Copyright: Copyright 1995,1997 Bardon Data Systems


Contents
WinU Help

Choose a topic on which you'd like more information:

WinU Quick Start

How To Order WinU

Introduction

Installing And Uninstalling

WinU Interface Elements

The Setup Menu

The Logon Menu

The Logoff Menu

The Setup Password

System Setup

Desk Setup

Choose Desk

Adding Or Changing Buttons

Advanced Program Button Settings

Frequently Asked Questions: Configuration

Frequently Asked Questions: Troubleshooting

The Three Security Modes

Security Considerations

System Administration With WinU

How To Clone A Computer

Emergency Passwords

Reports

Kiosk Mode

Log To Printer

Central Password File

Password Manager Program

Meter Manager Program

Remote Time Manager Program

WinU Log File Formats

Notices

License and Warranty


Introduction

Windows 95 is great, but it’s not very secure.  How can stores, schools, and libraries allow their computers to be used by the public, yet prevent people from changing the configuration of complex computer systems?  How can businesses let employees use the software they need to do their jobs, yet prevent them from accessing or installing other programs?  How can parents control which programs their children use?  How can anybody keep a log of which programs were run, by whom, and for how long?

That’s what WinU is for.  WinU is a Windows 95 security access control system with time-out and monitoring features, three distinct levels of security control, and many flexible configuration options.  It’s easy to set up, easy to use ... and virtually impossible to circumvent.

This makes WinU excellent for libraries, schools, and stores that want to let the public use certain software without allowing access to the entire computer.  Patrons can use all authorized programs, but they can’t change the computer’s setup or delete important files.  Businesses can use WinU to allow employees to run only authorized software, making other programs unavailable.  WinU is also ideal for parents who want to allow children to use only certain software on the family PC without worrying that they might delete the household tax records or access inappropriate files.  You can set up a different password-protected WinU desk for every user. You can also password-protect each individual program on a desk.  And you can limit the time that any program or desk can be used.

It’s easy to customize WinU to your needs.  You can control up to 250,000 programs on up to 500 desktops, each with its own name, settings, passwords, and programs.  You can set the maximum allowed time for each program, and for the desk itself.   WinU allows you to individually customize each desk's appearance and behavior in a number of ways.  Choose the wallpaper, layout style, button placement, fonts, icons, and more.  You can also set the access and navigation methods allowed on each desk.  Desks can have "blockout" periods, times when no programs on that desk will run.  How about a blockout period on Junior’s desk every weekday night at dinnertime?

System administrators will appreciate the built-in management tools and reports.  They make it fast and easy to configure a WinU station to do whatever you require, even clone that station onto another computer without re-entering anything.  You can update the remote station's passwords, time limits, or its entire configuration "on the fly" over the network or by disk for non-networked computers.  WinU even has built-in license meter management, so you can control how many users can simultaneously run any program.  This lets you purchase only a few licensed copies of some program, yet allow that program to be run from any station on your network.

WinU lets you set the amount of time that a program can be used, even communications programs for the Internet or online services.  It allows a warning "grace period," with a custom warning message that you can set, before it terminates a running application.

WinU offers rock-solid security.  With it, you can deny access to all non-WinU programs.  And WinU can track exactly when programs were run, by whom, and for how long.  Best of all, WinU simply cannot be shut down improperly or maliciously.  It provides permanent, unstoppable security coverage for your Windows 95 computer system.


How To Order
How To Order WinU

Thank you for trying WinU.  You are welcome to test the evaluation version for 30 days.  These 30 days do not have to be consecutive calendar dates.  If you don't run WinU on a particular date, it doesn't count against your 30 days.  This gives you plenty of time to try WinU on your own system.  After the trial period, you must either purchase WinU or remove it from your system.

WinU can also be purchased from distributors in:

ENGLAND:  The Thompson Partnership

GERMANY: Vogel Datentechnik

JAPAN: P & A Co., Ltd.

NETHERLANDS / BELGIUM: CopyCats

NEW ZEALAND: PC Support Services

When you order, you'll get a disk with the most recent version of WinU, a printed manual, and a license number that will remove the limitations of the evaluation version.

Multiple-copy discounts are available.  Contact Bardon Data Systems for more information.

To order, send $49.95 for each copy (plus $5 shipping/handling) to:

Bardon Data Systems

1164 Solano Ave. #415

Albany, CA 94706

Payment: You can pay with cash, check, money order, or major credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover/Novus).  We accept checks in US Dollars, drawn on a US bank and requiring no additional collection or currency-conversion fees.

Shipping: Please enclose $5 for shipping and handling.

Sales Tax: California residents please add 8.25% sales tax ($4.12).

Purchase Orders: Purchase orders are accepted from most organizations within North America.  Terms are net 30 days from date of order, unless arranged otherwise in advance.  For orders under $100, please add an additional $10 processing fee if using a purchase order.

More Ways To Order: With a credit card you can also order WinU by phone at 510-526-8470 or on our tollfree ORDERS-ONLY line at 800-92-BARDON [800-922-2736] weekdays 9 to 5 California time, or by fax at 510-526-1271 24 hours a day.  Order on the World Wide Web at the Bardon Data Systems homepage at http://www.bardon.com.  The webpage is also the best place to get the very latest version of WinU, as well as other software from Bardon Data Systems.  With a credit card you can also send email to orders@bardon.com with your credit card number, expiration date, and name as it appears on the card.  On CompuServe you can GO SWREG to order item  #12781; the fee will be added into your regular CompuServe bill.

If you order with a credit card by phone, you'll be given your license number immediately so you can get rid of the reminder screens and limitations right away.  Or simply mail in your credit card number and expiration date.


Setup Menu
The Setup Menu

To use any of the setup options you must first give the setup password when prompted.  WinU then goes into its Setup Mode in which security checks are temporarily suspended.  This makes it easier for the administrator to configure the system.  To return the system to its previous security mode, choose Exit Setup Mode.

Enter Setup Mode: This puts WinU into Setup Mode.  You can then drag-and-drop programs onto the WinU desktop, or use any other system administration features.

Exit Setup Mode: This exits from Setup Mode into the chosen security mode (Convenience, Casual, or Super Security).

System Setup: This puts WinU into Setup Mode and displays the System Setup dialog.  This dialog has five tabs: Security Settings, Event Log, Interface, Reports and Remote Management.  For more information, see the detailed description of this dialog.

Desk Setup: This puts WinU into Setup Mode and displays the Desk Setup dialog.  This dialog has seven tabs: Desk Access, Buttons, Appearance, Time Control, Input Control, Window Control, and File Control.

Reports: This menu item provides a shortcut to the Reports tab of the System Setup dialog.

Explorer: This menu item launches a password-protected Explorer window, which provides a handy way for the administrator to drag-and-drop new programs onto a WinU desk, or to run programs that aren’t otherwise available.  This is especially convenient in Super Security mode, in which WinU replaces the usual Windows 95 interface. In Super Security mode there is no Start button or taskbar, so in order for the administrator to have access to the rest of the system WinU provides this password-protected way to launch an Explorer window directly from WinU.

Help: The setup password is required to use Help, because this information is designed for administrators, not casual users.  This password protection helps prevent casual users from learning the "inner workings" of WinU.

About: WinU version and other information.  The About item is the only entry on the Setup menu that does not require the setup password in order to be used.

Exit WinU: The setup password is required to exit when using this menu item, or when exiting by pressing Alt+F4 or clicking on the titlebar's X button.  The setup password is not required to exit when using an Exit or Shutdown button, created by you, on the desktop.  However, like all other buttons, an Exit or Shutdown button can be password protected in the usual manner.


Logon Menu
The Logon Menu

Clicking this item shows no actual menu.  Instead, it will display the Choose Desk dialog.  With this dialog, users can log on to a new desk.  By giving the setup password, administrators can add, delete, or copy a desk from this dialog as well.

Another way to display the Choose Desk dialog is to left-click anywhere on the desk.  If desk-click dialogs haven't been disabled with one of the Kiosk Mode options, the dialog will appear where you clicked your mouse.  If allowed, right-clicking on the roving Apps Button provides another way to select the Logon menu item.

The entire menu bar can be hidden with a Kiosk Mode option.  If so, the Logon Menu is unavailable.


Logoff Menu
The Logoff Menu

Clicking this item shows no actual menu.  Instead, it simply exits from the current desk.  If there is a default desk, it will be displayed.  If there is none, the initial "No Desk" screen will be displayed.  In a Security mode, exiting from a desk automatically terminates all applications launched from that desk.

You can also log off the current desk by left-clicking on the desk to bring up the Choose Desk dialog, then using its Logoff option.  If allowed, right-clicking on the roving Apps Button provides another way to select the Logoff menu item.

The entire menu bar can be hidden with a Kiosk Mode option.  If so, the Logoff Menu is unavailable.


Notices

VERSION: WinU version 4.01

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Requires Microsoft Windows 95

TECHNICAL SUPPORT: For technical support, contact Bardon Data Systems through Internet email (support@bardon.com), the World Wide Web (http://www.bardon.com), U.S. mail (Bardon Data Systems, 1164 Solano Ave. #415, Albany CA 94706), fax (510-526-1271), or telephone (510-526-8470).  Telephone support is available during normal business hours, 9 to 5 weekdays California time.

Software and documentation protected by trade secret provisions and copyright 1995,1997 Barry Smiler, Bardon Data Systems, 1164 Solano Ave. #415, Albany CA 94706.


Interface Elements
WinU Interface Elements

Dialogs:  WinU has three main dialogs: System Setup, Desk Setup, and Choose Desk.  The System Setup and Desk Setup tabbed dialogs are only available to those who know the setup password.  The Choose Desk screen is available to all users through the menu bar's Logon item, by left-clicking anywhere on the desktop, or by right-clicking on the roving Apps Button.  However, all of these methods can be disabled.

Title Bar: WinU's title bar displays the name of the current desk.  When WinU is in Setup mode, the title bar blinks as a reminder that this special mode is in effect.

Menu: The menu bar has three top-level items: Setup, Logon, and Logoff.  The Setup menu items (aside from the About item) are only available by giving the setup password.  Logon and Logoff are available to all users.  Logon and Logoff are also available from the Choose Desk dialog, which can be displayed by left-clicking on the desktop.  The menu bar can be hidden via a Kiosk Mode switch.  (Desk-click dialogs can be disabled via Kiosk Mode as well.)  Some of these menu items are also available from the System Menu, which can be displayed by clicking the icon at the left edge of WinU's title bar.

Status Bar: The Status Bar at the bottom of the screen has three segments.  It shows a date/time clock, time limits (if any) for the current desk, and time limits (if any) for the current program, that is, the program launched from WinU which currently has the active focus.  When WinU is in Setup mode, the clock area of the status bar bar blinks as a reminder that this special mode is in effect.

Scroll Bar: The scroll bar at the right side of the screen is displayed only if there is more than one screenful of buttons on the current desk.  If all buttons are displayed, the scroll bar is not.  If it is showing, use it to move up or down the displayed buttons on this desk.  You can also use the keyboard's arrow or tab keys to move to other buttons.

Apps Button:This button hops into the title bar of the current active application, so it's always accessible.  The user can click it to list and launch all applications on the current WinU desktop.  This is handy when the current active application blocks access to the WinU desktop buttons.  If allowed, right-click the button to show another menu containing administration and navigation entries.

Here is the default appearance of the Apps button in a title bar:   It can be configured in a number of ways by using available apps button options.

Background: The background image can be any bitmap file of any size or color depth. It can be displayed either fullscreen or just in the top half of the screen.  It can be tiled, or stretched to fill the entire available area, or displayed at its actual size.  If you have chosen to retain its aspect ratio, it will be displayed without distorting its relative proportions.  If the image is in the top half of the screen, the desk’s buttons and scroll bar are restricted to the bottom half.  In this case, the button area’s background is a neutral gray color in normal mode.  In Setup Mode, the button background changes to a bright turquoise color as a reminder.  This is set up from the Appearance Tab of the Desk Setup dialog.

Program-Launch And Navigation Buttons:  WinU’s buttons are set up from the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  Buttons can launch programs directly, or run Shortcuts, or hold files for which there is a registered file extension.  Buttons can also be set up to transfer the user to another WinU desk, or return to the previous desk.  Like any other buttons, DeskLink or PrevDesk buttons can have passwords, which will be tested before WinU changes desks.  (Of course, the target desk can also have its own password.) Special buttons can also be set up to exit from WinU or shut down the computer; again, they can be password-protected.

Many button style options are available, including font, border, placement, and label options.  You can choose any icon from a multiple-icon file, or use virtually any other image source on a button, not just icons.  Images can be extracted from EXE, ICO, DLL, CUR, ANI, or BMP files, among others; the chosen graphic is resized to icon-size onto the button.

Companion Software:  WinU includes companion software used by the administrator to dynamically manage any remote system's configuration, passwords, time limits, rebooting, and license metering.  Some is provided with the main program.  More software is available for free download from the Bardon website (www.bardon.com).


License and Warranty
Software License And Warranty

Your use of WinU confirms your agreement to be bound by this license and warranty.  As used here, WinU ("the software") means all or any portion of the computer application contained in this package, and all updates. The software is owned by Bardon Data Systems and is protected by United States and international copyright and trade secret laws, and international trade provisions.  You must treat it like any other similarly protected material.  This license and your right to use WinU terminate automatically if you violate any part of this agreement.  In the event of termination, you must immediately destroy all copies of the software or return them to Bardon Data Systems.

1) You are welcome to use the "test-drive" evaluation version of the software for 30 days.  That is, you can run the program on 30 different dates.  These dates do not have to be consecutive calendar days.  If you don't run the software on a particular date, it doesn't count against your 30 days.  This gives you plenty of time to try WinU on your own system.  After the trial period, you must either purchase the software or remove it from your system.  Anyone is welcome to distribute the "test-drive" evaluation version of the software, in its entirety as distributed with this file, subject to these conditions: a) none of the files in this package may be modified or deleted; and b) distributors must stop distributing the software if asked to do so by Bardon Data Systems.

2) After purchasing, Bardon Data Systems grants you a non-exclusive license to use one copy of the software, on one computer, and make one copy of it for archival purposes.  For purposes of this section, "use" means loading the software into RAM, as well as installation on a hard disk or other storage device.  You may access the software from a hard disk, or any other method you choose, so long as you otherwise comply with this agreement.  You may not install the purchased version of the software onto a network server or in any other way make it available to more than one user at a time unless you have arranged in advance for a multi-user license; make copies of the software other than one backup copy solely for archival purposes; sell, furnish, transmit, or give away the software such that the software is exploited in a commercial way; or sublicense, rent, lease, or otherwise market the software. You may permanently transfer the software to another owner only by providing written notice of such transfer to Bardon Data Systems.

3) An upgrade replaces a previous version.  It does not provide an additional license.  When upgrading you must cease using the previous version, and also ensure that it is not used by anybody else.

4) The software can be returned for refund within thirty days of the purchase date, when accompanied by a return authorization number which has been obtained from Bardon Data Systems.  Shipping/handling fees are not refundable.

Bardon Data Systems warrants that the software distribution disk will remain free from defects for 90 days after you have received the software.  In the event of a breach of this warranty, Bardon Data Systems will, at its option, either replace the disk or refund the software purchase price.  Bardon Data Systems does not warrant that the software will fill your requirements; or that the software will operate without interruptions; or that the software is free from errors.

This warranty is in lieu of all other warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to the software, or the documentation, or fitness for a particular purpose.  Bardon Data Systems shall not be liable in any event for special, incidental, or consequential damages in connection with, or arising out of, the furnishing, performance, or use of the software, including any lost profits or lost data, even if Bardon Data Systems has been advised of the possibility of such losses or damage.

Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages.  If so, the above limitations may not apply to you.

In no case shall any liability exceed the purchase price for the software.

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of California and shall inure to the benefit of Bardon Data Systems and any successors, administrators, heirs and assigns. Any action or proceeding brought by either party against the other arising out of or related to this agreement shall be brought only in a State or Federal Court of competent jurisdiction located in Alameda County, California. The parties hereby consent to in personam jurisdiction of said courts.

Bardon Data Systems may revoke any permissions granted here, by notifying you in writing.  All rights not expressly granted here are reserved to Bardon Data Systems.  This agreement can be modified only in writing by a document signed by both you and Bardon Data Systems.

U.S. GOVERNMENT INFORMATION:  Use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government of the computer software and documentation in this package shall be subject to the restricted rights applicable to commercial computer software as set forth in subdivision (b)(3)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at 252.227-7013 (DFARS 52.227-7013).  The Contractor/manufacturer is Bardon Data Systems, 1164 Solano Ave #415, Albany CA 94706.


Installing WinU
Installing And Uninstalling

To install WinU, run the program install.exe that comes with WinU.  It will ask you the folder you would like to install into, the Start button group name you prefer, and whether you'd like WinU to run at startup.  WinU will not install anything to any folder other than the one you specify.  It will not change any system files other than the Registry (per Microsoft standards).  If you choose to uninstall, simply run the uninstaller program.

WinU installs the following files to the folder you choose:

winu.exe	the WinU program, file 1

winu2.exe	the WinU program, file 2

winu3.exe	the WinU program, file 3

winu4.dll	the WinU program, file 4

winu5.dll	the WinU program, file 5

bardon1.vxd	another part of the WinU program

validp.dll	desk password validation control

validm.dll	license metering validation control

wreset.exe	the failsafe reset program

uninwinu.exe	the WinU uninstaller

winu.hlp	the documentation, in Windows helpfile format

winu.cnt	another part of the Windows helpfile

readme.txt	overview and installation instructions

license.txt	terms of WinU's usage license

homepage.url	shortcut to Bardon's website

WinU Remote Administration Kit: The WinU Remote Administration Kit consists of a number of tools which extend WinU's capabilities and allow the administrator to remotely configure and control all WinU computers on the network.  Since they are management tools you probably don't want to automatically install these to every WinU computer, so they are in a separate \adminkit subdirectory on the install disk.

To install the WinU Remote Administration Kit programs, simply copy them to any convenient directory.  If you copy them to the same directory as the WinU program itself, you can access the regular WinU helpfile (WINU.HLP) which includes documentation for these companion programs.  This is also a handy directory if you need to uninstall, because the WinU uninstaller knows how to delete these companion programs as well as WinU itself.

The WinU Remote Administration Kit consists of these companion programs:

metermgr.exe	License Meter Manager program

msgmgr.exe	Message Manager program

timemgr.exe	Remote Control / Time Manager program

pwdmgr.exe	Password Manager program

extract.exe	Data Extractor builds data files used by other WinU tools

logon.exe	log on to WinU by user name with validation

validl.dll	part of the logon program

logoff.exe	close all programs and log on as a different user

closeDUN.exe	close a Dial-Up Networking connection

scrsav.exe	start your screensaver from a WinU button

wtimer.exe	WinU event scheduler

restart.exe	restart the computer from a WinU button

Additional companion programs not listed here may also be available from the Bardon website (http://www.bardon.com).

Sample Desk: The first time you run WinU after installing, or anytime you start when there are no other desks, WinU creates a Sample Desk with a few buttons.  This lets you use WinU and get a feel for what it can do.  In addition. some of the Sample Desk buttons illustrate handy WinU techniques.

Security Mode:  When first installed, WinU will run in Casual Security mode. This can be changed in the System Setup dialog.

Uninstalling: When you install, WinU's uninstaller is added to WinU's icons on the Start menu.  It can also be run from the Start menu’s Add/Remove Programs list.    To uninstall, run the uninstaller.  When uninstalling, any Remote Administration Kit files in the WinU directory are also uninstalled.


Quick Start
WinU Quick Start

WinU In A Nutshell: Use the keyboard or mouse to press any button and run its program.  If the program has a time limit, it will be terminated when it runs out of time.  With the setup password, you can right-click on a button to change that button's settings, or right-click on the desk to modify desk settings, or use the Setup menu to change systemwide settings, or launch Explorer from within WinU.

System Administration: The system administrator sets up and maintains the system.  Unlike a regular user, this person has access to many system administration features that allow the administrator to set up and change the system, monitor it through usage reports and logs, and remotely control and configure WinU computers over a network.

Here's how to quickly set up WinU:

1) Configure systemwide settings by selecting the Setup menu item System Setup.  This will display the System Setup tabbed dialog.  Modify the settings in the first three tabs (Security Settings, Event Log, Interface) as needed.  The fourth tab, Reports, displays usage reports and graphs.  Use the fifth tab (Remote Management) to set up network-based application license metering limits, automatic on-the-fly WinU configuration updates, and other remote communication and control options.

2) Create a new desk by clicking the Logon menu (or just left-click anywhere on the desk, or right-click the Apps Button).  This displays the Choose Desk screen.  Click the Add New Desk button.  WinU will create a new desk and then display the Desk Setup tabbed dialog.  Use this dialog to add programs and configure the new desk to your liking.  Later, you can use the Desk Setup screen to change the desk’s settings at any time.  You can display this screen by right-clicking on the desk, or by choosing the Setup menu’s Desk Setup item, or from the System menu or Apps Button.

3) Add buttons to the desk.  The easiest way to add programs is to "drag and drop" files from Explorer onto the WinU desk.  You can run Explorer from WinU’s Setup menu.  You can also add programs by entering them through the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  Later, you can modify a button at any time by right-clicking on it.  This will display the button’s information on the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  Buttons can launch programs, Shortcuts, or any file with a known file extension.  A button’s command line can be more than just a program name; it can have parameters if necessary.  Buttons can also be set up to log off the current desk and go to another, exit WinU, or shut down the computer.

After setting up your first desk, you can go on to use these other WinU features:

4) You may want to make a copy of this desk, including all its configuration settings, and use the copy as a base which can be modified to suit some different need.  It is also good for backup purposes.

5) You may want to copy buttons from one desk to another, or to all desks at once.

6) If you will be cloning this computer's WinU configuration and replicating this cloned configuration onto other computers, think about which buttons and desk are allowed to be visible on what computers.  These can be specified in a number of ways.

7) If more than one person will be using this computer (or this replicated clone setup), think about which default desk each user should start on.  These can be specified in a number of ways.

8) When the master computer is configured as needed, you may want to create a clone configuration file which specifies this master computer's configuration.  You can then use this clone data file to dynamically update every computer at your site.  This is especially easy if the computers are networked.  However, a clone configuration can be replicated on other computers even if a network is not available.


Choose Desk Dialog

With this dialog, users can log on to a new desk, or log off the current desk.  Scroll the list to the desired desk, select it, then click the Choose Desk button.  Or just double-click the entry on the list.

If the list is very long, you'll appreciate the Quick Chooser.  Type the first few letters of the desired desk into the Quick Chooser, and the list will scroll to bring the matching desk name(s) into view.  When your desk is highlighted, press Enter or click the Choose Desk button to select it.

For convenience, the Choose Desk dialog can also be used to log off the current desk.

Administrators can add, delete, or copy a desk from here as well.  The setup password is required to use these buttons.

In Setup Mode the Choose Desk dialog lists the desk number as well as the desk name.  The desk number is used in conjunction with a number of WinU companion programs and administration features.

Bring up the Choose Desk dialog by clicking the Logon menu item or left-clicking anywhere on the desktop.  If allowed, you can also right-click WinU's roving title bar button and choose Logon from its popup menu.  All these access methods can be disabled with Kiosk Mode settings.


Frequently Asked Questions - Configuration
Frequently Asked Questions: Configuration

These questions often come up when configuring WinU.

What are the differences between the three security modes?

In Casual Security or Super Security mode, WinU will cover the entire screen, will not allow any previously-running programs to be displayed to the user, and (if the current desk is in Single-Program Mode) will close the previous WinU-launched program when the user launches a new one.  In No Security ("Convenience") mode, WinU can run smaller than fullscreen, the current desk's Single-Program Mode switch has no effect, and WinU does not take steps to avoid being abnormally shut down.  That is, it's simply a convenient menu-style program launcher with no security features.

How do I add a new desk?

To add a desk, bring up the Choose Desk screen and click the New Desk button.  After giving your setup password, a new desk will be created with default settings and no buttons, ready for you to modify as needed.

How do I add a program button to a desk?

Start WinU, log on to the target desk, and go into Setup mode.  The easiest way to add a new button is to drag-and-drop that button’s file from Explorer onto the WinU desktop.  This file can be an executable program, a Shortcut, a batch file, or any file which Windows knows how to run directly when you click on it in Explorer. You can run Explorer from WinU’s Setup menu, or in any other way.  When you drag-and-drop the file from Explorer onto the WinU desk, a button will be added and you will be asked if you wish to set the new button’s properties.  Click on Yes to set properties or No to use the default settings.  Another way to add new buttons is to open WinU’s Desk Setup dialog, flip to the Buttons tab, enter the Button Text, the File To Run, and any other settings you want, then click the Add button at the bottom of that tab.

