Andie

I started this thread because we had some big concerns as a school that didn't seem to have been thought about by the LEA or the platform provider, until raised by some schools. Unfortunately, I now think these issues are too sensitive for me to raise on a public forum at this stage. However, I have recently come across this issue: Teacher has problem with VLE. I sit with teacher and agree there is a problem. I raise support call with software provider. I am a site admin on platform, but not a teacher, so can't replicate problem for support as I don't have access to the VLE part. I have been told during a previous support call that support personnel are not allowed to access sensitive information on the platform, but this support staff person asks if I can send the teacher's login details so they can try the fault for themselves. I don't know the teacher's password, and the platform AUP that we have all signed means that we aren't allowed to share passwords. The LEA e-Safety policy prohibits the sharing of passwords. So we have to try and arrange a remote support session, co-ordinating the teacher's timetable with my timetable and with the support provider. Bit of a headache! And that's putting it mildly.

Just checking - your staff laptops are on the domain?? Ours aren't, and I didn't have any problems with those - just with doing standalone on a networked PC. Also, assuming your staff laptops are on the domain, you were logged in as domain admin and not local admin??

I made the teacher a power user on the local machine. Still no good. Will try with administrator. However, I have found that the problem isn't with the ITRs themselves, or with permissions on the Easiteach software. I copied the ITR folder to a network share, and the teacher can get this up and running no problem by just double clicking one of the ITR files directly from the share. This will at least provide me with a temporary solution. The problem itself must exist with both the Planner software as it interacts with the ITR software, and with the ITR shortcut that is generated from the install. I have taken a screenshot of the error message, and emailed the address that is given in the Planner installation guide. By the way, in case anyone thinks I don't need to be installing all this onto each machine, just on teachers' laptops, I have been asked to install it everywhere by the deputy head. All of our teachers get a half day in school for planning, and their laptops are often still used in classes for the IWB so they need the planning software elsewhere.

Thanks. I'll try that with my test teacher. It is a vanilla Server 2003 network. I tried uninstalling and reinstalling on the Win2k machine, and still no good.

Thanks for the input. At least I know it is possible! Did you just install to the C: drive (ie. accept all the defaults?)? I have done that, and put the permissions up to modify on the folder called Abacus Evolve Teachers in Program Files. Still coming up with a restrictions error message. I will try uninstalling, but I have already tried two different machines, one Win2k and one XP. Both have the same problem.

I've installed Abacus Evolve to one of our networked PCs, using the standalone install for the planner and the multi-user local install for the Resources. (I daren't put it on our one very critical server!). Planner works fine. In administrator login, I can call the Resources from the Planner. In ordinary user mode, I can't - I get an error message saying that access restrictions are in place and to contact the system administrator. This is usually a permissions thing, but I am changing the permissions on the ITR folder and not getting anywhere. Anyone had to do this and can point me in the right direction? Or have I done the install incorrectly???

Create separate policies for the different user groups (you may already have these - eg. Student Policy, Teacher policy, etc.), put the setting for password age in these, link the policies to the relevant OUs, then remove password age from the domain policy? Someone more experienced than me should be able to confirm this or tell you if I'm speaking rubbish!

Sorry, got a reply from collins a while ago but no time to post back... Anyway, the reply was that some units don't have audio controls as it wasn't deemed necessary. I did reply to point out that a teacher wanted to use them on a particular unit and that was why we thought they were missing...! As far as I can tell, there is text on these pages that could be read out.

NETWORK MANAGER 37 hours a week, 52 weeks per year Salary: Grade 8 (£21,937 - £25,146) January 2009 start We are looking for an experienced Network Manager to join the college to help develop and maintain our network and equipment. The school is well resourced with digital projectors, PCs and Interactive Whiteboards. All teaching staff have laptops. Ideally, you will have experience of working in a school or complex network environment, and have the ability to communicate at all levels. For a Recruitment Pack, please email [email protected] or download a pack from the school website. Closing date for applications: Wednesday 10 December 2008. DfES Area 874/4082 School Name Hampton College Address Eagle Way Hampton Vale Peterborough Cambs PostCode PE7 8BF Telephone 01733 246820 Fax 01733 246823 E-mail [email protected] No. on Roll 575 Post Title Network Manager Closing Date 10 Dec 2008 Details Tel: 01733 246820 Fax: 01733 246823 Web: Welcome to Hampton College A brand new 11-18 Secondary School with ‘state of the art’ buildings which opened in September 2005. “An Outstanding School” – Ofsted March 2007 Headteacher: Mr Peter Hains

