New to WinSuite - help needed

[msjunior]

I am new to my school and new to WinSuite and have been placed in charge of adding users to the system and updating the class lists that appear on the login screens.

 

I have created all of the new users (although I cannot get them to have a My Documents yet - that is to be sorted later). They have updated accordingly in the WinSuite Administrator with all classes correct, with the right users in the right groups ready to go.

 

My problem is that when it comes to the login screen on the class room machines the list of names does not necessarily match those on the WinSuite Administrator.

 

How do I get these to marry up and be the same?

 

Any help would be more than useful.

[Jon]

The local copy of the winsuite database can take a while to update sometimes.

 

To force it you simply logon to the local machine, with an admin account, open winsuite administrator, this will then update the local database and your groups will appear correctly.

 

Did you you the "winsuite user import" tool to create your new users? If you have then this will normally also create and set permissions on your users home directory also.

[msjunior]

Here's what I have done:

 

1. In Active Directory I have created users, and I have since gone into Properties and changed the 'Profile' tab to say Logon.bat and connect to the H drive and have copied the same server name and home folder (with $ at the end) - I have done this to make the Properties appear the same as existing users.

 

2. I have then opened WinSuite Administrator and have made sure that the Groups I have added have the same Users in them as my class lists, and have the same Drive permissions, i.e. they can see the same 'letters' of the drives.

 

Now I am not sure about the 'Winsute User Import' you mention. I do have a shortcut for 'User Import Wizard' on the desktop, but when I open this it asks me for a file to import. The current file that it is pointing to is a list of all students from the past academic year, in csv format. I can sort of understand this, and that maybe I need to say 'Here's the list of kids' (in csv format) - but I donlt know how to generate this!

 

I have somehow updated some of the list, and have been told to turn off all machines and then it will update.

 

It's not really a problem for the kids who were here last year as they will all have access to either this years lists or last years, BUT I am worried that new kids seem to have been assigned User names but they have no access to MY Documents, My Computer, My Pictures or Desktop. They just can't save their work!

 

Damn this is hard.

 

Any help given, etc, etc ... very grateful.

[p858snake]

To generate the list you would get your office/reception people (and/or people with access to student records) to export a list to a csv file and then point the wizard at that.

[BrianG]

I've had the same job to do at one of my schools the other day. I created my users in Active Directory, set profile paths and drive mappings etc.. then opened Winsuite Administrator to see that the Administrator Console has picked up my new Active directory OU and the users inside it. I'm just waiting for Winsuite to catch up and make them available at the log on screen. This can take a few hours, when I've added the odd user in the past it's taken nearly a day for Winsuite to catch up and display them.

 

 

My school uses the Screen manager ( I think that's what you call it) rather than the desktop. The only problem I have now is telling it to use the same screen manager as the other year groups, at the moment it's asking me to create a new one and I haven't got time to add all the shortcuts etc..

 

I think the user import option is on the File menu on the administrator Console, I've not used it myself though.

 

I'm going to start pestering the head teacher to get rid of Winsuite. You can do a much better job at managing the computers and settings through GPO's than you can through Winsuite. it's nasty and horrible in my opinion.

[msjunior]

Thanks for the advice.

 

I am pretty sure that the actual class lists are okay, it's just the access the 'home directories' that seem sto eb an issue now - how do I create a My Documents, My Computer, My Pictures for the kids, and then how do I give them permission to save to them.

 

Thanks again.

[BrianG]

Are you wanting to create them using Winsuite ( the My Documents directories etc..) or through Active Directory?

 

I do it through active directory, but it depends on how much of Winsuite you use to manage the system

[msjunior]

Are you wanting to create them using Winsuite ( the My Documents directories etc..) or through Active Directory?

 

I do it through active directory, but it depends on how much of Winsuite you use to manage the system

 

I only started doing this yesterday so am not sure of either set of software yet!

 

Either way is fine. Which ever is easiest to manage.

 

Any suggestions?

