TechBits

Default Programs on Windows 10 and 8.1 Staff PCs

This TechBits topic is a repeat of a previous Techbits.  We have had a few similar questions about default programs recently, so I thought it would be worthwhile to explain how default programs work on staff computers.  We preconfigure default programs on staff computers so that when a user logs in for the first time, the user will not have to decide how web pages and common file types should open.  You can change your default programs, but you will need to delete a file for your changes to be permanent.  Navigate to C:\Installers\Setup and delete the defaults.xml file.  Now, your PC can reboot without your defaults resetting back to the defaults we configured.

Spanish Proofing Language in Word

We had a recent request to make it easier for patrons to switch the proofing language in Microsoft Word to Spanish on public computers.  The easiest way for us to make this happen was to configure a few Group Policy settings.

Patrons can follow these instructions to begin proofing their Spanish text documents.

1. Open Microsoft Word
2. Towards the bottom-left, click English (United States)
   
3. In the Language box, select Spanish (Mexico)
   
4. Click OK

Word will now proof the document against the Spanish language.  Since English is still the default, Word will switch back to English after Word is closed.

2D barcode scanner available

We are now offering the Honeywell Xenon 1900 a 2D barcode scanner for sale on our website. The advantage of a 2D barcode scanner over a traditional barcode scanner is that it can scan a barcode on a screen. If a patron comes into your library with a photo of their barcode on their phone, this scanner will read it. This scanner also comes with a built-in stand. It only costs $230.00 which is about $100.00 more than the standard barcode scanner. I'm starting to feel like I'm starring in my own infomercial trying to sell you something, but I'm not, because we can't break this up into three easy payments. I just wanted to give you a little bit of information about a new product that we're offering now.

The new 2D barcode scanner is perfect for check-out stations but is probably not ideal for the other areas that use barcode scanners throughout the library. We will still continue to offer the less expensive Voyager 9540 model as well.

Like the other Honeywell Voyager series barcode scanner we purchase, this scanner comes with a 5-year warranty. As a side note, the spec sheet for the Xenon 1900 series scanner says it can withstand up to 50 drops to concrete from a distance of 6 feet. I wonder if that would be equal to one drop from 300 feet and if that would be covered under warranty?

Windows 10 Feature Updates

SCLS schedules Windows updates so that they run in the middle of the night when the computers are not in use.  For that reason, you probably don't even notice updates are being installed.  Microsoft has introduced a new classification of updates, called "Feature Updates" for Windows 10.  These feature updates are different than simple security patches.  The feature updates have the potential of making changes you will notice.  The latest feature update is called the 1703 Creator Update and we are in the process of deploying it to Windows 10 computers.  SCLS supports approximately 1,400 PCs and a little more than 100 of those have Windows 10 installed.  That number will increase as older PCs are replaced.

This Creator Update does result in a few changes.  We use centralized Group Policy and deploy scripts that make most of these changes invisible to users.  The one change you may see is that the Creator Update pins a Mail app shortcut to the taskbar.  The shortcut can stay there, but just keep in mind that SCLS is not recommending or supporting its use.  Office 365 web access is still our supported email solution.  If you would like to remove the Mail app shortcut, just right-click it and select "Unpin from taskbar."

Default Programs with Windows 8.1

If your SCLS-supported PC has Windows 8.1, you may have noticed that the default programs you selected reset every time the PC is restarted.  We preconfigured the default programs so that new users wouldn't have to decide how each type of file should open.  If you prefer to set your own defaults and keep them, you will need to delete a file.  Navigate to C:\Installers\Setup and delete the defaults.xml file.  Now you can reboot your PC without your defaults resetting.

Planning Year End Ordering

As the end of the year approaches it’s time to start thinking about how to spend any money you might have left over in your budgets. The deadline for ordering PCs and Peripherals through SCLS this year is November 13th; this date guarantees an invoice in your hands in 2015. If you don’t require an invoice in 2015 you can order through the end of the year and you should receive it in January or February, depending on when you order.

