--- TIC-TECH message:
With the Mac Libraries, it was easy to lock the configuration file that
stored the Web Browser Preferences. With PC's the Web Browser Preferences
are NOT stored in an *.ini file (at least not Internet Explorer's). I know
that earlier versions of Netscape did store this HomePage info in a file
that you could lock. IE 5x stores its configurations in the Registry.
I just found out at Ingraham that the kids are changing the HomePage which
messes up the Library software. It is really frustrating since we give the
kids an Icon for regular Web Browsing. If it is just SeattleSchools.org
that you want the icon to point to and not the Library software, there is an
easy fix. But, you do have to have privledges to change the Icon on the
desktop so you may need for an Analyst to come out and fix it. (I really
miss going out and fixing the libraries and other schools, as much as I love
being back at Ingraham).
Right-Click on the Icon for Netwcape and go to "Properties" for the Icon.
Click on the "Shortcut" tab. In the "Target" box, there should be a command
like "C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\netscape.exe" with the
quote marks. Leaving that line as it is, insert a space and type the URL
where you want the Netscape Icon to take you, like
"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\netscape.exe" search.com
This additional URL will tell the Icon to run Netscape AND go to that URL.
You may have to put the URL inside the Quote Marks. This technique also
works with Internet Explorer. In fact, it works for all true Window
applications to run the program and bring up the file listed. So, with this
method, it doesn't matter what HomePage is set in the Web Browser
Preferences, it will go to the URL that you entered into the Icon's Target
line. THen you need to protect the Icon from rewrites.
If you are trying to bring up the Follett program, it is more complicated
since to run Follett, you have to go to the right URL and then run a program
from there. I believe that my technique does NOT work for the Follett program.
To add some consternation, you can add a "-k" command in the Target command
line, like ...
"C:\Program Files\Netscape\Communicator\Program\netscape.exe" -k
This will run the Web Browser in "Kiosk" mode and the Web Browser will NOT
have any commands for changing Web Sites. The Web page is run full screen
with no menues. You have to press Alt-F4 to exit.
If the problem is that the kids are reseting the command to go to the
Follett software over the Web, then the problem is more comploex. I am
working at Ingraham on a system to restore the Library connection whenever a
user logs on. So, if the kids screw it up, the Librarian can log off and
log back on to fix it. Let me know if the above works or not and we can
take it further.
-Wes
wfelty@gte.net
At 03:15 PM 12/19/00 -0800, you wrote:
>--- TIC-TECH message:
>Our library (at Franklin HS) was converted to PC over the summer, and
>access to operations and programs were greatly restricted. However,
>somehow kids manage to get through.
>
>As a result, the latest weird thing to appear is the default homepage/
>browser, something called MegaSpider (does this by chance derive from
>MicroSoft?) which is largely commercial with a lot of garbage sites, etc.
>
>1. Is anyone else experiencing this?
>
>2. How can we undo it and make seattleschools the homepage again?
>
>Thank you,
>Elsie Simon, Lib. Assist.
>emsimon@cks.ssd.k12.wa.us
>
>- End TIC-TECH message. To join, leave, or visit
> the message archive, go to Tic-Tech on the Web:
> http://fp.seattleschools.org/fpclass/tic-tech/
>
\ Pray for wind ___
|\ Pray for waves `-_-'
|~\ and Pray it's your day off! `U'
|--\
|___\ If you rush a Miracle Man
,----+-- you get rotten miracles
(The Princess Bride)
- End TIC-TECH message. To join, leave, or visit
the message archive, go to Tic-Tech on the Web:
http://fp.seattleschools.org/fpclass/tic-tech/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Dec 20 2000 - 15:32:33 PST