save shows 0kb.

The backup file shows 4kb but when I double click on the backup file it opens ExamWritePad but with no data.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a specific way to open a backup file?

 

Thanks in advance.

[ass17]

Hello,

 

We have started using ExamWritePad and it's working great.

The only issue we've just ran in to is that I believe one of the laptops crashed, so I'm trying to open the backup file as the auto-save shows 0kb.

The backup file shows 4kb but when I double click on the backup file it opens ExamWritePad but with no data.

Am I doing something wrong? Is there a specific way to open a backup file?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi,

 

Are you referring to the autosaved file or the auto backups?

 

They will be in different locations by default.

 

Also can you tell me which version build number of EWP you are using..

[ITManLT]

Hello,

 

It's backups - the Auto Save is the one that I mentioned shows 0kb.

The Auto-Backup shows 4kb.

 

This is using 22.2.5.2334 (properties of the .exe file).

 

Kind Regards.

[ass17]

Hello,

 

It's backups - the Auto Save is the one that I mentioned shows 0kb.

The Auto-Backup shows 4kb.

 

This is using 22.2.5.2334 (properties of the .exe file).

 

Kind Regards.

 

Ah I see, that version has a known issue with saving blank files, and a known issue with checking for updates within EWP, please upgrade your version from the download section of examwritepad.com

Edited April 25, 2022 by ass17

[ITManLT]

Ah I see, that version has a known issue with saving blank files, and a known issue with checking for updates within EWP, please upgrade your version from the download section of examwritepad.com

 

Ahh, just my luck then!

Is there any way to recover the data from the backup if I update the software?

I can open the 4kb auto-backup file in notepad and see some data in there that it looks like the student has written. If we try open this auto-backup file in the new version will the work show?

Or can we import the data to a new document in the new version somehow?

 

I could copy and paste the text from the notepad that I've been able to open but this is all written on 1 line so it will lose any formatting he put in his exam. It's doable but if there's a better way of opening this file then that would be a massive help.

 

 

Finally, I asked previously how to update the version that I have put on a network share and was advised to use the updater.

If I download the latest .zip file and just extract this to the same network folder, will my existing .json config file from 22.2.5.2334 work okay with the new 22.4.2.2024 software or will I have to go through all of the ConfigEditorGUI again?

 

Kind regards,

[ass17]

Ahh, just my luck then!

Is there any way to recover the data from the backup if I update the software?

I can open the 4kb auto-backup file in notepad and see some data in there that it looks like the student has written. If we try open this auto-backup file in the new version will the work show?

Or can we import the data to a new document in the new version somehow?

 

I could copy and paste the text from the notepad that I've been able to open but this is all written on 1 line so it will lose any formatting he put in his exam. It's doable but if there's a better way of opening this file then that would be a massive help.

 

 

Finally, I asked previously how to update the version that I have put on a network share and was advised to use the updater.

If I download the latest .zip file and just extract this to the same network folder, will my existing .json config file from 22.2.5.2334 work okay with the new 22.4.2.2024 software or will I have to go through all of the ConfigEditorGUI again?

 

Kind regards,

 

With the backups, on the new version they should open up fine otherwise yes you can copy the contents inside the XML tags and paste into a file that does open ok.

[ass17]

Ahh, just my luck then!

Is there any way to recover the data from the backup if I update the software?

I can open the 4kb auto-backup file in notepad and see some data in there that it looks like the student has written. If we try open this auto-backup file in the new version will the work show?

Or can we import the data to a new document in the new version somehow?

 

I could copy and paste the text from the notepad that I've been able to open but this is all written on 1 line so it will lose any formatting he put in his exam. It's doable but if there's a better way of opening this file then that would be a massive help.

 

 

Finally, I asked previously how to update the version that I have put on a network share and was advised to use the updater.

