If you are using Outlook at home on an MD7 laptop then the recommended approach at present is to use the VPN service in order to update your mailbox whilst using Cached Exchange Mode.
Using the VPN with MD7 laptops
After the VPN service is started then you should start Outlook in the usual way.
This issue was first discovered in August 2011 when it was noticed that users couldn’t hear sound from IPTV and DVDs, but it is it worth repeating the issue.
No sound or application fails to launch
If users start watching a video, such as a video file, BBC iPlayer, IPTV etc. and there is no device attached to play the sound, such as speakers or headphones, then plugging in the devices mid-video does not allow the sound to be heard. To audio device needs to be available and then the video should be restarted.
Windows 7 detects whether there is an audio device such as speakers or headphones connected. If not the speaker in the System Tray (bottom right of the Taskbar) has a cross through it. If a video is played whilst in this state and then speakers are added there is no sound. It seems that the speakers need to be available before the video starts.
Audio device unavailable
Audio device available
Device needs to attached before launching the application
Before launching an application that requires sound to be available users should ensure some form of audio device is available.
Windows Movie Maker
If no output device is detected when Window Movie Maker is launched, the following message is displayed:
Windows Media Player
If a video is started with a sound device available and then the device is unplugged, on re-inserting the device there will be no sound available.
When the device is unplugged a warning message might be displayed:
Windows Volume Mixer
Part of the reason behind this seems to be because Windows Volume Mixer in Windows 7 does allow different sound levels per application, including individual applications to have sound disabled.
We have been requested to update the screensavers used for the Managed Desktop so that they use the new corporate logo on a white background.
This has been implemented for MD7 workstations and will be done very soon for MDXP workstations.
The update will apply during the next workstation restart.
please note: The only fully supported smartphone/tablets systems for connecting to SHU’s Exchange services are Blackberries and Apple IPhones/IPad/Touch systems.
During the migration to Exchange 2010 some ActiveSync users may need to change the server settings on their devices to maintain connectivity.
Users whose mailboxes have not been migrated yet may find that there are problems connecting using the server name exchange.shu.ac.uk. They may find that changing the server name to exchange2007.shu.ac.uk works.
After the user’s mailsbox has been migated to Exchange 2010, they “must” use the server name exchange.shu.ac.uk.
Altering existing file associations
Due to requests since being released, for MD2012 we intend to alter the file associations so that media files are predominantly opened by either Windows Media Player or QuickTime, with Real Player only opening file types that the other media players can’t play, such as .rm files.
After consultation with some staff in faculties, Brian Irwin has supplied a list of file types that we wish to open with specific media players.
These updated associations will be applied to workstations with the release of the next patch, which is due very shortly.
File Associations in Windows 7 are quite complicated, in that they can be in three different places, and depending on where they are depends on what takes precedence, with Current User settings the highest precedence.
Using MD Help to determine and reset file associations
In order to help users determine which application will be opened by which file type on their current workstation we have updated the ‘MD Help’ tool on the Start Menu. Select the ‘File Associations‘ tab then select the ‘Run File Association Report‘ button. This will take a short period of time to run.
If you wish to reset the file associations to the default ones then use the ‘Restore MD Default Associations‘ button.
Full list of all File Associations
For a full list of all of the proposed file associations and their associated application please see the page File Associations
Networks & Infrastructure now have a twitter account, which is:
@SHUnetworks
Information about Networks and Infrastructure services will be published here.
In order to try and ensure the continuity of the Managed Desktop service for Lab workstations, we have decided to block users from installing and using the Dropbox sync client on Lab workstations.
This is due to the fact that the Dropbox client will install for users with USER rights and once installed and configured could potentially download Gigabytes of data from the Dropbox service to the user’s profile on the local workstation.
This could fill the disk of the workstation and cause numerous issues, especially if a few users all did this on the same workstation.
Dropbox files still available via the web portal
Please note that access to the Dropbox service is not being blocked, the recommended access to such services for all users is via the web portal for the service which will allow users to transfer files individually, so only transferring those files that are actually required which is more appropriate than sync’ing every file in their Dropbox account unnecessarily.
AppLocker
The method for blocking the installation of the client is using a technology called ‘AppLocker’ which is available with Windows 7.
This will restrict defined executables from being run, and is configured within a Group Policy.
At present we have set up a Group Policy to block the Dropbox client and Sugarsync client from installing and running and this policy has been applied to all Lab workstations.
If the user tries to run an application that is blocked they receive the following message on screen:
For more information on AppLocker see:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd548340(WS.10).aspx
Other sync clients
We do intend to add other sync clients to the list of blocked applications as soon as we have tested to ensure they are blocked as expected and don’t cause other issues.
The biggest issue with Dropbox is that it will allow USERS to install the client, where as clients such as Googlesync will not install if the user is not a local administrator.
This change will provide a number of new features including enhanced web access to staff email and better compatibility with Outlook 2010. The version of Outlook will not be affected by this change.
Whilst the upgrade is taking place staff will be able to work as normal and won’t see any changes to their mailbox. If you are logged in during the final stage of the move you will be asked to restart Outlook – this will be scheduled to happen on Saturday 7pm-9pm to ensure that the change will cause little or no disruption to staff.
Users using the web version of Outlook (OWA) will see some changes to the interface following the move, with significant improvements for users of Safari and Firefox. A detailed list of changes is also available on the intranet here.
The timetable
5-7 October Migrate SLS; migrate shared mailboxes
12-14 October Migrate ACES
19-21 October Migrate D&S
26-28 October Migrate HWB
2-4 November Migrate SBS
9-11 November Migrate Finance and Facilities Directorate, Secretary and Registrar’s Directorate and VCG
16-18 November remaining departments/mailboxes including HWB and SBS
Last Friday Microsoft released an Out of Band security update for Internet Explorer (MS12-063). The update is rated as critical in our environment and is being actively exploited in the wild so this morning it has been approved for delivery to Managed Workstations via the WSUS system.
For more information on the update see:
http://blogs.technet.com/b/uspartner_ts2team/archive/2012/09/24/out-of-band-security-fix-please-take-action-now-bulletin-ms12-063-critical.aspx
Yesterday an issue was discovered by which some MD2012 workstations may not have been receiving WSUS updates as expected. A fix was implemented last night on the WSUS server and MD2012 workstations should now be receiving WSUS updates as expected again.
MD2012 workstations will now begin to install previously authorised updates that are queued up for installation and these may be installed over the coming days.
WSUS is the University’s Enterprise Windows Update Service that will distribute Microsoft Security Updates once authorised by the University.