I hope all of you were able to read Jon Mark’s blog posting from February 15, 2012 entitled “Help SCLS with software updates by keeping your PCs on all the time” where he talked about new procedures with your PCs to help us give you updates faster. In his blog he referenced our new page entitled “SCLS Network PCs - On, Off, or Locked?” where we talk about best practices for your PCs. I have received numerous questions about some items and wanted to clarify what we mean and exactly how to do it.
Staff PCs should be logged off of Windows at night (Video)
When you see your desktop with all of your shortcuts that means that you are logged on to Windows. In order to log off of Windows at night you will need to do the following steps:
- Close all open applications
- Press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys (NOTE: All three keys must be pressed together.)
- A window will open that has six buttons on it
- Click the Log Off… button
- You will then see a window that says: “Are you sure you want to logoff?”
- Click the Log Off button
- Your PC will then begin the log off process
- When it is done you will see a window that says: “Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin”
- You are now logged off of Windows
In the morning, when you want to log onto Windows, you will need to do the following steps:
- Press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys (NOTE: All three keys must be pressed together.)
- A window will open whose header says “Log On to Windows”
- Your User name should already be filled in
- The cursor should be in the Password field
- Enter your Windows password
- Click the OK button
- Your PC will then begin the log on process
- Once you see your desktop you are now logged on to Windows
Please note that LINK patron PCs can NOT be logged off of Windows as they are set up to auto log in. It is okay to leave LINK patron PCs logged on to Windows.
Don't "lock the desktop” AT NIGHT
Locking your desktop, sometimes called locking your workstation or locking your computer, prevents anyone from using your PC but your programs will remain running for quick access when you return to your computer. If you have a staff PC that is in an area where there are patrons nearby it might be a good idea to do this to prevent tampering if you need to walk away from the PC. To lock the desktop here are the steps:
- Press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys (NOTE: All three keys must be pressed together.)
- A window will open that has six buttons on it
- Click the Lock Computer button
- You will then see a window that says: “This computer is in use and has been locked.”
- Your PC is now locked
When you return to your PC and want to unlock it use the following steps:
- Press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys (NOTE: All three keys must be pressed together.)
- A window will open whose header says “Unlock Computer”
- Your User name should already be filled in
- The cursor should be in the Password field
- Enter your Windows password
- Click the OK button
- You will then be at your desktop in the state it was when you locked it
Staff PCs should be rebooted weekly to help prevent issues (Video)
Since you will be leaving all LINK staff PCs on all the time now it helps the PC if you reboot it once a week. Here are the steps to do this:
- Close all open applications
- Press the Ctrl, Alt and Delete keys (NOTE: All three keys must be pressed together.)
- A window will open that has six buttons on it
- Click the Shut Down… button
- You will then see a window that says: “What do you want the computer to do?”
- If the rectangular box says Restart then click the OK button
- If you don’t see Restart then click in the rectangular box
- You then see a list of options
- Choose Restart
- Click the OK button
- Your PC will then begin the restart process
- When it is done you will see a window that says: “Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin”
If you have questions or concerns about anything in this post please feel free to call the Tech Help Desk at 242-4710.
