Mute those machines!

[MickeyC]

One thing that really gets to me in the classroom is the log on and off sounds that Windows generates. In our environment the last user just needs to have left the volume up and the next user to log in has the dah dah dumm of windows echo through the room. Repeat this with a whole class and it becomes quite a symphony.

Using ABControl, I have very successfully used the launch application feature to keep machines quiet for the end of a session. Launching the mute.exe utility with the switch of 'delay' has the machines mute once the current user logs off. Having to do this for each lesson hakes it somewhat cumbersome, but one day we'll add it to the log on script.

Using the setvol.exe utility has also enabled a very quick way to set student workstations to a common level. Great what a class of junior primary kids are all using kidpix at the same time without headphones!

The download and parameters for the two utilities mentioned can be obtained from:
[url=http://ed.mullen.home.comcast.net/utility.html]http://ed.mullen.home.comcast.net/utility.html[/url]

I love it!

Michael

[MickeyC]

Just had a thought that probably should go into the wish list.

Wouldn;' it be great if these utilities above could be built into the ABTutor Client, so that through a menu selection in ABControl, you could mute, unmute and set volume ranges on remote machines. Even better would be the ability to prevent the user from modifying this setting... now I'm playing God!

Brilliant!

M

[Wolfy]

We were just having a conversation about the same thing. The ability for a member of staff to click a button to mute the sound in a classroom would be a brilliant feature.

Definitely one for the wishlist!

[DonV]

Im not sure of your network, but if your using active directory you can add the mute exe to the run scripts at logoff GP policy.

Its in User Conf -> Windows Settings -> Scripts (logon logoff) -> Logoff

click on show files and copy mute.exe to this folder and then add it to the list of scripts.

IMHO i add it to the log on script (not the policy) then users can unmute it if they need too. as changing the sound level is a local user setting there isnt any security issues with scripting this kind of change under a normal user logon.