Can I add more than one button at a time?

Yes.  In Explorer, highlight all the programs or files you want to add.  Drag-and-drop the entire group of highlighted files from Explorer onto the WinU desktop.  These files can be executable programs, Shortcuts, batch files, or any files which Windows knows how to run directly when you click on it in Explorer. You can run Explorer from WinU’s Setup menu, or in any other way.  When you drag-and-drop the files from Explorer onto the WinU desk, a button will be added for each new file, and you will be asked if you wish to set the properties for the new buttons.  Click on Yes to set properties or No to use the default settings.  If you click Yes, the Desk Setup dialog will open onto the last new button in the group.

How do I add things that aren’t real files or folders to a WinU desktop?  For example Control Panel, Dial-Up Networking, or a printer?

You can drag-and-drop almost anything onto the WinU desktop to create a button.  There are exceptions, such as Control Panel, a printer, a Dial-Up Networking object, or the desktop Recycle Bin. In all these cases, the solution is to create a shortcut to the object and drag-and-drop the shortcut onto the WinU desktop.  For example, here is how to set up WinU to run Control Panel.  Start WinU in Casual Security.  Go into Setup Mode.  Double-click on My Computer.  Right-click the Control Panel icon and a menu will appear.  Choose the Create Shortcut entry and a new shortcut will appear on your Windows 95 desktop.  You can move this shortcut to another directory if you prefer.  Drag-and-drop this shortcut onto a WinU desktop and a new button will appear.  Or if you prefer, you can drag-and-drop this shortcut into the Buttons tab of WinU’s Desk Setup dialog and add it that way.  You may be prompted to set a two-second launch pause (most shortcuts need this).  If so, click OK.

How do I add Microsoft’s Internet Mail or Internet News to a WinU desktop?

These are odd because they call "Class IDs" in the Registry, not actual executable programs.  To run them, create a WinU button that will run your existing shortcut to Mail or News.  To do this, start WinU and go into Setup Mode.  Open Windows Explorer (available in the Setup pull-down menu if you have not hidden the WinU menu bar with a Kiosk Mode option).  In your Windows directory, change to the Start Menu directory.  Your Start Menu is created from the items in this directory.  Change to the Programs Directory which is under the Start Menu directory.  In the Programs directory there should be a shortcut to Internet News or Internet Mail.  You can drag-and-drop this shortcut onto any WinU desktop and a new button will appear.  Or if you prefer, you can drag-and-drop this shortcut into the Buttons tab of WinU’s Desk Setup dialog and add it that way.  Or you can look at the shortcut’s Properties to see what it’s running and set that as WinU’s File To Run and Parameters.

How do I clone a WinU computer's entire configuration onto another machine?

You can easily clone WinU installations.  Set up WinU once, on one machine, the way you want it with all desired settings and programs.  Then use the clone feature to take a "snapshot" of that installation and save it as a clone.bds file.  You can install that "snapshot" setup to other machines in a single step.  Of course the other machines have to have the same programs in the same-named directories, etc, otherwise the cloned WinU buttons won't find the program to run.

How do I save a computer’s WinU configuration "snapshot" to a clone data file?

To create a file which contains all the settings of the one master computer (the one you want to copy), first set up the master computer with all the desks and settings you want.  From the Setup menu on the master computer choose System Setup, and enter your Setup Password.  On the Remote Management tab of the System Setup dialog, click Export Clone File Now. After exiting the setup dialog, the clone data file will be saved into the named AutoUpdate folder, or to theWinU program’s directory if no AutoUpdate folder has been specified.  By default this file will be named clone.bds which is the name needed by WinU's AutoUpdate processing.

How do I use a clone data file to copy settings to a second computer during installation from a floppy disk?

Using Windows Explorer (or any other method) copy a clone data file named clone.bds to the WinU install floppy disk.  Make sure there is enough extra room on the floppy disk for the installer to create a few small temporary files.  Install WinU from the WinU install disk.  Because you have copied clone.bds to the same directory as the install program (install.exe), you will be asked during installation if you wish to copy the clone information to the new computer.  After installation, the new computer will have the same WinU settings as the master system.

How do I install WinU from a network?  Can I use a clone data file to copy settings while installing?

You want to run the WinU installer from a network directory which is visible on the target computer (the one you want to install onto).  If a clone.bds file is in the same directory as the installer, you can copy that clone file’s settings to the new computer.  To do this, copy all the WinU files (from the install disk or download) to a network directory which is visible on the target computer.  On the target computer, change to that network directory.  Double-click on install.exe.  The installation process will begin.  At one point you will be prompted for the directory to which you wish to install.  You must choose a directory on the target computer.  WinU will not run if installed to a network directory.  If you have also placed a clone data file named clone.bds into the same directory as the WinU installer program, you will be asked during installation if you wish to copy the clone information to the new computer.  Note that if copying settings from one computer to another, all programs/files must be in the same location on each machine.  For example, if WinU on one computer runs FancyFax using c:\program files\fancyfax.exe as the ‘File to Run’, each computer must have the FancyFax executable under c:\program files\fancyfax.exe.

How do I use a clone data file to dynamically update all my site's computers in a networked environment?

You want to make a clone data file named clone.bds visible to all the target computers, and set up the target computers to update themselves when they see the clone.bds file.  To do this, save the settings of the master computer (the one you want to copy) to a clone data file.  This is described above.  Make sure the target computer (the computer to be updated) is monitoring a network folder for clone update files.  To do this, from the Setup menu of the target computer choose System Setup.  On the Remote Management tab check one or more of the three Look for clone updates boxes and give the data-source folder name.  This computer will now monitor that folder for clone.bds files whenever you start WinU, log on to a desk, or exit from WinU.

On the Event Log tab, what’s the difference between Look for clone updates and Always update?

Look for clone updates will update WinU’s settings whenever a new clone file (named clone.bds) is placed in the AutoUpdate folder.  Always update will update WinU’s settings at every opportunity regardless of whether the clone file has been read previously.

After doing a clone update, what settings remain from the previous configuration?

A clone update replaces most settings, but not all  If a new AutoUpdate folder is not given in the clone information (or is given but doesn’t exist) the old name is retained.  The filetime of the last timefile is retained so it will not be re-read.  This computer’s PrevDesk list is retained so you can return to previous desks.  The WinU computer name not be changed.  Remember that the logfile name can be dynamically created from the WinU computer name at runtime by using the word %COMPUTERNAME% as part of the logfile name.  You can also use the words %USERNAME% (user name given through current network or Win95 logon) and %CURRTIME% (a unique number based on the current time) here but they are not as useful.

How can I prevent users from using Ctrl+Alt+Del?

WinU can completely disable Ctrl+Alt+Del, or password-protect it.  To set this up, go to the desk on which you want to add this protection.  On the Input Control tab, check the box to disable Ctrl+Alt+Del.  If you don’t give a password, when the user presses Ctrl+Alt+Del nothing will happen.  If you do give a password, when the user presses Ctrl+Alt+Del the password box is displayed.  If the user gives the Ctrl+Alt+Del password, the regular Close Programs box appears.

How do I use WinU's built-in license metering?

Many organizations have only a limited number of licenses for certain programs, yet want to make those programs available to their entire staff.  WinU includes built-in license metering.  If your organization has, say, ten licenses for a particular program, you can allow that program to be run from every WinU computer on your network, yet ensure that no more than ten users are accessing the program simultaneously.

Can I give times of day when no program will run from a given desk?

Yes.  In addition to the password file time limit, the restart control, and the cumulative time testing, you can also set per-desk blockout periods, for example "Every Tuesday 9 pm to 11 pm" or "Every weekday 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm".  A desk can have any number of blockout periods.  During these periods, no buttons will run on that desk except those buttons you have specifically allowed to run on a timed-out desk.

What is a "third party window" and why should I care about it?

Some programs can be launched, not by WinU from a button, but by other programs.  We call these third party windows.  These are programs that were launched after WinU started, but were not launched by WinU.  WinU can track (and keep visible to the user) these third party windows.  So, if your launched-from-WinU app itself launches another program, the "third party" program will be tracked too.

If you do not allow "third party" programs on a particular desk, such windows will not be allowed to run on that desk.  Only programs actually on WinU buttons, and those on your list of third-party exceptions, can be launched.  Exceptions can be listed by window title or by filename.

A program launched before WinU started is not what we call a third party window.  However, as a convenient way to allow access to such a program, list its window title or filename as a third party exception.  The user will then be able to Alt+Tab to such a program, or view popup windows from it, without having WinU immediately hide that program.

How do I allow a program to continue running after desk logoff?

In a Security mode, exiting from a desk automatically terminates all applications launched from that desk.  However, you can allow a particular program to remain running even after logging off its desk and switching to another desk. To do this, check the box Don't Terminate Program At Desk Logoff on the program's Advanced Settings screen.  Doing this tells WinU to turn the program into a "third-party" window when logging off its desk, instead of killing it.  Because it will then be a "third-party" window, you will also need to make sure the systemwide flag Terminate "third-party" windows when changing desks is not checked.  This flag is on the Security Settings tab of the System Setup dialog.

Can the user get to the regular Windows 95 interface while WinU is providing security?

No.  In either of the Security modes, WinU won't run smaller than fullscreen, and when set up properly the user cannot access the Start button, Taskbar, desk, Explorer, or any other tools other than those you have provided on WinU buttons.  However, WinU provides a No Security ("Convenience") mode in which you can run WinU as a normal resizable window.

How do I set time limits for a program?

Log on to the desk that contains the program for which you wish to set a time limit, and right-click on the button for which you wish to set a time limit.  Or alternatively, choose Desk Setup from the Setup menu, then choose the Buttons tab and select the application for which you wish to set a time limit  In the Minutes Until Warning box enter the number of minutes WinU should wait before a time-out warning is issued.  In the Minutes Until Termination box enter the number of minutes you would like the application to run.  This number must be higher than the Minutes Until Warning.  If you want the application to be inaccessible for a period of time after termination you can set the Minutes Until Restart Permitted.  Click Change, then after the change is completed click OK.

When a program runs out of time, how do I prevent the user from just starting it again?

WinU won't restart a program sooner than the "restart time" you've set up for that program.  If this is set, then after a program is exited (or forcibly terminated by WinU), it cannot be restarted again until that much time has passed.  Program restart control, cumulative time limits, and blockout periods keep track of program and desk usage regardless of logons and logoffs.

How do I set time limits for a desk?

Log on to the desk for which you wish to set a time limit.  Right-click on the desktop surface. Or alternatively, choose Desk Setup from the Setup menu.  Enter your Setup password and choose the Time Control tab.  In the Total Minutes Allowed box enter the number of minutes allowed on this desk.  In the Current Minutes Used box enter the number of minutes currently used up on this desk.  You will generally set this to zero.  In the Grace Period box enter the number of minutes before timeout at which WinU will show its warning screen and play its warning sound.  Both the warning screen and the warning sound can be disabled from any program’s Advanced screen, which is helpful if that program cannot tolerate sounds or popup messages from other applications.  Choose how often the maximum time will be reinitialized.  Every day at midnight?  Every week at Sunday midnight?  Every time the user logs on to the desk?  Never?  Up to you.

The desk buttons change colors.  What do the colors mean?

When a button’s program is launching, that button is red.  When the program is running, that button is yellow ("lit up"). The active-focus button is white.  When a running-program button has the active focus, that button is light yellow.  To bring back a still-running iconized program, click its (yellow) button again.

How do I change the desk background image?

Log on to the desk for which you would like to set a background image.  Choose Desk Setup from the Setup menu and enter your Setup password  On the Appearance tab, in the wallpaper section, type in the name of the desired wallpaper bitmap, or drtag-and-drop that bitmap onto the Appearance tab, or click on the Browse button and choose the bitmap in that way.  Indicate whether you want the wallpaper shown fullscreen behind the buttons, or just in the top half of the screen with the buttons restricted to the bottom half.  Indicate whether you want to preserve the aspect ratio of the wallpaper image (don’t distort it),  tile the wallpaper to repeat the image over the display area, or show the image at its actual size.

How do I track system usage?

You can set up WinU’s built-in logging to track usage to the level of detail which is of interest to you.  From the Setup menu choose System Setup and enter the Setup Password.  Go to the Event Log tab.  Indicate whether you want your logging records saved to a file, printed as they occur, or if you want only brief desk-usage summary records printed.  If saving to a file, give the logfile name.  If the file does not exist it will be created.  If printing log records, give the printer name.  Select events to track under What To Log. Generally you will always want to check Start/End Session, Entering/Exiting Desks, Launching/Terminating Applications, and Password Status. Check the Pages Printed box, and select printers to monitor, only if you care about printer usage.  Check the Access Denied box only if you are using WinU’s File Control feature.

How do I log all pages printed?

You want to set up WinU’s built-in logging to track printer usage.  Start WinU.  From the Setup menu choose System Setup and enter the Setup Password.  Go to the Event Log tab and give a logfile name and set up to track system usage as described above.  Check the Pages Printed box.  If you simply want a total count of al pages printed from all printers, click the Log all printers button.  This will provide a one-line report at each desk logoff showing how many pages were printed while in that desk.  If you want to know how many pages were printed from each printer, or if you want to track only certain specific printers, click the Select printers button and choose the printers of interest from the list that appears.  This will provide a separate one-line report for each logged printer showing how many pages were printed from that printer while in that desk.

A program is running and it's covering the WinU desktop.  How do I get to the buttons?

A single-click on the WinU title bar clears the screen.  A double-click on the title bar brings back all running programs.  Also, if the Apps Button is available, click it to see a popup list of all the buttons on this desk.  You can run programs right from that list.

Can I run programs in a way that prevent the user from getting to them?

Yes.  Run them from your Startup folder.  Programs running before WinU started won’t be displayed.  If the user tries to switch to one, WinU hides it again.

How long do WinU's message screens stay visible?

By default, WinU's password screen will time out and go away after thirty seconds, but you can set this to a different value if you like.  WinU's big-font popup messages time out and go away after two minutes.

What is Kiosk Mode and how does it enhance security?

The Kiosk Mode options let you turn off the menu bar or status bar, and turn off "click the desktop" dialogs.  When "click the desktop" dialogs are disabled and there is no menu, the only navigation is that provided in your DeskLink and PrevDesk buttons.  This gives you the ability to provide a very specific navigation sequence.

I used the Kiosk Mode switch to hide WinU’s menu bar.  Now how do I modify settings?

Don't worry, there are two other ways to get to WinU’s configuration screens.  You can use system menu; to display the system menu, click on the icon at the left edge of WinU’s title bar.  The WinU configuration options are added at the bottom.  Or if you are using the Apps Button, and if you have checked the box to display setup options, right-click the Apps Button and use its  pop-up menu to display WinU’s setup screens.  Like the regular menu items, all these options are password protected.

How do I prevent people from using Windows "common dialogs" as little Explorer windows?

Most Windows programs use the standard Windows "common dialogs" to open or save files.  Presenting the same dialogs in all programs means that the user does the same thing in the same way in all programs.  This is good.  However, by default these Open and Save dialogs let the user right-click on any displayed file or program and change its attributes, or even run it.  They also let the user delete selectd files with the Delete key.  This is bad.  To plug these security holes, WinU can disable right-click menus and the Delete key  in these common dialogs.  They are also disabled in Explorer and the most popular web browsers, for similar reasons.

What are DeskLink, PrevDesk, Exit, and Shutdown buttons?

DeskLink buttons let the user go to a specific other desk. PrevDesk buttons let the user "go back" to previously-visited desks in reverse order.  Shutdown buttons let the user shut down the computer.  Exit buttons let the user exit from WinU when pressed.  In Super Security, exiting from WinU will shut down the computer, but in Casual Security exiting from WinU returns the user to the usual Windows 95 desktop.  Like all buttons, these navigation buttons can be password-protected.  Buttons are set up from the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.

Can I allow the user restart the computer from WinU?

Yes.  WinU’s Remote Administration Kit contains a file named restart.bat.  Copy it to any directory on the target computer.  You might want to simply copy it to the WinU directory.  In Windows Exporer, right-click on the restart.bat file and choose Properties.  Switch to the Program tab of the property sheet.  Select Advanced.  Select MS-DOS mode.  Deselect Warn before entering MS-DOS mode. Click OK twice to exit.  In WinU, add this file to a WinU button.  Go to the Advanced screen for this new button and check the box labeled Program requires MS-DOS Mode.  Click OK to save the changes.  Now this new button will restart your computer.  Like all WinU buttons, this one can be password-protected.

How can I do system administration in Super Security mode when there's no taskbar, desktop shortcuts, or Start button?

 WinU features a built-in Explorer window that stays on top of the WinU screen.  You can get to all your programs through this Explorer window.  Yoiu can also get to all the programs on your Start menu.  In your Windows directory, go to the Start Menu folder.  In there are all your Start button entries.  Click on one to run its program.  The built-in Explorer window is also handy to drag-and-drop programs into WinU.  Launch it from the Setup menu.

How do I know who ran what program?  How can I see reports?

WinU features detailed logfile tracking of events.  It also has built-in usage reports and pie-chart graphs which summarize logfile information to let you see who is doing what.  These reports can be viewed and printed.

How do I add sounds to WinU events?

You can attach sounds at the desktop level, or attach them to individual programs.  Desktop-level sounds are Logon This Desk, Logoff This Desk, Launch App From This Desk, Program Timeout Warning, and Desk Timeout Warning.  Individual program sounds to be played at Program Launch and Program Timeout Warning can also be set. If there is both a program-level and a Desk-level Launch or Warning sound, the program sound is played, not the desk sound. If sounds are enabled but no sound is specified, the built-in default sound is used.

How do I change a button's icon or customize the way it looks?

You can use virtually any graphic on a button; you aren't limited to icons.  Use any bitmap, icon, cursor, virtually anything.  Your chosen graphic is resized to icon-size onto the button.  You can choose any icon from a multiple-icon file.  You can change a button's border. Buttons can have a wide variety of "looks."  Elements to create a customized border look can be combined.  All available Windows button-style elements can be manipulated (though some have a more noticeable effect than others).  Buttons can have a text label of any font and color, or can be just an icon.

What is a Launch Tracking Pause and when do I use one?

There are some programs that start by launching a "helper" app, not the real program.  The "helper" app simply sets things up, then in turn it launches the "real" program before itself exiting.  If you find that one of your programs doesn’t launch correctly, or launches for a few seconds and then vanishes, try giving it a two-second Launch Tracking Pause.  This creates a brief security hole, but realistically it'd be hard for a user to do much damage in just a few seconds.

How can I prevent users from using System Info to get to other programs?

There are many ways to address this.  One easy way is to use the built-in Window Control to close such inappropriate windows when they appear.  In this way they are not accessible.

How can I prevent users from starting the computer in DOS?

There are two parts to preventing a user from starting the computer in DOS.  The first of these is to set up WinU to disable the keyboard at startup. The second part is to change your computer’s boot sequence in your CMOS so it tries to boot from your C: drive before your A: drive.  To disable the keyboard at startup, start WinU and choose System Setup from the Setup menu.  On the Security Settings tab, under Other Options make sure the option to ‘Allow startup menu and function keys to be used at startup’ is not checked.  Click OK to save your settings.  Changing the computer’s CMOS boot sequence is system dependent.  Accessing your CMOS is usually accomplished by pressing the DELETE or F10 key during the boot-time system memory test (the first screen you see when your computer starts).  Once in setup look for ‘boot sequence’ or ‘boot order’.  This specifies the order in which your drives are accessed.  Change the boot sequence from A,C to C,A.  This will cause the A drive to be ignored at boot-time (unless there is no C drive).  You should also password protect your CMOS to prevent anyone from changing these settings back.  Be very careful when changing your CMOS settings.  Doing the wrong thing can render your computer inoperable.  If you are not comfortable doing this yourself, you may want to contact your computer manufacturer or an experienced hardware service technician.


Setup Password
The Setup Password

Setup Password: The first time you start WinU, it asks you for a setup password.  This password is saved permanently  so you never need to enter one again if you don't want to.  However, you can change the password at any time with the Security Settings tab of the System Setup dialog.

The case sensitive setting of the Security Settings tab controls whether this password is case sensitive.

The setup password can be used whenever any other WinU password is required.  For example, if a desk is password-protected, the setup password can be given instead of the desk password.  Similarly, a password-protected application can be run by giving the setup password rather than the application password.


System Setup Dialog

To set up systemwide options, use the System Setup tabbed dialog. Usually you’d launch this dialog through the menu bar’s Setup menu.  If allowed, you can also right-click WinU's roving Apps button and choose System Setup from its popup menu.

You can also get to the System Setup screen  through the title bar's System menu.  WinU adds this item to the System menu so that, when the WinU menu bar is hidden (via Kiosk Mode) the administrator can use the System menu to get out of Kiosk Mode. To open the System menu, click the icon at the left edge of WinU's title bar.

Tabs: The System Setup dialog has five tabs:

Security Settings: systemwide security and preference options

Interface: password display time, Kiosk Mode, systemwide time limits, Apps Button

Event Log: logfile usage and tracking options

Reports: view and print usage reports and graphs

Remote Management: network-based license metering, remote logoff, shutdown, time-limit control, messaging, and configuration update


Security Settings Tab

This tab of the System Setup dialog is where you give the computer name, password, security level, default desk, boot-time options, and various ways you want to handle other programs and windows.

Computer Name: The computer name is used in event records, which are saved in the logfile or written to the designated printer (or both).  If you are administering a number of WinU-equipped computers, give them each a unique name to help keep your records organized.  If your computer doesn't already have a name (most do), the name defaults to WinU Computer plus a string of numbers, designed so that it is very likely (though not guaranteed) to be a unique name in your environment.

Default Desk: The default WinU desktop is displayed at startup and when users log off other desks.  It's an automated process.  Even if the default desk is password-protected, the user won't be asked for that password when logging off another desk, or at startup when the system first sets to that desk.  This section has three buttons labeled Set, Clear, and Per User.  Click Set to choose a single desk as the default, or Clear to remove the existing default-desk setting.

Click Per User if you want the default desk to be dependent on the current multi-user or network logon.  When you click this button the Per-User Default Desk screen is displayed.  Windows 95 and most networks let the user specify a name when logging on.  WinU can look at this user name to see who is logged on, then display the appropriate default desk for that person.  If the logon changes during the WinU session (perhaps by using WinU's companion Logoff applet) the per-user default desk setting will be updated, and a new default desk will be shown.  Also, to accomodate older networking software which is not Win95-aware, you can optionally set up WinU to look for the current user name in an environment variable instead of the standard Windows 95 registry-based location.

Setup Password: This is the administrator password.  Like all WinU passwords, it is displayed with asterisks.  To see the actual password text, use the Show Password button.

Security Level: What level of security do you want to use?  Choose from No Security, Casual Security, or Super Security mode.  See The Three Security Modes for more information.

Shutdown Method: WinU shuts down the computer at exit while in Super Security mode, or when the user clicks a Shutdown button.  At that time, there are three ways that WinU can use to shut down the computer.  The most secure method is labeled here as Strong.  It forces other programs to exit and guarantees a secure shutdown.  However, some computers hang at shutdown with the Strong method.  If yours is one of them, try the Medium or Soft methods.  In the Medium method, WinU "requests" that other programs shut down at exit; if any other program refuses, the computer does not shut down.  In Casual Security, the Soft method asks Windows to do the shutdown; WinU then steps back and waits for Windows to handle it all.  In Super Security, this Windows facility is not available, so Soft works just like the Medium method.

Security Test Frequency: How often should WinU monitor for security violations?  Testing more often will provide better security, but the extra overhead may slow down your computer.   Testing less often will free the computer to perform other tasks faster.

Other Options: These options let you further fine-tune WinU's behavior.  They are:

Terminate "third-party" windows when changing desks: Should third-party windows be closed when exiting the current desk?  Also, remember to un-check this box if you have set up some of your programs to turn into "third party" windows when exiting from the desk that launched them.  It won't do much good to have WinU turn them into "third party" windows at desk exit if you then immediately terminate them.

Allow startup menu and function keys to be used at bootup: This option lets you control whether the keyboard and startup menu can be used when the computer starts.  At boot time, pressing F4 starts the previous version of DOS, F8 brings up the startup menu providing methods to run bare DOS, "safe mode," etc.  To enhance security, select this option so WinU will disable access to these and the other boot-time keys.