If I download the latest .zip file and just extract this to the same network folder, will my existing .json config file from 22.2.5.2334 work okay with the new 22.4.2.2024 software or will I have to go through all of the ConfigEditorGUI again?

 

Kind regards,

 

With regards the portable ZIP version the only file you need to be wary of is the JSON config, copy it to another location, overwrite the files from the ZIP file then copy the JSON file back.

[ass17]

Just as a matter of urgency please can you all of you are running version 22.2.5.2334 or below, please upgrade to the latest version from the EWP website, primarily because you don’t want the hassle of a crash and a students exam work not saving. It’s a known issue that has been confirmed by a few schools.

 

If you know other schools, please pass on the message. EWP doesn’t collection usage data so I have no way of knowing who is using EWP and what version.

 

Thank you

[supportman]

Just tested this for the first time and I see its improved a lot since the last time I tested, nice work.

 

It wasn't a great "first time" experience for me though... just testing being forced to enter candidate details and getting constant popups for autosave. I get why it happens, but feels like you get stuck in a loop and unable to exit the program.

[Steve21]

Just tested this for the first time and I see its improved a lot since the last time I tested, nice work.

 

It wasn't a great "first time" experience for me though... just testing being forced to enter candidate details and getting constant popups for autosave. I get why it happens, but feels like you get stuck in a loop and unable to exit the program.

 

Yep similar issues, but seems it’s all configurable in the settings file, just a pain at the start until you realise

 

Steve

[ass17]

Just tested this for the first time and I see its improved a lot since the last time I tested, nice work.

 

It wasn't a great "first time" experience for me though... just testing being forced to enter candidate details and getting constant popups for autosave. I get why it happens, but feels like you get stuck in a loop and unable to exit the program.

 

This was something I want to sort out and had every intention of but the new print preview and other stuff took over, then forgot about it.

 

My plan is for the autosave, auto backup and computer on battery checking functions to start once then have got past the candidate screen. I will be sorting this out this week with a couple of minor fixes too.

[ass17]

I want EWP to be as near perfect as possible for people come exam time in 2/3 weeks.

[Steve21]

I want EWP to be as near perfect as possible for people come exam time in 2/3 weeks.

 

Honestly I think once it’s configured how you need it works well

 

Would even just be nice to have like a built in - here’s 2/3 different configs to test button, rather than being forced to do settings (like a forced input, no input/pre setup, options etc)

 

As if you just run it you do get stuck in that loop until filling it all in Which I did first play as being lazy before reading manual (I know I know )

 

Or even just an exit/back button to leave the test screen if you don’t want to fill it in

 

Steve

[thimon]

Is there a command line we can use to remotely update the App? I tried pushing out the latest MSI, which caused the existing installation to corrupt (we've got lots of laptops ready for the upcoming exams), I had to then uninstall then reinstall it. Thank you.

[Driftingashore]

Using EWP for the first time today (surprise exam nobody told me about, hooray). Only a few criticisms so far (not meaning to be too critical, as this software saved me today, and some of which could be config related):

 

1) The candidate "numbers" were strings, e.g. STU56749. The Candidate number field has a max for 4 characters, and doesn't allow letters (obviously, because it's a number) but this caused issues since it was both mandatory and unusable.

 

2) "You have autosave turned on and have not yet saved your document. Click close to save your file. [close]" - I think this is unduly confusing, with "close" button meaning "save", and we had a couple of students fearful about clicking close, because their work was unsaved.

 

3) I'm also tempted to say that with the info given in the candidate name / subject field, EWP has enough info to immediately prompt a save dialogue with a decent suggested save name. It seems at the moment, after the initial dialogue the user is encouraged to continue without saving - there's no visible save option in the window (showing the design tab), and the user is only prompted about it when they get the autosave error / warning mentioned above.

[thimon]

Have just tried to update the App from within it, selecting Updates. An error message appears stating "Cannot connect to the remote server to check for an update". Is there a domain that needs to be whitelisted?