Arcolite

Hi all, We're currently looking for a Developer to joint our Information Services Team Full time position: 37.5 hours per week, 8.30-17.00pm Salary: Up to £43, 754 DOE Closing date: 8.00am on 4 November 2019. More information and to apply: https://www.habsboys.org.uk/Developer-Information-Services

We found ADFS to be inconsistent with SCA. Once we switched to AzureAD Pass-through Authentication we haven't had any further issues (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/hybrid/how-to-connect-pta).

We use a product called FrKeys to do this - https://www.frkeys.com/ Some of their screenshots might be a good starting point.

I inherited an awful format for Student usernames, which I wish we could change, but sadly there's no desire to do so at the time. We use the first three letters of the surname followed by a random three digit number - so bon007 or hal900.

Yay! Finally they've made MSI installers Boooo! You can't make a transform for it They seem to have stopped releasing the NSIS script too

We're just starting to sketch out our BYOD plans and have been looking at how we're going to effectively monitor these new devices. On our Trust network, we're using a combination of the older generation Securus product coupled with Palo Alto web filtering. With BYOD however, we'd be limited to just the Palo Alto filtering. These new Securus offerings, mainly NET and 360 appear to offer monitor for BYOD devices, including iOS and Android. Has anyone started using these yet?

I obviously can't speak for everyone, but for my school in particular, the main reason for using EXP is because it DOESN'T have a spellcheck. It saves us from having to create a locked down Word installation (or a custom examinations image). We can just use our existing machines and block Office apps with AppLocker and enforce EWP.

I'm seeing similar with 2.1.4.5.

The last few years we've been organising an event for our Year 13 Leavers. We hire a "It's a knockout" style inflatable thing and they compete against each other in teams, usually in fancy dress (Ice Cream van too!). Since doing that we've not had any pranks. They're too distracted with the other things.

^ This. Although I went one step further and extracted the installer contents and built my own with NSIS so I could control the shortcut creation better. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; NSIS installer script ; ; (http://nsis.sourceforge.net) ; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; #Definitions !define PRODUCT_NAME "RasWin" !define VERSION 1.0 !define PRODUCT_VERSION 1.0 !define PRODUCT_GROUP "SCHOOLNAME" !define PRODUCT_PUBLISHER "SCHOOLNAME" !define PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\${PRODUCT_NAME}" !define PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY "HKLM" !include "FileFunc.nsh" # Required for EstimatedSize !include "FileAssociation.nsh" # Required for File Association ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; General configuration ; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; Name "${PRODUCT_NAME}" # Name the installer OutFile "raswin-setup.exe" # Define the directory to install to InstallDir "$PROGRAMFILES\${PRODUCT_PUBLISHER}\${PRODUCT_NAME}" ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Installer sections ; ; The CORE of the installer ; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; # default section start; every NSIS script has at least one section. Section # Define the output path for this file SetOutPath "$INSTDIR" # define what to install and place it in the output path File /r "source\*.*" # Add File associations ${registerExtension} "$INSTDIR\raswin.exe" ".pdb" "RasMol RasWin Document" ${registerExtension} "$INSTDIR\raswin.exe" ".cif" "RasMol RasWin Document" # Write EstimatedSize information ${GetSize} "$INSTDIR" "/S=0K" $0 $1 $2 IntFmt $0 "0x%08X" $0 # Define uninstaller name WriteUninstaller "$INSTDIR\uninstall.exe" # Create a shortcut named "new shortcut" in the start menu programs directory # point the new shortcut at the program executable SetShellVarContext all CreateShortCut "$SMPROGRAMS\${PRODUCT_NAME}.lnk" "$INSTDIR\raswin.exe" "" "$INSTDIR\raswin.ico" 0 # Write Uninstallation information WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayName" "$(^Name)" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "UninstallString" "$INSTDIR\uninstall.exe" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "QuietUninstallString" "$INSTDIR\uninstall.exe /S" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "InstallLocation" "$INSTDIR" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayIcon" "$INSTDIR\raswin.ico" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "DisplayVersion" "${PRODUCT_VERSION}" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "Publisher" "${PRODUCT_PUBLISHER}" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "VersionMajor" "1" WriteRegStr ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "VersionMinor" "0" WriteRegDWORD ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" "EstimatedSize" "$0" # default section end SectionEnd ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ; Uninstaller sections ; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; # Create a section to define what the uninstaller does. # the section will always be named "Uninstall" Section "Uninstall" # Always delete uninstaller first Delete "$INSTDIR\uninstall.exe" # now delete installed files Delete "$INSTDIR\*.*" # Delete the installation files RMDir /r "$INSTDIR" # Remove the link from the AllUsers Start Menu SetShellVarContext all Delete "$SMPROGRAMS\${PRODUCT_NAME}.lnk" # Remove file associations ${unregisterExtension} ".pdb" "RasMol RasWin Document" ${unregisterExtension} ".cif" "RasMol RasWin Document" # Remove registry key DeleteRegKey ${PRODUCT_UNINST_ROOT_KEY} "${PRODUCT_UNINST_KEY}" SectionEnd