However, even when these keys are disabled, if Windows 95 detects an abnormal bootup it will display the startup menu anyway.  This is not good, because it allows the user access to the "backdoor" methods described above.  Therefore, using this option also sets a system flag which make the startup menu more difficult to use: if the menu does indeed appear, its default choice is instantly chosen, then the menu immediately vanishes.  Under this option, the default choice is reset to start the correct user interface.

Allow CDs to automatically run when inserted in the drive: Standard-issue Windows 95 behavior is that when a CD-ROM is placed in the drive, its designated program runs automatically.  Do you want to allow users to launch programs in this way?  Any program launched in this way becomes a third-party window, so if you allow CDs to run automatically, be sure to either allow third-party windows (this is done per-desk), or list the CD's program as an Exception.

Hide desktop buttons for unavailable programs: If a program is not available at desk logon, should its button be displayed?  You'd use this, for example, if a button launches a CD application and you want the button available for when the CD is put into the drive.

Passwords are case sensitive: Should passwords be considered case sensitive?  This setting will affect all button passwords and the Setup password.  It will also affect any desk passwords that are local to this computer.  Desk passwords from a password file are not case-sensitive at any time.


Event Log Tab

This tab is where you set up logging to file or a printer, and indicate what events you want to log.  Events can be logged in "human-readable" format, or in CSV (comma separated values) format suitable for importing into a spreadsheet or database.  Actually, neither format is particularly readable, which is why WinU features built-in reports.  These reports use the logfile as their raw data.

Where To Log: You can send logged events to any file on your computer or network.  There are three ways to indicate the log file name to use.  You can type in its name, use the Browse button, or "drag and drop" any file from Explorer onto this dialog.  It will appear as the log file name.  If you don't specify a full path to the logfile, your named file will be created in the same directory as the WinU program.

You can also send logged events to a printer so they can be seen as they happen.  For example, if you have "public" computers on a network, which you need to track as they are used, you could have all the computers print their log records to one printer, perhaps at your front counter. One reason there is a computer name as well as desk names is so you can tell the source of such "merged" log records. Note that log records can be wider than 80 characters, so you will need either a wide printer or a narrow print font (or both).  See WinU Log File Formats for more information.

For narrow printers, or when less detail is required, try the summary logging option.  This provides just a few lines of information, including the amount of time and the number of pages printed while in the desk.  You can even have WinU add a formfeed to eject the page at desk logoff.

When logging in No Security ("Convenience") mode, application start times are logged, but end times are not.  For the most comprehensive tracking, use one of the two Security modes.

You can use the word %COMPUTERNAME% as part of the logfile name.  If you do, WinU will build the logfile name at runtime using the current computer name as a component.  You can also use the words %USERNAME% (user name given through current network or Win95 logon) and %CURRTIME% (a unique number based on the current time) here but they are not as useful.

For example, let's say you have named the logfile \\server\WinU\logs\%COMPUTERNAME%log.txt in this tab. Then let's say you clone this computer and distribute the clone setup over the network to dynamically update three computers named Moe, Larry, and Curly.  Moe will then save its logfile data to \\server\WinU\logs\Moelog.txt, Larry will save to \\server\WinU\logs\Larrylog.txt, and Curly to \\server\WinU\logs\Curlylog.txt.

What To Log: Check the events you want logged.  For basic logging, check Start/End Session, Entering/Exiting Desks, Launching/Terminating Applications, and Password Status.  You only need to check the other boxes if you are using the WinU features they monitor.

You can log these events:

Start and end of sessions: Each time the WinU program started, each time it shut down, and session-related error conditions encountered while WinU is running.

Entering and exiting desks: Each time a user logged on or off a desk.

Launching and terminating applications: Each time a  button launched a program, and each time such a program was terminated.  Termination might be voluntarily by the user, or forcibly by WinU perhaps due to time limits.

Number of pages printed while in each desk: Each page printed while on this desk, or each page printed to one or more specific printers.  Select printers to track by using the buttons provided.  If you simply want a total count of all pages printed from all printers, click the Log all printers button.  This will provide a one-line report at each desk logoff showing how many pages were printed while in that desk.  If you want to know how many pages were printed from each printer, or if you want to track only certain specific printers, click the Select printers button and choose the printers of interest from the list that appears.  This will provide a separate one-line report for each logged printer showing how many pages were printed from that printer while in that desk.

File and  folder access denied: unauthorized access attempts:  You only need to check this box if you use WinU's File Control feature.  When using File Control, some programs (and users!) may still try to manipulate read-only files, write to invisible directories, etc.  If you check this box, WinU can track and report these invalid access attempts by the name of the requesting application, the name of the file which was requested, or both.  A list of these events can be very useful.  For example, if a program doesn't run correctly, perhaps it needs access to a protected file.  The access-denied reports will show this readily.

Password status: legal password updates and unauthorized usage attempts: Check this box to have WinU log each time a password was changed, and each time anyone attempted to use an invalid password.

Tests and diagnostics:  These tests can help pinpoint problems in your WinU configuration.  However, they generate logfile entries and audio feedback which is otherwise undocumented, so this option is primarily intended to be used when working with Bardon technical support staff.


Interface Tab

On this tab you can modify a number of options which control WinU's interface and behavior.

Password Timeout: Indicate how long you want a password screen to stay visible before it times out.

Kiosk Mode is a group of switches which control whether the menu bar and status bar are displayed, whether the user can bring up dialogs by clicking on the desktop surface, and whether the computer name is shown in the title bar.  The menu bar and desk-click dialog switches lets you tightly control desk-to-desk navigation.  When there is no menu bar, and the user can’t bring up the Choose Desk dialog by clicking on the desk surface, the only navigation elements are any DeskLink or PrevDesk buttons you have provided on the current desk.  DeskLink buttons are like webpage links, they change to a specific desk.  PrevDesk buttons let you go back to previously-visited desks, in reverse order.  When combined with these Kiosk Mode options, DeskLink and PrevDesk buttons let you set up a distinct navigation sequence through your WinU desks.  Of course if you provide no such buttons on the visible desk, the user can’t go anywhere.

When these switches are used, the screen is much like a kiosk, or an ATM machine: what you see is what you get.  Full use of them disables all the usual routes to the System Setup dialog, so to turn off Kiosk Mode, WinU adds a System Setup menu item to the standard System menu.  (To open the System menu, click the small icon at the left edge of WinU's title bar.)  Desk-click dialogs are always allowed in Setup mode, so the administrator can use this feature while configuring the system.

Finally, the kiosk mode group includes a switch which controls whether WinU includes the computer name in the WinU title bar.  Displaying this name provides a handy way to quickly identify a particular WinU computer.

Title Bar Apps Button: Another access-control element you can set here is whether WinU's roving program-launch button is available.  This button hops into the title bar of the current active application.  The user can click it to list all programs available on the current WinU desktop.  This is useful when the current active application blocks the user's view of the WinU desktop buttons.

Right-clicking the button can optionally show a different menu.  There are two components to this other menu, each of which can be allowed or denied with a separate checkbox.  The first checkbox adds four entries: Enter Setup Mode, Exit Setup Mode, System Setup, and Desk Setup.  These entries do exactly the same thing as their menu-based counterparts, and like them are password protected.  The second checkbox adds two entries: Logon and Logoff.  Again, these entries behave just like the WinU main menu items.  If you allow access to those items, they are a handy way of navigating when the regular menu is inaccessible underneath an application window.  If neither box is checked, the right-click menu is the same as the left-click menu.

Here is the default appearance of the Apps Button in a title bar:

Custom Position: By default the Apps Button places itself on the right side of the current window's title bar next to the standard buttons.  You might prefer it elsewhere if, for example, you have another program that also puts something in every active application's titlebar.  When selecting a custom position, the cursor changes to the crosshairs style.  Click the mouse in any app's main window.  From then on, the title bar button will be displayed that distance from the right-side border in every window.  If you change your mind while the crosshairs cursor is showing, press Escape to abort.

Default Position: Click this so the Apps button once again sets itself in the default title bar position on the right side next to the standard buttons.

Systemwide Time Limits: By default the cumulative time limits on each desk are entirely independent.  Running out of time on one desk does not affect another desk.  Sometimes, however, it's handy to have just one cumulative-time mode, and one global time limit.  With this option in effect, the administrator need only set the cumulative time limits on one desk, and the settings will be carried over to all other desks.  The user can switch from one desk to another, yet the time will count down uniformly.  If you use cumulative time per day or per week, the maximum time is reset on all desks simultaneously whenever the time period restarts.

If you have set up to use cumulative time per logon, you can take advantage of another Systemwide Time Limits switch which tells WinU to set to "no time left" when re-entering the default desk. This can be very useful, especially in conjunction with the Remote Time Manager program.   With this switch, a patron can have full use of all desks, but immediately on return to the default desk, the time is all zeroed out.  Recall that the inactivity monitor can force a logoff to the default desk, and that the administrator can remotely force any WinU computer to logoff its current desk by using the Remote Time Manager.  The Remote Time Manager can also remotely change the current desk (or Systemwide) time limits, and logoff, shut down, or restart the computer.

The third box lets you set to "zero time remaining" at startup.  This is useful if the time on a computer is sent in as needed using the Remote Time Manager or another system which can send time to WinU from the outside, for example a bill acceptor or card reader.  You can turn the computers on at the start of the day, and no one can use them until time is sent to the computer externally.


Reports Tab

This tab lets you view and print reports based on entries in the logfile, or view the actual logfile data.  Recall that you indicated in the Event Log tab the events to log.

Choose a report, then click a button indicating how you want to view that report’s data on the report output screen.  For per-desk reports, indicate the desk name of interest.  For access denied reports, you can use one or both of the denied-file options.  See Usage Tracking Reports for more information on these.

You can view reports by applicable Name (usually, desk name or program name), by amount of Time Used (time used to accomplish the task being reported), or by Sequence (each event in the order it happened).  Events by Name and by Time Used are aggregated, so if the same program is run twice its data is added together.  Events by Sequence are not aggregated.

Not all reports have all three views.  When a report's view is not available its button is disabled.

Initially, the report output screen shows your chosen report’s data in text form.  The window can be resized if necessary so you can see more of the report.  Grab a corner and pull.

To see the "top ten" items as a graph, click the Graph button on the report output screen.  To print the text report, click Print.  You can also click Font to change the text report’s printed font.  The printed report includes only the text lines, not the graph.  However, you can easily import the logfile into a database or spreadsheet and use that application's graphing capabilities.

Reports can be generated from either the "human-readable" text format, or the CSV-format, logfile records.  It will work fine even if you changed formats in the middle of the logfile.

Reports are generated from the logfile listed at the top of the screen.  Initially this is the same logfile listed on the Event Log tab.  If you need to see reports based on a different logfile, type its name, or use the Browse button to find it, or drag&drop it onto the Reports tab.  The filename which appears here is only for reports.  It will not change the name listed on the Event Log tab.

To generate a report, WinU searches the logfile for a search key.  Records containing the correct search key are included in the report.  When you choose a report, that report's search key is displayed on this screen.

If you need a report not provided here, select one of the user defined reports which are at the bottom of the list, and give any search key in which you are interested.  See the Log File Format section for more information on which built-in search keys track what events.  An external WinU-aware program may add records to the logfile which use additional search keys.  That program's documentation should have more information on those records.

For detailed descriptions of all built-in search keys, reports, and views, see Usage Tracking Reports.


Desk Setup Dialog

To set up options for the current desk, use the Desk Setup tabbed dialog. You can launch this dialog from the Setup menu, or by right-clicking anywhere on the desktop (if desk-click dialogs  haven't been disabled via Kiosk Mode), through the roving Apps Button, or through the System menu.  (To open the System menu, click the small icon at the left edge of WinU's title bar.)

The Desk Setup dialog has seven tabs:

Desk Access: desk name, password, and program-management options

Buttons: including DeskLink, PrevDesk, Exit and Shutdown buttons

Appearance: Wallpaper, button, sound, and color options

Time Control: timeouts and blockouts

Input Control: keyboard, mouse, and inactivity monitoring

Window Control: close or manipulate any window when it appears

File Control: make files and directories invisible or read-only

For information on modifying desktop buttons, see Adding Or Changing Programs.


Desk Access Tab

This tab lets you set the desk name, password and password options, and ways that programs will and won’t run when launched from this desk.

Desk Name:  This is the name by which the desk is listed and chosen.  It is also used in the logfile and external password file, if used.  Though WinU allows it to be identical to another desk’s name, this is probably not a good idea.  You can rename the desk at any time.

Desk Password: The desk password can come from this local setup, in which case it is supplied here.  Or it can come from an external password file, perhaps on a server where the same file can be accessed by many WinU computers simultaneously.  This file can be centrally managed by WinU's Password Manager program.

If you use an external password file, there are three ways to give the password filename.  You can type in its name, or you can use the Browse button, or "drag and drop" any file from Explorer onto this dialog.  See The Password File for more information.  The password or filename can be blank if no password is required to access this desk. It is perfectly okay to have a desk which does not require a password.

Third Party Windows: Some programs can be launched, not by WinU from a button, but by other programs.  We call these third party windows.  These are programs that were launched after WinU started, but were not launched by WinU.  Should these third party windows be allowed to run?  If allowed, third party windows are not logged, and no time limits are enforced against them.  If not allowed, should WinU be very strict, or less strict?

Very strict: If you check "not allowed by filename" WinU is extremely strict about not allowing such windows.  In this case, the only programs that can run on this computer are those on WinU buttons or listed as filename exceptions.  This is the tightest possible control.  However, WinU achieves this control by modifying certain low-level Windows settings.  They are modified when entering this desk and replaced when exiting the desk.  Use the Filename Exceptions button to list programs that are allowed to run when this strict control is in place.  You need give only the file name itself; the path isn't necessary.  So for example to allow c:\windows\sol.exe to run, you need only give sol.exe as the exception.

In general this process works well.  However, if for any reason WinU does not exit normally, the low-level "don't run" settings will still be in place, and almost nothing on your computer will run.  WinU is quite stable and this is a rare occurrance, but computers are not infallible.  If this happens, WinU itself will still run, so just start WinU (perhaps in Safe Mode) and exit normally.  You can exit immediately if you like.  This will clear any leftover third-party control settings.  If for any reason you can't launch WinU in this way, start WinU in Reset Mode.  The easiest way to do this is to run the WinU Reset program (wreset.exe) from the Start menu, from Explorer, or in any other convenient way.  Like WinU itself, this program will always run.  As above, simply start WinU and exit normally to clear the settings.

In the rare case when neither of these methods works, restore the user.dat and system.dat Registry files.  Each time WinU starts, it saves backups of these two files as user.bds and system.bds in your Windows directory.  These backups contain no third party window controls, so using them to restore your user.dat and system.dat files will clear any restrictions.  However, you will lose any system configuration changes you made since they were backed up.  You may need to boot from a floppy disk to a DOS prompt to copy these files.  To restore them, copy user.bds to user.dat and copy system.bds to system.dat.  All four are hidden, system, read-only files in your Windows directory.  You can use the DOS command ATTRIB to make both sets of files visible so you can manipulate them.

Not as strict: The "not allowed by window title" option isn't as strong as the "by filename" method.  This mechanism was used in earlier versions of WinU and is provided here primarily as an upgrade path for users of those older versions.  When disallowing third-party windows by title, WinU looks at the title bar text of all top-level windows which it didn't launch.  A window owned by another window is ignored.  If a window's title text doesn't match any entry on the Exceptions list, the window is terminated.  Windows of programs launched before WinU started are not terminated, but are moved out of sight.

Use the Window Title Exceptions button to list the titles of windows that are allowed to run even if "third-party" windows are not allowed.  To add a exception, you must give the exact (case sensitive) title of allowed windows.  However, * and ? wildcards can be used freely when giving the window title.

Crossover considerations: These two control methods are aware of each other.  For example, when using "not allowed by window title", WinU will attempt to find the filename of the window's program.  If the filename is listed on the Filename Exceptions list, it will not be terminated.  Another example: if you are using the "not allowed by filename" option, and you set up a button on the Advanced screen to launch immediately as a third-party program, you should list that program as an exception so it is not immediately terminated.  You can list such a program exception by window title or by filename.  Different programs will work better with one or the other listing methods.  In fact you may want to put a program on both lists.  It is generally just fine to list an exception by both its filename and its window title.

A program launched before WinU started is not what we call a third party window.  However, as a convenient way to allow access to such a program, list its window title or filename as a third party exception.  The user will then be able to Alt+Tab to such a program, or view popup windows from it, without having WinU immediately hide that program.

Program Management: These settings let you customize the way in which WinU runs programs.

Single program mode: If checked, when the user clicks a button to launch a program, any other currently-running program (which was launched by WinU) will be forcibly terminated.

Maximum screen size:  Check this box to ask programs to run in a maximized window that covers the entire screen (most programs comply with this request). This can help discourage the temptation to launch other programs before exiting from this one, assuming you've allowed this.  Of course, when running a program fullscreen, WinU's main screen is not visible.  In this case you may want to let patrons use WinU's roving Apps Button to get around.

Can be iconized: Check this box to allow WinU-launched programs to be minimized.  A minimized program has no visible window or icon, but you can tell that a program is still running because its button is yellow.  To bring back a running, minimized program, click its yellow button again.  Or you can use the Apps Button menu to bring it back, or just Alt+Tab to that program in the usual Windows way.

The difference between the second option and the third is this: the second option forces programs to run fullscreen at all times.  The third option allows programs to be minimized (become iconic).  A fullscreen program can be minimized, if the third box is checked.

 Warning sound: Do you want WinU to play a warning sound before this desk runs out of time?  The sound is played at the same time the desk-time warning screen pops up.  Choose any WAV sound as the warning (on the Appearance tab) or let WinU use its built-in default sound.  If no program is running at the warning time, no warning sound is played.

Number/letter hotkeys: Checking this box allows the user to launch the first 35 programs by pressing a single key on the keyboard.  WinU will automatically add numbers and letters to your button text for each of the buttons that can be controlled in this way.

Lock CD drive door:  Check this box to help prevent valuable CDs from walking away from the computer while on this WinU desktop.  If you enter this desk with no CD in the drive, the door will remain unlocked.  That is, you can lock a CD into the drawer, but if there is no CD in the drawer it doesn't lock.


Buttons Tab

Buttons can run programs, switch to another desk, exit from WinU, or shut down the computer.  This tab lets you create, change, delete, or copy buttons.  You can also give restrictions to control on which computers this button is displayed.

Adding a button usually requires just two pieces of information.  For Program or DeskLink buttons, give the button's label and filename (or deskname), then click Add and you're done.  PrevDesk, Exit and Shutdown buttons are even easier, since they require only a button label.  The label text is used for logging and internal tracking, so it must be given even if you have set up this desk so its buttons display only the program icon with no label.

There are a wide range of ways to customize the appearance and behavior of buttons.  See Adding Or Changing Buttons, Display Restrictions, and Advanced Program Button Settings for details.

You can create five kinds of buttons, described below:

Run Pgm: A button which launches a program, file, or Shortcut. The minimum setup here is to give the button text and the program / Shortcut / file to run (WinU will find the correct program for a Shortcut or a file having a registered file extension). There are three ways to indicate the program filename to use.  You can type in its name, use the Browse button, or "drag and drop" any file from Explorer onto this dialog.

DeskLink: A DeskLink button switches to another desk when clicked.  When you click the DeskLink radio button, the File To Run label changes to Switch Desk.  Enter the name of the target desk, or use the Choose (changed from Browse) button to select the target desk to which this button should go when clicked.  Some options will become disabled to indicate that they don’t apply to DeskLink buttons.

PrevDesk: A PrevDesk button takes you to the desk you were on before this one.  The last 100 visited desks are saved, so you can back out in exactly the order that got you to a particular desk in the first place.  Some options will become disabled to indicate that they don’t apply to PrevDesk buttons.

Exit WinU: A button which exits from WinU when clicked.  Exiting from WinU while in Super Security will shut down the computer, using the shutdown method selected on the Security Settings tab of the System Setup dialog.  In the other security modes, exiting from WinU returns to the usual Win95 interface.  Some options will become disabled to indicate that they don’t apply to Exit buttons.  The Setup password is not required when exiting from WinU with an Exit button.  If you want password protection for this function, give the button its own password in the usual way.

Shut Down:  A button which shuts down the computer when clicked, using the shutdown method selected on the Security Settings tab of the System Setup dialog.  Some options will become disabled to indicate that they don’t apply to Shutdown buttons.  The Setup password is not required when shutting down the computer with a Shutdown button.  If you want password protection for this function, give the button its own password in the usual way.

You can easily create a button which will restart the computer.  This is included with WinU's Remote Administration Kit.


Time Control Tab

This tab controls times during which programs are allowed to run.

Cumulative Time: In addition to each program’s individual time limit, the desk itself can have a time limit.  If desired, specify the maximum number of minutes allowed before forced termination.  You can also change the number of minutes currently used.  When the desk time runs out, any active programs are terminated. By default, a three minute "grace period" warning is provided to the user.  However this can be changed to whatever you want.  Setting it to zero will tell WinU to give no warning before desk timeout.

The time-limit option is very flexible.  You can set this as cumulative time per day or per week, in which case the maximum time is again available whenever the time period restarts.  Time per day restarts at midnight; time per week restarts on Sunday at midnight.  In these modes, when time expires the desk remains visible but deactivated.  However, you can use the Advanced Screen to set any button so it continues to work in a timed-out desk.

You can also set this as time per logon, in which case the maximum time is available whenever logging onto the desk.  This setting can be useful when setting up a public kiosk because, unlike the other time settings, when the "time per logon" runs out WinU closes all running programs and completely logs off that desk.  This can be helpful in encouraging those "enthusiastic" users to yield the computer to other patrons.  When this setting forces a logoff, WinU switches to the default desk if there is one, or to the initial "No Desk" screen if there isn't.  WinU will close all running programs and reset the time even if there is only one desk, and that desk is the default, and you're already on that desk. Therefore, when the default desk has a "time per logon" setting, you can use this as a way to restart without actually changing desks.

If you use "time per logon" and have set up WinU to use Systemwide Time Limits, you can optionally tell WinU to reset the systemwide time to zero (no time left) when returning to the default desk.  Another Systemwide Time Limits option can initially start the computer with no time available on any desk.  Nothing will run until time is sent to this computer externally, perhaps by using the Remote Time Manager.

The desk time limit can also be set in the password file, if you have set up this desk to look for its logon password in an external file.  The password file can specify the desk's maximum amount of time (time per logon) when accessed with that password, or time per day or per week.  You can also set an expiration date/time after which that password is no longer valid.  Like cumulative time testing, password-file timeouts count the amount of time that the user spends logged on to the desk, whether a program is running or not.  If using "time per logon," WinU completely exits from that desk when time expires.  In the other time modes, the desk remains visible but deactivated.

Remember that there are two independent time-control mechanisms: the cumulative time mechanism and the password file mechanism.  If using both a password-file time limit and a local-computer cumulative time limit, the smaller (sooner) time limit will prevail.  WinU's Time Manager modifies the cumulative time mechanism but not the password-file time mechanism.  So, if the user is running out on the password-supplied time, the cumulative time won't override.

Blockout Periods: These are days and times during which no programs on this desk will run (except those buttons which were set so as to continue to work in a timed-out desk), for example "Tuesdays from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm" or "Weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm."  You can set up as many blockout periods as you like.  Blockout periods must start and end on the same day.  You can't set up a blockout that goes past midnight (for example "Weekdays from 8:00 pm to 8:00 am") but you can achieve the same effect by entering this as two separate blockout periods, one from 8 pm to 11:59 pm, and the other from midnight to 8 am.  Navigation buttons can be set so they will still work during a blockout period, allowing the user to exit from a blocked desk.


Appearance Tab

This tab is used to customize the desk's audio and visual interface.

System Event Sounds: If you check the box here to allow it, WinU will play sound (.wav) files when entering a desk, leaving a desk, or launching a program.  You can also designate sounds to play when the desk or a program is almost out of time.  For each event, you can type the soundfile name or use the Browse button to select a soundfile.  The yellow "speaker" buttons let you preview the chosen sound.  If sounds are enabled but no file is specified for an event, WinU uses its built-in sound for that event.

The Desk Logon sound can be made to loop, that is, to play continuously.  A looping sound will be repeated while no program is running from this desk.

Note: WinU can also associate sounds with an individual button (set on the Buttons tab).  If there is both a individual-button Launch Program sound and a desk-level Launch Program sound, or an individual-button Program Timeout Warning sound and a desk-level  Program Timeout Warning sound, the button sound is played, not the desk sound.

