WebJunction

Let's give this a hash tag too. So if people mention the project off of WJ on other sites (facebook, twitter, etc) they ad this bit of text to show it is a part of this project. Really helps with sharing and searching! Let’s have the hash tag be:

#WJ101techtips

The WebJunction Twitter stream is here:
http://twitter.com/WebJunction

Let the tips fly!

Hi Jennifer -

Here's something we do on our public computers (running XP Pro SP3). Since we use Meebo for IM, there's no need for installing separate IM apps, which just slow down the bootup and clutter up the screen with their pesky pop-ups. The MySpace IM, though not on Meebo, is the worst of all. Plus there are other sneaky guys that install themselves on the PC even though it's on a limited account. So we click over to C:\Windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts, open it with WordPad, place the cursor under 127.0.0.1 localhost, and add stuff as follows -

# Copyright (c) 1993-1999 Microsoft Corp.
#
# This is a sample HOSTS file used by Microsoft TCP/IP for Windows.
#
# This file contains the mappings of IP addresses to host names. Each
# entry should be kept on an individual line. The IP address should
# be placed in the first column followed by the corresponding host name.
# The IP address and the host name should be separated by at least one
# space.
#
# Additionally, comments (such as these) may be inserted on individual
# lines or following the machine name denoted by a '#' symbol.
#
# For example:
#
# 102.54.94.97 rhino.acme.com # source server
# 38.25.63.10 x.acme.com # x client host

127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 imupdate.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 aim.com
127.0.0.1 www.aim.com
127.0.0.1 dashboard.aim.com
127.0.0.1 messenger.yahoo.com
127.0.0.1 messenger.msn.com
127.0.0.1 messenger.msn.ca
127.0.0.1 download.live.com
127.0.0.1 limewire.com
127.0.0.1 www.limewire.com
127.0.0.1 imvu.com
127.0.0.1 www.imvu.com
127.0.0.1 downloads.bigfish.com
127.0.0.1 d.trymedia.com
127.0.0.1 games2download.com
127.0.0.1 frostwire.com
127.0.0.1 www.frostwire.com
127.0.0.1 bittorrent.com
127.0.0.1 www.bittorrent.com

Each line blocks that domain. Other libraries may have different villains. It works!

Yours, Daniel

Autologon (Windows XP)

All of our public access computers logon to a limited user account (http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/advanced/useraccount.mspx). We have set them to logon automatically using the instructions "How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP" -- http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315231.

The ForceAutoLogon key is important for us because we do allow patrons to logoff (and some of our software logs off, too). This key enforces that the computer logs back on again as the set up limited user account.

If you need to logon as a different user (e.g., as an administrator to do updates, etc.), please note this part of the instructions:

"If you want to bypass the automatic logon to log on as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows XP restarts."

Ross,

Have you used Jing? It's a free screen capture program from TechSmith (makers of Snagit and Camtasia). Very simple, and beautifully designed. It makes it easy to capture a small region within a window (e.g. you only want to show one button or one toolbar, not the whole window). You don't have to capture the whole window and crop it down I don't know if it works well on public computers though. Has anyone in this forum tried installing Jing on a public PC?

Chris

Microsoft Software Donation Program

This is mentioned elsewhere on WebJunction, but I think it is worth mentioning again. The Microsoft Software Donation Program (http://www.techsoup.org/stock/microsoftprogram.asp) allows qualifying public libraries to receive up to six software titles and 50 licenses per title for public access computers for a modest administrative fee. Quite a few rules apply, so read the FAQ well (http://www.techsoup.org/stock/ms_program_faq.asp). We have used this program primarily to get upgrade licenses for Windows operating systems and for providing Microsoft Office on most of our public access internet computers and word processing stations.

Staff computers are eligible for Microsoft academic discount pricing (http://www.microsoft.com/Education/Eligible.mspx). If you need to order a minimum of 5 licenses, then Microsoft Open License for Academic (http://www.microsoft.com/Education/open.mspx) is the way to go. After ordering an initial 5 licenses, then you can re-order as few as 1. Again, we have done this primarily for Windows OS upgrades and MS Office for our staff computers.

Adobe Flash Player -- version and installation check ; standalone ActiveX installation ; settings manager ; "cookies"

You can check to see if Adobe Flash Player is correctly installed and that is the most recent version by visiting this page:

http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

I usually update the Flash Player on multiple machines. It is easier for me to do this with the standalone installer. Flash Player for Firefox is already standalone. The standalone ActiveX installer for Internet Explorer can be reached from the link on this page:

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=tn_19166&sliceId=1

The link is located down the page under the heading, "If the ActiveX Control for Flash Player fails to install, download the executable installer." (Currently this is located just before section 4.) Please note that it is a *.zip file (a compressed file) that you can "unzip" using Windows XP by right clicking on the file and choosing the Extract All option (and following the prompts -- just remember where you have extracted it to).

Unlike most programs, Flash Player's settings are accessed through a web page:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html

and more specifically:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager.html#117118

And, finally, I mentioned Flash "cookies" in another post -- "Adobe Flash "Cookies" / "LSOs" (Local Shared Objects)" http://www.webjunction.org/tech-security/resources/discussion/25921021

Java - verifying installation and version ; standalone (offline) installation

You can verify the installation and what version of Java you have by visiting:

http://www.java.com/en/download/installed.jsp?detect=jre&try=1

If you do not have the current version, there is a standalone (offline) version available here:

http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp

Unless you have an application that requires a specific version of Java, it is recommended that you uninstall any older versions of Java. Instructions for removing older versions can be found here:

http://www.java.com/en/download/help/uninstall_java.xml

Safely Remove Hardware shortcut (placing on the desktop)

We do not allow access to the system tray on our public access computers, so patrons do not have access to the Safely Remove Hardware icon when they need to remove their USB devices (e.g., flash drives). So, using the instructions from this WEB4LIB post, we added a shortcut to this command on the desktop where patrons can access it instead:

http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/web4lib/2005-February/035911.html

Suggested reading

I recommend reading Windows Secrets (http://windowssecrets.com/). They have a free version, but I'd recommend the paid version.

Although it has a broader security focus than just computers, I also like to read Bruce Schneier's Crypto-Gram (http://www.schneier.com/crypto-gram.html). And, if I get a chance, I like to browse ZDNet Tech Update Today newsletter (http://nl.zdnet.com/acct_mgmt.sc?brand=zdnet and CNET Digital Dispatch newsletter (http://www.cnet.com/newsletters/).

I'd be interested in hearing other recommendations, too.