Browser plug-ins, a thing of the past

 

A browser plug-in (or plugin) is extra software installed on a PC that allows a browser to display additional content it was not originally designed to display.  Some examples of popular plug-ins are Flash Player, Java and Silverlight.  Plug-ins were created because, at the time, browsers were fairly immature and browser development was not happening fast enough, if at all.  So this created big opportunities for plug-in developers to create software that would expand the capabilities of browsers.

Now, let's talk about what the problems are with plug-ins.  The biggest problem that I see is  the fact that they are not very secure.  There have been numerous attacks through either Flash or Java and since everyone has the same plug-in an attack works across every browser and operating system.  Other problems include not working on different operating systems as they are designed to only work on certain ones or they can be be very unstable which can cause your browser to crash or just behave badly.  These are the reasons why Mozilla announced in 2013 that they would changing the way Firefox loads third party plug-ins such as Flash, Java and Silverlight. Google has also announced their three-step approach to plug-in elimination:

1. In January 2015 they began blocking plug-ins by default.
2. In April 2015 they will begin to disable Chrome's ability to run plug-ins at all, unless a user specifically enables it by setting a flag in Chrome's technical preferences.
3. In September 2015, they will begin to completely remove all ability to run plug-ins from Chrome.

So now you're probably wondering, "If they're going away, what's going to be replacing them?".  The answer is that we are in a much healthier environment of rapid browser development (Firefox and Chrome both release a new browser version every 6-weeks) and web standards.  Many of the features plug-ins implemented are now being introduced in the form of built-in browser features.  Don't feel bad that plug-ins are going away -- they had their time and now like everything else on the Internet it's time for a change.

Updated PC order form

The SCLS PC order form has been updated to include two current Dell PC models and two laptops models at a reduced price.

We are offering and recommending the Optiplex 7020 for staff PCs with a starting price of $633.00. This is about $85.00 less than the previous model. We are also offering and recommending the Optiplex 3020 for patron PCs with a starting price of $569.00. The biggest difference between the two models is that the Optiplex 7020 has 10 USB ports and the Optiplex 3020 has 8 USB ports. The Optiplex 7020 also has some legacy ports that the Optiplex 3020 doesn’t have.

We are also offering a 14 inch and 15 inch laptop. Both models cost $791.00. The 15 inch laptop offers the number pad on the keyboard whereas the 14 inch doesn’t.

If you are planning on ordering a laptop for staff use you may want to consider asking me about purchasing a wireless mouse, carrying case or a docking station if you want one. I intentionally left them off the order form because there are so many options available.

Late Night After Hours Event Tip

If your public stations are supported by SCLS and you want to make them available late at night for an event, there are a few things you need to do. 

The public computers that we support have disk protection software on them.  This type of software keeps the PC clean of malware, personal information and any other changes made by the patron.  After each session, a simple reboot will set the PC back to its original state giving each subsequent user a consistent experience.

At 9:15PM every night, the PCs reboot and the disk protection is disabled.  This allows us to send important software updates and antivirus updates to the PC.  During this maintenance period, the keyboard and mouse on the PC are disabled.  At 7:30 the next morning, the PCs reboot and the disk protection is enabled and ready for public use.

This means if you are planning on having a late night event and want to make the public stations available, you need to contact the Help Desk ahead of time.  We can disable the maintenance period for the nights of your event.

The second point to consider is LibraryOnline.  If you are using LibraryOnline reservation system at your library, you may need to make some changes to make the PCs available for use.  There is documentation posted on how to accomplish this.

Add/Remove Windows System Shortcuts from your Desktop

You know those Icons that you can faithfully rely on to allways appear on the desktop: Recycle Bin, My Computer, etc? Did you know that you can pick and choose which of those icons show up on your desktop? I'm going to show you how. (Directions are for Windows 7 users. They may or may not work on other Windows versions.)

First, right-click an empty space of the desktop, then click Personalize.

The Personalization Menu will then appear.  Next, click "Change desktop icons" in the left margin.

 

This will bring up the Desktop Icon Settings window.

 

From here, you can choose whether to display Computer, your profile folder (contains Documents and Downloads), Network, and the Recycle Bin. Additionally, you can change the picture for each of the shortcuts, but, personally, I wouldn't go there. Don't want to make it MORE confusing now.

So there you have it; how to add and remove Windows system shortcuts from your desktop.