[Jon]

@ msjunior

 

Do you know what version of winsuite you have installed?

 

I look after a number of primary schools most of which are using winsuite ver3.5. At first Winsuite can be a bit of a pain to get your head around, but once you have it running its not so bad...

 

The "Winsuite user import" is what I was referring to, I import all of my users using this tool, get your secretary to export a list of pupil names from the schools MIS system, this can be in CSV or XML, xls etc.

 

I then use this to create a csv file with the information set out as follows

 

Fred Bloggs,09fbloggs,09,pupil,password

Santa Claus,09sclaus,09,pupil,password

 

The fields are

Full Name,username,group,description,initial password

 

The 09 field indicates year of entry to the school, so last years intake have a 08 prefix etc.

 

You can then point "winsuite user import" at this file, this will then import all your users into active directory, create a home folder for them, and set the approiate permissions.

 

I would then, within active directory, add the users to a security group, so this years intake will be added to the "reception" security group, last years reception would be removed from this group and added to the YEAR 1 group etc.

 

We then have, in winsuite administrator, a screen manager desktop set up for each year group,on the winsuite log on screen there are groups displayed for Staff, reception, Year 1, Year 2, etc. so fred bloggs as imported earlier would click on the reception group, click his name, and type in his password.

 

The winsuite logon screen will eventually catch up with what you have in winsuite administrator but this can sometimes take a while to happen, you can force this to update by logging on to a client machine with your admin account this will force winsuite to update its local copy of the winsuite database and dsiplay the correct information.

[BrianG]

I personally would use Active Directory to set all the paths for the users. But, having said that, if your school and who ever did the users before you, has used Winsuite to set everything up, I'm not sure of any problems that might be caused by setting users up another way. Is the person who did other users before you there to ask? or contactable? The way I have done things is like this:

 

 

Because the head likes the idea of the managed desktop and keeping things simple for the kids he wants to use Winsuite, but because I hate it, and my predecessor hated it, I use Group Policy inside Active Directory to manage everything, the same way you would on a Vanilla network. Winsuite, for us, is only there to give the simple desktop and log on to the kids.

 

I created the users in active directory, making sure that inside the properties of each student, I'd added the profile path ( where the students profile will be stored on the server ), the path of the "Home" folder ( which is where their My Documents folder will point" and making sure that permissions are set, making sure they are a member of the correct security group, things like that.

 

For us, the My Documents folder, or home directory is stored in: \\server\users\home\students\%username%

 

The profiles are stored much the same way \\server\users\profiles\%username% ( I'm only just getting round to changing my schools to have mandatory profiles).

 

I would ask how it was done before, either through Winsuite or Active Directory. If it was done through active Directory look through the properties of an existing user to see how things should look.

 

If you're doing bulk users then I'd suggest using something like adinfinitum which will allow you to import the class lists from a CSV file, and change and specify all the parameters before adding it to active directory. ALot quicker and alot cleaner.

 

Hope that made sense and helped a little

[BrianG]

@jon

 

I've added a new year group to the sytem through Active Directory. Winsuit has picked up on the new year group ( called 2009) but when tell it to use the desktop manager or screen manager or what ever you call it ( to use winsuite desktop rather than the windows one) it wants me to set up a new one from scratch. Is there any way to copy the one that the other year groups use?

 

Hope that made sense

[Jon]

Yes you can copy a desktop.

 

In Winsuite administrator click on the DESKTOP TAB, there is then an option on the toolbar to COPY GROUP.

 

I avoid having to do this each year by arraing users in groups named YEAR 1, Year 2, etc. as described earlier.

 

Hope this helps.

[BrianG]

Thanks Jon

 

Normally I'd arrange year groups in the same way, save having to mess every year but my predecessor set it up like this. It's something I'm going to change when I get a repacement server at the start of next year.

 

I'll try the desktop thing, next time Im' at that school, thanks

[sted]

Thanks Jon

 

Normally I'd arrange year groups in the same way, save having to mess every year but my predecessor set it up like this. It's something I'm going to change when I get a repacement server at the start of next year.