Button Style Preferences:  You can choose the font and color to be used for the button text.  The appearance of a desk’s buttons can also be customized by choosing one or more of the six listed button-style attributes.  Different combinations of attributes generate different-looking buttons.  The first five include all available Windows button border style attributes.  Though they can all be manipulated, some have a more noticable effect than others.  The sixth button-style attribute determines whether label text is displayed for buttons on this desk.  If no label text is displayed, the buttons on this desk are just icons in a border.

By default, the buttons are displayed starting at the top of the available space.  If you'd like to leave empty rows, and start the buttons lower down, indicate here how many rows to skip.  You can also control the amount of space between buttons, both horizontally and vertically.  The default spacing is 6 pixels between rows and 12 between columns.

Wallpaper: WinU has its own "built-in" wallpaper, or you can set this desk to display any other Windows bitmap as the background image by giving its file name here.  You can type in the bitmap filename, or use the Browse button, or "drag and drop" the image file from Explorer onto this dialog.  It will appear as the bitmap file name.  If you leave this blank, WinU's built-in background image will be used.

Whether you use an external bitmap image or WinU's built-in bitmap, the picture can be displayed fullscreen behind this desk’s buttons, or unobstructed in the top half of the WinU screen.

If you prefer, you can display no wallpaper at all, just a plain colored background.  To choose the background color, click the color box.

There’s also a box to check if you don’t want the bitmap’s aspect ratio changed.  If checked, the background will be displayed as large as it can go without being distorted.  A frame will be drawn around the image.

You can display an external bitmap at its actual size (not stretched to fit the available space).  This is a good way to display text or other finely detailed images.  If using this option, it's best to choose a bitmap bigger than space it needs to cover in your chosen screen resolution; any excess will be truncated.  If it is too small, and you aren't tiling the image, excess space will be filled with your chosen background color.

The last option lets you tile the image.  This will copy the bitmap as many times as required to fill the space.  Tiled images must be displayed at their actual size.


Adding Or Changing Buttons

WinU displays each application on a button.  To run that program, click the button with the mouse or keyboard.  Desktop buttons can be set up to launch programs, files, or Shortcuts.  DeskLink and PrevDesk buttons can change to another desk.  Exit and Shutdown buttons terminate WinU or the entire Win95 session.

WinU buttons are easy to set up.  Just drag-and-drop any Shortcut, program, or file with a registered filetype onto the WinU desktop, and a new button will appear.  The built-in password-protected Explorer window makes this easy to do.  WinU asks if you want to configure the new button when you create it.  To reconfigure the button later, right-click on it.

Or you can use the Buttons tab to add, change, or delete a button.  Most button settings are optional.   For Program or DeskLink buttons, you need give only the File To Run (or desk to switch to) and the button label text, then click Add to create the button.  PrevDesk, Exit, or Shutdown buttons require only a button label.

You can get to the Buttons tab through the Setup menu, or by right-clicking on the Apps Button or on the desktop (if not disabled via Kiosk Mode), or by right-clicking on the button itself.  All methods bring up the same screen.

After providing the information, click the Add button to create a new button. To delete an application, select it from the list and click the Delete button.  To change an application's settings, select it from the list, change its information, and click the Change button.

Applications List: The list at the top of the dialog shows all buttons on this desk. If you got here by right-clicking on a button, the screen starts with that button’s settings displayed.  You can at any time select any listed application, to see and change its properties.  Following each application's name is a set of letters, enclosed in angle brackets.  These letters indicate the settings of the Restrictions and Advanced dialogs for that button.  Of course they aren't as detailed as the Restrictions and Advanced dialogs themselves, but they are handy to quickly see which flags are set.  The one-letter codes are as follows:

R: Clone display restrictions are set

W: Show warning screen for timeout warning

Y: Play warning sound for timeout warning

A: AutoRun this program at desk logon

D: Program requires MS-DOS Mode

I: Ask program to start minimized as an icon

3: Start as a "third party" program

T: Can still be run in a timed-out desk

P: Launch tracking pause is given

M: License meter key name is given

K: AutoRun, then keep it running until desk logoff

C: Don't terminate program at desk logoff ("continue to run")

Q: Ask user for QuickNote on program exit

S: Use "soft close" on forced termination

H:  Hang up the phone on exit

U: Uses Dial-Up Networking

L: Launches Dial-Up Networking

Move Up or Move Down: Use these buttons to change the order of the applications in the list.  This is also the order on the desk and in the Apps Button menu.

Button Label: The text to be displayed on this button.  All buttons on this desk are the same width, determined by the text of the longest button label on the desk.  Button label text cannot be blank, even if you are using the No Label button style, because the label is also needed for logging and other internal recordkeeping and tracking purposes.

Button Action: Does this button run a program, switch to another desk, go back to the previous desk, exit from WinU, or shut down the computer?  (In Super Security mode, exiting from WinU also shuts down the computer.  That is, Exit and Shutdown buttons work the same way in Super Security.)  If this is a program button, the label says File To Run, and displays the full path and filename of the  file, program, or Shortcut which will be launched when this button is chosen (for example C:\BARDON\FANCYFAX.EXE).  You can type it in, or use the Browse button, or "drag and drop" any filename from Explorer onto this dialog.  If this is a DeskLink button, the label changes to Switch Desk; WinU will switch to the named desk when this button is clicked.

File To Run/Switch Desk: This is the full path and filename of the program launched by this button, or the name of the desk to switch to if this is a DeskLink button.  If this is a PrevDesk, Exit, or Shutdown button, this field is disabled.

Command parameters: Command-line parameters or switches needed by the File To Run.  DeskLink, PrevDesk, Exit and Shutdown buttons take no parameters.

Initial Directory: The starting directory for a program.  If you leave this blank, the program file's directory is used as the initial directory (C:\BARDON in our example). DeskLink, PrevDesk, Exit and Shutdown buttons have no directory.

Password: Will a password be required to run this button?  If so, list it here.  The case sensitive setting of the Security Settings tab controls whether this password is case sensitive.

Minutes Until Warning: The number of minutes from the start of the application until the warning message is displayed.  Set this to zero if you don't want any warning message for this program.  You can also turn off the warning message for this program by un-checking the Show Warning Screen box in the Advanced Settings dialog.  Un-checking that box will also stop any Desk Timeout warning screen from popping up while this program is active.  This is useful for fussy games that take over the screen and don’t like external dialogs popping up while they are active.  Setting the Minutes Until Warning to zero has no effect on the Desk Timeout warning screen.

Minutes Until Termination: The number of minutes from the start of the application until the program is terminated.  It must be a larger number than the Minutes Until Warning.  For example, you might set 10 Minutes Until Warning, and 14 Minutes Until Termination.  Set this to zero if you don't want any time limits for this program.

Minutes Until Restart Permitted: It's sometimes useful to be able to set a "waiting period" before an application can be restarted after termination.  For example, if a parent sets up Junior's game with 30 Minutes Until Termination, what's to prevent Junior from simply restarting the game right away?  To take care of this, set 60 Minutes Until Restart Permitted and Junior will have to do something else for an hour.  Maybe even homework...

Advanced: The Advanced Settings button lets you provide further customizations.  You can change the button's icon image, provide a customized warning message, play a sound when this button is selected, use network-wide license metering, and change a number of options which modify the way this application launches and terminates.  You can also copy this button to other desks.

Advanced settings can only be changed for an existing button.  To set these options for a new button you must first Add the button using only the basic settings, then re-select the new button in the list at the top of the page, then click the Advanced button to change those settings.

Clone Display Restrictions:  Will you be cloning this computer's WinU setup?  If so, you may want to click this button and use the Display Restrictions screen to list by name the computers on which this button should appear.  Or if it's easier, list the computers on which it should not appear.  Or give a file name; if the file is present (and optionally, if the file's contents match), the button will be visible.  See the Display Restrictions page for more information on this.


Advanced Program Settings
Advanced Button Settings

The Advanced Button Settings screen is reached by clicking the Advanced button on the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  The options on this screen let you further customize the way a program runs.  You can also copy a button to another desk.

Icon file and number:  Perhaps you'd prefer a button image other than the usual icon. You can type a filename, use the Browse button, or "drag and drop" an image file from Explorer onto this dialog.  You can use many types of images on a button, not just icons. Try EXE, ICO, DLL, CUR, ANI, or BMP files.  The chosen graphic can be of any size; WinU will draw it at icon-size on the button.  Use the Browse button to choose any icon from a multiple-icon file, for example a Windows program or DLL.

Kill companion app (title):  Does this program launch another application?  Do you want WinU to also terminate the companion application when this program runs out of time?  If you do, list that "other" application here.  You must give the exact (case sensitive) title of that window.  However, * and ? wildcards can be used freely.

Program launch sound: If you’ve enabled System Event sounds for this desk, you can play a sound when this button is clicked. You can type the sound file name, "drag and drop" a sound file from Explorer onto this dialog, or use the Browse button to select a sound file.  The yellow "speaker" button lets you preview the chosen sound.  If sounds are enabled but no file is specified for an event, WinU uses its built-in sound for that event.

A desk-level Program Launch sound can also be specified.  If there is both a button Program Launch sound and a desk-level Launch Program sound, the button sound is played, not the desk sound.

Timeout warning message: This is your customized warning message to be displayed for this program.  If you don't provide a message, a generic warning message is used.  It's helpful to indicate in your warning message just how much time remains before termination.  Your message can be up to 300 characters long.

Timeout warning sound: Choose any WAV file to be played to warn the user that this program will soon run out of time.  If no file is specified, and the Play Warning Sound box (below) is checked, WinU plays its built-in warning sound.

A desk-level Timeout Warning Sound can also be specified.  If there is both an individual- button Timeout Warning Sound and a desk-level Timeout Warning Sound, the button sound is played, not the desk sound.

Show warning screen: Un-check this box if you don't want any warning message for this program.  You can also turn off the warning message for this program by setting the Minutes Until Warning to zero on the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  What's the difference?  Un-checking this box will stop any Desk Timeout warning screen from popping up while this program is active; setting the Minutes Until Warning to zero has no effect on the Desk Timeout warning screen.

Play warning sound: Should a sound be played to warn the user that this program will soon run out of time?  If this box is checked and no Timeout Warning Sound file is specified, WinU plays its built-in warning sound.

AutoRun this program at desk logon: Check this box if you want the program to run automatically when the user logs on to this desk.

Program requires MS-DOS mode: Check this box if the program has been configured to run in "MS-DOS Mode."  You'll hardly ever need to do this.  Almost all DOS programs run just fine under a normal Windows 95 DOS session.  However, a few older or ill-behaved DOS programs need to run in what's called "MS-DOS Mode."  In this mode, Windows 95 starts the program and then shuts itself down almost entirely.  The DOS program has the use of the entire machine.  When the DOS program exits, Windows 95 reboots.  This creates some security considerations that deserve careful thought before you include such a program in a security-oriented environment like WinU.

Ask program to start minimized as an icon: Check this box if you want WinU to ask the program to start minimized.  Most programs will comply with such a request.

Start as a "third party" program: Third-party programs are those that were launched after WinU started, but not by WinU; they are not time-limited or tracked.  Occasionally you may want to launch  program from a WinU button, but not track or control it.  To do this, start it as a third-party program by checking this box.

Can still be run in a timed-out desk: In general, when a desk runs out of time you don't want its buttons to work.  However this is not always the case.  For example, you may want to allow DeskLink buttons to work in a timed-out desk so a user can exit that desk.  Or you might want to allow WinU's companion logon program to work because you have set up the logon program to send time to WinU if the logon is successful.  To accommodate such situations, check this box to allow the button to work in an otherwise disabled desk.

AutoRun, then keep it running until desk logoff: If this box is checked, the program will not only run automatically when the user logs on to this desk, but will be restarted as necessary to ensure that it is always running while in that desk.

Don't terminate program at desk logoff:  You usually want all programs launched from a desk to be forcibly terminated when the user logs off that desk.  However, by checking this box you can allow a program to remain running even after logging off its desk.  Checking this box tells WinU to turn the program into a "third-party" window when logging off its desk, instead of killing it.  Because it will then be a "third-party" window, you will also need to make sure that "third-party" windows are allowed on the follow-on desk, and that "third-party" windows are not terminated when changing desks.

Use of "third party" windows is not logged and no time limits are enforced against them so, if this box is checked, the program will be logged and tracked only until desk logoff.  After desk logoff it is on its own.

Ask user for QuickNote on program exit: When exiting a logged program, it’s sometimes convenient to have a little note attached to the log record so you can remember why you ran that program (perhaps for billing purposes).  Check the QuickNote box so that, when you run that app and exit normally, you'll be asked for the QuickNote you want attached to that log record.  A QuickNote can hold up to 275 characters.

Use "soft close" on forced termination: Some programs leave themselves or the computer in a sub-optimal state when forced to terminate.  However, such programs might tolerate this "soft close" method, which attempts to use the program's own termination procedure to get it to exit gracefully.  This method won't always work; in particular, it might trigger an "are you sure you want to exit" message from the program you are trying to terminate, which could allow the user to continue.  But if the target program doesn't display this sort of "are you sure" message (or if you can disable that message), the "soft close" can provide a useful alternative method of terminating fussy programs.  "Soft close" is especially handy when trying to persuade a recalcitrant game to restore the normal Windows screen colors at exit.

Hang up the phone on exit:  If you tell it to, WinU will disconnect modem-using apps and hang up the phone.  Check this box if this program uses a modem, and you want WinU to hang up the phone and reset the modem when this program must be forcibly terminated.  If this app uses or launches Dial-Up Networking, also check the appropriate box below.  If this modem-using program uses the old-style DOS "direct to the COM port" communications method, you need only check this one box.

Unlike DOS "direct to the COM port" modem apps, WinU will allow any number of DUN-using apps to run simultaneously.  WinU will disconnect Dial-Up Networking after the last of these programs closes.

Uses Dial-Up Networking:  Check this  box if this button runs a Web browser, email program, or similar application that uses Dial-Up Networking.

Launches Dial-Up Networking: Check this box to indicate that this button directly runs a Dial-Up Networking shortcut.  To create such a shortcut, open My Computer, then open Dial-Up Networking, then right-click on any existing DUN shortcut and select Create Shortcut.  It will be created on your Win95 desktop (you can then move it somewhere else if you like).  Next, create a WinU button to run the new shortcut.  The easiest way is to drag-and-drop the new shortcut onto the WinU desktop.  Finally, go to the new button's Advanced screen and check the Launches Dial-Up Networking box.

This kind of direct shortcut to a Dial-Up Networking connection is the only thing for which this box should be checked.  If the button runs a Web browser, email program, or another application that simply uses Dial-Up Networking, check "Uses Dial-Up Networking" instead.  So, for example, the fact that Netscape automatically calls the DUN dialer after you invoke Netscape does not qualify Netscape as a "launching" application.

Launch Tracking Pause:  There are some programs that start by launching a "helper" app, not the real program.  The "helper" app simply sets things up, then in turn it launches the "real" program before itself exiting.  For example, batch files and Shortcuts work this way.  Launch Tracking Pause is a powerful option that lets you launch these "piggyback" programs in a way that allows WinU to track them.  If you find that one of your programs doesn’t launch correctly, or launches for a few seconds and then vanishes, try giving it a two-second Launch Tracking Pause.  This creates a brief security hole, but realistically it'd be hard for a user to do much damage in just a few seconds.

License Meter Key Name:  Perhaps your organization has purchased only a few licensed copies of some program, yet you want to allow that program to be run from any workstation on your network.  WinU to the rescue!   WinU is designed to ensure that the number of simultaneous users never exceeds the number of licensed copies of the software.  To set this up, first install the program normally, making sure it can be run from each workstation. Then put a button for that program on all desired WinU computers on your network.

When this is set up, choose a License Meter Key Name.  This can be any word or name you prefer, though it’s probably best if the key name helps you remember which program it is monitoring!  So, for example, if you have licenses for Microsoft Word For Windows 95, you might choose to use the key name "Word 95". You must use this same key name with all buttons that run the associated program, on all WinU computers on your network.  When the user clicks that program’s button, WinU will look in the license meter monitor file to make sure there is a license "slot" available under the key name "Word 95".  If a license is available, WinU will update the license meter monitor file to add the new user, and allow the program to be run.  When the user exits from the monitored program, WinU releases the license "slot" making it available to other users.

WinU looks for license metering information in the license meter monitor file.  Give the name of this file on the Remote Management tab of the System Setup dialog.  Then use the companion License Meter Manager program (metermgr.exe) to add this license meter key name, and the number of licenses it controls, to the license meter monitor file.

Copy Button: To copy this button to another desk, click the Copy button.  You can copy a button to one specific desk, or to "Every Desk."


Security Considerations

WinU provides very thorough security control for your computer.  Here are some things you can do to help WinU, and provide further protection.

Use Super Security Whenever Possible:  Super Security is more secure than Casual Security.  In Casual Security, WinU is just another program running on your system.  It can (and does) watch for certain kinds of events, and vigorously resists being shut down abnormally.  However, it is no more privileged than any other program running at that time.  For example, in Casual Security, Start menu programs that have been set up with hotkeys can be launched by typing the hotkey from the keyboard, even though WinU hides the Start menu itself.

But in Super Security WinU integrates much more closely with your system.  It is always launched whenever Windows 95 starts, and exiting from WinU shuts down the computer.  In Super Security, WinU completely replaces the Taskbar and Start Button, making it virtually impossible to use a program not allowed by WinU ... which is exactly what you want.

Un-Topmost And Un-AutoHideThe Task Bar: In Casual Security, there is sometimes a conflict if your Taskbar is set to Topmost or AutoHide (in Super Security there is no Taskbar to worry about).  Because WinU covers the Taskbar on the screen, on some systems it can trigger the Taskbar to fight to remain Topmost, or to show and AutoHide in an annoying loop.  Since WinU covers the screen, you won't actually see this happening, but you will see WinU grab the focus constantly, preventing you from using your programs.  Fortunately, this is easily corrected.  Here is how to fix both of these conditions:

• Click the Start button.

• Select the Settings menu item.  A sub-menu appears.

• In the sub-menu, select Taskbar.  The Taskbar Properties dialog appears.

• Ensure that the "Always on top" and "Auto hide" boxes are NOT checked.

• Click OK to close the Properties dialog.

Lock Down Important Files And Folders:  Some programs let the user access the computer's directory structure, change or delete files, start other programs, etc.  To prevent this, use WinU's File Control to make your important files and folders read-only or invisible.

Don't Allow File-Manipulation Windows: Use WinU's Window Control to monitor and close certain file-manipulation windows when programs put them up.  For example, to prevent Netscape from listing files on the local hard disk, set up the Window Control monitor to look for windows titled "Netscape*Directory listing of*" (for Netscape 3) or "*Directory listing of*Netscape" (for Netscape 4).

Use Single-Program Mode:  For the tightest security, when you set up each desk check the box that enables Single-Program Mode.  In this mode, when the user clicks a button to launch a program, any other currently-running program is forcibly terminated, so only one program can be run at a time.

In Casual Security, Put A Shortcut To WinU In Startup: If you are using Casual Security, you will probably want to place a shortcut to WinU in the Startup folder, to activate WinU when Windows 95 starts its GUI screen.  You don't need this shortcut in Super Security, because in that mode WinU always starts when Windows 95 comes up.

The shortcut in Casual Security ensures that unless the Shift key is held down at startup, or you are booting into Safe Mode, WinU will become active instantly when the Windows 95 graphical interface boots next time.  If you are comfortable using Explorer to put a shortcut to winu.exe in the Startup folder, that's a fine way to do it.  If not, here are step by step directions:

• Click the Start button.

• Select the Settings menu item.  A sub-menu appears.

• In the sub-menu, select Taskbar.

• The Taskbar Properties dialog comes up.

• Select the tab labeled "Start Menu Programs".

• Under Start Menu Programs, click the Add button.

• If you know the full directory path to the winu.exe program, type it into the command line.  Otherwise, click on the Browse button to find it and select it.  Either way, the full path to winu.exe winds up in the command line. When it's there, press Next.

• When you press Next, the Start menu's directory structure appears.

• Scroll down until you see the Startup folder, and select it.

• Now you'll be asked to give a name for this new shortcut.  Pick your favorite name, and click on the Finish button.

• Back at the Taskbar Properties dialog, click OK.

Close Unnecessary Programs: WinU doesn't mind when other programs run at the same time it is active, but before you start WinU in Casual Security, you should still exit from all unnecessary programs.  WinU keeps hidden any programs running before it started.  However, the most secure situation is to not run them in the first place.

Consider What Is Run At Startup:  Whether you use Casual Security or Super Security, the programs listed in your Startup folder are launched whenever Windows 95 starts.  Programs listed on the load= and run= lines of your WIN.INI file are also run at startup, as are programs listed in certain Registry keys.  It’s a good idea to think about these programs, and ensure that none allow access to areas you’d rather keep hidden.

Disable Booting From Floppy Disk:  If your computer is booted from a floppy instead of from your hard disk, WinU won’t run, so it can’t protect your system.  Fortunately, it’s easy to guard against this on most computers.  On most computers, you can use the boot-time CMOS setup screen to disable booting from floppy, or perhaps to reverse the testing order of the drives (so it will first try to boot from C:, then try A: only if C: doesn’t work).  On most machines you run the CMOS setup by pressing DEL at startup, but if yours is different, don’t worry.  It generally says right on the boot-time screen which key to press to run your CMOS setup.  On most computers you can also password-protect your CMOS setup screen so nobody else can undo your protection.  Be careful!  The CMOS setup configures some very important settings.  Doing the wrong thing can have serious consequences.

Don't Use MS-DOS Mode: A few older or ill-behaved DOS programs need to run in what's called "MS-DOS Mode."  (This is set in the DOS program's Properties, on the Buttons tab, under Advanced.)  In this mode, Windows 95 starts the program and then shuts itself down almost entirely.  The DOS program has the use of the entire machine.  When the DOS program exits, Windows 95 reboots.

If you use Super Security, or you use Casual Security and put a shortcut to WinU in your Startup folder, it handles this situation easily.  WinU restarts smoothly when Windows 95 reboots, and again covers the entire screen.  However, while the MS-DOS mode program is running, nothing else is.  Not Windows, not WinU, nothing.  So there's no way to enforce time limits or other security considerations.  Windows restarts when the MS-DOS program exits.  It's a complete reboot.  Nothing is carried over from the previous Windows session before the MS-DOS program ran.  At that reboot time, WinU restarts too.  But the new WinU doesn't know what happened "before," so it doesn't log the MS-DOS app's exit, it doesn't know to enforce restart control on that app, it doesn't know if that app went over its time limit, etc.

As you can see, MS-DOS Mode creates a large security hole.  Fortunately it's really a very small problem, because very few DOS applications require MS-DOS Mode.  Most run just fine under a normal Windows 95 DOS session.  For those few apps that require it, WinU will run the "MS-DOS Mode" apps easily.  All you need to do is check the "MS-DOS Mode" box in the Apps dialog if you decide to use one of these few problem programs.  But before you put one on the WinU desktop, consider the security tradeoffs involved.

Change Your Passwords Regularly: An easy way to enhance security is to change the setup, desk, and application passwords on a regular basis.  Change them to something that isn't obvious, so as to make it difficult to guess.  If you have set up your system to get its logon passwords from an external password file, it's easy to use WinU's Password Manager program to change the logon passwords for all the WinU computers on your network from one central location.


The Three Security Modes

WinU has three security modes: No Security ("Convenience" mode), Casual Security, and Super Security.  Here are the differences between them.

When you first install it, WinU is in Casual Security.  In Casual Security, WinU has the same access and usage control as Super Security, and the same resistance to being shut down abnormally.  However, in Casual Security WinU is "just another program" on your system.  It puts itself between the user and standard Win95 user interface (desktop icons, Start button, taskbar, etc.) but does not disable that interface.  So, for example, in Casual Security programs that have been set up with hotkeys on the Start menu can be launched by typing the hotkey from the keyboard, even though WinU hides the Start menu itself.

For the most protection, use Super Security.  In Super Security there is no Taskbar, no Start button, no desktop icons, and no Task Manager.  Hotkeys don't work, and installers can't install.  WinU is the sole access channel to your computer, so if you haven't set up a program to be launched from WinU, there is no system-provided way to run it.  (However, some programs provide their own internal "application launch" facility.  To control such situations, set WinU so it doesn't allow "third party windows" on its desks.)

In Super Security, WinU sets itself up as the system shell, so it is always runs at startup, and exiting from WinU shuts down Windows 95.  Because WinU is the shell instead of the usual Win95 interface, it can control all access to the computer.  There is no Taskbar, no Start button, no desktop icons, and no Task Manager.  It even runs in Safe Mode.

