disk Posted February 21, 2019 Posted February 21, 2019 We have been tasked with disseminating information to students via our instructional PCs in the various labs around campus. We had been doing this in one open lab for a year or two by utilizing a file share and group policy to set the jpeg as the desktop wallpaper. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best idea at the time. Now they want to do this across the entirety of the campus labs. This solution simply will not work. There are too many issues (different monitor sizes, aspect ratios, resolutions, etc). Are any of you using or aware of a way to accomplish this? The information will be targeted to students with messages/reminders about registration events, etc. So the content will change fairly often. I also would like the solution to not be intrusive to the users (if possible). I'd like to just recommend that they use email to send out information, but I'm always told that no one reads their email.
disk Posted February 21, 2019 Author Posted February 21, 2019 I should mention that we do not currently utilize windows screensaver in our environment, we simply allow the monitors to sleep after a period of time. If anyone can recommend a robust screensaver management system, that might be a possible way to accomplish this. I've tried finding one but as of yet have not had any luck.
Roberto Posted February 21, 2019 Posted February 21, 2019 Are any of you using or aware of a way to accomplish this? Presumably your browsers all open to a standard intranet page? Put the info on there. I'm going to say that 99% of people will open their browser at least once during any computer session. And the users who "don't read emails" will continue not to read them there by the way. Or anywhere else you put them, assuming that getting it tattooed to the foreheads of the ones who go out of their way to avoid noticing signs isn't allowed, so your management will need to accept that reality too.
CREATISH Posted February 22, 2019 Posted February 22, 2019 We have been tasked with disseminating information to students via our instructional PCs in the various labs around campus. We had been doing this in one open lab for a year or two by utilizing a file share and group policy to set the jpeg as the desktop wallpaper. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best idea at the time. Now they want to do this across the entirety of the campus labs. This solution simply will not work. There are too many issues (different monitor sizes, aspect ratios, resolutions, etc). Are any of you using or aware of a way to accomplish this? The information will be targeted to students with messages/reminders about registration events, etc. So the content will change fairly often. I also would like the solution to not be intrusive to the users (if possible). I'd like to just recommend that they use email to send out information, but I'm always told that no one reads their email. Hello you can set a message for users before they login using Group policy Computer Configuration (Enabled)hide Policieshide Windows Settingshide Security Settingshide Local Policies/Security Optionshide Interactive Logonhide [TABLE=class: info] [TR] [TH]Policy[/TH] [TH]Setting[/TH] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Interactive logon: Don't display last signed-in[/TD] [TD]Enabled[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] --- Or set a scheduled task that upon login a PDF file opens up which has this information or like another person set use GPO to set homepage as a site with information written on (google drive pdf ect) If its something regularly then I'd rather go down the homepage route to a drive of the documents makes it lot easier to change often with no effort
Ditto Posted February 22, 2019 Posted February 22, 2019 (edited) My last school was a GSuite school and we had a daily bulletin which was nothing more than a Google document, but it was something every pupil was required to review every day. Failure to follow actions from that document was tackled on an individual basis and it was up to the pupil how they stayed up to date, but it really was not a problem - it just became daily habitat like attending form for registration. I guess one advantage is it could be viewed on mobile phones before getting to school. *Edit* - I would add this should not need a complex solution, it's largely a behavioural management task for the pupils to keep up to date - not a technical one. Edited February 22, 2019 by Ditto
jthompson Posted February 22, 2019 Posted February 22, 2019 We have been tasked with disseminating information to students via our instructional PCs in the various labs around campus. We had been doing this in one open lab for a year or two by utilizing a file share and group policy to set the jpeg as the desktop wallpaper. It wasn't ideal, but it was the best idea at the time. Now they want to do this across the entirety of the campus labs. This solution simply will not work. There are too many issues (different monitor sizes, aspect ratios, resolutions, etc). Are any of you using or aware of a way to accomplish this? The information will be targeted to students with messages/reminders about registration events, etc. So the content will change fairly often. I also would like the solution to not be intrusive to the users (if possible). I'd like to just recommend that they use email to send out information, but I'm always told that no one reads their email. Settle on the lowest resulotion that's in use and design your wallpaper for that. Larger screen sizes will just end up with more padding around it if you set it to not stretch to scale for larger resolutions at all. That's what we do for event posters and things that we place on the students' wallpaper. It works quite well for those because they're often colourful, eye-catching posters anyway. Our template image is 1024x768, but it was only 800x600 for years. Your second most viewed thing is probably going to be a browser start page, as already mentioned. An intranet page would probably be easier for you to maintain if you're getting frequent updates that are more informational in nature. 1
tubs Posted February 22, 2019 Posted February 22, 2019 You could use BGINFO from Sysinternals, combine it with group policy - have it pointing to text document on a share, and you could even allow admin staff to update the MOTD instead of it being a IT dept function. Use GPO/groups to target specific messages to staff/year groups?