 

I'll try the desktop thing, next time Im' at that school, thanks

 

if youre replacing the server be aware that server 08 cant run winsuite (at least v3 only school i had with v4 i talked into throwing it in a bin)

 

its quite easy is winsuite it can just take time to learn and things only appear on the workstations when they weel like it its not instant. My main problem with it is it seems to balls up some gpo settings

[BrianG]

I never thought about that. I'd read that it won't run on Windows Vista but I'd never thought about server 2008. I'm hoping, if I get my own way, that with the new server 2008 install will be a vanilla network. The other schools in my cluster are on a Vanilla network. I know ther are alot for and against Winsuite. I personally dislike it but I can see why teachers and students like to use it, the front end is a lot more user friendly, especially for Foundation and KS1 kids than a normal windows set up.

 

Do you use it for Primary or Secondary?

[Jon]

if youre replacing the server be aware that server 08 cant run winsuite

 

Or Vista clients

[msjunior]

I now have all of the new users set up and showing on the WinSuite log in screen, and have checked that the Properties in Active Directory Users and Computers are the same as some other existing users ... but they still do not have a My Documents folder! What am I missing.

 

This is starting to really frustrate me!

[Jon]

What version of Winsuite are you using?

 

Have you used "Winsuite User import wizard" to setup your users?

 

In Active Directory, on the profile tab of a users properties, is the radio button checked for Home Folder connect H: to \\server\username$

 

When a user logs on do they have an H: Drive ?

 

If yes to all of these then winsuite should redirect MY DOCUMENTS to the H: Drive.

[msjunior]

Here goes...

 

What version of Winsuite are you using?

 

I am using v3.51

 

Have you used "Winsuite User import wizard" to setup your users?

 

I did...I think. I have been messing around with these lists for a few days so I don't really know what I have done and it's outcome. If I did the changes in Active Directory would this not just update WinSuite Administrator (maybe overnight)? As I say, all of my lists are now correct (and showing the same) on Active Directory, WinSuite Administrator and the kids log in screens, so that must have communicated somehow!

 

 

In Active Directory, on the profile tab of a users properties, is the radio button checked for Home Folder connect H: to \\server\username$

 

The radio button is checked, and the Home folder is \\server\username$. Logon script also says Logon.bat (if this is relevant)

 

 

When a user logs on do they have an H: Drive ?

 

No. When they log on a message box appears saying "The My Documents folder could not be found. Right click the My Documents icon, click Properties, and then check that the path to your target folder location is correct".

 

When I open My Computer I can select Desktop, and in the main window My Documents is showing - if I try to open it the same message appears, I can't right click on it (to see Properties), and File > Properties doesn't bring any joy either!

 

 

If yes to all of these then winsuite should redirect MY DOCUMENTS to the H: Drive.

 

When I then go into My Computer they have access to E, F and S drives. I have checked on WinSuite Administrator and when the group is selected, under the 'Drives' tab at the top I have checked the boxes for E, F, G, H and S to allow browsing to these drives. Does this sound right?

 

Thanks for all the help and time you are taking with this - I am very grateful!

[sted]

I never thought about that. I'd read that it won't run on Windows Vista but I'd never thought about server 2008. I'm hoping, if I get my own way, that with the new server 2008 install will be a vanilla network. The other schools in my cluster are on a Vanilla network. I know ther are alot for and against Winsuite. I personally dislike it but I can see why teachers and students like to use it, the front end is a lot more user friendly, especially for Foundation and KS1 kids than a normal windows set up.

 

Do you use it for Primary or Secondary?

 

primary. The only good thing imo is the logon screen where kids can pick their name then later on in school set it to username then finally to type it in

 

tbh it was good for 98 as no gpo's to manage it with 2k/xp its almost pointless and just one more layer of stuff to cause problems (for instance if you use netop launching it directly from winsuite it will ask for the reg code launch ot from a batch file (or in all user startup) and its fine textease ct can have issues with it as well)

[sted]

If yes to all of these then winsuite should redirect MY DOCUMENTS to the H: Drive.