In Casual Security, starting the computer launches the usual Win95 user interface.  If there is a shortcut to WinU in your Startup folder, Winu will be run at that time.  However, shortcuts in Startup can be bypassed in a number of ways, for example holding down the Shift key while Win95 starts.  In such a  case WinU will not be run.

WinU also has a No Security "Convenience" mode, in which it functions simply as a convenient "application launch" menu.  In a Security mode, WinU covers the entire screen all the time.  In No Security "Convenience" mode, WinU can run smaller than fullscreen.  Since the rest of the system is "available" in Convenience mode, WinU makes no attempt to enforce timeout, warning, or restart restrictions set up for the current program or desk.  The status bar does not show the remaining time for a program or desk, as it does in a Security mode.  If file logging is turned on, application start time is logged but not ending time.  (Session start and end times are logged in any mode.)  WinU doesn't vigorously resist being shut down abnormally, as in a Security mode.  The desk's Single-Program Mode box is ignored.  WinU doesn't test for unauthorized external security-level modifications, doesn't monitor the Taskbar or WinU-launched programs, freely allows WinU to shut down, resized or iconized, and ignores messages sent by the Remote Time Manager or the Message Manager.  In a Security mode, when WinU closes it terminates its currently-running applications.  In Super Security, exiting WinU will shut down the computer.  In Convenience mode, when WinU closes, the computer is not shut down and any programs it launched continue to run.


Order Form
WinU Order Form

Send Orders To:	From:

Bardon Data Systems	Name:

1164 Solano Ave. #415	Address:

Albany CA 94706 USA

(510) 526-8470 voice	Phone:

(510) 526-1271 fax	Fax:

orders@bardon.com	Email:

Make check or money order payable to Bardon Data Systems.

Checks: We accept checks in US Dollars, drawn on a US bank and requiring no additional collection or currency-conversion fees.

Credit Cards: We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover/Novus cards.  Phone credit card orders to Bardon Data Systems or mail this order form:

Sign here to bill credit card for this purchase: ____________________________

1) Print Name As It Appears On Credit Card:

2) Credit Card Number:

3) Expiration Date: ___/___

4) Check if this is:  MasterCard [   ]   Visa [   ]   AMEX [   ]   Discover/Novus [   ]

Purchase Orders:  Purchase orders are accepted from most organizations within North America.  Terms are net 30 days unless arranged otherwise in advance.  For orders under $100, please add an additional $10 processing fee if using a purchase order.

Quantity	Amount Enclosed

WinU (3½" disk unless otherwise noted)	$49.95

Bonus software, free gifts, etc.	FREE

Shipping & Handling	$5.00

Purchase Order Surcharge	$10.00

Orders under $100 if using a purchase order

California residents add 8.25% sales tax ($4.12)

Total Enclosed:

Where did you obtain WinU 4.0?

Comments or suggestions?


Setup Mode

Setup Mode: In Setup Mode, security checks are temporarily suspended.  The current user is by definition the system administrator, someone who already has access to the entire system.  For such a user, further security testing serves no useful purpose.  Therefore, in Setup Mode, passwords are not required or requested, and WinU won't interfere when programs such as Explorer or the Taskbar are accessed.  This makes it easy for the system administrator to modify WinU settings, "drag and drop" programs onto the desk and create new buttons, or use other software tools that a normal user would not have access to.

To exit from Setup Mode, choose Exit Setup Mode from WinU's menu bar, or by right-clicking on the Apps Button, or from the System menu by clicking on the icon at the left edge of WinU's title bar.  WinU will then reset to the previous security mode.

As a visible cue that Setup Mode is in effect, the WinU window shrinks.  The title bar, status bar, and background color also change to indicate that this mode is in effect.


Emergency Passwords

Forgot your setup password?  Don’t worry, you’re not locked out.  Each WinU system has a number of built-in "emergency" passwords.  Each password can be used just once on a given WinU computer.  After a password is used once, it is no longer valid.  For security reasons, the passwords are not listed here.  If you are in a situation where you need one, contact Bardon Data Systems and, after providing appropriate identification, one will be provided.

In addition, the "test-drive" version of WinU has yet another built-in emergency password.  While evaluating, the setup password "WinU" always matches.  After purchase, this "back door" security hole is no longer active.


Log To Printer
Logging To A Printer

Logging to printer is set up on the Event Log tab of the System Setup dialog.  If this is enabled, WinU will send logged events to a printer so they can be seen as they happen.  For example, if you need to track usage on networked public-access computers, you can have all the computers print their log records to one printer, perhaps at your front counter. One reason there is a computer name as well as desk names is so you can tell the source of such "merged" log records.

Normal log records can be wider than 80 characters, so you will need either a wide printer or a narrow print font (or both).  For narrow printers, or when less detail is required, try the Summary Logging option.  This provides just a few lines of information, including the amount of time and the number of pages printed while in the desk.


Reports Description
Reports

WinU can generate a number of built-in usage tracking reports.  These reports can be selected, viewed, and printed from the Reports tab of the System Setup dialog.

A selected report's data can be viewed in up to three ways: by Name, by Time Used, and by Sequence,  However, not all views are applicable to all reports.  If a view is not applicable to a chosen report, its button is disabled.  Within each selected view of a report, data can be displayed in a text list, or in a pie-chart graph.

To keep the pie chart readable, only the "top ten" items in the list are shown.  In addition, any zero-length items are ignored by the pie chart.  However, such items are available in the text list.  When the pie-chart graph is visible, the data elements being graphed are shown in text form in the box below the graph.

When viewing by Name, the listed items (desks, programs, whatever) are sorted in alphabetical order.  When viewing by Time Used, the listed items are sorted by the amount of time each one took.  In either case, if an item has multiple entries, for example, a program that was launched more than once, all its times are added together, and the number shown is the total amount of time that program was run.

When viewing by Sequence, items are sorted by the point in time at which they occurred.  All items are listed individually; nothing is added together, and the "top ten" items in the pie chart are the ten most recent events.

After a report and a view are selected, the output screen appears, displaying that report in the selected view.  This screen can be resized if necessary.  Grab an edge and pull to make the screen larger; the report view will grow as well, making more of its data visible.

Output reports in the current view can be printed.  Click the output screen's Print button to print the current report.  Click the Font button to select the printed report's font.  The Font button does not change the screen font, just the printer font.  If you need the printed report in computer-usable form, you can Print To File.  (You can also use the logfile itself, which is designed to be easily parsed by database or spreadsheet programs.)

Reports are generated from the logfile listed at the top of the screen.  Initially this is the same logfile listed on the Event Log tab.  If you need to see reports based on a differerent logfile, type it in, or use the Browse button to find it, or drag-and-drop it onto the Reports tab.  The logfile name on this tab is only for reports.  Changing it will not change the name listed on the Event Log tab.

To generate a report, WinU searches the logfile for a search key.  Records containing the correct search key are included in the report.  When you choose a report, that report's search key is displayed on this screen.

If you need a report not provided here, select one of the user defined reports which are at the bottom of the list.  You will need to provide the search key in which you are interested.  See the Log File Format section for more information on search keys.  A WinU companion program or other WinU-aware application may add records to the WinU logfile which use search keys not listed here.  That program's documentation should have more information on these records.

To generate further views of the data, the logfile can be imported for further analysis into any database or spreadsheet program.  The Log File Format page describes the layout of this file.

The available reports are as follows.  The specified logfile record codes are described on the Log File Format page.

All sessions: This report shows the ending time and amount of minutes used for all logged WinU sessions.  It tracks ENDSES logfile records, which are written when the administrator exits from WinU.  Since all sessions have the same name, the Name button is disabled.

All desk usage: This report shows the ending time and amount of minutes used for all desk usage.  It tracks CHGDSK logfile records, which are written when the user exits from a desk voluntarily, or when WinU terminates that desk for timeout reasons.

Desks that ran out of time: This report shows the ending time and amount of minutes used for desk usage where the desk ran out of time.  It tracks TIMDSK logfile records, which are written when WinU forcibly terminates a desk session.  This could be due to the internal cumulative time, time limits originating in the external password file, or the start of a blockout period.  In all these cases the user is given an advance warning message.  This report tracks instances in which this warning was ignored and the desk was forcibly terminated.

Password updates and maintenance: This report shows when button program passwords, desk passwords, and the setup password were changed.  It also notes when the external password file name was changed, and shows any use of emergency passwords.  It does this by tracking all CHPWD records (CHPWDP, CHPWDD, CHPWDS, CHPWDF, and CHPWDE).  Since such events take no time, the Time Used button is disabled.

Invalid password attempts: This report shows all instances in which an incorrect password was submitted by the user.  It does this by tracking all BADPW records (BADPWA, BADPWD, BADPWE, BADPWH, BADPWI, BADPWJ, BADPWK, BADPWL, BADPWP, BADPWR, BADPWS, BADPWU, and BADPWX).  Since such events take no time, the Time Used button is disabled.

Programs in all desks regardless of how terminated: This report shows all programs that were run in any desk, whether they were exited normally by the user or forcibly terminated by WinU.  It tracks all ENDAP records (ENDAPT and ENDAPU).  These show desk timeout, application timeout, and user (voluntary) exit.

Programs in all desks that exited normally: This report shows all programs, run in any desk, which were exited normally by the user.  It tracks ENDAPU records, which show user (voluntary) exit.

Programs in all desks that ran out of time: This report shows all programs, run in any desk, which were forcibly terminated by WinU because the individual program ran out of time.  It tracks ENDAPT records.

Pages printed from all desks: You can use this report if you have checked the "number of pages printed" box on the Security Settings tab.  It tracks PAGECT records.  At each desk exit, one PAGECT record is generated for each printer being tracked.  If the pagecount is being tracked, but not specifically by printer name, only a single PAGECT record is generated at desk exit.  It contains one count, the number of pages printed by all printers.

"File access denied" reports: If you have given file/folder names on WinU's File Control tab, and if you have checked the "file and folder access denied" box on the Security Settings tab, you can use the next four reports to list files/folders which were requested but not allowed. There are two systemwide reports and two desk-by-desk reports.  The same data is shown in both reports of each pair.  The only difference is how it is sorted.

When using any of the File access denied reports, two filenames are involved: the name of the program which requested the file, and the name of the file requested.  You can view a report sorted by either the filename of the program which requested the file, or the filename which it requested.  In either case, the report's lines can include just the reported file, or both the reported file and the other file.  If using just the reported file, the results will be aggregated as tightly as possible.  If using both files, the additional level of detail may cause useful patterns to emerge.

Additionally, when using any of the File access denied reports, you can include the full path of each listed filename, or just list the actual filename without its path.  The first way is more detailed.  The second is sometimes easier to read.

When the Windows operating system itself requests a file, the requesting program is listed as KERNEL32.  However, DOS boxes are also part of the operating system, so the program requesting all files accessed by DOS programs is also listed as KERNEL32.

File access denied in all desks: by program: This report lists FILACC records generated in all desks, sorted by the program which requested the denied file.

File access denied in all desks: by filename: This report lists FILACC records generated in all desks, sorted by the name of the denied file.

File access denied in the named desk: by program: This report lists FILACC records generated in the named desk, sorted by the program which requested the denied file.

File access denied in the named desk: by filename: This report lists FILACC records generated in the named desk, sorted by the name of the denied file.

Programs in the named desk regardless of how terminated: This report shows all programs that were run in the one named desk, whether they were exited normally by the user or forcibly terminated by WinU.  It tracks all ENDAP records (ENDAPT and ENDAPU).  These show desk timeout, application timeout, and user (voluntary) exit.

Programs in the named desk that exited normally: This report shows all programs, run in the one named desk, which were exited normally by the user.  It tracks ENDAPU records, which show user (voluntary) exit.

Programs in the named desk that ran out of time: This report shows all programs, run in the one named desk, which were forcibly terminated by WinU because the individual program ran out of time.  It tracks ENDAPT records.

Pages printed from the named desk: You can use this report if you have checked the "number of pages printed" box on the Security Settings tab.  It tracks PAGECT records.  At each desk exit, one PAGECT record is generated for each printer being tracked.  If the pagecount is being tracked, but not specifically by printer name, only a single PAGECT record is generated at desk exit.  It contains one count, the number of pages printed by all printers.

User defined search in all desks: To use this report, you must provide the search key.  It will look for any events saved under the search key you enter here, in all desks.

User defined search in the named desk: To use this report, you must provide the search key.  It will look for any events saved under the search key you enter here, in the one named desk you specify.


Password Manager Program

This program allows the administrator to add or change passwords in the central password file.  Manipulating this file lets the administrator dynamically control access to all desks on all WinU computers on the network.

To generate its computers/desks list, the Password Manager needs data collected by WinU's Data Extractor program.  It lists the Data Extractor data it finds in any of three places: the Password Manager's own directory, the clone-data directory, or the time/message directory as defined on the Remote Management tab.

Each password in the central password file can have an expiration time, and/or can be set so it can be used just once.  After its expiration time, or its one-time usage, that password cannot be used any longer.  Passwords in this file can also have a "minutes allowed" value.  When logging onto the desk with that password, WinU sees the "minutes allowed" value, and will time-out the desk after that many minutes.  The central password file can list more than one password for the same desk, allowing different users to access the same desk on the same computer for different amounts of time.

The password expiration time is not affected by the "minutes allowed" time.  When a patron checks in at your front counter, you might set up a password with 120 "minutes allowed" which expires in ten minutes.  This means that they must log on within ten minutes, but when they do log on they can stay on for two hours, well after the password has expired, because they still have "minutes allowed" remaining.  However, if they log off after the password has expired they cannot use that password to log back on again, even though they have not yet used up all their "minutes allowed."

You could also set up the password so it can be used just once.  After its one-time usage, the password will no longer be accepted.  If there is also an expiration time, this one usage must come before the password expires.

In a library or other situation in which casual users are assigned a machine when they arrive, you could run the Password Manager on a machine at your front counter.  When patrons check in, tell them to go to a specific machine and log on to a specific desk with a specific password.  Then use the Password Manager to enter that password into the file on the spot, giving that password the correct "minutes allowed" value.  Perhaps you might set it to be a one-use password or give it a 10-minute expiration time.

In a workplace, school, or similar situation, you might want to administer the central password file from your own workstation, perhaps in a secured area.  Give each of your users a password that expires at the end of the month, and  a "minutes allowed" value of perhaps 240, so the user will have four hours at each logon.  Or set the "minutes allowed" to 0 and there will be no password-file time limit.  (Per-desk cumulative time limits, if any, will still apply.)

How To Use It: To set up the Password Manager, use the Data Extractor to create a set of data files, one for each WinU computer.  Copy these files into the Password Manager's directory, or the clone-data or time/message directory as defined on the Remote Management tab.  Next, use the Browse button or the File menu item Select Password File to tell the Password Manager the location of the central password file.

You use the Password Manager to add, change, or delete passwords (and their time data) in the central password file.  To do this, first select a WinU computer and desk from the list in the upper box.  All passwords for that desk will appear in the lower box.  If you select a password from this list, its data will appear in the fields at the bottom of the Password Manager screen.  These fields show the password, the "minutes allowed" when this password is used, and the expiration date and time for this password.  Expiration times in the lower box are of the format YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.  (The seconds are always zero; the hours are in 24-hour format 00-23.)  When you select a line, its date/time elements are broken out into individual boxes at the bottom of the screen, where they can be edited.

To delete a password, select it in the lower box and click the Delete button.  To change a password, select it in the lower box, change its data, and click the Change button.  To add a password, type its data and click the Add button.

When adding or changing a password, there are three controls you might find handy.  The Now button puts the current time in the expiration-time controls, and the 10 Min button puts the time ten minutes from now.  The Once Only checkbox shows whether this password will become invalid after being used one time.  Need to quickly turn off access to a password?  You could just delete it, of course, but perhaps you want to save it for later.  To do this, select that password, click Now, then click Change.  Are you entering a password for temporary access, perhaps for a patron who has just arrived?  Select or create a password, click Once Only or perhaps 10 Min, then click Change.

Passwords can be saved in encrypted form, or in plain text.  Encrypted passwords are more secure.  Plain-text data is more easily modified, perhaps by a password-generation macro in your text editor.  Choose the option that best meets your needs.  This is set from the File menu.

Remember that there are two independent time-control mechanisms: the cumulative time mechanism and the password file mechanism. If using both a password-file time limit and a local-computer cumulative time limit, the smaller (sooner) time limit will prevail.  WinU's Time Manager modifies the cumulative time mechanism but not the password time mechanism.  So, if the user is running out on the password-supplied time, the cumulative time won't override.

Interfacing With Other Password Software: You can provide a customized validp.dll to perform desk-password validation in any way you like.  Your customized desk-password validation will completely replace the built-in WinU mechanism described above.  If this is of interest, contact Bardon Data Systems for more information.


Central Password File
The Password File Format

WinU can be set up to fetch its desk logon passwords from a central file, instead of from the local machine’s information.  A single central file (perhaps placed on a network server) can contain passwords for more than one WinU computer.

The file described below uses the built-in password validation mechanism.  However you can replace this with your own desk-password validation mechanism by supplying your own validp.dll file.  Contact Bardon Data Systems for more information on replacing the desk password validation mechanism.

A password file section contains a valid password, and the computer and desk to which that password applies.  It can also have the number of minutes until that desk times out, a time after which that password is no longer valid, and a "use once only" flag which causes the password to expire after its first use.

A single desk can simultaneously have more than one password; different passwords for the same desk are in different sections in the file.  These different sections can have different "minutes allowed", different expiration times, and different "use once" flags.  By judiciously assigning these passwords to your users, you can arrange for the same desk to be used in multiple ways by a number of users.  Remote file passwords are not case sensitive.

The password file is in the standard Windows plain text ini-file format, and can be edited by hand.  However, it’s much easier to use WinU's Password Manager Program to manipulate this file.  The file format is given here for reference.

Passwords can be saved in encrypted form, or in plain text.  Encrypted passwords are more secure.  Plain-text data is more easily modified, perhaps by a password-generation macro in your text editor.  The example file below is in plain-text format:

[Version]

Format=1

[Computer1,Sample Desk,hi there]

deskmins=30

currmins=12

period=D

validUntil=19960820234500

lastreset=0

useOnce=1

[Reference Computer,New Desk,quoit]

deskmins=120

currmins=0

lastreset=0

validUntil=19960821010600

period=W

[Joe Bob,Programs,elephant]

deskmins=0

currmins=0

validUntil=0

period=L

lastreset=0

As you can see, each entry is in its own section.  The sections do not have to be sorted by computer name, by desk name, or by anything else.  Below the header are the section's entries; there are either five or six entries per section (the one-use flag is optional).  Blank lines between entries are acceptable.

Each section header has three fields, separated by commas.  There are no spaces before or after the commas.  The three header fields are:

[computer name,desk name,password]

Below that are the section's entries.  They can be in any order.  The entries are:

deskmins: maximum minutes allowed on this desk when this password is used

currmins: current minutes used in this period (for per-day or per-week desks)

validUntil: password expiration date/time

useOnce: one-use flag (set to 1), or no entry if this is a "permanent" password

lastreset: when time period was last initialized (for per-day or per-week desks)

period: indicates whether deskmins is minutes per logon (L), minutes per day (D), or minutes per week (W)

After the "minutes allowed" is used up, the desk is terminated.  All programs launched from that desk are closed, and WinU returns to the default desk, or to the startup screen if there is no default desk.  The length of the grace-period warning provided to the user is set on the Time Control tab.  The expiration time is of the form YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.

After the validUntil expiration time. or if the one-use flag applies, the password is invalid and cannot be used.  So, for example, when a user checks in at the front desk you might generate a password for that user on the fly, valid only for (say) the next ten minutes.  If the user does not log on within that time, the password is not usable.

If "minutes allowed" is 0, there is no externally imposed time limit.  Similarly, if the expiration time is 0, this password will never expire.

Remember that there are two independent time-control mechanisms: the cumulative time mechanism and the password file mechanism. If using both a password-file time limit and a local-computer cumulative time limit, the smaller (sooner) time limit will prevail.  WinU's Time Manager modifies the cumulative time mechanism but not the password time mechanism.  So, if the user is running out on the password-supplied time, the cumulative time won't override.


How To Clone A Computer

WinU's cloning feature takes a "snapshot" of the WinU setup on one computer, so its setup can be copied to another computer.  The data is saved in a clone file when you click the Export Clone File Now button on the Remote Management tab of the System Setup dialog.  The clone file contains all the data that defines this computer's configuration, and any display restrictions that you've set up to control which buttons or desks are displayed on what computers when the clone file is distributed.

There are two ways to transfer the clone configuration data to a remote computer.  You can do this when installing WinU.  If a clone.bds file is in the same directory as the install program (on the floppy disk, or in the network-based install directory) the installer will offer to copy the clone setup to the new machine.

The second way is to tell WinU to AutoUpdate itself.  To do this, copy a clone.bds file into a directory visible to the client WinU computer, and use the Remote Management tab to tell WinU where to look for this file.  WinU can check that location at startup, desk-change, and shutdown.  If it finds a new data file, the new information will replace the client machine's previous desk/button/settings information.

If you are cloning one master computer and you want the target computer(s) to use a different logfile than the master computer, use the word %COMPUTERNAME% as part of the logfile name.  At runtime this will be replaced with the actual computer name to build a unique logfile name for this computer.  You can also use the words %USERNAME% (user name given through current network or Win95 logon) and %CURRTIME% (a unique number based on the current time) here but they are not as useful.  See the Event Log description for more information on this.

When setting up your master computer, you might also want to assign per-user default desks to have WinU look at the network logon name so as to determine which desk will be the default for this session.  Since WinU's desk-to-desk navigation can be tightly controlled, you can use this method to ensure that different users of the same WinU computer have access to only those WinU desks they are allowed to use.

Another useful tool for cloning is WinU's display restrictions feature.  This lets you control the computers on which a desk or button should appear.  When setting up your master computer, you can give information for each individual button and desk.  At runtime WinU can test the name of the current computer, the presence/absence of a file, and/or that file's contents.  Using this feature, you can set up just one clone file to distribute to all WinU computers, yet have each computer display an individual configuration.

Remember that WinU's File Control, Input Control, Time Control, and Window Control are set up per-desk; the above mechanisms let you control what desks are displayed, to what users, on which computers.  Therefore you need only distribute  one master clone configuration to tightly control file and program access by computer and user throughout the enterprise.

How to clone: To clone a computer, first set up one computer with your chosen desks, buttons, passwords, logfile, sounds, wallpaper, display restrictions, per-user default desks, and whatever else you want to specify.  Then click the Export Clone File Now button on the Remote Management tab of the master computer.

Update when installing: To include the clone data as part of the initial installation process, copy a clone data file named clone.bds to the same directory as the WinU installer (floppy disk or network install directory), with the other WinU files.  Run the WinU installer in the usual way.  When the installer sees the data file, it will offer to install the clone data onto the new machine.  If you are installing from a floppy disk remember to leave some empty space on the disk for the installer/cloner to create some small temporary files during the installation process.

AutoUpdate: To dynamically update an already-installed remote client computer, copy a clone file named clone.bds to the directory in which that client computer looks for clone data files.  This was specified in that computer's System Setup dialog on the  Remote Management tab.  On the next restart, desk-change, and/or shutdown, the computer will see the new data file in that directory, read it, and replace the old data with the new data.  For security reasons, you might want to just give the client machine read-only permission in that directory.  You can do this through the usual network facilities, or through WinU's file control feature.

If your master setup changes, you might want to replicate the changes onto your other WinU computers.  Of course, the easiest way to do this is to have previously set up all your WinU computers to look for new AutoUpdate files.  But what if your client machines are not on a network, or simply not set up to look for dynamic-update files? In that case, the fastest, simplest, and cleanest way to do the update is to run the WinU uninstaller on the clone machine, then reinstall using the newly-updated clone file containing the master machine's data.  Uninstalling WinU on the clone machine removes all traces of the previous installation's setup.  By doing this, you can guarantee that there will be nothing left from the previous setup which might conflict with the new configuration.  WinU uninstalls and reinstalls very quickly, so in general an uninstall and reinstall is both the safest and the fastest way to update an existing clone computer that is not set up for dynamic self-updating.


System Administration With WinU

The concept of WinU is that there is a system administrator who sets up and maintains the system.  This person has access to many features that a normal user cannot use.  These features allow the administrator to set up and change the system, and monitor it through usage reports and logs.  Some are especially intended to be handy when managing more than one WinU-enabled computer, perhaps on a network.

