Andie

Just a thought... If you add dummy users, aren't you charged extra? Kaleidos seems to charge on a per user basis, apart from parent users who don't have any storage space. If I add an extra teacher and a pupil, I wonder if that will put up the cost by £12????

Has anyone connected two keyboards to one computer? We need to purchase a lower case keyboard for one pupil, but need to retain the use of the standard keyboard for other pupils. Obviously, we don't want to have to swap the kyboards over each time we need to use it. I have made some enquiries about a switch, but the company who sell the switch don't sell the PS/2 cable to go with it, although it looks like Maplin might do. In addition, some keyboards available are USB not PS/2, although these seem to come with an adaptor. It looks like the cheapest solution might be to purchase a USB lowercase keyboard and just plug it into the same computer, so that I will have two keyboards running off different types of ports. But does anyone know if the computer would be able to cope with this - will it respond to whichever keyboard is being used???

These are articles that may be of some help. We have had browser problems too, uploading files to VLE, but not getting the same errors as you. Can you ask RM to log in remotely? They have done this for me a couple of times.RM Kaleidos Internet Explorer.pdf RM Kaleidos Optimising Browsers.pdf

Point taken, but with the workload I currently have it isn't a job that is going to be done that soon. I need to tweak the following settings in Advanced: HTTP1.1 settings (use HTTP 1.1 through proxy connections needs to be on) Security (Empty Temporary Internet Files folder when browser is closed needs to be on) The HTTP setting may be the crucial one.

I was a returner to work after about 10 years out of IT - and a lot happens in IT in 10 years! I borrowed books from the library (the Dummies series in particular) and generally researched as much as possible. I have been lucky in that our school network has kind of grown with me in the last six years, but edugeek has been really really brilliant and I have learnt so much from this site. You might also want to check out these two websites, which have a lot of useful info and some free training stuff too: Free Computer Training Videos from Train Signal Training | Train Signal Training - Free Computer Training Videos Welcome to Petri.co.il by Daniel Petri

For information purposes: It looks like the I-Planner shortcuts in a multi-user standalone install are only placed on the desktop and in the Start menu of the user logged in when the install is done - not in All Users, as the ITR shortcuts are placed. This affects non-domain machines when you create a new user account. I only found this out because a teacher left and I created a new user account for their replacement on the staff laptop and they didn't have the shortcuts for the planner. Once I'd copied the shortcuts across, the program worked fine. So if you are doing a standalone multi-user install, copy or move the shortcuts to the appropriate folders in the All Users folder in Docs and Settings once the install has completed.

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Yes. But they have also given me a customer number for the Kaleidos part of the contract and I am able to contact RM direct for that. However, frustratingly, RM Kaleidos support folk don't know Integris...!!

I am having problems with group policy creation for some Advanced Settings in IE6. I found this article on the Microsoft website: How to set advanced settings in Internet Explorer by using Group Policy Objects I created a new GPO and linked it to Teachers. As in the article, I set the GP to Preference mode for Internet Explorer Maintenance. Then I sorted out the settings. Although you still don't seem to be able to see the settings in the normal settings window for the GPO, they seemed to be set OK. I logged in as a teacher. Checked that the settings were applied in IE Tools Options Advanced. However, when I opened IE, my home page didn't appear. Closed IE and tried again. Then it did appear. Closed IE again. Opened IE. Then I got a Microsoft update page as the home page. Then the home page disappeared again. I logged out and in again. Same thing. Tried another user group to see if IE was playing up generally, but that was fine. Removed the new GPO and all back to normal. Have I gone the wrong way about this? Any ideas?

We are an Integris junior school. The LA supports Integris. We are still on Classic, although I understand all office staff in the LA went on training for G2 at least a year ago. Not sure if our secondary schools use Integris or not. LA also bought Kaleidos for all schools, secondary and primary. They installed the data extraction software, and some training has been provided, but schools are in charge of their own rollout. I don't want to pass comment on the level of support provided. However, I am very pleased to hear you've joined Edugeek!

Thanks, Russ. I had looked over that TEC article earlier in the month, but obviously hadn't read it well enough and missed the bit about using dfes codes. Dummy accounts should help with some of the support headaches I've had, at least.

I've had a few problems with just the install. Just wondered if the stuff from the heinemann website might help, but going on the level of support they seem to offer generally, it was probably a long shot. If it's any consolation, I have suggested to their support service that their managers should look on edugeek for feedback on how happy the techie community is with Abacus Evolve...

Thanks. I've started a new thread to find out about dummy account creation. Then we can leave this thread to deal with issues around conflicts of policies, if they exist.

Has anyone created dummy user accounts in Kaleidos, to use as pracice/support accounts, as the site admin account may not be able to access teacher-type information? I know there is supposed to be a spreadsheet that you an edit, but RM says it needs NI numbers to create staff and, I think, UPN numbers for pupils. Has anyone tried creating dummy accounts with dummy NI numbers and UPNs?? I could try it, but if someone else has already had a go and can give me some tips, it would save me some time!