We're using RasMol (from RasMol and OpenRasMol) here without any issues. Simple .exe silent install.

Fantastic! Thank you

Great work on the software. It's reduced my headaches during Examination periods immensely. We've had one feature request which I thought I'd run past you. Our Exams Office has asked if it's possible to print the CIE Word Processor Cover Sheet as well as the JCQ sheet if the candidate has selected CIE as the Exam Board? http://www.cambridgeinternational.org/images/86448-word-processor-cover-sheet-exam-day-form-5.pdf

The new OneDrive client added in 1709 (with On-Demand sync) also came with a few new GPO settings, one of which is "Silently configure OneDrive using Windows 10 or domain credentials" (Link). I've not tried it yet, but this will most likely do what you're asking.

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and suitably qualified person to work as part of our dynamic ICT Support team. The person appointed will be responsible for first line support of school ICT systems and pivotal in contributing to our excellent customer service ethos. The school provides a stimulating and attractive working environment and supports the professional development of all staff. The post is full time, 37.5 hours per week. The salary for this position will be up to £26,500 per annum, depending upon qualifications and relevant experience. For more information and to apply, please visit the school website - ICT Support Technician | The Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School

Not yet, no. That's the only thing I haven't touched yet. I only have one Custom Template for Visual Studio, other than that we're just using the built-in templates.

@dobsonl It's a doddle on Windows 10, for once Microsoft has actually documented it pretty well. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/configuration/ue-v/uev-for-windows It boils down to four things: GPO setting to turn UE-V on GPO setting configure where to load custom templates from (UNC Path) GPO setting to configure where to store the settings (UNC Path - optional, will default to HomeShare) PowerShell script to enable the default templates.

We're using UE-V to roam some settings between workstations (previously this was part of MDOP, but it's now baseline in Windows 10). This is something we used on Windows 7 to create the experience of roaming profiles with mandatory profiles. So far, we haven't had any challenges. The only bumps we've faced have been training related, not technical. We use folder redirection on everything other than AppData so there is very little in our profiles to worry about. A few of the new GPO settings added in 1703 were a bit hit and miss at the start (Lockscreen background mostly), but that has settled down after a few updates.

We use Exclaimer Cloud for our Office 365 Signatures - https://www.exclaimer.co.uk/exclaimer-cloud/signatures-for-office-365/ Can't remember the price, but it's very easy to configure.

We've just gone through our Windows 10 roll out this summer (1000 workstations). Apart from changing the profile type to local and a few GPO tweaks here and there, the roll out was no different than a mass Windows 7 roll out. We found the same skills applied and that we'd over thought the project far more than we needed too. What part of London are you in? There may be schools nearby who have gone through the roll out already you could visit for guidance.

All I do it put the vs_community.exe onto a VisualStudio share then run the following to pull down the Offline Installation files. "\\domain\dfsnamespace\VisualStudio\vs_community.exe" --layout "\\domain\dfsnamespace\VisualStudio" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --includeRecommended This adds the bulk of the things needed for C# or VB apps. Then to install I then run I have a Post-Installation task in our KACE 2000 Deployment Appliance which maps a drive to that location then runs the exe. net use Z: "\\domain\dfsnamespace\VisualStudio" /USER:domain\readonlyaccount readonlyaccountpassword Z:\vs_community.exe --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --includeRecommended --passive --norestart net use Z: /DELETE /Y

