ExamWritePad

[listen2blacksabbath]

I am running v23.02.04.2338. Ah so perhaps we have SMB1 disabled which does sound familiar

 

Kind regards

Dan

 

Depends on the version you are running?

Just be aware that if you upgrade to the latest then running from the network might not be an issue unless you do have SMB v1 stuff enabled (hope not).

[ass17]

There is an issue with .net framework 4.8 when SMBv1 is disabled that has the potential to stop programs, that import certain references into their projects/software, from working over network locations.

 

I can’t find the article anymore but hopefully once EWP has been migrated to .net 6 or 7, it will work again over network locations.

[Warwick_Tech]

There is an issue with .net framework 4.8 when SMBv1 is disabled that has the potential to stop programs, that import certain references into their projects/software, from working over network locations.

 

I can’t find the article anymore but hopefully once EWP has been migrated to .net 6 or 7, it will work again over network locations.

 

So for reference this bug only applies if you have SMB1 disabled? Having it enabled means it works correctly?

 

We have SMB disabled but it still runs correctly (?)

Edited May 2, 2023 by Warwick_Tech

[ass17]

So for reference this bug only applies if you have SMB1 enabled? Having it disabled means it works correctly?

 

.Net Framework 4.8 bug only applies if SMBv1 is Disabled.

 

Obviously I can’t advise you to enable it due to the security implications.

[Warwick_Tech]

.Net Framework 4.8 bug only applies if SMBv1 is Disabled.

 

Obviously I can’t advise you to enable it due to the security implications.

 

Of course - but I assume it's only a 'might' stop working? as it seems to work fine here with SMB disabled

[ass17]

Of course - but I assume it's only a 'might' stop working? as it seems to work fine here with SMB disabled

 

Yes, it might, because I can’t confirm 100% what Microsoft said in the article.

 

Maybe it’s down to some other additional config of network security or .net security

[ass17]

Yes, it might, because I can’t confirm 100% what Microsoft said in the article.

 

Maybe it’s down to some other additional config of network security or .net security

 

The way we get around it is to have a single managed copy on a network share, and each client PC everyday (via startup GPO) pulls down a new copy into a local cache folder if any files have changed.

[Ironside]

scrap that last post:

 

EWP does support ALL dead keys as used in Microsoft Word using the key combinations stated below:

https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/keyboard-shortcuts-for-international-characters-108fa0c1-fb8e-4aae-9db1-d60407d13c35

 

For keyboard shortcuts in which you press two or more keys simultaneously, the keys to press are separated by a plus sign (+) in Word Help. For keyboard shortcuts in which you press one key immediately followed by another key, the keys to press are separated by a comma (,).

To type a lowercase character by using a key combination that includes the SHIFT key, hold down the CTRL+SHIFT+symbol keys simultaneously, and then release them before you type the letter.

[TABLE=class: banded flipColors, width: 768]

[TR=bgcolor: #DADADA]

[TH=align: left]To insert this[/TH]

[TH=align: left]Press[/TH]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]à, è, ì, ò, ù,

À, È, Ì, Ò, Ù[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+` (ACCENT GRAVE), the letter[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]á, é, í, ó, ú, ý

Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, Ý[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+' (APOSTROPHE), the letter[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]â, ê, î, ô, û

Â, Ê, Î, Ô, Û[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+^ (CARET), the letter[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]ã, ñ, õ

Ã, Ñ, Õ[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+~ (TILDE), the letter[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]ä, ë, ï, ö, ü, ÿ,

Ä, Ë, Ï, Ö, Ü, Ÿ[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+: (COLON), the letter[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]å, Å[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+@, a or A[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]æ, Æ[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+&, a or A[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]œ, Œ[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+&, o or O[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]ç, Ç[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+, (COMMA), c or C[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]ð, Ð[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+' (APOSTROPHE), d or D[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]ø, Ø[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+/, o or O[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]¿[/TD]

[TD]ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+?[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]¡[/TD]

[TD]ALT+CTRL+SHIFT+![/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]ß[/TD]

[TD]CTRL+SHIFT+&, s[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]The Unicode character for the specified Unicode (hexadecimal) character code[/TD]

[TD]The character code, ALT+X

For example, to insert the euro currency symbol , press 20AC, and then hold down the ALT key and press X.[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=bgcolor: #F4F4F4]

[TD]The ANSI character for the specified ANSI (decimal) character code[/TD]

[TD]ALT+the character code (on the numeric keypad)

Note: Make sure that NUM LOCK is on before you type the character code.