I would have thought the back of any software box for the type of things you want to install will have a higher spec. And if you run Sophos as your AV software, you will be very slow at startup with 256Mb RAM each time the updates run. Our old Viglens have this kind of RAM and they are just about useable, but they are also Pentium 4 and we're not running Photoshop. And they are well over 5 years old! We asked a local secondary school network manager for help when we were kitting out a new ICT Suite a few years back. I am attaching the recommended specs for hardware. Bear in mind that these were produced back in November 2005! We then sent the spec out with our tender, and anyone who didn't meet the spec (after our initial "why have you quoted this when we wanted this?") got taken off the list. In your case, as you have specific high-demand software that you need to run, take your recommendations from these and don't go for less. Hardware Specs from 2005.doc

In years 3, 4, 5 and 6 of Collins Primary Literacy, the audio controls appear to be missing from the Explore pages of certain units (in Year 3 these are 3, 6, 9 and 11, but there is no obvious pattern to the units in other years). The audio controls allow you to have the computer read the onscreen text out loud. This has happened on both standalone and server installs. I have emailed Collins about this and will post back when I hear. Incidentally, for anyone else wanting tech support from Collins, this is the URL for the tech support form on their website: Technical Product Support- Collins Education

Same here, although about 6 years ago. I was initally employed as an ICT Teaching Assistant as well as a Techie. My being in on the classes did help the confidence of teachers, but training the teachers has to be the key. If you're not careful, you can otherwise end up in the situation of teaching the lessons yourself (the "but you're much better at this than me" scenario), and then the teachers never improve.

Well, I shall think fifty times before I post anything on here now. If Edugeek members think fit to anonymously send our postings to our LA, what hope do we have??

I am attaching the workaround instructions sent from Collins for the issue with the Flash message. I have tried this out on our server install and it seems to work, but I only have one year installed on the server at present. You need to edit the URL of the Launch Collins Primary Literacy shortcut. The instructions include the fix for the same issue in Collins Primary Maths.Flash Issue Workaround from Collins.doc

Yours are much better - pictures are always best!! I was just struggling because of the awful GCHQ advert, but that's another thread...

What is the battery life like for class use? Or do you have them all plugged in???

http://www.gchq-careers.co.uk

Yep, we had a similar thing start happening here last week. Some networked and non-networked machines starting bringing up a blank page initially, but cliking on refresh brought the page up. I have now changed the shortcut; previously we have used the whole ipaddress/espresso/modules/index.html but now I am using just ipaddress/espresso. So far so good. Did Espresso ask you to change to the Linux server? If so, I didn't realise we had a Stone computers box. Anyway, the GPO setting for proxy and exceptions is in User Configuration. We have Windows Server 2003 and are running IE 6, so it may be a bit different for you. The setting is in our domain policy, but I guess you can put it where you need it. It is at: User Configuration>Windows Settings>Internet Explorer Maintenance>Connection Proxy Settings. Did you try ringing Espresso?

Same problem here. Awful when GCHQ advert is on page. The advert is animated/video. Has a globe on which unzips. I have a screenshot, but only managed to grab the last stage.

And I have just tried CPL shortcut in Firefox and it works fine.

OK. Two very very long shots, and you may be unable to try the first anyway, but here goes: Remember I had a problem getting a SMARTboard to install to a laptop?(http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/13073-smartboard-driver-install-failure-headache.html) There, it was the Windows drivers that weren't working. Have you had a look in Device Manager to see if there are any issues with drivers (yellow question marks against devices)? In my case it was a problem with a Human Interface Device. The problem laptop was a new one. I had installed software onto it, and then connected it to the board and it didn't install drivers properly. Never found out why, as an identical new laptop didn't have the same problem. But it was solved by the laptop supplier sending me out a replacement hard drive with original image on it as supplied, then I connected the board to the laptop without installing any other software first. In your case, this may mean a windows reinstall? Suggestion 2: a problem I encountered on my home machine in Vista, but worth a try if you haven't already (and similar but not as drastic to the suggestion from Dell). Have you tried disconnecting all other USB devices (memory sticks,etc.) from the laptop? At home, and this machine has a lot connected to it, we have to remove the web cam or a memory stick crashes the computer!

We had the Linux server installed in September, and no one has so far reported any problems with video clips. Have you tried ringing Espresso Support. I usually find that helpful, and probably it will be quicker than a reply to a web request. Would you be able to set the exception up in Group Policy? I'm fairly sure we have an exception for local IP addresses set up in IE across the network, but not sure if it is per user. I'll have a look and feed back if it is.

I am trying to add an application (.msi) file to the Application Library Manager in LNM. I enter all the details and that's fine, then when I click on the Save button I get an Internet Explorer message box: There is not enough disk space to copy the application setup folder. Any ideas? This is a very simple application.

Apparently not. Finally heard from Collins. The Flash message problem is a known issue and they are working on a solution.

What have you tried??