dwhyte85

What sort of errors are they? I've had lots of fun issues prior with Fasthosts like permissions changing on my folders (presumably through a restore), the PHP.INI file being changed (removing my plug-ins) and my personal favourite a database fully removed with no prior warning and no backup being available, or at least that's what they'd told me.

Does it have an active x control that is trying to install?

Are you up to date with patches on SP3? The other potential issue is a virus/piece of malware - we had something similar at my last work where something kept kicking it of, an update of sophos & a malwarebytes seemed to fix the issue.

I think this is a fantastic idea & best of all managed by the people who are in the know... the IT guys at the schools. It'd be great if integration was a possibility but I guess CP, Sophos and SW wouldn't like you integrating anything third party into their software (understandably). Time permitting this is something i'd love to get involved with & if this is still very much on the cards please do send me a PM, very happy to help in the development side of this. I can understand the worry of liability, this would surely be an overlay/added bonus to any protection you do use already - it wouldn't be a fullblown solution - the aim is not to replace filtering but help maintain it?

Our Macs use DropBox... you certainly know when they're working with DropBox, thankfully they do not do it all at the same time. Still as above, I wouldn't do it unless necessary - DropBox is our head of musics toy, not mine - i just make sure it works.

@painejake ... If someone had found a leak it would be TOTALLY worth attempting to crack the hash! In terms of a naughty chappy they could pretty much guarantee a load of access to PayPal accounts, FaceBooks, dim people who save passwords in there mailboxes, potentially several million extra people to spam through address books! ... besides the fact you'd get one over on Microsoft, it would be all over the IT news websites and for any 'hacker' this would be the ultimate exposure!

Hashes can be cracked... :-) Phished through proxy websites is probably the most likely scenario, I doubt MS has any SQLI on that side of things. Had to send an e-mail out to staff, I think we've had one teacher who has been a victim.

- that image is perfect for so many things haha

I hated it at first because I couldn't make anything good, disheartening writing console applications with simple numbered menu's and simple case statements when you look at things like an operating system.:-(

The toolbar was agreed prior to me starting with the ICT Curriculum leader (then Head of ICT) and my LM, it wasn't my wishes and I doubt it was my predecessors wishes! We get that alot... but that's going OT.

I worked on a handheld scanner (like you get in Sainsburys for self-scanning) to run off of an ePos system called Infinity (which I modded too) in .NET for mobile devices and the SOAP server in delphi. Overall it was about 1000 lines of code for the .NET side & around 1000 for the server. It's now used in Flowerlands apparently by staff for online order gathering or something... I also wrote the C side of it which is ugly and pretty crud in terms of functionality, it's for price checking/changing price

Sorry I meant we had it installed as a default image, it is not required.

Hello Ladies & Gents, Just a warning for anyone doing the CATB testing through Grenada Learning, I had a massive go at them on the phone and it wasn't really Grenada's fault, it was more to do with IE8 and BHO/Accelerators! Google Toolbar on IE8 seems to cause the flash app to 'refresh' part way through the test, consequently the student has to restart the test from scratch. I am not 100% certain whether it's Google ToolBar interacting with another BHO/Accelerator but it's either a BHO or GTB that's causing the issue. Do not point a proxy to another proxy... we've had to do this as a temporary measure, avoid doing this or you will not be able to send the results. Grenada Learning have gone out of their way to help, I suggest for trouble free testing... Firefox, latest flash and a direct conn to the net! Just a headsup!

Hi, agreed with above - we use Linksys WAPs. However, we have noticed an issue... some machines seem to take forever to get DHCP, then again, this could be our connection as we have a wireless bridge. It might help to assign static IPs on the wireless - we've found that obtaining an IP from DHCP seems to be the make or break bit on our LinkSys APs... if an address isn't obtained within 10-15 seconds we can guarantee the user is going to login with a cached profile (luckily our students are assigned per netbook, not randomly given out), it then goes to limited connection and a repair resolves. Unless you can get them to stagger logins - from our experiences teachers don't quite get the idea!

Has anyone else had problems with Studywiz support? We've had issues importing for the rollover, issues with the 'webdav' technology, it's flakey as... pretty much every area at one point or another we've had issues, the latest is... we can't upload files (not to mention the rollover reset every password on Studywiz...). I attempt to call them, they say submit a ticket... I submit a ticket then they just say it's being dealt with with little or no urgency. We had high hopes for Studywiz eLockers with the intention of scripting with a product like NetDrive to make a seamless use of the software but it's just not up to it!