 

For example, to insert the euro currency symbol, hold down the ALT key and press 0128 on the numeric keypad.[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

 

Hello,

 

Is this functionality still in ExamWritePad? We cannot get this to work in ExamWritePad but can use the exact same shortcut in Word, implying it's not a keyboard issue.

[ass17]

Hello,

 

Is this functionality still in ExamWritePad? We cannot get this to work in ExamWritePad but can use the exact same shortcut in Word, implying it's not a keyboard issue.

 

Yes but instead of CTRL you need to use “ALTGr” key.

 

The ALTGr key also works in MS Word too.

[Ironside]

Yes but instead of CTRL you need to use “ALTGr” key.

 

The ALTGr key also works in MS Word too.

 

Sorry but that doesn't seem to work right, if I hold the AltGr key and the Accent Grave key ` and press any of the letters, it'll produce a ÁÉÍÓÚ instead of the ÀÈÌÒÙ. If I try AltGr+Shift+^, it'll still produce ÁÉÍÓÚ instead of the caret accent. Any suggestions?

[ass17]

Sorry but that doesn't seem to work right, if I hold the AltGr key and the Accent Grave key ` and press any of the letters, it'll produce a ÁÉÍÓÚ instead of the ÀÈÌÒÙ. If I try AltGr+Shift+^, it'll still produce ÁÉÍÓÚ instead of the caret accent. Any suggestions?

 

Yes seems like an issue that needs sorting out. The text control component I use hasn’t implemented these keys fully. Therefore I will have to come up with a workaround.

 

For now just have the pupil keep the accent and symbols(Insert —> Accents Symbols) list on screen so the can click the corresponding button to insert the character.

Edited May 10, 2023 by ass17

[thimon]

Hi. I was wondering if it’s possible to install this on ChromeOS Flex. We have old laptops that aren’t windows 11 compatible, so looking at the option of installing Flex on them to extend their life. Thanks

[ass17]

Hi. I was wondering if it’s possible to install this on ChromeOS Flex. We have old laptops that aren’t windows 11 compatible, so looking at the option of installing Flex on them to extend their life. Thanks

 

Windows only sorry.

 

I have plans to make a web-based (self-hosted or external hosted) in the future so it is multi platform. But this is a few years away.

[mikes]

Hi we are using the software and it's working great, I have a question however - we have really bad LEA wireless in the school and it goes down more often than it should - it hasn't gone down during an exam yet, but I've set the software ATM to write to the Exam User's network drive N:\.

My Question is - if the wireless goes down and the network share is gone, will it write a copy of the students work locally anywhere? I see in the config it says DefaultBackupPath is All Users \ Application Data - so if the network goes down halfway through a kids exam, would it then save it locally to this location so the student won't lose his exam? I know word keeps temporary files but unfortunately if the user quits Word, even if there is an error saving, if Word is quit then the temporary backup files are wiped. My worry was a kid trying to save, getting a network path error, but closing the software and it wiping the backup file thinking it's no longer needed. Bit of an awkward Q but it's always stressful for me when kids sit an exam and I'm waiting for our wireless to go down !

[dafyddf]

Anyone have any advice on how to deploy the config file? We've got it all how we like it on 1 device, I was thinking just put the file on a share somewhere and run a copy to Program Files as a start up script? E: I'd really like to avoid running it off a network drive if possible. Edited May 15, 2023 by dafyddf

[CHiLL]

Anyone have any advice on how to deploy the config file? We've got it all how we like it on 1 device, I was thinking just put the file on a share somewhere and run a copy to Program Files as a start up script?

