LANSchool and Edge

[william_tropico]

Hello,

 

Is Microsoft Edge now a supported browser by LANSchool? Historically we have installed LTSB/LTSC versions of Windows 10 that do not make use of the modern browser with windows so have never had to worry about Edge. Looking at deploying Windows 10 1909 which would use edge but I can't seem to see if it's possible to manage web logs, block websites in edge using LANSchool?

 

ALLOW_METRO_IE is mentioned on the switches of the msi install but I cant see if it actually installs an extension similar to chrome.

 

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

8.0.2.54 is the version I'm using.

[LanSchoolUK_Adam]

Hi William,

 

Although you are running LanSchool at the latest build, Microsoft Edge is not an officially-supported browser for LanSchool (IE/Chrome/Firefox/Safari, as well as their variants like Chromium).

 

When Edge first launched as part of Windows 10 in 2015, there was no extension support which is what we use to limit website and record web hits to the LanSchool Report Server.

 

Edge extensions were added much more recently but around the same time, Microsoft announced their new Edge which is Chromium-based, which we do support with the current extension, and this can already be downloaded in open beta:

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/4501095/download-microsoft-edge-based-on-chromium

 

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/lanschool-web-helper/honjcnefekfnompampcpmcdadibmjhlk?hl=en

 

Our current 'Edge support' goes as far as the registry entry you mentioned (ALLOW_METRO_IE). By default, we block Edge and force users to use a supported browser that we can track. That registry key removes that limitation (on by default). It can also be accessed in Adminster > Preferences in the Teacher Console, and the setting also applies to InPrivate/Incognito windows.

 

Finally, if you want to use Limit Web in Edge, we do have an unoffiical workaround;

 

https://www.howtogeek.com/411830/how-to-install-google-chrome-extensions-in-microsoft-edge/

 

You can add the LanSchool Chrome extension linked above using this method; please bear in mind it is not an official or supported method :-)

 

If you need any further assistance, you can reach out to our UK support team at [email protected] or feel free to PM me any time.

[william_tropico]

Thanks for the reply @LanSchoolUK_Adam

 

Regarding the Edge/Chromium extension support is it possible to automate this step. Ideally I would like it deployed when we re-image a machine.

[LanSchoolUK_Adam]

Hi William,

 

Both Chrome and Edge extensions are user-driven (rather than machine / HKLM) - kind of like how Chromebooks are designed to be user-focused platforms that pull down data based on the user logging in, rather than what is installed on the device itself.

 

For that reason, you probably can't do do this via image, however it is entirely possible to do it via a user GPO.

 

You should include Edge (downloadable from the link in my first post) in your image.

 

The method for dsitributing Edge extensions is the same as the method for Chrome extensions (as they're both Chromium-based):

1) Install Edge Beta and load it

2) Go to Extensions and enable access to Third-Party stores

3) Now navigate to the LanSchool Web Helper extension on the Chromebook store

4) Add it/enable it (will reference the browser as Chrome, even though it's Edge)

 

Now

 

5) Navigate to:

 

C:\Users\William\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge Beta\User Data\Default\Extensions

 

Find our extension, folder name:

 

honjcnefekfnompampcpmcdadibmjhlk

 

Copy that folder and all its contents and create a user-login based GPO that pushes it down into the above location.

 

Its worth bearing in mind that LanSchool v8.0.1 and above actually includes the LanSchool Web Helper Chrome Extension during the client install for Windows and Mac.

 

 

This will create the extension folder with the same ID in:

 

C:\Users\William\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Extensions

 

No doubt when Edge finally goes full-release we'll include its extension in the client install process as we do for Chrome currently.

 

Hope that helps - cheers!

Edited December 5, 2019 by LanSchoolUK_Adam

[Arthur]

Regarding the Edge/Chromium extension support is it possible to automate this step. Ideally I would like it deployed when we re-image a machine.

It's really easy if you download the new Group Policy templates for the Chromium-based Edge and copy these to your central store.

 

Download: MicrosoftEdgePolicyTemplates.cab

 

 

Then you can force install the LanSchool extension via Group Policy by going to:

 

User Configuration > Policies > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Edge > Extensions

[b]Control which extensions are installed silently[/b] (click 'Show', then enter the line below)

honjcnefekfnompampcpmcdadibmjhlk;http://clients2.google.com/service/update2/crx

 

This will download the extension directly from the Chrome web store.

 

As with Chrome you will probably want to add * to the policy called "Control which extensions cannot be installed" too.

[CHiLL]

As Arthur said, Chrome and now Edge (Chromium) can have their extensions pushed out and enforced by the supplied GPOs.

 

The original edge does support extensions and they can be enabled via GPO - they cannot be enabled/enforced by default, meaning that they can be enabled/disabled by the user. Impero for example have an extension available for the original Edge and I've pushed that via GPO, but there is no way whatsoever to force it to be enabled.

[LanSchoolUK_Adam]

Just an FYI that new Edge has left Beta and saw its official release yesterday.

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2020/01/15/the-new-microsoft-edge-now-available-for-download/

 

This can either be downloaded and distributed manually or received via Windows Update (replacing old Edge).

 

We will therefore be adding Edge to our supported browser list by virtue of the existing Chrome/Chromium 'Web Helper' extension as above.