[OPLINTECH] Solution for some flash memory drives not working on public computers?

Wed May 21 17:56:25 EDT 2008

Generally people do reboot afterwards, and worst case scenario, some reboot before starting using it if it's logged in. Who wants to see someone else's session cruft and IM popups :). I think (I could be eating my foot on this one) that the staff at LCPL also periodically bounce the machines for good measure.

As far as the silicon reboot solution:
What about something like a GPO or otherwise that uses the onlogoff registry key to run "shutdown -r -t 2" or the like. I think its in machine policy, registry key HKCU\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\System\Scripts\Logoff? I believe if you drop a CMD file called reboot containing the "shutdown " command it will do so. I will have to throw a line in my Windows VM session and see if that works. 

I hadn't considered using third party software such as CybraryN to do it.. It will be interesting to look into. I come from a DOS/*nix background, so I write my own little scripts and applets to do automation that signon management solutions do.. 

There's another app that is far more draconian to prevent changing stuff called Fortres Grand, but constant "denied" messages would be too obtrusive I think.

Whats the status on the flash drives issue, has that been resolved? What drive models/brands are having issues?

Yours,

Charles T (Tom) Houghtby IV
IT Manager, Liberty Center Public Library

----------------------------------------
> Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 16:03:10 -0400
> From: pshirley at cuyahogafallslibrary.org
> To: oplintech at oplin.org
> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Solution for some flash memory drives not working on	public computers?
> 
> I like the idea of using Deep Freeze or something like it on public 
> computers, and of rebooting between patrons, but I'd like to have the 
> sign-on software reboot automatically when a patron signs off or is 
> timed out.  We use CybraryN for patron sign-on right now and I don't 
> think it can reboot on signout, but later this year I'm going to be 
> looking for something that can.
> 
> Phil
> 
> Chad Neeper (list) wrote:
>> Vanessa, because this is still a relevant thread, I'm replying on-list 
>> so everyone has a chance to toss in their two cents.
>> 
>> I actually like Mr. Houghtby's setup better. If you have a posted policy 
>> (and, more importantly, the patrons obey it) to log off when you're done 
>> with the computer, just have the computer reboot at logoff.
>> 
>> However, at the libraries where I have the automated reboot, there is no 
>> such policy, and there are enough computers with moderate usage so that 
>> any individual computer has a decent chance of sitting idle for an hour. 
>> I've simply scheduled a task using the Windows Task Scheduler. The task 
>> simply executes "shutdown -r -t 2" when the computer has been sitting 
>> idle for 60 minutes. You can play around with the Task's configuration 
>> to meet your own particular needs.
>> 
>> For what it's worth, I also configure tasks to shut the public computers 
>> down each night and to display periodic warnings beginning 10 minutes 
>> prior to shutdown. To get more detail on your "shutdown" options, open 
>> up a console prompt (Start->Run->cmd) and type "shutdown /?". That 
>> should give you a clue into the various command line parameters you can use.
>> 
>> Hope this helps a bit,
>> Chad
>> 
>> -----------------------
>> Chad Neeper
>> Senior Systems Engineer
>> 
>> Level 9 Networks
>> 740-548-8070 (voice)
>> 866-214-6607 (fax)
>> 
>> --   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
>> -- Specialized in libraries and schools --
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Vanessa Bradt wrote:
>>> That's a good idea.  How would you go about doing that?
>>> Vanessa Bradt
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Chad Neeper (list) [mailto:cneeper at level9networks.com]
>>> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 3:58 PM
>>> To: oplintech at oplin.org
>>> Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Solution for some flash memory drives not working on public computers?
>>>
>>> Just a thought for a setup like Vanessa's:
>>>
>>> If you don't already, you might consider adding a scheduled job to
>>> auto-restart the workstation upon x amount of minutes of inactivity.
>>> This might help reduce the chance of a patron's malware-infested storage
>>> device from contaminating the next patron's storage device. That
>>> strategy works very well with Deep Freeze.
>>>
>>> Chad
>>>
>>> -----------------------
>>> Chad Neeper