I have the whole thing running from a share. I just update the shortcut and import the settings from the old version and conigure new settings if required in the new version. The application lives on \\server\share$\ExamWritePad\ and a shortcut for it on the shared desktop that our exam accounts use.

[robintech]

My Question is - if the wireless goes down and the network share is gone, will it write a copy of the students work locally anywhere? I see in the config it says DefaultBackupPath is All Users \ Application Data - so if the network goes down halfway through a kids exam, would it then save it locally to this location so the student won't lose his exam?

 

Ours saves the user facing save files to the Desktop when it loses Network drives, the backup save is local on ours and goes to a different directory c:\exambackupsetc, default is every 60 seconds i think

 

Edit: The backup save has no user interaction so shouldn't matter what the student does and you can force save, save without confirmation or other options for the user facing saves in the config settings. So you will have 2 local saves, one visible to the student and one in the backups directory

Edited May 15, 2023 by ittech2342323

[ass17]

Hi we are using the software and it's working great, I have a question however - we have really bad LEA wireless in the school and it goes down more often than it should - it hasn't gone down during an exam yet, but I've set the software ATM to write to the Exam User's network drive N:\.

My Question is - if the wireless goes down and the network share is gone, will it write a copy of the students work locally anywhere? I see in the config it says DefaultBackupPath is All Users \ Application Data - so if the network goes down halfway through a kids exam, would it then save it locally to this location so the student won't lose his exam? I know word keeps temporary files but unfortunately if the user quits Word, even if there is an error saving, if Word is quit then the temporary backup files are wiped. My worry was a kid trying to save, getting a network path error, but closing the software and it wiping the backup file thinking it's no longer needed. Bit of an awkward Q but it's always stressful for me when kids sit an exam and I'm waiting for our wireless to go down !

 

Hi,

 

Yes, it write to the desktop or Programdata folder, which ever is available. When the network connection becomes available again it should save back there, otherwise it will continue to save on the local disk.

 

The default backup path is for the restoration at any point in time. There will be a series of ExamTextBackup files that get created every time period specified in the config file. These are only really to be used in the event you cannot recover the saved file.

[mavhc]

Use group policy preferences to copy the config file, set it to replace so it always gets the latest version installed

[ShaneNDHS]

HI all,

Just a quick enquiry, we have a user taking exams at the moment using this piece of software and is complaining of stutters every now and then. We have the autosave saving to a network location, so i wonder if there is a slight pause when doing this? Has anyone else found or had any issues raised similar to this?

 

Thanks

[ass17]

HI all,

Just a quick enquiry, we have a user taking exams at the moment using this piece of software and is complaining of stutters every now and then. We have the autosave saving to a network location, so i wonder if there is a slight pause when doing this? Has anyone else found or had any issues raised similar to this?

 

Thanks

 

It all depends on the version you are using.

 

The stutters can be anything from initialises the save directory because it’s a network location. Some network locations can take a few seconds to become active.

 

Sometime it’s can be because the autosave and auto backup timers are firing at the same time. So you could stagger them better. Or just turn off autosave, let the user manually save, while the auto backups keep a copy of the work in the event of a computer/software failure.

[thimon]

Regarding the automatic cover sheet (which is an amazing feature!), is there a way to get this to be within the same print job? Currently when using PaperCut follow-me print, the cover sheet appears as a seperate print job, please see image below. Thank you for an amazing piece of software!

 

[ass17]

Regarding the automatic cover sheet (which is an amazing feature!), is there a way to get this to be within the same print job? Currently when using PaperCut follow-me print, the cover sheet appears as a seperate print job, please see image below. Thank you for an amazing piece of software!

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]69017[/ATTACH]

 

Thank you for your great comments.

 

To answer your question, the short answer is no because of the processes that go on in having to generate the coversheet. The printing and generate of the document are separate for programmatical reasons beyond my control sorry. I have tried to offer this but it’s just far too messy and not 100% reliable.

[thimon]

Thank you for taking the time to look into this. No worries

[titch]

One thing we mentioned a while ago is some way of changing the order so that the cover sheet comes out before the main page on papercut. Was this something that was possible in the end @ass17 ? Also thanks so much for the software