****More information on this as is comes. Keep watching the blog!****
Some computers are failing to get captured by the reservation software—you can find them because, even when someone is on them, they lack the “traffic light” symbol on the task bar. This happens on about six at a time, and rarely the same computers. They end up being open computers, free for unlimited use by whoever sits down at them. Our wily patrons have taken notice of the phenomenon and some are beginning to prey upon these open, unfettered computers. Personally, I have roamed through and asked patrons to log off due to an error, and usually they do so without much trouble.
I emailed IT about them, and got this reply:
10-03-2013 03:02:53 PM CDT - Thomas Eaton
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The reservation software, "VentPrint Access Manager" or "VAM" is a client server application.
This means that the workstations have a client installed on them that attempts to start when the user
logs on.To do this it has to communicate with the reservation server. If the client can't communicate
with the server it fails to start and the VAM login screen never comes up, thus the computer has an
open desktop. The most obvious reason why the client is not able to communicate with the server is
because the network connection between the two is broken. If a public computer has been turned off,
when it first starts up the VAM client tries to start before Windows connects to the network. There is a
policy to disable this feature; unfortunately, it doesn't always work. I have spent a considerable
amount of time trying to find a solution to this issue with moderate success. I have made some policy
adjustments that I hope will help but there is no guarantee that they will work. I know its a nuisance
to have to get patrons off of the computer so that you can reset it and I will continue to try and find a
better solution. However, until I find it, logging of the user and letting Windows refresh the account is
the best solution that I can offer.
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So, that means we (especially the LSTs on Laptops) will just have to patrol from time to time and ask people to log off whenever the “traffic Light” symbol is not present on the PC.
David Dickerson
Senior Library Service Specialist
Houston Public Library, Central
500 McKinney St.
Houston, TX 77002
w (832) 393-1497
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