>>> Senior Systems Engineer
>>>
>>> Level 9 Networks
>>> 740-548-8070 (voice)
>>> 866-214-6607 (fax)
>>>
>>> --   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
>>> -- Specialized in libraries and schools --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Vanessa Bradt wrote:
>>>   
>>>> Yes, we had that problem here too.  I think it's very frustration to patrons who come here to print a Word doc and they are encountered with a message they don't understand. I like to mimic the windows environment to what they would encounter at their home.  But unlike their home computers, we use both Deep Freeze and Full Control.  Our patron computers are stand alone with Internet access.  Full Control stops patrons from changing settings and Deep Freeze doesn't allow any changes. So we decided there really was no reason to stop a patron from installing a new program. So, in Full Control there is a setting to allow any program to run.  This has been several weeks and we have had no problems, in fact it really helps patrons who are novice computer users.  Less messages that pop up that say it's not allowed to do something. So, if a virus does get through, which they do, and patrons install some program, once we reboot the system.  All gone, back to the orig
>>>> inal configuration
>>>>  .
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Vanessa Bradt, Automation Specialist
>>>> Norwalk Public Library
>>>> 419-668-6063
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Phil Shirley [mailto:pshirley at cuyahogafallslibrary.org]
>>>> Sent: Monday, May 19, 2008 10:03 AM
>>>> To: oplintech at oplin.org
>>>> Subject: [OPLINTECH] Solution for some flash memory drives not working on public computers?
>>>>
>>>> With the security we have on our public computers, there are some flash
>>>> memory drives that won't work.  Some of these want to run their own
>>>> software, which doesn't work because we only allow the running of
>>>> certain software that's installed on the computer (Word, etc.), and I've
>>>> heard that even if we allowed the running of the applications on some of
>>>> the popular flash drives by adding them to our "run only" entry, some of
>>>> these programs would still have a problem because they want more access
>>>> to the registry than we should give them.
>>>>
>>>> Has anyone encountered and solved a similar problem with giving access
>>>> to flash memory drives on public computers, or does anyone have any
>>>> suggestions - perhaps at least a list of program names for these drives
>>>> to add to my "run only" list?
>>>>
>>>> Phil
>>>> --
>>>>
>>>> Phil Shirley
>>>> Technology Services Coordinator
>>>> Cuyahoga Falls Library
>>>> Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
>>>> 330-928-2117, ext. 109
>>>> pshirley at CuyahogaFallsLibrary dot org
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> This message has been scanned for viruses and
>>>> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
>>>> believed to be clean.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> OPLINTECH mailing list
>>>> OPLINTECH at oplin.org
>>>> http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>     
>>>
>>> --
>>>
>>> -----------------------
>>> Chad Neeper
>>> Senior Systems Engineer
>>>
>>> Level 9 Networks
>>> 740-548-8070 (voice)
>>> 866-214-6607 (fax)
>>>
>>> --   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
>>> -- Specialized in libraries and schools --
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>   
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> -----------------------
>> Chad Neeper
>> Senior Systems Engineer
>> 
>> Level 9 Networks
>> 740-548-8070 (voice)
>> 866-214-6607 (fax)
>> 
>> --   Full LAN/WAN consulting services   --
>> -- Specialized in libraries and schools --
>> 
>> 
>> -- 
>> This message has been scanned for viruses and
>> dangerous content by *MailScanner* , and is
>> believed to be clean.
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> OPLINTECH mailing list
>> OPLINTECH at oplin.org
>> http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech
> 
> -- 
> 
> Phil Shirley
> Technology Services Coordinator
> Cuyahoga Falls Library
> Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
> 330-928-2117, ext. 109
> pshirley at CuyahogaFallsLibrary dot org
> 
> -- 
> This message has been scanned for viruses and
> dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
> believed to be clean.
> 
> _______________________________________________
> OPLINTECH mailing list
> OPLINTECH at oplin.org
> http://mail.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplintech

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