disk Posted February 22, 2019 Author Posted February 22, 2019 You could use BGINFO from Sysinternals, combine it with group policy - have it pointing to text document on a share, and you could even allow admin staff to update the MOTD instead of it being a IT dept function. Use GPO/groups to target specific messages to staff/year groups? This could work. Thank you for the suggestion!
disk Posted February 22, 2019 Author Posted February 22, 2019 Settle on the lowest resulotion that's in use and design your wallpaper for that. Larger screen sizes will just end up with more padding around it if you set it to not stretch to scale for larger resolutions at all. That's what we do for event posters and things that we place on the students' wallpaper. It works quite well for those because they're often colourful, eye-catching posters anyway. Our template image is 1024x768, but it was only 800x600 for years. Your second most viewed thing is probably going to be a browser start page, as already mentioned. An intranet page would probably be easier for you to maintain if you're getting frequent updates that are more informational in nature. Yeah, the wallpaper method we tried in a limited area and found that it was a bit unreliable. Some workstations never would update even though all other group policy settings would. I never looked into it but instead tried to get everyone onboard with at least looking at different possible solutions. Now that the footprint is looking to expand is a great opportunity to do so!
rosslaing Posted February 28, 2019 Posted February 28, 2019 (edited) This is what we do. Just enable/disable the GPO as needed. Hello you can set a message for users before they login using Group policy Computer Configuration (Enabled)hide Policieshide Windows Settingshide Security Settingshide Local Policies/Security Optionshide Interactive Logonhide [TABLE=class: info] [TR] [TH]Policy[/TH] [TH]Setting[/TH] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Interactive logon: Don't display last signed-in[/TD] [TD]Enabled[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] --- Edited February 28, 2019 by rosslaing
disk Posted February 28, 2019 Author Posted February 28, 2019 This is what we do. Just enable/disable the GPO as needed. We are already using the logon messaging to display our acceptable use policy. Good idea though.
rosslaing Posted February 28, 2019 Posted February 28, 2019 You could try the Free Specops GPupdate tool, has a message function we use time to time, pops a message up on screen, has a message time out etc. Also has some other features as a bonus, being able to restart PC's etc from AD. Puts all the commands in the right-click menu in AD https://specopssoft.com/support-docs/specops-gpupdate/installation-and-administration/
disk Posted February 28, 2019 Author Posted February 28, 2019 You could try the Free Specops GPupdate tool, has a message function we use time to time, pops a message up on screen, has a message time out etc. Also has some other features as a bonus, being able to restart PC's etc from AD. Puts all the commands in the right-click menu in AD https://specopssoft.com/support-docs/specops-gpupdate/installation-and-administration/ Thanks for sharing! This definitely looks worth investigating.
rosslaing Posted February 28, 2019 Posted February 28, 2019 Thanks for sharing! This definitely looks worth investigating. No Problem. We actually have the pro version as we use a lot of there products for OS and App deployments too, but most of the cool features are in the free version anyway. Being able to start, restart, gpupdate machines from AD has its advantages, and if you prefer to script, it gives you the powershell its using under the hood onscreen so you can copy it.
sdc Posted March 5, 2019 Posted March 5, 2019 If you want to target individual users, we have written a script which runs at logon, checks the user's "address" field in AD, and displays any text that's there in a dialog box which the user has to OK. Once the message is no longer needed, it is deleted from the address field in AD. Combine this with WiseSoft's Bulk AD users and you can deploy a message to multiple users quickly and easily (and sort AD by those who have/do not have messages to display!). If anyone wants a copy of the script, please let me know!
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