Prevention we have Sophos AV & Sophos Web Filtering, users are not administrators or power users and therefore can't install things. OpenDNS maybe something to consider as they blacklist alot of dodgy sites. Removal... MalwareBytes & Nod32 is the way forward. Nod32 seems to get alot of the newly crypted stubs and executables before everyone else, must have good links with the underground

This has probably been asked a million different ways... With printers on AD is it possible to limit/remove the option to select 'number of copies' on a print? I don't mind if it's via Reg or GPO, the next question is... if it exists is it for all printers or per printer object? Many thanks for any advice given

Don't tell them how to circumnavigate it, eager teachers with pen and paper writing this down as we speak :-P Presumably deleting via a VBS script on scheduled task might work (assuming they will have to restart at some point after the script has been run on 30 days away from school).

Hello, With a massive shortage of laptops within the school and staff in desperate need of a laptop as they don't have the luxury of an office too... we have the very same issue. I would play it with the AV, Spyware & Update card... if they don't bring it in, they wont be able to use it via VPN/Network as you'll remove access. If that doesn't work, you are in a difficult situation without the laptop in hand you wont be able to set a scheduled task to run a script. You could... have a script run every so often to delete the local profile or remove cached credentials after a certain time.

Hello, add ons exist for logging in using AD credentials but i'm fairly sure they'll have to take the step of actually logging in to it through the page :-(

Let me rephrase... the school wont commit to training unless they commit to longer stays at the school, therefore it goes round in a circle as nobody wants to commit... technicians wont commit to a longer stay unless they're guaranteed better pay and access to new technology and the school wont risk the money for training unless they guarantee they'll stay. The school has lost 2 members of staff prior who were trained, they didn't leave any knowledge... this was way before my time at the school and the previous NMs should have pressured to get this knowledge on paper/in a doc... they didn't and now the school is paranoid on the training side of things :-) Anyway, thanks for your feedback - much appreciated :-)

On her profile on your server... does it have the icons in the Desktop folder?

Hello, We have managed to succesfully add our iMacs to AD with the amazingly simple Directory Utility, other than a slight time difference complaint it was very simple. Unfortunately, when a user logs in it does not map a home drive... something we were expecting, i've hacked n slashed a bit of applescript to do a few try... end try commands to mount the drives & put a link on the desktop. This is working OK, still working on catching the errors (haven't put on error yet) but, the issue i'm now having is making this the default start up item for all users. I've read that I need to copy a couple of files from /library/preference/ (com.apple.LaunchServices.plist and loginwindow.plist) but I can't find LaunchServices & I don't have access to the default user template, or at least i can't su - root from terminal as i don't know root pw... do i even need to do this? We are on Snow Leopard and we are hardened Windows fans, please be nice with responses :-P

Cheers for the responses, the only problem I have with allocating a task like the Macs is... if we are to train a member of staff, give knowledge etc and they decide they are indeed fed up with working in a school we have wasted our money on training & time invested, the notebooks is exactly what my LM had said - so thanks for reiterating that as an option. Patch Management & AV Management could definitely be one area. CMDB/Itinerary management could certainly be another area VI Form Laptop Management & Computer Room Bookings could be another Studywiz & AD; hierarchy/OU & user management Stock Management; Consumables and product sourcing. Mac Administration is another area but, i'd like to share this between us as I don't want anyone person to become a guru incase they decide to leave. Basically, they're everything I currently do. I think a meeting discussing this and explaining this is develop them as staff, not a kick in the teeth - if they then aren't happy I guess we'll have to see how it goes. I will of course closely monitor what's going on and offer my time of course to what i allocate. Currently, I spend an awful lot of time of my own to ensuring we're good to go - i'm happy to do that, I knew this would be the case when I took the job but i'd hope the staff share my enthusiasm and realise that it's not all fun and cups of tea.

Basically moving from trainee to a normal technician, but other factors have helped like technical certs with the rises they received, it was a fairly meaty jump they received, in-line with most 2nd level support around my area. From the schools POV they have given the raise for the new strategies for the curriculum whereby VI formers all have a netbook (100), year 7 have a pilot running for 30 laptops, we are in the process of setting Macs up for our network & we have a new arts building with more Macs in the pipeline. The school is definitely on the up, lots of projects are going to also be in the pipeline with modernising our network.