Tools especially geared towards system administration include:

System Setup Dialog

Desk Setup Dialog

Emergency Passwords

Interface Tab / Kiosk Mode

How To Clone A Computer

Display Restrictions

Window Control

File System Access Control

The Password File

Password Manager Program

License Meter Manager Program

Remote Time Manager Program

Log To Printer

Reports


WinU Log File Formats
Log File Format

WinU provides file-logging options that can be set in the System Setup screen.  The log file records can be saved in one of two formats.  In Text format, WinU records all actions to a log file in a more or less "human-readable" format.  If CSV format is chosen, WinU logs all actions in comma-separated-values format suitable for importing into a database or spreadsheet.

The logfile is also the source of the data used to generate WinU’s usage reports.  These reports don’t care whether the logfile uses the Text or the CSV format.  You can even change format in the middle of the file; the reports will still be accurate.

The "human-readable" records are of this form:

dd-mm-YYYY HH:MM:SS nnn: ffffff, num, computer, desk, app, msg, quicknote

The comma-separated values records are of this form:

"dd","mm","YYYY","HH","MM","SS","nnn","ffffff","num","computer","desk","app","msg","quicknote"

The abbreviations used in the above description forms are:

dd	two digit day (01-31)

mm	two digit month (01-12)

YYYY	four digit year (ex: 1997)

HH	two digit hour in 24 hour time (00-23)

MM	two digit minute (00-59)

SS	two digit second (00-59)

nnn	three digit current desk number (1-500)

ffffff	six-character "action flag" code (see below)

num	usually, minutes in program, desk or session (see below)

computer	the computer name of this WinU machine

desk	current desk name (text)

app	usually, the button title of this application (see below)

msg	explanatory message

quicknote	any QuickNote attached to this logfile record

The "action flag" code is six characters long.  It indicates the action that generated this log record.  The associated message can be any length.  This table shows all action flags, the "num" flag, and the explanatory messages associated with them:

Code    Num    Message

BADPWA	S	Invalid password for drag-drop file program add

BADPWC	S	Invalid password for Ctrl+Alt+Del

BADPWD	S	Invalid password for desk setup

BADPWE	S	Invalid password for Explorer

BADPWH	S	Invalid password for Help

BADPWI	S	Invalid password to add desk

BADPWJ	S	Invalid password to copy desk

BADPWK	S	Invalid password to delete desk

BADPWL	S	Invalid password for desk logon

BADPWM	S	Invalid password for setup mode

BADPWP	S	Invalid password for program launch

BADPWR	S	Invalid password for reports

BADPWS	S	Invalid password for system setup

BADPWU	S	Invalid password for external security level upgrade

BADPWV	S	Invalid password for reset mode

BADPWX	S	Invalid password for WinU exit

BDCKPT	D	Could not save desk time checkpoint

CHGDSK	D	Leaving Desk M (DeskName) - Entering Desk N

CHPWDD	S	Desk Password Changed

CHPWDE	S	Used emergency password N to gain access

CHPWDF	S	Desk Password File Name Changed

CHPWDP	S	Program Password Changed

CHPWDS	S	Setup Password Changed

CMPLDF	S	WinU component load failed: <name of component>

ENDAPT	A	Application Terminated Due To Program/Desk Timeout

ENDAPU	A	Application Terminated By User

ENDSES	S	End Of WinU Session: exiting program

FILACC	S	File access denied

HIDDSK	S	Attempt to logon to disallowed desk

MTRSBD	S	<metered-app startup bad, see its error message>

MTRSNS	N	Metered application startup denied: no more users are allowed

MTRSOK	N	Started metered application (now has N concurrent users)

MTRXBD	S	<metered-app exit bad, see its error message>

MTRXOK	N	Terminated metered application (now has N concurrent users)

PAGECT	P	N pages printed by <name of printer or All Printers>

STRAPP	0	Application Started

STRSES	0	Start Of WinU Session

TIMDSK	D	All Applications Terminated Due To Desk Timeout

ULOGON	T	User Logon (generated by Logon program)

The "num" field generally, though not always, shows the number of minutes at the time this log record was generated.  The meaning of the "num" field is:

S: minutes in session

D: minutes in desk

A: minutes in application

N: current number of users running metered application

P: number of pages printed in desk

T: logon program switched WinU to this target desk number

0: (zero) will always be zero for this record type

For ULOGON records, the App field contains the text typed into the WinU logon program by the user.  If you have set up to do so, this text may have been massaged by your site-specific validation function.

When logging in No Security ("Convenience" mode), application start times are logged, but end times are not.  For the most comprehensive tracking, use one of the two Security mode.

If the Event Log "tests and diagnostics" box is checked, the logfile may contain further information useful to Bardon support personnel in diagnosing problems.


License Meter Manager Program

WinU's built-in network-based license meter management lets you control how many users can simultaneously run any program.  You'd use this feature if your organization has purchased only a few licensed copies of some program, yet you want to allow that program to be run from any workstation on your network.

To set up WinU's license management, first install the managed program normally, making sure it can be run from each workstation.  Then put a button for that program on all desired WinU computers on your network.

Next, choose a license meter key name.  This can be any word or name you prefer, though it’s probably best if the key name helps you remember which program it is monitoring!  So, for example, if you have licenses for Microsoft Word For Windows 95, you might choose to use the key name "Word 95".  Give this license meter key name on each relevant button's Advanced Settings screen.  You must use the same key name with all buttons that run the same associated program on all WinU computers on your network.

When the user clicks that program’s button, WinU will look to see if there is a license "slot" available under the key name you've given for this button ("Word 95" in our example).  If that key's licenses are not all currently in use, WinU will update the license metering information to add the new user, and will allow the program to be run.  When the user exits from the monitored program, WinU releases the license "slot" making it available to other users.

WinU looks for license metering information in the license meter monitor file.  Give the name of this file on the Remote Management tab of the System Setup dialog.  Each client computer must have read/write access to the directory holding the license meter monitor file.

How To Use The License Meter Manager Program:  The system administrator uses the License Meter Manager program to add or change license meter key names and the numbers associated with those name.

First, use the Browse button or the File menu to tell the Meter Manager where the license meter file is located.  You only have to do this once; the file's name and location will be saved.  This is the same file listed in this WinU computer's Remote Management tab entry and can be updated from there as well.

Selecting a file reads all its keys.  To work with an existing key, choose it in the list and click the "Choose Meter Key" button, or just double-click the listed key.  The key's data will appear in the Meter Manager fields.  You can change the key's settings, or delete it altogether.  To add a new key, give its name and settings and click Add.

Administrator Unlock: The meter file is locked by any process updating it.  If it is locked, the WinU computer which has the lock will be listed on the Meter Manager screen.  Normally, the lock is held by a process for only a very brief time (less than a second) while it updates the file.  If a process locked the meter file but did not unlock it, no users will be able to run any metered applications.  In this case, you can use the "locked by" field to see which WinU computer is behaving abnormally, then use the "unlock" button to correct the situation.

WinU’s license monitoring is designed to work equally well whether you install a single copy of the monitored software on a network server, or install separate copies on every workstation (perhaps far more installations than you have actual licenses). In either case, WinU is designed to ensure that the number of simultaneous users never exceeds the number of licensed copies of the software.  This lets you use your network to monitor and control a limited number of licenses for a program, even if the program isn’t "network friendly" and insists on being run from the local machine.  (Check with the software vendor before installing more copies than you have licenses.)

Interfacing With Other License Metering Software: You can provide a customized validm.dll to perform license meter management in any way you like.  Your customized license meter management mechanism will completely replace the built-in WinU mechanism described above.  If this is of interest, contact Bardon Data Systems for more information.


Remote Management Tab

This tab lets you set up features which provide network-based remote configuration and application control.  You can also set up a computer-to-computer communications channel, allowing WinU users to send popup text messages to each other over the network.

Clone AutoUpdate: You can dynamically update the entire WinU configuration from a remote location.  To use this feature, give a clone data folder name here and check one or more of the three Look for clone updates boxes.  You can drag-and-drop a directory onto this dialog from Explorer, and its name will appear as the AutoUpdate source folder.  WinU will look in that directory for a clone data file named clone.bds. This file is generated by clicking the Export Clone File button.  WinU can look for this file at startup, at shutdown, or when changing desks.  If found, WinU will overwrite its current configuration with the new data.

If you check both the "at startup" and the "network logon pause" boxes, at bootup when in Super Security WinU will wait up to 120 seconds to give your network logon process enough time to make the clone data directory visible.  During this two-minute period, WinU checks repeatedly for the clone folder.  As soon as it is available, WinU does its AutoUpdate check and then continues its startup process.

Another setting available here controls whether WinU updates itself with the clone files whenever they are found, or only when they have a different filedate from the last clone.bds file.  Use this option to ensure that WinU's configuration cannot be changed.  Even if someone has defeated WinU's security and modified its settings, the program will re-read the clone data file at startup, at shutdown, and when changing desks to reconfigure itself as you have specified.  Remember, though, that the clone data will replace the entire configuration repeatedly.  Even your own "on the fly" setup changes will be replaced!

Export Clone File Now: Clicking this button sets up to create a clone data file.  By default it is named clone.bds and is in the named AutoUpdate directory.  This file contains all the data that defines this computer's configuration, and any display restrictions, per-user default desks, or other features you have set up to control which buttons or desks are displayed on what computers.  Cloning is further described in How To Clone A Computer.

Import Clone File Now: Clicking this button sets up to read a clone data file and immediately update the current computer's configuration.  It's sometimes useful to be able to instantly update the current computer.

License Meter Monitoring: WinU's built-in license meter management lets you control how many users can simultaneously run any program.  Use this feature if your organization has purchased only a few licensed copies of some program, yet you want to allow that program to be run from any workstation on your network.  WinU is designed to ensure that the number of simultaneous users never exceeds the number of licensed copies of the software.

To set this up, you first install the program normally, making sure it can be run from each desired workstation.  Use the program's Advanced Settings screen to assign it a license key as set up in the License Meter Manager program.  Then use this Remote Management tab to give the name of the meter monitor file in which WinU can find that license key.

Time Control Files And Pop-Up Messages: Designate a directory here so you can use the Remote Control / Time Manager and the Message Manager to send virtually immediate messages from a remote network location to this computer.  Time Manager messages can modify cumulative time limits and settings, log off the current desk, hang up Dial-Up Networking, shut down or restart the computer, and cause popup text notes to appear on the target computer(s).  Message Manager messages let users send short popup text notes to other WinU computers on the network.

WinU will look in the designated directory about once a minute for time and message files.  A time file can be targeted at one specific WinU computer or at all WinU computers on the network.  A message file can be targeted only at one specific WinU computer.

This directory must be able to handle long filenames because both time and message filenames exceed the now-defunct DOS 8.3 filename format.

To use the Message Manager, the user's computer must have read-write access to this directory, so WinU can delete the message file after it is read.  If you plan only to use the Time Manager the directory can be read-only, because the target WinU computer does not delete time files.  Instead, it notes the filetime of the most recent one, and ignores time files until it sees one with a different filetime.


WinU License Manager File Format
License Manager File Format

WinU's built-in license meter management lets you control how many users can simultaneously run any program.  You'd use this feature if your organization has purchased only a few licensed copies of some program, yet you want to allow that program to be run from any workstation on your network.

WinU looks for license metering information in the meter monitor file.  Typically, this file would be on a server in a location visible to all WinU client machines that need access to it.  Give the name and location of this file on the Remote Management tab of each client machine's System Setup dialog.

The license meter monitor file is in the standard Windows ini-file format.  As such, it is plain text, and can be edited by hand.  However, it is much easier to use WinU's License Meter Manager program to manipulate this file.  The file format information given here is for reference and to describe how the data can be used.

Consider this license file:

[Word 95]

maxAllowed=125

currInUse=62

WinU computer name 1023452=1

Some other WinU computer name=1

[Lotus]

maxAllowed=30

currInUse=

Some other WinU computer name=1

Another WinU computer=1

[Netscape]

maxAllowed=50

currInUse=50

Another WinU computer=1

As you can see, each entry is in its own section, each with its own header.  The sections do not have to be sorted by application name.  Below the header are the section's entries; there are two permanent entries per section, plus the names of the WinU computers that are currently using a license.  Blank lines between entries are acceptable.

The text in brackets is the section header.  This is the license key name, the lookup key for this licensed application which is specified as the meter key in the monitored program's Advanced Settings screen.  Perhaps this is the name of the program, but it can be any text you choose.

The two entries maxAllowed and currInUse show the maximum and the current number of users.  The maxAllowed entry is a fixed number, set by you with WinU's License Meter Manager program.  The currInUse entry is kept up-to-date by WinU to reflect the number of users who are simultaneously running this program at the present time.  If a launch request comes in but there are no "slots" left, the associated program cannot be started.  In the above example, no more users can access Netscape until one of the current users exits.

This method can with equal ease monitor license counts for applications loaded from a server or from a local workstation.  You can even monitor a set of completely different executables under the same license key (for example an Office-type suite of applications).


Input Control Tab

WinU can monitor keyboard and mouse activity in Explorer and file-management screens.  This can prevent the use of the Delete key, the special Windows keys, and the mouse's right-button context menus.  WinU can also prevent the use of Explorer features such as Find File, Find Folder, Find Computer, Map Network Drive, and Go To.  In addition, WinU can disable the right mouse button and Delete key in the 32-bit Netscape (3.x or 4.x) or Microsoft (3.x or 4.x) web browsers.   All these features can provide "back door" access methods to your computer.

Exit desk if no keyboard or mouse activity: WinU can test for periods of inactivity, like a screensaver timer, and exit from the current desk if there has been no activity for a specified number of minutes.  It will switch to the current systemwide or per-user default desk if one has been specified, or to the "No Desk" startup screen otherwise.

Disable Windows Explorer file/directory manipulation options: If checked, WinU will look for certain Explorer-related window titles and cancel them when found, so as to disable their function.  These window titles are:  "Confirm File Delete", "Confirm Folder Delete", "Confirm Multiple File Delete", "Find", "Go To Folder", "Map Network Drive", and "Create Shortcut".  Disabling these windows makes Explorer's menus safer.

Disable Delete key in Windows Explorer and open/save dialogs: This prevents using the Delete key to delete files or folders in Explorer, the standard Windows Open/Save dialogs, and Microsoft Office applications.

Disable right mouse button in Windows Explorer and open/save dialogs: This prevents using the right-mouse context menus in Explorer, the standard Windows Open/Save dialogs, and Microsoft Office applications.  If uncontrolled, these menus can allow the user to run applications, delete and rename files, etc.

Disable Delete key in selected World Wide Web browsers:  It's occasionally useful to disable this, for the same reason as with Explorer and Open/Save dialogs.  WinU can monitor the 32-bit Netscape (3.x or 4.x) or Microsoft (3.x or 4.x) web browsers.

Disable right mouse button in selected World Wide Web browsers:  As with Windows Explorer, right-mouse context menus can allow a Web browser to save files and otherwise access areas perhaps best left alone.  WinU can monitor the 32-bit Netscape (3.x or 4.x) or Microsoft (3.x or 4.x) web browsers.

Disable Windows and Apps keys:  These keys, found on newer keyboards, can launch Explorer windows, the Run dialog, the System Properties hardware setup dialog, and more.

Disable Ctrl+Alt+Del:  With this checked, Ctrl+Alt+Del is protected.  If you have listed a Ctrl+Alt+Del password, that password is required to use the Close Programs box.  If no password is listed, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del has no effect at all.

Clone Display Restrictions:  Will you be cloning this computer's WinU setup?  If so, you may want to click this button and use the Display Restrictions screen to list by name the computers on which this desk should appear.  Or if it's easier, list the computers on which it should not appear.  Or give a file name; if the file is present (and optionally, if the file's contents match), the desk will be visible.  See the Display Restrictions page for more information on this.


Remote Time Manager
Remote Control / Time Manager

The Remote Control / Time Manager is part of WinU's Remote Administration Kit.  This program lets the administrator, at another station on the network, create and send "time files" (files with the extension of .time).  These messages can remotely logoff any user, or reset the current time limits, or shut down the remote computer, or send a brief popup message to one or all WinU computers on the network.  The remote time management works especially nicely when you have set up to use a single systemwide time limit for all desks on that computer.

A station can sit there with zero time available until a patron arrives.  Then you can remotely set the time limit to some value, letting the patron use the computer.   This works best when using systemwide time limits.   If the time limit is set as systemwide, the patron can use as many desks as desired, yet the time control remains uniform.  And if the patron chooses to add more time, this can be done from the administration station and the patron does not have to log off first. Or if necessary to handle certain kinds of situations, you can force a logoff, shutdown, or reboot at any point, remotely from the administration station.

An example: a customer arrives and sits at a computer which is on the default desk.  There is zero time available.  From the administration station, you remotely send some amount of time to that computer, let's say 30 minutes.  The customer uses programs on a number of desks for the allotted 30 minutes as the counter ticks down.

Perhaps the customer leaves while there is still time on that desk.  If so, you can send that computer a logoff message, and it will reset to its default desk.  Or maybe the inactivity monitor triggered a logoff to the default desk.  Either way, the time is reset to zero and the computer is immediately ready for another patron.

Or perhaps the customer isn't done yet, and wants to add time to this session.  You can remotely send more time to that computer.  Within seconds, the customer sees the status bar change to show the new time limits.

Or perhaps it's time to close, and the customer doesn't want to leave.  You can remotely logoff to the zero-time default desk, or even shut down the computer entirely.  You have full control.

Setting Up The Local Computer:  You set up the local computer to receive messages from the Remote Time Manager by providing a Time/Message directory name on the Remote Management tab of the System Setup dialog.  Typically this directory will be on a server, where it can be seen by both the target WinU computer and the administrator's station.  The target WinU computer checks this directory for new messages about once a minute.  If it finds a time file addressed to this computer, or to All WinU Computers, the target WinU computer will read the file and reset itself accordingly.  The time file can safely remain in the Time/Message directory; it wil be read only once per target computer.

Using The Remote Time Manager Program:  The administrator can run the Remote Time Manager from anywhere on the network that can access the Time/Message directory monitored by the target WinU computer.  The network must be enabled for long file names.  To set up the Remote Time Manager, use the Data Extractor to create a set of data files, one for each WinU computer.  Copy these files into the Remote Time Manager's own directory, or to the Time/Message or AutoUpdate folder(s) listed on this computer's Remote Management tab.  All these locations will be checked for .dat files when the Time Manager starts.  A line will be added to the Time Manager's list for each file found in any of these locations.

To build a command, first choose a computer to reset from the Time Manager's list, or check the "all computers" box to reset every computer with this one command.  Next, set up the command by checking one or more of the boxes on the left side, and selecting from their options on the right side.  Here are the checkbox choices, and the options for each choice:

Force immediate termination:  Logoff will immediately set the target computer to the default desk.  This is especially handy when you have set up to use the Systemwide Time Limits "time per logon" option which zeros out the time when returning to the default desk, because sending this message logs off the user to the default desk and sets their available time to zero with one step.  Shutdown and Reboot act the same on some computers.  For those computers that can handle the distinction, both choices are provided here. Close Dial-Up Networking will terminate any open Dial-Up Networking connection and hang up the phone on the target computer.  Maybe you'll want to send this message to All WinU Computers at the end of the day to make sure all your phone lines are disconnected before closing up shop.

Change cumulative-time setting: These are the same choices available on the Time Control tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  If you are using Systemwide Time Limits it doesn't matter which desk you change this for; they'll all change.  You may want to use this to set into and out of "time per logon" to take advantage of its option to zero out the time when returning to the default desk.

Update minutes until termination: If you increase the minutes until termination, there will be more time available; if you decrease this, there will be less time available.  This change is permanent.  It sets the cumulative time Minutes Allowed value, which is saved from session to session.  You can add minutes to the current value, subtract minutes from it, or change it to a new value entirely.  It can be set from zero (meaning: no time is available) to 9999999 minutes (approximately 19 years).

Update current minutes used: If you increase the current minutes used, there will be less time available; if you decrease the current minutes used, there will be more time available.  This change is temporary.  It sets the cumulative time Minutes Used value, which is reset whenever required by the current cumulative-time setting (daily, weekly, or at logon).  You can add minutes to the current value, subtract minutes from it, or change it to a new value entirely.  It can be set from zero (meaning: no time has been used up) to the current "total minutes allowed" value (meaning: all time has been used up).  Changing this value will not affect the current-used minutes value used for logging and reports.

Send popup message to user: Often, in conjunction with taking some action you'll want to send a popup message to the affected WinU computer users on the network.  To do this, type your brief message (300 characters or less) here.  The message will pop up on the user's computer before any other action in this message is done.  So, for example, the user will get to read the attached message before the computer is shut down.  Those big-font popup messages time out in two minutes, so if no user is at that particular computer, there will be very little delay.

If you update the total minutes allowed or the current minutes used, remember that these two values work together.  If the total allowed ends up lower than the current used, there will be no time available on the desk.  Perhaps the best strategy is to either add to the total minutes allowed, or subtract from the current minutes used.  Though the Time Manager does let you change these to specific fixed numbers, be very careful when you change one value.  Take the other value into consideration or you could end up with a timed-out desk!

Remember that there are two independent time-control mechanisms: the cumulative time mechanism and the password file mechanism.  If using both a password-file time limit and a local-computer cumulative time limit, the smaller (sooner) time limit will prevail.  WinU's Time Manager modifies the cumulative time mechanism but not the password time mechanism.  So, if the user is running out on the password-supplied time, the cumulative time won't override.

One way to use the Time Manager might be to set the public computer to use systemwide time limits, and set to "no time left" both when WinU starts, and when re-entering the default desk (all of these are done from the System Setup dialog's Interface tab).   When a customer comes in, use the Time Manager to send that machine as many minutes as the customer has paid for (either by adding to total minutes allowed or subtracting from the current minutes used).  The status bar shows the time remaining, and WinU will warn the customer in advance of expiration.  You then use the Time Manager to send the machine more time.

A time file is named for the computer to which it is addressed.  For example a time file might be named "My WinU Computer.time" and saved in the target directory.  If there is already a file named "My WinU Computer.time" then the new time file will replace the old one.  A time file addressed to "All WinU Computers" would be named "All WinU Computers.time".  To transmit time files, your network must support long file names.


Display Restrictions

Let's say you are setting up WinU on one master computer, and you intend to clone this setup and distribute it to other computers at your site.  In this situation, you sometimes need to specify which buttons and desks will appear on what computers.

That's what the Display Restrictions screen is for.  You can get here from two place on the Desk Setup tabbed dialog.  If you reach this screen from the Buttons tab, you can specify the computers on which that individual button will appear.  If you get here from the Input Control tab, you can specify the computers on which the entire desk will appear.  The title bar of the Display Restrictions screen changes to reflect this.

WinU can look at the target computer's name to decide whether to display this button or desk.  Or it can decide based on the presence/absence of a file, or by that file's contents.  You can use one or more of these tests.  If you use multiple tests, all tests must be met for that button or desk to be displayed.

Show/hide on the listed computers: Check this box to have WinU use the WinU computer name to decide whether to display the button or desk.  Then choose one of the radio buttons to decide which name-based test WinU will perform.  Should the button or desk be displayed on all listed computers?  Hidden on all listed computers, and displayed on the rest?  For convenience, there are also selections to show it or hide it on all computers.

To put a computer on the list, add its name to the right-side box.  Double-click on its name in the left-box list, or select it in that list and press the Add button.  To remove a computer from the list, double-click on its name in the right-box list, or select it in that list and press the Del button.

The names in the left-box list come from the .dat files which are available to WinU when you open this screen.  These .dat files are generated by the WinU Data Extractor program.  Use the Data Extractor to create a set of data files, one for each WinU computer.  Copy these files into the WinU directory, or to the Time/Message or AutoUpdate folder(s) listed on this computer's Remote Management tab.  All these locations will be checked for .dat files when the Display Restrictions screen is displayed.

Show only if this file exists: Check this box to have WinU look for the named file to decide whether to display the button or desk.  If the file exists, the button or desk will be displayed.  You can also test the file's contents (see below).

And contains this text: Check this box if you want WinU to test the text characters contained in the file.  In this test, WinU will open the file and read it.  Do the characters in the file match the characters you have typed here?  If so, the button or desk will be displayed.

At this position: The test characters do not have to be at the beginning of the file.  If you want WinU to try match characters elsewhere in the file, give the offset here.  The first character in the file is number 1, the second is 2, etc.  By default, WinU will test at the beginning of the file (character number 1).


Window Control

WinU's Window Control feature lets you control virtually any window or dialog when it appears.  WinU looks at the title bar text of the current active window or dialog, and if the text matches any target title on the Window Control list, the appropriate action is taken.  The * and ? wildcards can be used freely in target title specification.