No, but have you seen this information (reproduced from Abacus Evolve I-Planner How to Guides) "How to migrate the SQL database? The I-Planner database needs to be moved from one server to another, what is the best procedure to follow? Please note in order for this to work the installation routine must be exactly the same for both installs i.e. the content and database must be in identical directories on the different servers. 1. Install Abacus Evolve on the new server. Launch Abacus and enter login information. 2. Before copying database from your old server you need to stop the following service on both servers: MSSQL$Halley. 3. Copy the following from the old server to the same location on the new server: (default location) C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL ServerMSSQL$HALLEY\Data 4. Then restart the service: MSSQL$Halley on the new server. 5. Restart the server to push through the changes made above. Note – we have tested this process on our test network here, but it is not a recommended installation procedure and as such we can not provide support on any errors which may occur." The note is good...

Sorry if I've confused you. I only moved to a new machine and tried the network install as the standalone install wasn't working properly, it looked like a permisions problem and I thought that maybe installing as network might at least work on this one machine - but it didn't, so have completely uninstalled and given up on that idea. Abacus support got back to me, and said to set all user permissions to full control on the following two folders: C:\Program Files\Abacus Evolve Teachers C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server I got excited because I thought that might fix the issue, although I am nervous of setting permisiions to such a high level for everyone. But I've tried it on the Win2k install, and it doesn't make any difference. Have yet to try the XP install. But to be honest, I've copied all the resources to the network share and so teachers can get these by double clicking them, and if they can't get to the resources through the planner then so be it. There just aren't enough hours in the day to be sorting this out, and it has to be up and running for the start of term. If it works well enough for teachers to knock out a plan and get hold of the resources, who cares if it doesn't do the fancy link between the two....?? Life is just too short...

Very best wishes for your new start! As above, I hope you are better appreciated.

Aren't learning platforms supposed to be making this possible? Ours integrates with the school management software, generates usernames for parents from this and then we have been told that parents can log in and get their own children's attendance data, etc. I know that the pupils themselves get their own attendance data up when they log in.

Rang Abacus software support to see if my emails were getting through. Only one person covering support today!! And that person was on lunch. Fortunately, the non-technician who was looking after the phone during the lunch break was able to check for my emails and they were getting through, and he did say he would pass on the fact that I had called. In the meantime, I have copied the installed folder called Resources (which contains all the Homework sheets, Assessments, etc and the ITRs) to a folder on a shared drive and created my own ITR shortcut for the Start Menus. At least then the teachers can get the resources, even if they can't get to them via the planner.

Now, wouldn't that be lovely??? But how do we do that without skewing our management data, given that we would need a few dummy pupils to go with our dummy teachers? If it is possible, why hasn't the provider suggested that as a solution, given that it has been raised in various guises by different schools in training sessions?

OK. I moved to another XP PC, with no Abacus installed. I ran the NETWORK install, exactly as instructed in the Installation Guide for the software. Then did the client install in the same way on the same machine. Works fine logged in as administrator. Exactly the same failure error message logged in as teacher user - Pllanner starts fine, log in, try to access anything from Resources - error message (apart from ITRs, which tell me they're not installed). I did try Filemon and Regmon last week, on the standalone install. My current version of these is rubbish, but at some point I think I picked up an Access Denied message targetting one of the Microsoft SQL folders. Does anyone think the problem could be with SQL permissions?

Thanks, pbrian49, but the teachers who have trialled it on their standalone laptops really like it and are using it (apart from the fact that they are finding errors in the maths in parts of the units), and it has therefore been ordered and all of the other teachers are very keen. I have to get this working by January. Still no response from Abacus.

Ah! It's not the ITR software install, it's the Planner software. Not that I've fixed it, but I have just realised that the Planner software includes all the photocopy masters, assessment sheets, etc., and these don't work from the Planner either. So the basic planner works, but doesn't load any of the things that appear under the Resources menu. Not as a teacher anyway. Have emailed Abacus support to let them know.

No, haven't done the serial code switch thing, just a nice follow the instructions carefully install in the way that is SUPPOSED to work with the planner!! But it wasn't a silly question. The desktop folder isn't a folder, just a shortcut to the folder where the ITRs are stored. The actual folder is in Abacus Evolve Teachers in Program Files on the C: drive. That just contains other folders with pdfs, word docs and the easiteach ITRs. Copying these basic files to a network share just makes them available by direct clicking. And it means that at least they are available, even if not through the planner. Just had an email back from Abacus support. Had sent them a very detailed email going through all the steps I had taken, and their email has just asked me questions which were already answered in the first email. Anyway, I've answered them again. Don't hold out much hope though...sigh...

Bit worried we may be getting our wires crossed, so just clarifying things: 1. Non-networked laptops have been fine. 2. On the domain PCs, I was logged in as domain administrator, not logged onto the machine as local admin - is that where I went wrong?? Do I need to be logged in as local admin? 3. Yes, I am putting the CD into the machine drive. I'm going to get one machine fully working (ha, ha!) and then image it and send that round to the rest.