 

When I then go into My Computer they have access to E, F and S drives. I have checked on WinSuite Administrator and when the group is selected, under the 'Drives' tab at the top I have checked the boxes for E, F, G, H and S to allow browsing to these drives. Does this sound right?

 

Thanks for all the help and time you are taking with this - I am very grateful!

 

what are they using for a profile as ive found the only way to get it to reliably work with winsuite is to edit the ntuser.man files hkey user\username\software\ms\windows\current version\explorer\user shell folders and set my docs my pics etc to in your case h; h:\my pics h:\favourites etc i found ad folder redirection diddnt work well with winsuite

[Jon]

@ MSJunior

 

On the server, Have the users home folders been created and shared? If you have used the "winsuite user import wizard" it should have created a seperate folder with a share for every user you imported. This will probaly be within a folder on your server called "home" (this however depends on how winsuite was initially setup)

 

This folder will be named as the users username and shared by the same name with a $ on the end. so in the example I gave in an earlier post I would expect to see the following after import.

 

d:\home\09\fbloggs - shared as fbloggs$

and

d:\home\09\SClaus - shared as SClaus$

[BrianG]

primary. The only good thing imo is the logon screen where kids can pick their name then later on in school set it to username then finally to type it in

 

tbh it was good for 98 as no gpo's to manage it with 2k/xp its almost pointless and just one more layer of stuff to cause problems (for instance if you use netop launching it directly from winsuite it will ask for the reg code launch ot from a batch file (or in all user startup) and its fine textease ct can have issues with it as well)

 

I agree about the log on screen. Watching the really young kids try to log on by typing a user name and password can be painful sometimes.

 

I've noticed a few programs don't really run too well with it. The gripe I've had with it has been licenses. We have 60 licenses and 60 computers. Recently about 20 of the computers were replaced with new ones ( or should I say newer ones, donated from the local COmprehensive). I replaced the machines , deleted the old computer names from Active Directory and put the new names in their place in the OU. For about a week afterwards Winsuite complained that it was licensed for 60 machines but there were 80 machines trying to access it. The support company told me that I had to reset the license count but that didn't seem to do anything. About a week afterwards it just stopped complaining, no reason behind it at all.

[sted]

I agree about the log on screen. Watching the really young kids try to log on by typing a user name and password can be painful sometimes.

 

not that hard for younger ones just make it so ctrl alt del isnt required and have a user r no password its even possible to set certain machines to auto login

[p858snake]

When a user logs on do they have an H: Drive ?

 

No. When they log on a message box appears saying "The My Documents folder could not be found. Right click the My Documents icon, click Properties, and then check that the path to your target folder location is correct".

 

When I open My Computer I can select Desktop, and in the main window My Documents is showing - if I try to open it the same message appears, I can't right click on it (to see Properties), and File > Properties doesn't bring any joy either!

That would be because it's referencing a folder that doesn't exist/can't find, Windows will not create missing folders except for when creating a profile for the first time. Also it appears for newer comments shares each folder as well so that would also be creating the error.

 

@ MSJunior

 

On the server, Have the users home folders been created and shared? If you have used the "winsuite user import wizard" it should have created a seperate folder with a share for every user you imported. This will probaly be within a folder on your server called "home" (this however depends on how winsuite was initially setup)

 

This folder will be named as the users username and shared by the same name with a $ on the end. so in the example I gave in an earlier post I would expect to see the following after import.

 

d:\home\09\fbloggs - shared as fbloggs$

and

d:\home\09\SClaus - shared as SClaus$

I've never used winsuite before but eww..... why would you want to create a new share for each folder... is there even a sane/decent reason for this?

Edited September 11, 2009 by p858snake
s/would/why/ - s/ever/even/