What can you do to a matching window?  You can close it (in one of three ways); you can set Open or Save As dialogs to a particular folder, from which the user provides the actual filename; you can provide the complete folder-and-filename yourself, forcing the dialog to open or save only that one specific file; and most powerful of all, you can send any keystrokes to any window the moment it appears.  Among other things, this provides a good way to prevent web browser users from accessing the local hard disk.  See Using Internet Software for more information on this.

You might wonder how these "close window" options differ from WinU's "close third party window" feature.  There are two ways.  First, the "third party window" feature only considers the main window of a program, but the Window Control options will work on any window, including dialogs and other "little" windows that are associated with a main program.  This lets you allow a program yet disallow certain specific dialogs.  Second, the Window Control feature offers three different ways to close different kinds of windows (see below).

The latter three options allow entry into the bottom edit line.  In addition to anything else, you can use the words %CURRTIME% (which will be replaced in use with a unique number based on the current time), %USERNAME% (user name given through current network or Win95 logon) and %COMPUTERNAME% (the designated name of this current WinU computer).  These are often handy when constructing forced file or directory names.  They can also be used when sending keystrokes.

For many of these features, you can perform the action just one time, or perform it repeatedly (about every three seconds) to make absolutely sure it is done the way you want.  Let's look at each option in turn.

Close dialog box: Many programs provide menu items which pop up dialog boxes.  Perhaps you don't want a particular dialog box available to the user.  If so, give that dialog's title text as the target title.  When a window of that title appears, it will be closed by sending it a CANCEL message.  Use this for dialogs that close when you hit the Escape key.

Close entire program: If you want to be sure a particular program never runs, list its title bar text here.  It will be terminated in the usual WinU fashion as soon as it comes up.  Of course, another way to disallow such programs is by making sure third-party windows are not allowed on this desk.  But then you have to list as Exceptions every non-WinU program which is allowed to run.  That can get tedious.  Use the "close entire program" when you are willing to allow most third-party windows, but want to deny access to one specific program.

"Soft close": Like the "close entire program" option, this is intended to close an entire application, not a dialog box.  Use this to close applications that must be given the opportunity to close in their own manner.  Some programs leave themselves or the computer in a sub-optimal state when forced to terminate.  However, such programs might tolerate this "soft close" method, which attempts to use the program's own termination procedure to get it to exit gracefully.  This method won't always work; in particular, it might trigger an "are you sure you want to exit" message from the program you are trying to terminate, which could allow the user to continue.  But if the program does not have this sort of "are you sure" message (or if you can disable that message), the "soft close" can provide a useful alternative method of terminating fussy programs.  "Soft close" is especially handy when trying to persuade a recalcitrant game to restore the normal Windows screen colors at exit.

Set open/save dialog to a folder: Use this when you want to encourage this desk's users to open files from, or save files to, one particular folder.  Give the proper directory in the bottom edit line (which will relabel itself to "Directory:" when using this option).  You can drag-and-drop a folder from Explorer onto that line too, if you prefer.  Of course the target title will generally be "Open" or "Save As."  This works best with the standard Windows file-open and file-save dialogs, but can often be used with other non-standard dialogs as well.  This does not force the dialog to stay in the directory to which it has been set.  Think of it as a "strong suggestion" to use that directory.  To use a mandatory name and location, use the next option.

Force open/save dialog to use a specific filename:  This is similar to setting a file-open or file-save dialog to a folder, but this option sets it to the complete filename, then presses Enter to submit the name and immediately close the dialog.  As with the folder option, this works best with the standard Windows file-open and file-save dialogs.  You may wonder how this option can be used more than once without the latter use overwriting the former.  The answer is to include the word %CURRTIME% as part of the forced filename, which will be replaced in use with a unique number based on the current time.  You can also use the words %USERNAME% (user name given through current network or Win95 logon) and %COMPUTERNAME% (the designated name of this current WinU computer).  And here's a hint: when constructing the forced filename, don't give a file extension.  Instead, let the Save As dialog add its default extension to your forced name.  This allows Windows 95 to do certain automated processing based on the file's extension.

Send keystrokes:  This could be the single most powerful option in WinU.  With it you can send any keystrokes to any window the moment that window's target title appears.  For example, let's say you want to prevent Netscape from accessing the local hard disk.  Monitor for the title text *Directory listing of* (where * is a wildcard).  When it appears, send keystrokes to switch to a non-local website instead.

What keystrokes can you send to a window?  You can give regular characters, of course, so to send "abc" simply type that into the bottom edit line (which will relabel itself to "Keystrokes:" when using this option).  You can also give special characters.  To press the Shift key, use the plus sign +.  To press the Control key, use the caret ^.  To press the Alt key, use the percent sign %.  One way to press Enter is use the tilde ~.

If you need to use a special character in its usual sense, enclose it in brackets.  For example to send an actual plus character you'd type {+}.  To send an open or close bracket, type {{} or {}} as required.

You can also use certain nonprinting characters by giving their name in brackets.  Here is a list:  {Bksp}  {Break}  {CapsLock}  {Clear}  {Del}  [End}  {Enter}  {Esc}  {Help}  {Home}  {Insert}  {NumLock}  {PgDn}  {PgUp}  {PrtSc}  {ScrollLock}  {Tab}  {F1} to {F12}  {Up}  {Down}  {Left}  {Right}

To give a regular key combined with Shift, Control, or Alt, precede the key with one or more of the +^% special characters.  To indicate that more than one of these are held down while pressing a key, enclose the entire set in brackets, for example {^%J}.  Parentheses can be used to group keystrokes.  For example, to hold down the Shift while pressing BDS, use +(BDS).  To hold down Shift for only the first of these, use +BDS.

Keys can be repeated.  To repeat a keystroke, use the form {key number}.  There must always be a space between the key and the number.  For example {Up 5} presses the up-arrow five times, and {J 12} presses the J key 12 times.


File Control

With this screen, you can make any file or directory read-only or invisible.  Use the Controlled Files And Folders section to indicate the protection you want.  For convenience, you can use a single entry to protect an entire branch of your directory tree by checking the "also apply to subdirectories" box.  The flags I, R, and S (invisible, read-only, and subdirectories) at the end of each line indicate the protection applied to that entry.  Each desk can have its own File Control listings.

Use the Exceptions section when you want to protect the named Controlled Files And Folders in general, but want one file or folder to be available.  It's useful if you've made a folder invisible but you need access to one particular file in that folder.  For example, suppose an application isn't running properly and you suspect that a necessary component has been made invisible or read-only.  Use the access-denied report to list by program name the files which the application is trying to access, then add the required files to the Exceptions section on this desk.

The Exceptions section also provides a good way to set up private work areas for each user.   For example, you might have a subdirectory named User Folders, under which each user has a personal directory.  To ensure privacy, you might make User Folders and all its subdirectories invisible on every desk, but on each user's desk set a different Exception for the folder belonging to the owner of that particular desk.

Starter List: Click the Starter List  button to generate a list of files and folders which are often advisable to lock.  However, no list can apply to every computer, so test to make sure that these entries are appropriate in your particular situation.

Hints: Be careful when controlling certain files and folders.  WinU's file control mechanism is very powerful.  Controlled files and folders are locked to both the user and the operating system.  For this reason, certain files and folders should be controlled only with caution.  Here are some examples:

Windows Directory: Previously, Microsoft told developers that the Windows directory was the only safe place for programs to automatically write new files.  This is no longer true, but older programs don't know this, and even some modern programs still assume this rule.  Additionally, most programs (and Windows itself) need to update some files that are already there, for example the Registry and certain initialization files in this folder.  Certain subdirectories underneath the Windows folder must remain available too, such as the Recent Documents and Spool folders.  Similarly, if you protect the root directory of your boot drive, don't check the box to include all its subdirectories if those subdirectories include your Windows directory (the usual case).

Directories Listed In Environment Variables: Most computers list certain folders under TEMP or TMP environment variables to tell programs that these directories are available for creating temporary files.  Certain programs also list their own necessary directories in environment variables.  Be very careful when controlling such folders.

Download, Cache and Cookies Directories: Web browsers and other programs assume that they can update such directories at any time.

Recycle Bin And Similar Folders:  The Recycle Bin and similar folders used by Windows, Norton Utilities, and other programs must be available so files can be moved into them when deleted.

If any of your programs don't work correctly under WinU's file protection, use WinU's access-denied reports to see which required files were unavailable, and what programs requested them.  Then list those files or folders as Exceptions.


Message Manager

The WinU Message Manager lets a user send a brief text message across the network from one WinU computer to another.  The message will pop up in a box on the target computer's screen.

To use it, set up WinU to run the Message Manager program (msgmgr.exe) from a WinU button.  When you click the WinU button, the Message Manager screen appears.  Where do you want the message sent to? Pick a WinU computer from the top box.  What do you want to send?  Type your brief message (up to 300 characters) in the Message to send box.

Click the Send button to send the message.  "Sending" a message means that it is saved to a file, and the file is placed in the "time and message" folder which was designated on the Remote Management tab of this WinU computer's System Setup dialog on this computer.  Presumably the other WinU computers on the network have been set up to monitor this same directory for messages and will see this new message when it appears.  To use the Message Manager, the network must be enabled for long file names.  WinU checks for messages about once a minute.

The message file is named for the computer to which it is addressed.  For example a message file might be named "My WinU Computer.msg" and saved in the target directory.  If there is already a file named "My WinU Computer.msg" then the new message will be named "My WinU Computer.msg1" and so forth.  A given WinU computer can have up to 10,000 pending messages.  The message is deleted after it is read.

The list in the top box is generated from .dat files.  These files are created by the WinU Data Extractor program.  For each .dat file it finds, the Message Manager will display one computer name (the name found in that .dat file).  The Message Manager looks for these dat files in three places: 1) in its own directory, 2) in the same "time and message" directory to which it will send its message file, and 3) in the "clone data" directory.  The "time and message" directory and the "clone data" directory are designated on the Remote Management tab of WinU's System Setup dialog.  The .dat files can be in just one of these locations, or divided into more than one place.


WinU Timer

The timer program lets you run an application or command at a particular time.  It can run the command every day, every weekday, every weekend day, once a week on a specific day of the week, or once a month on a specific date of the month.  When the timer will go off, and what it does at that time, is specified in an initialization file.  By default this file is named WTIMER.INI and is in the same directory as the timer program itself.  However you can use an ini file of another name or in another location (see below).

Sequence Of Events:  If it is the correct time of day, and if it is the correct daytype (day of week, day of month, whatever), here is what happens:

First, the timer program looks for WinU.  If WinU is running, and if a WinU desk number has been specified in the ini file, the timer program asks WinU to change to that desk.  This is useful if you need to set WinU to a desk that allows third-party windows to run.  You do not have to have any buttons on that desk.  The desk itself does not do anything; it's only there so you can switch to a desk that allows third-party windows.  Don't password-protect this desk.  To get the target desk number, remember that in Setup Mode, the Choose Programs dialog displays desk numbers as well as desk names.

.

The timer program waits one minute to give WinU plenty of time to change to the selected desk.

If a command has been specified, it is run.  The timer program then waits the number of minutes specified in the ini file before proceeding.  This gives the command time to complete.

If necessary, you can use the "Close Dial-Up Networking" applet here, to make sure that Dial-Up Networking is disconnected.  Use it from a batch file perhaps, with START /WAIT to ensure that commands are executed in sequence.

Finally, a message is sent to WinU requesting an action.  The action can be shutting down or rebooting the computer, using the finish ini file parameter.  If the finish parameter has not been specified, and if a WinU desk number was given with the desk ini file parameter, the timer program asks WinU to exit from the specified desk and change to the default desktop.

The Tray Icon: While setting up and debugging your system, you may want to use the traybutton ini file parameter, which creates a tray icon.  This lets you left-click on the tray icon to run the command immediately to test it, or right-click on the tray icon to close the timer program.  Without the tray icon the only way to exit from the timer program is to hit Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the Close Programs box, and close the timer program from there.

Using A Non-Default Ini File: To use an initialization file other than WTIMER.INI in the same directory as the timer program, set up a Shortcut that launches the timer program with the appropriate command line parameter which points to the ini file.  To do this, open Explorer to the directory containing the timer program.  Right-click on that file to bring up its context menu.  Choose the menu item "Create Shortcut."  Windows 95 will create a shortcut to the timer program elsewhere in the same directory.  Right-click on that shortcut to bring up its context menu, and in that menu choose "Properties."  The shortcut’s Properties dialog will appear.  In that dialog, click on the Shortcut tab.  You’ll see that the "target" has been set to the actual filename and directory of the timer program.  Add a space after "wtimer.exe", then the flag /ini= (lower case) and the drive and directory in which to find the ini file, with no embedded spaces, as in the following example:

    Target:  [c:\wtimer\wtimer.exe /ini=c:\dir1\subdir2\myfile.ini     ]

If the timer program name contains embedded spaces you may need to put the name in quotes.  Just put the executable filename in quotes, and leave the ini file part outside of the quotes.

If you need to run more than one timed command, set up Shortcuts that each call the timer program with a different ini file.

Timer Program Ini File Format:  The ini file has a [WinU Timer] section under which are a number of parameters.  Many parameters have defaults.  If a parameter's built-in default value is acceptable, it is not necessary to specify that parameter.

Here is an example ini file:

[WinU Timer]

time=WD043000

desk=4

cmd=c:\windows\scandisk.exe

params=/All  /NonInteractive

wait=120

traybutton=0

finish=R

The parameters are:

cmd=executable file to run, or batchfile, shortcut, whatever (no default)

Example:

cmd=C:\WINDOWS\DEFRAG.EXE

params=parameters to the command (no default)

Example:

params=/ALL /NOPROMPT

time=daytype + time of day to run the command (no default).  Target time format is DDHHMMSS where DD is what kind of day (WD weekday; WN weekend; DA daily; MO TU WE TH FR SA SU; 01 to 31 for day of the month) and HHMMSS is the time to run the command, in 24-hour time format

Example:

time=WD190200

desk=WinU desk to change to before running the command, perhaps a desk that allows third party programs, or 0 to not change desks (default: 0).  Also, if this is set, and no finish action is specified, tells WinU to logoff the desk to the default desk at the end of the command sequence

Example:

desk=2

wait=minutes to wait for the command to complete

Example:

wait=10

traybutton=1 show the tray button (if there's a tray).  This is useful for debugging.  Left-click on the tray button to run the command immediately, or right-click on the tray button to close the timer program (default: 0)

Example:

traybutton=1

finish=how to finish the sequence (no default): R will reboot the computer, S will shut down the computer, otherwise no action (it'll logoff if desk is set)

finish=S


Other WinU Applets

Applets are little applications which do one specific task.  WinU is very extensible, and these applets work well with it.  These applets are available as part of WinU's Remote Administration Kit.

Data Extractor: The Data Extractor creates data files needed by WinU itself, and by its Password Manager, Time Manager, and Message Manager programs.  To use one of these, you must run the Data Extractor (extract.exe) on each WinU computer.  The Data Extractor will create one data file for each computer.  Each filename will be the corresponding WinU system's computer name, so for example if the computer is named LIBRARY COMPUTER  the resulting data file will be LIBRARY COMPUTER.DAT.  Make sure all your computers have different names!

The easiest way to create all the data files is to copy the Data Extractor program to a floppy disk, then take the floppy disk around to all your WinU computers.  On each computer, run the Data Extractor from the floppy disk.  This will create a new data file in the same directory as the Data Extractor program, that is, on the floppy disk.  (WinU does not have to be running when you do this.)  As you run the Data Extractor on all your WinU computers, you will accumulate data files on the floppy disk.

When you have done all your WinU computers, copy all the data files from the floppy disk into a directory from which they will be visible.  This can be the same directory as the Password Manager, Time Manager, and/or Message Manager program, or it can be the clone-data or message-data directory as defined on the Remote Management tab of the System Setup dialog.  All these places are checked for .dat files.

You will need to rerun the Data Extractor on any WinU computer whenever you add, delete, or rename a desk, or when you change the computer's name.  The file created by the Data Extractor is named after the computer name, so if you change the computer's name and copy the new file into the .dat file directory, remember to delete the computer's old file from that directory.  (It will have the previous computer name for the updated computer.)

Restart Applet: WinU’s built-in facilities can create a Shutdown button.  However, sometimes you might want to shut down and immediately restart your computer, all in one step.  The restart applet (restart.exe) does just that, and it works with WinU so the shutdown and restart stay in sync with WinU’s security protection.

To use the restart applet, just run restart.exe from a WinU button.  If you are using WinU's soft shutdown method, check the box on this button's Advanced screen that this button uses MS-DOS Mode.  It doesn't actually use MS-DOS Mode, but this tells WinU that it's ok to shut down.  Setting this flag is not necessary when using any other shutdown method.

Earlier versions of WinU made use of a restart batch file.  Security in the current version no longer supports the batch file restart method.  However, the current version's restart applet accomplishes the same task.

Logoff Applet:  Run the Logoff applet (logoff.exe) to "close all programs and log on as a different user" just like you can do from the Win95 Start menu.  This is an excellent way to log on to your network with a different user name without restarting your computer.

Close Dial-Up Networking Applet: Occasionally you might need a way to tell WinU to shut down any and all open Dial-Up Networking connections via a program, and it isn't appropriate to use the Time Manager to send a "close DUN" message.  Here's the solution.  You could run this from a WinU button, or launch it from WinU's timer program, or call it from a batch file or shortcut.  Of course, WinU will automatically close any open DUN connection when it exits a desk.  And you can send a "hang up DUN" message through the Time Manager.

Start Screensaver Applet:  Run this from a WinU button to start your screensaver immediately.


Reset Mode

Reset Mode is a fail-safe mechanism built into WinU.  It lets you start WinU and use its setup screens while not actually launching the security protections which those screens define.  It's useful if you accidentally create some security control which locks you out of the computer.

Reset Mode is also handy if your computer happens to go down at a time when WinU is set to not allow third-party windows by filename.  If this happens, the "don't run" settings will still be in place on reboot, and almost nothing on your computer will run.  Fortunately, things have been set up so that in this situation, WinU itself will still run.  Most of the time you can simply start WinU (perhaps in Win95's Safe Mode), then immediately exit normally to remove the leftover security control settings from your computer.

If this doesn't work, though, start WinU in Reset Mode.  The easiest way to do this is to run the WinU Reset program (wreset.exe) from Explorer, or in any other convenient way (like WinU itself, this program will always run).  Remember that wreset.exe must be in the same directory as the WinU program itself.  Another way is to start WinU from a command prompt with the /reset parameter (c:\somedir\otherdir\winu.exe /reset).

You will be prompted for your setup password so as to be allowed to enter Reset Mode.  After giving it, you can change your configuration screens and eliminate the setting that caused the problem.  Then exit WinU normally.

When in Reset Mode, you should simply make the necessary setup changes and then exit, because most of WinU's strongest security settings are not in effect.  In this mode, WinU does not perform the following security checks: ensure that this is the only copy running; exit if this is an expired beta copy; test its components for tampering; make sure the security mode hasn't been changed externally; enforce kiosk mode desk-click dialog restrictions; enforce the inactivity timer; run AutoRun buttons on this desk; exit a desk if using "time per logon" and the time has run out; process remote clone, message or time files; use license metering; monitor window titles; do logging; control third-party windows; monitor keyboard or mouse activity (for example, for the Windows keys, Delete key, or right-mouse context menus); keep the CD door locked; disable Ctrl+Alt+Del; and make files or directories invisible or read-only.


Per-User Default Desk
Per-User Default Desks

The default desk is the first screen the user sees at logon.  This is set up from the Security Settings tab of the System Setup dialog.  If you use the Kiosk Mode switches to restrict navigation, the user cannot go to other desks unless you make them available through DeskLink buttons.

To give each user a different default desk, tell WinU that the default desk is dependent on the current multi-user or network logon.  Windows 95 and most networks let users specify a name when logging on.  WinU can look at this user name to see who is logged on, then display the appropriate default desk for that person.  If the logon changes during the WinU session (perhaps by using WinU's companion Logoff applet) the per-user default desk setting will be updated and a new default desk will be shown.

To accommodate older networks which are not Win95-aware, you can optionally set this up to look for the current user name in an environment variable instead of the standard Windows 95 registry-based location.

User Name: Give the user name as it will be typed into your network logon screen.  This is not case sensitive.

Default Desk: Use the Set button to choose the default desk to which WinU should switch when this user logs on, or use the Clear button if this user should be sent to the system fallback default desk.

Add: Add this user/desk entry to the list.

Change: Replace the selected list entry with new information.

Delete: Remove the selected entry from the list.

System fallback default desk: This is the desk that WinU should switch to if the per-user default desk is not available for any reason.  It can also be used as the target desk when the current user runs out of time or is otherwise forced to exit.  The system fallback default desk can be an actual desk, or it can be WinU's "No Desk" screen.

On timeout or forced transfer go to: If you have set to a per-user default desk based on the current logon name, you probably want to send the user to the system fallback default desk on timeout or other forced termination.  The system fallback default desk won't have their personal set of programs available, but can have a button which runs WinU's logoff applet to allow someone else to log on to the network.  You can even run the logoff applet from an AutoRun button so it logs off the current user immediately on entering the system fallback default desk.


Logon Manager
WinU Logon Manager

The logon program can be run by clicking on a WinU button, or it can be run in an autologon mode.  If displayed, it shows the specified policies text in its scrolling window.  After reading this, the patron types in the logon information (name, authorization number, or whatever you choose) and presses Enter or clicks the displayed button.  The typed information is passed to your customized validation function in VALIDL.DLL, and if the validation function accepts the information, the logon program asks WinU to switch to the target desk.  If this WinU computer is set up for logging to file, a ULOGON record is written to the logfile containing the validated logon information (as typed in by the user, or specified by the validation routine).

Using the logon program:  Perhaps the best way to use the logon program is to set up a default desk with only the logon program, and set up another "working desk" with the actual user applications.  Label the default desk's logon button "Click here to begin" or some such.  Use WinU's Kiosk Mode options to remove the menu bar and disable desk-click dialogs, so the only way for the user to change to the actual "working desk" will be to provide valid information to the logon program.  If you like, your "working desk" could actually be a number of desks linked by DeskLink and PrevDesk buttons.  The user will log on and be switched into the "working desk" to use the actual applications.  Set up the "working desk" so that when it runs out of time the system goes back to the default desk.

You can also set up the logon program to operate automatically, with no user input requested or required.  In this "autologon" mode, it will immediately switch from the default desk to your target desk based on any system-level flags or information you want, perhaps an environment variable or the presence or contents of a file.  If you use this feature, you'll probably want the button on the default desk to be set up as an AutoRun button, so the logon program switches to the correct desk right away.

Customizing the logon program: The logon program's appearance can be customized in a number of ways.  You can provide your own display icon, and your own text for the "welcome to" block at the top, for the label to the left of the user-input area, and for the acknowledgment button at the bottom of the screen.  You can also provide up to 10K of message text to be displayed in the scrolling area in the middle of the screen.

User validation:  The user-validation needs of every site will be different, and the logon program is set up to accomodate this.  Simply replace the default VALIDL.DLL with another VALIDL.DLL which is set up to test the user information as you require.  A skeleton VALIDL.DLL is shown below.  Or if you like, Bardon Data Systems can build a customized VALIDL.DLL file which will meet your needs.  (Contact Bardon Data Systems for more information regarding this.) The validation routine can optionally return the desk-number to switch to.  It can also modify the logonstring information which is saved with the ULOGON logfile record for this instance.  In this way your customized validation routine can assert full control over the logon process.

The initialization file:  The logon program gets its parameters from an initialization file.  By default this file is named WLOGON.INI and is in the same directory as the logon program itself.  However you can use an ini file of another name, or in another location.  To do this, give the ini file information as a parameter when you set up the WinU button that launches the logon program.  The parameter begins with the flag /ini= and then lists the full-path filename of the initialization file.  For example:

Command parameters:  /ini=c:\dir1\subdir2\myinifile.ini

Initialization file contents:  Here is a typical ini file:

[WinU Logon]

targetdesk=2

logonTimeoutSecs=0

errmsgTimeoutSecs=5

testpassword=0

policies=c:\winu\logon\logonmsg.txt

KeepFocus=0

autologon=0

fullscreen=1

iconfile=c:\somedir\myicon.ico

welcometext=Welcome to the library. Please read the following policies:

labeltext=Type your name:

buttontext=Then click here or press Enter to accept the policies and log on

The logon program displays the contents of the text file listed in the policies ini file parameter.  Your file can provide up to 10K of message text to be displayed in the scrolling area in the middle of the screen.

If the logon information is valid, the logon program asks WinU to switch to the target desk number listed in the targetdesk ini file parameter.  Desk numbers are displayed in the Choose Desk dialog when in Setup Mode.  If the targetdesk is given in the ini file as -1, the validation routine is expected to return the target desk number.