I had issues with getting these removed via login. I opted to push out a Scheduled Task via Group Policy Preferences to which runs a PowerShell scripts are Startup and (and at a regular interval daily) to which runs Remove-AppXProvisionedPackage for the Apps we're certain we don't want/need. Running Remove-AppXPackage simply removes it from a single user where Remove-AppXProvisionedPackage removes it from the machine and therefore will never apply to the user. PowerShell # Script to remove unwanted AppX UWP applications # Global Variables $LogFile = "C:\Windows\Logs\Remove-UnwatedAppXProvisionedPackages.log" $AppxToRemove = 'Microsoft.3DBuilder','Microsoft.BingWeather','Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller','Microsoft.Getstarted','Microsoft.Messaging','Microsoft.MicrosoftOfficeHub','Microsoft.MicrosoftSolitaireCollection','Microsoft.OneConnect','Microsoft.People','Microsoft.WindowsAlarms','Microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps','Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub','Microsoft.WindowsMaps','Microsoft.XboxApp','Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider','Microsoft.ZuneMusic','Microsoft.ZuneVideo' $AppxList = Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -In $AppxToRemove } # Main script block function Main { if ($AppxList.Count -gt 0) { ForEach ($App in $AppxList) { try { Log "$(Get-Date): Removing $($App.DisplayName)" Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -PackageName $App.PackageName -Online -ErrorAction Stop } catch [system.Exception] { Log "$(Get-Date): $($_.Exception.Message)" } } } } function Log($string) { $string | Out-File -Filepath $LogFile -Append } Main Task Scheduler XML (runs as System) DOMAIN\Administrator \Remove Unwanted Provisioned AppX Packages true PT1H PT12H false 2017-08-04T06:00:00 true 1 S-1-5-18 LeastPrivilege IgnoreNew false false true false false PT10M PT1H true false true true false false false PT1H 7 powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass "\\domain\NETLOGON\Configuration\Remove-UnwantedAppXProvisionedPackages.ps1" Once this runs, this leaves a .log file behind which I can then pickup using our Inventory tools to check which machines still need to run the script. 08/07/2017 08:55:34: Removing Microsoft.People 08/07/2017 08:55:46: Removing Microsoft.WindowsAlarms 08/07/2017 08:56:03: Removing microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps 08/07/2017 09:06:56: Removing Microsoft.WindowsFeedbackHub 08/07/2017 09:07:17: Removing Microsoft.WindowsMaps 08/07/2017 09:07:42: Removing Microsoft.XboxApp 08/07/2017 09:07:54: Removing Microsoft.XboxIdentityProvider 08/07/2017 09:07:58: Removing Microsoft.ZuneMusic 08/07/2017 09:08:08: Removing Microsoft.ZuneVideo 08/07/2017 09:22:32: Removing Microsoft.BingWeather If we ever decide to remove more apps in the future (or if a future build includes newer ones we want to remove) we just need to update one line in the PowerShell script and let me machines look after themselves. As none of our users have logged in yet, none of their local profiles have these Apps included. I plan to have a Remove-AppXPackage version of this just incase something slips through the net (unlikey though).

Just to add here, but we ditched KMS for our Win10 rollout and instead use Active Directory-based Activation. The KMS key is stored in AD and machines activate as soon as they are joined to the domain. Far far simpler. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/volume-activation/activate-using-active-directory-based-activation-client

I asked these very questions when we had a Microsoft rep in a few weeks back. From his answers, it's currently not possible to monitor private chats nor can they be turned off either. We're not touching Teams until these features are in place.

Year of Entry here, kind of. We tend to us the theoretical Year of Entry for Year 1, a cohort more than anything - so any Year 1 students joining this year will be in the 2017 OU, but Year 7 joiners will be in the 2011 OU (which is when they would have joined Year 1). Student Documents are stored in the same structure too. Our 2017 Years look like... Year 1 = 2017 Year 2 = 2016 Year 3 = 2015 Year 4 = 2014 Year 5 = 2013 Year 6 = 2012 Year 7 = 2011 Year 8 = 2010 Year 9 = 2009 Year 10 = 2008 Year 11 = 2007 Year 12 = 2006 Year 13 = 2005 I only ever have to archive off one OU and one Folder on the File Shares (not including early leavers).