Some WinU desks have passwords.  If the target desk has a password, will this password be required before the logon program switches WinU to that desk?  Use the testpassword ini file parameter to indicate if the patron must give the target desk's password when logging on to the target desk.  Set testpassword=0 to skip password testing, or testpassword=1 to require the password be provided.  This is only an issue if the target desk has a password.

The logon program will stay on the screen for the number of seconds listed in the logonTimeoutSecs ini file parameter.  If this parameter is set to 0, it will stay on the screen forever.

Error messages will stay on the screen for the number of seconds listed in the errmsgTimeoutSecs ini file parameter.  If this parameter is set to 0, they will stay on the screen forever.

The KeepFocus parameter controls how often the logon program will pull the focus back to its own window.  This feature is rarely needed.   If it is set to 0, it is unused.  If specified as a number of seconds, it must be greater than 0.

If autologon=1 the logon program does not show a window for user input.  Instead, it immediately calls its validation function, which (presumably) looks at some sort of external status information to decide what to do.  This external information might be an environment variable, a file, a database, or whatever else you set up the validation routine to do.  Recall that the validation routine can return the target desk number.  The validation routine can also set the logonstring contents.  Normally the logonstring is the information typed in by the user, but in autologon mode this information is not requested.  Having your validation routine set this information is a useful thing to do since, as with a "normal" logon, this information is saved in the WinU logfile to document this logon.

Give the full path to the iconfile which contains the image you wish displayed in the titlebar and on the screen of the logon program.  It can be an actual icon file, or a bitmap or cursor file.  The source image can be of any size.  If it is not actually icon-sized it will be modified to fit the space.  A default icon is used if none is specified.

If fullscreen=1 the logon program will run in a maximized (fullscreen) window.  Otherwise it will be in a regular window.

The welcometext is the message to be displayed in the "welcome to" block at the top of the screen.  If you don't provide a customized message, a default message is used.

The labeltext is the message to be displayed as the label to the left of the user-input area.  If you don't provide a customized message, a default message is used.

The buttontext is the message to be displayed on the acknowledgment button at the bottom of the screen.  If you don't provide a customized message, a default message is used.

Skeleton validl.dll:  This skeleton VALIDL.DLL can be modified to suit your own user-validation requirements. Or if you like, Bardon Data Systems can build a customized VALIDL.DLL file to meet your needs.

__declspec(dllexport) int validate(HWND hwnd, char *logonstring)

{

// your validation testing is done here

// return 0 if it's an invalid logon

// if valid, return nonzero

// or (if targetdesk=-1 in the ini file) return the target desk number to switch to

}

BOOL WINAPI DllMain (HINSTANCE hinstDll, DWORD fdwReason, LPVOID lpvReserved)

{

return TRUE;

}


Remote Administration Over A Network

WinU provides many ways for you to manage computers remotely.

You can set up your master clone configuration with per-computer options which let you specify which buttons and desks will appear on what computers.  You can also provide per-user options and give each user a different default desk dependent on the current multi-user or network logon.  In this way, you can create and distribute just one master clone setup, yet the available desks and buttons displayed on each client computer will be a function of the configuration of that computer, and the name of the user currently logged on to that computer.

While a client computer is active you can use WinU's companion programs to reconfigure that computer and modify its settings on the fly.  You can send popup text messages to the user at that computer, and even logoff or shut down the computer remotely.  WinU's Password Manager, Time Manager, License Meter Manager, and Logon Manager programs are designed specifically to allow administrators to dynamically modify settings and control access and activity on networked computers.


Using Internet Software

Here is how to set up WinU to run your Web browser, email program, or other software that accesses the Internet.  Special attention is paid to managing Dial-Up Networking, but this information will also be useful if you are using the Internet through a LAN connection.

Adding Internet Software:  A browser, email program, or other Internet application is added to a WinU desktop in any of the usual ways.  You can drag-and-drop the exe or shortcut onto the WinU desktop, or give its information through the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.  There is only one difference: if you are connecting through Dial-Up Networking, you must go to that program’s Advanced screen and check the two boxes labeled Hang Up The Phone and Uses Dial Up Networking.  This tells WinU to monitor for Dial-Up Networking connections while this and other DUN-using programs are active, and close such connections when the last DUN-using program is closed.

Most Windows 95 computers are set up to connect automatically to the Internet as needed.  That is, Windows 95 automatically makes the connection for you when an Internet application first tries to access a website, check your email, etc.  However, if you need it, WinU does allow you to create a button which directly runs a Dial-Up Networking connection.  You might want to have such direct-connection buttons if this computer isn't set up to connect automatically.  Or perhaps you have more than one Internet Service Provider and want to be able to choose which connection to use.

If you create such a button, you must check its Advanced screen box labeled Launches Dial-Up Networking. This kind of direct shortcut to a Dial-Up Networking connection is the only thing for which the Launches box should be checked.  If the button runs a Web browser, email program, or another application that simply uses Dial-Up Networking, check Uses Dial-Up Networking instead.  So, for example, the fact that Netscape automatically calls the DUN dialer after you invoke Netscape does not qualify Netscape as a "launching" application.

To create such a shortcut, open My Computer, then open Dial-Up Networking, then right-click on any existing DUN shortcut and select Create Shortcut.  It will be created on your Win95 desktop.  You can then move it somewhere else if you like.

Next, create a WinU button to run the new shortcut.  The easiest way is to drag-and-drop the new shortcut onto the WinU desktop.

Finally, go to the new button's Advanced screen and check the Launches Dial-Up Networking box.

Whether Dial-Up Networking is launched automatically from a program that Uses Dial-Up Networking, or explicitly from a button that Launches Dial-Up Networking, the connection will be terminated when the last DUN-using program is closed, or when logging off this desk.  The administrator can also use the Remote Time Manager to send this WinU computer a command to hang up the phone and close its currently-open Dial-Up Networking connection.

Preventing access to local files: By default, most web browsers can access the local computer’s file system just as easily as a website halfway around the world.  If security is your goal, you may want to prevent this.  Fortunately, the title bar of most web browsers will change to indicate that it is accessing a file or directory instead of a webpage. WinU’s Window Control can monitor for this changed title bar text, and take action when it appears.  Here is how to set this up for Netscape and Internet Explorer.

Netscape is easy to monitor, because its title bar always contains the phrase "Directory listing of" when accessing a file or directory instead of a webpage.  With either Netscape 3 or Netscape 4, you can set up Window Control to look for the window title:

*Directory listing of*

(note the wildcards) and either immediately close the window, or send keystrokes to set the browser to a legitimate website.  Here are two ways to do this.  To set Netscape 3 or 4 to your designated homepage website, send the keystrokes:

%GH

This will send an Alt+G to open the Go menu and an H to run the Home command on that menu.  This tells the browser to go to the website you have designated as the home page.

You can set Netscape to any other website by sending it that site's name.  For example, this keystroke sequence sets Netscape 3 to the Bardon website:

%FLhttp://www.bardon.com/~

This sends an Alt+F to open the File menu, then an L to display Netscape's "open location" dialog, then the name of the target website, then a tilde ~ to send the Enter key which submits the command to Netscape.

The command to set Netscape 4 to a specific website is almost identical.  Send %FOhttp://www.bardon.com/~ (note the O replaces the L in Netscape 4) instead.

Microsoft Internet Explorer takes a few more steps.  First, use its Options menu to show the full path in its title bar.  This allows you to monitor for titles of the form:

?:\*Microsoft Internet Explorer

(note the wildcards) and again, either immediately close the window, or send keystrokes to set the browser to a legitimate website.  To set Internet Explorer to your designated homepage website, send the keystrokes:

%GH

This will send an Alt+G to open the Go menu and an H to run the Home command on that menu.  This tells the browser to go to the website you have designated as the home page.  Unlike the Netscape browsers there does not seem to be a reliable menu-based method to set Internet Explorer to a specific website.  Additionally, you might also want to set up a Window Control monitor to immediately close Internet Explorer's Options dialog when it appears so the "full path" setting can’t be changed.

You can also set up Window Control to look for the window title "Save As" or similar, and close such windows when they appear.


Setting Up CD Based Software

Two problems sometimes arise when running software from a CD.  Fortunately, they are easily solved. by using options found on the Advanced screen, which can be accessed from the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.

CD drive lag time: First, some CD software installs its executable program on the hard disk, but reads the data from the CD.  The CD must be in the drive whenever the program is run.  If the CD drive is slow, the program could start but might need to wait a relatively long time for the data on the CD to become available.  During this wait, the program is inactive.  If it is inactive long enough, WinU could decide that it is not running, and stop tracking the program.  Or it might decide that the program is hung, and terminate it.  The solution to this problem is to give that program's button a brief Launch Tracking Pause.

Look at the WinU button when the program launches.  When you click the button, it turns red and says "please wait."  Does it ever turn yellow?  Yellow means that WinU has locked on to that program.  If it never turns yellow, WinU couldn’t find the program.  A Launch Tracking Pause will give the program time to launch before WinU tries to track it.  Here is how to set one up.  In regular Windows 95 (not through WinU), start your application and count how many seconds it takes for the final window to appear ... not a splash screen but the actual user window.  Close the application.  Start WinU and log on to the desk that contains the application’s button.  Right-click on the program button for that application.  The password dialog will appear.  Enter your Setup Password.  The Buttons tab will appear with that program’s information displayed.  Click on Advanced.  The Advanced screen appears.  In the box marked Launch Pause enter the number of seconds you counted.  You may want to add a few more seconds to ensure that the pause is long enough.  Click OK to exit from the Advanced screen, and OK again to close the Desk Setup dialog.  Exit from Setup Mode.  Start the application from its WinU button.  Its WinU desktop button should turn yellow, and the application’s screen should remain visible.

Multimedia reconfiguration: The second problem arises when multimedia programs (which are usually CD-based) insist on using a particular screen resolution, color palette, or sound configuration, to the exclusion of all other programs.  These programs change your system to accommodate their own needs without regard to the fact that some other program might need to pop up a dialog box or play a sound while the multimedia program is running.  Also, such programs are sometimes fussy about how they are closed when they run out of time.  WinU provides a number of options to allow such programs to run under WinU's monitoring.  Depending on the CD program's behavior, you may need to use one or more of these options.

While running your multimedia program under WinU, you'll know you have this problem if WinU's popup time-limit warning box makes the screen colors go funny, or if WinU's warning sound makes the audio behave oddly, or if, when the program runs out of time and WinU terminates it, the computer is left in any kind of sub-optimal state.

WinU provides options to not display warning popup messages or play warning sounds while a particular program is active.  To terminate such programs in a way they will tolerate, WinU provides a "soft close" option that mimics the way a user might close the program from the keyboard.  All of these are set from the Advanced screen for this program, which can be accessed from the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.

In extreme cases, you may need to start certain programs as third-party windows.  Doing this means that WinU will not track the individual program.  You can't have per-program time limits.  However you can have desk time limits and unless you explicitly arrange otherwise the desk will close all third party windows when it times out.  Sometimes this is enough control, so this method can be used to solve these extreme cases, which fortunately are not common.  As with the other options, starting an application as an "instant third party" program is set up  from the Advanced screen for this program, which can be accessed from the Buttons tab of the Desk Setup dialog.


Frequently Asked Questions - Troubleshooting
Frequently Asked Questions: Troubleshooting

Even the best software sometimes doesn't do exactly what you want.  Here are solutions to problems that sometimes arise.

When I run WinU my computer acts funny, or crashes, or won't run a program from a button, or won't do what it's supposed to do in some other way.  How do I fix this?

Here are some general things to try.  First, if you are in Casual Security make sure your taskbar is not set to AutoHide or be Always On Top.  When these are set, the Taskbar fights with WinU for screen real estate.  If that doesn't fix it, as a temporary test, take everything out of Startup and reboot.  Does the problem go away?  If so, put them back one by one and see which causes the conflict.

If the problem only shows up with one particular program, try manipulating the way that program launches. You might give it a Launch Tracking Pause, or start it as a third-party window.  Multimedia or CD applications sometimes exhibit their own quirks.  See below for further discussion on fixing these sorts of problems.

When I try to run a program’s Help screen, WinU closes the Help window.  How do I fix this?

You have set up this desk to not allow third-party windows by window title.  You need to list the title bar text of one or more helpfiles as Exceptions, so WinU allows them to run.  You may need to run the required helpfile outside of WinU to see the text of its title bar.  To do this, start WinU and choose Desk Setup from the Setup menu.  Type the Setup Password.  On the Desk Access tab click the button labeled Window Title Exceptions.  In the Title textbox enter the actual title bar text of the helpfile you want to allow.  To allow all standard helpfiles, enter *help* so the wildcards allow all windows with the word Help in their title bar.  (Some helpfiles don't have the word Help in the title bar, for example some of the Microsoft Office helpfiles.  In this case, add text that does appear in the title of such helpfiles.)  Click Add, then click OK.  Click OK again.  Help should now run on this desk.

When I launch a program from WinU it comes up, but when I click the mouse in its window the application won’t become active.  The program runs but I can’t use it.  What do I do?

You are probably in Casual Security mode, and your taskbar is set to AutoHide and/or stay Always On Top.  Remove these settings and the problem will go away.  Exit from WinU, or go into Setup mode.  The Windows 95 taskbar will be visible.  In the taskbar, click the Start button.  Select the Settings menu item.  A sub-menu appears.  In the sub-menu, select Taskbar.  The Taskbar Properties dialog appears.  Ensure that the "Always on top" and "Auto hide" boxes are NOT checked.  Click OK to close the Properties dialog.

I had to do an abnormal reboot and now nothing will run.  What do I do?

If WinU will run, start WinU, then exit normally.  This will fix the problem.  If WinU will not run in its usual way, try starting WinU in Reset Mode.  To do this, click the Reset Mode entry in WinU’s Start Menu listing.  (You can also do this by running wreset.exe which is in the WinU directory.)  Exit WinU.

If you cannot run WinU, reboot and use the F8 key at startup to get the boot menu and run your computer in Safe Mode, and then run WinU.  Here's how.  Restart your computer.  Press the F8 key during startup.  A boot menu will appear. Choose the Safe Mode option.  Windows will start in Safe Mode.  Start WinU (it will always start in Safe Mode).  Exit WinU.  Restart your computer.  You'll be in regular (not Safe) mode and your system should now behave normally.  (Note: if you have used WinU to disable the keyboard at startup, the F8 key will be ignored.  You must first modify your msdos.sys file to again allow this.  To do so, use a boot disk to start your computer in DOS.  On most computers, the Windows directory is C:\Windows.  Assuming this is true on your computer, at the A:\> prompt, type C:\Windows\command\edit c:\msdos.sys.   If your Windows directory is named something else, modify this command to suit.  The DOS editor will open.  In the msdos.sys file, delete the BootKeys= line and the BootMenuDelay= line.  Save the file and exit.  You can now use the F8 key at startup.)

In the rare case when neither of these methods works, restore the user.dat and system.dat Registry files.  Each time WinU starts, it saves backups of these two files as user.bds and system.bds in your Windows directory.  These backups contain no third party window controls, so using them to restore your user.dat and system.dat Registry files will clear any restrictions.  However, you will lose any system configuration changes you made since they were backed up.  You may need to boot from a floppy disk to a DOS prompt to copy these files.  To restore them, copy user.bds to user.dat and copy system.bds to system.dat.  All four are hidden, system, read-only files.  You can use the DOS command ATTRIB to make both sets of files visible so you can manipulate them.

My computer freezes at shutdown.  What should I do?  What’s the difference between WinU’s three available Shutdown methods?

WinU offers three ways it can shut down your computer.  Strong Shutdown is the most secure, however some computers hang at exit when using the Strong method.  If this happens, try the Medium or Soft shutdown method.  When in Casual Security and using Soft, Windows (not WinU) shuts down programs.  In Super Security Soft works just like the Medium shutdown method (see below)  In the Medium method, WinU requests programs to close.  The program can refuse to close.  In the Strong method, WinU forces programs to close.  This is the strongest method, but not all computers can use it.  If your computer hangs on exit, use the Medium shutdown method instead.

When I click the WinU button, its program starts up but is immediately shut down by WinU.  What do I do?

You have set WinU to not allow third party windows on this desk, but your program is inadvertently launching as a third party window.  Look at the WinU button when the program launches.  When you click the button, it turns red and says "please wait."  Does it ever turn yellow?  Yellow means that WinU has locked on to that program.  If it never turns yellow, WinU couldn’t find the program.   Most of the time you can fix this by giving the program a Launch Pause to give the program time to launch before WinU tries to track it.  Occasionally you need to do other things (see below) but usually a launch pause fixes it.

Here is how to set one up.  In regular Windows 95 (not through WinU), start your application and count how many seconds it takes for the final window to appear ... not a splash screen but the actual user window.  Close the application.  Start WinU and log on to the desk that contains the application’s button.  Right-click on the program button for that application.  The password dialog will appear.  Enter your Setup Password.  The Buttons tab will appear with that program’s information displayed.  Click on Advanced.  The Advanced screen appears.  Look at the box marked Start as a third party program.  If it is checked, there’s your problem.  Un-check the box so the program starts normally.  Or if you do need to start it as a third party window, list this program’s filename and/or window title as exceptions so WinU allows them.

Third-party box wasn’t checked?  Add a launch pause.  In the box marked Launch Pause enter the number of seconds you counted.  You may want to add a few more seconds to ensure that the pause is long enough.  Click OK to exit from the Advanced screen, and OK again to close the Desk Setup dialog.  Exit from Setup Mode.  Make sure you are logged on to the desk containing the application.  Start the application from its WinU button.  It should start normally.  Its WinU desktop button should turn yellow, and the application’s screen should remain visible.

I added a Launch Pause but my program (often a CD-based program) is still immediately shut down by WinU.  What do I do?

This might be due to delays associated with loading a program’s data from a CD, where the program is paused waiting for the CD data to become available.  WinU takes this delay  as an indication that the program does not intend to launch, and stops looking for it.  When the program eventually appears, WinU treats it as a third party window.  Sometimes you can fix this by modifying the way the program launches.  If it runs from a shortcut, try launching its executable file directly.  If it launches directly, run it from a shortcut.

Here is how to do this.  Look on the Buttons tab for this program.  If the File To Run is a shortcut (with a file extension of PIF or LNK), try running the application’s executable program directly by putting the exe file itself into the File To Run line.  When testing this method, set the program’s Launch Pause to zero.  Is this a CD-based program?  If you are running the executable program from the hard disk, and if that executable program exists somewhere on the CD itself, try running the copy that is on the CD.  This may provide enough of a pause for the program to launch normally.

Sometimes there is already a shortcut on your computer that runs this program.  You can often find one under the Start Menu subtree in your Windows folder, which is the location from which Windows displays your Start button’s menu.  When you installed the problem program, it probably put a shortcut in there.  Find that shortcut, and drag-and-drop it onto the Buttons tab so it becomes the File To Run.  Alternatively, to create a fresh new button, drag-and-drop the shortcut onto the WinU desktop itself.  Click OK to close the dialog, and exit from Setup mode.  Start the application from its WinU button.  It should start normally.  Its WinU desktop button should turn yellow, and the application’s screen should remain visible.

My program still doesn’t come up right.  Is there anything else I can do?

Yes.  If nothing else helps (and occasionally it won’t, there are some funny programs out there) a work-around is to set up this application to start immediately as a third party program.  To do this, go to that program’s Advanced screen and check the box marked Start as a third party program.  You’ll need to either allow third party windows on this desk, or list this program as an exception.  Third party window control is set up from the Desk Access tab.  You won’t be able to give this program its own time limit, but you can give a desk time limit.  When the desk time expires, WinU will close this program as well as anything else run from this desk.


Orders UK - Thompson Partnership
In ENGLAND, WinU is distributed by The Thompson Partnership.  Price is £34.95 + £3.00 P&P + VAT (17.5%, EC customers only; or provide Non UK VAT Number if you are VAT-registered outside UK).  Payment may be made by cheque, Eurocheque, money order, or credit card.  VAT is applicable to orders from any European Union country.

    The Thompson Partnership	Voice: +44 (0)1889 564 601

    Lion Buildings	Fax:   +44 (0)1889 563 219

    Market Place	BBS:   +44 (0)1889 568 625

    Uttoxeter	Internet Orders:  sales@ttp.co.uk

    Staffordshire	Internet Support:  support@ttp.co.uk

    ST14 8HP

    ENGLAND

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                                                      Or provide Non UK VAT Number if VAT-registered outside UK

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(Please make cheques payable to "The Thompson Partnership", and ensure your cheque card number is written on the reverse of the cheque.)


Orders Germany - Vogel Datentechnik
In GERMANY, WinU is distributed by Vogel Datentechnik.  Contact Vogel Datentechnik for current prices and payment methods accepted.

    Vogel Datentechnik	Voice: (+49) 089 60 85 12 20

    Sharible Leserservice	Fax:     (+49) 089 60 85 12 20

    Masurenweg 1

    D-85521 Ottobrunn

    GERMANY

    CompuServe: 100346,2206

    Internet: 100346.2206@compuserve.com

    http://www-city.europeonline.com/cyberhome/vogeldat/order

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Orders Japan - P & A Co. Ltd.
In JAPAN, WinU is distributed by P.  & A.  Co., Ltd.  Price is 7,800 Yen (includes tax and shipping).  Payment by credit card [MasterCard, Visa, Amex, DC], bank transfer [Ginko furikomi], postal transfer [Yubin furikae/Genkin kakitome], or COD -- call for details.

    P. & A. Co., Ltd.	Voice: (Jap/Eng)	0425-35-9901

    1-3-6-2 Kamisunacho	Fax:	0425-35-9902

    Tachikawa	NIFTY-Serve:	PAF02461

    Tokyo 190

    Japan

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Orders New Zealand - PC Support Services
In NEW ZEALAND, WinU is distributed by PC Support Services.  Price for WinU is NZ$79.50 within New Zealand (includes GST), or NZ$71 elsewhere.  Contact PC Support Services for information on payment methods accepted.

    PC Support Services	Voice: +64 21 647 955

    143 Tuhikaramea Road	Fax: +64 78 473 955

    Hamilton

    New Zealand

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Orders Netherlands - CopyCats
WinU Bestelformulier voor Nederland en België

(Gebruik "Afdrukken"  uit bovenstaand menu, of markeer de tekst en kopieer hem naar het klembord)

De distributie en support van WinU wordt in Nederland en België verzorgd door CopyCats Software & Services. De prijs van WinU bedraagt fl 129,50 / 2395 BF incl. BTW en verzending.  Voor dit bedrag krijgt u de nieuwste complete versie met manual en recht op ondersteuning. WinU wordt uit voorraad geleverd.

Om WinU te bestellen stuurt u dit formulier volledig ingevuld aan:

CopyCats Software & Services

Postbus 1088

1700 BB  Heerhugowaard	KvK Alkmaar 37064222

Nederland	Postbank (NL) 43.28.577

Tel. +31 (0)72 5745993,  Fax 5726559	Postcheque (B) 000-1656064-80

E-mail: copycats@compuserve.com	BTW-Nr NL-185.152.119.B01

Ook voordelige multi-user licenties (5+ users) zijn leverbaar. Informeer naar de prijzen!

JA, WinU bevalt mij! ik bestel hierbij:

Aantal:  Produkt:             Prijs p.s.         Totaal:

----------------------------------------------------------

....     WinU single user á fl 129,50 / 2395 BF  .........

                                                 =========

Naam    : .........................................  M / V

Bedrijf : ................................................

Adres   : ................................................

Postcode: ............. Plaats: ..........................

Land    : ........... E-mail: ............................

Telefoon: .................... Fax: ......................

BTW-Nr  : (Belgische bedrijven)  |B|E|-|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|_|

Deel het ordertotaal door 1,175 als u een geldig BTW-Nr opgeeft!

Betaalwijze:  (ongeacht uw keuze ontvangt u een BTW-factuur)

[ ] Bijgesloten cheque of betaalkaart.

[ ] (NL) Reeds overgemaakt op Postbank 43.28.577.

[ ] (B) Reeds overgemaakt op Postrekening 000-1656064-80.

[ ] Op rekening (grootbedrijf, overheid, onderwijs).

Datum: ...-...-...  Handtekening: ..........................

Ik hoorde voor het eerst over WinU via: ....................

Ik heb deze evaluatieversie gevonden op: ...................

Vriendelijk dank voor uw bestelling!

Genoemde prijzen zijn onder voorbehoud geldig t/m 31-01-1998. Bel na die datum eerst voor actuele prijzen.