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Distributing information with screens at log in
Management wants us to come up with a way to disseminate information to users via "splash screens" when the user logs into the computer in the mornings. The information could/will change on a daily basis. We've come up with a way to make it happen, but it's extremely cumbersome and time-consuming for IT. We currently are:
As you can see, for every screen we need to create, there are a bunch of steps. If any change has to be made, we have to redo most of the steps from scratch. Doing it this way does allow us to schedule them in advance so someone doesn't have to remember/be available every afternoon to update the screen for tomorrow.
Surely there is a way/software to accomplish something similar without all this craziness?
Adding a line to each user's log-in script to open z:\abc.html in IE during log-in (if the file exists, it opens it automatically)
Creating the abc.html page which includes the desired information in a development folder
Creating a copy.bat file to copy abc.html from the development folder to Z:\
Creating a scheduled task to run the copy.bat file at midnight the morning it should appear
Creating a delete.bat file to delete Z:\abc.html at 11:59 the night of the day it ran
Creating a scheduled task to run the delete.bat file and remove the file so it doesn't appear next day
As you can see, for every screen we need to create, there are a bunch of steps. If any change has to be made, we have to redo most of the steps from scratch. Doing it this way does allow us to schedule them in advance so someone doesn't have to remember/be available every afternoon to update the screen for tomorrow.
Surely there is a way/software to accomplish something similar without all this craziness?
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> ...for every screen we need to create, there are a bunch of steps
- Is abc.html a "screen"?
- Does each user have a different named screen, e.g. def.html?
> If any change has to be made...
What kind of change?
You can probably use most of what you have. Just some adjustments to the steps.
- Is abc.html a "screen"?
- Does each user have a different named screen, e.g. def.html?
> If any change has to be made...
What kind of change?
You can probably use most of what you have. Just some adjustments to the steps.
Adding a line to each user's log-in script to open z:\abc.html in IE during log-in (if the file exists, it opens it automatically)
change the script to check if file exists then if exists open it in IE
Creating the abc.html page which includes the desired information in a development folder
create a task that runs at 23:59
cmd /c del \\destination\* /s/q
create a scheduled task that copy's the file runs at midnight
cmd /c copy \\sourcedir\sourcefile \\destination\dailynews.ht
(this allows over write and is silent)
no need for copy and delete scripts as task scheduler can do it if you provide the arguments.
change the script to check if file exists then if exists open it in IE
Creating the abc.html page which includes the desired information in a development folder
create a task that runs at 23:59
cmd /c del \\destination\* /s/q
create a scheduled task that copy's the file runs at midnight
cmd /c copy \\sourcedir\sourcefile \\destination\dailynews.ht
(this allows over write and is silent)
no need for copy and delete scripts as task scheduler can do it if you provide the arguments.
This question isn't abandoned, I've just been unable to get back to it until now.
Thank you David Johnson for your suggestion. I will definitely try to implement that change! Fewer steps is always better.
One more question...
Is there a way to add one line to a user's login script which will look in the announcements folder and open ALL .html files located in the folder, no matter what they're named?
For example, let's say I have three screens to run. They are named screen1.html, screen2.html, and screen3.html.
I want the line in their login script to look in the announcements folder and open all three files just because they're in the folder.
We have some users who use a browser other than IE, so I don't need to define which browser to use.
Thanks for your help! I'll award the points as soon as I can get this working.
Thank you David Johnson for your suggestion. I will definitely try to implement that change! Fewer steps is always better.
One more question...
Is there a way to add one line to a user's login script which will look in the announcements folder and open ALL .html files located in the folder, no matter what they're named?
For example, let's say I have three screens to run. They are named screen1.html, screen2.html, and screen3.html.
I want the line in their login script to look in the announcements folder and open all three files just because they're in the folder.
We have some users who use a browser other than IE, so I don't need to define which browser to use.
Thanks for your help! I'll award the points as soon as I can get this working.
powershell script
$files = get-childitem \\server\share\ -include *.htm
foreach ($file in $files) {
start-process $file.fullname
}
$files = get-childitem \\server\share\ -include *.htm
foreach ($file in $files) {
start-process $file.fullname
}
Excuse my ignorance, but I have no idea what you mean by a powershell script. The way we've been doing it is by adding this linesto each individual user's login script (tedious, yes, but it works):
if exist \\Foreman3\splash\Announce
What I don't want to do is add another line to every user's login script every time we name a screen something other than index.html. And we obviously can't have multiple files in the announcements folder with the same name.
I'm afraid with my non-existent understanding of what you mean by powershell, I'm going to have to ask you to walk me through the concept and the steps.
Please and thank you!
if exist \\Foreman3\splash\Announce
What I don't want to do is add another line to every user's login script every time we name a screen something other than index.html. And we obviously can't have multiple files in the announcements folder with the same name.
I'm afraid with my non-existent understanding of what you mean by powershell, I'm going to have to ask you to walk me through the concept and the steps.
Please and thank you!
> ...open all .html files... no matter what they are named?
for %%a in (\\server\share\*.html) do %%a
for %%a in (\\server\share\*.html) do %%a
Thanks NewVillageIT! That works. If there is more than one screen, you have to close the browser before the next one will pop up. I may end up being asked to change that so they all open at once without the need to close them first. Do you have any idea if that is possible?
I'm afraid with my non-existent understanding of what you mean by powershell, I'm going to have to ask you to walk me through the concept and the steps.
I would very strongly recommend that if you intend to be in Windows IT in the next 5 years and get promoted that one learns powershell. VB Scripting hasn't had ANY updates in 6 years and though not expected to be phased out don't expect anything new.. Windows Powershell has been around for 8 years and is used by Microsoft within their products quite extesively
I would very strongly recommend that if you intend to be in Windows IT in the next 5 years and get promoted that one learns powershell. VB Scripting hasn't had ANY updates in 6 years and though not expected to be phased out don't expect anything new.. Windows Powershell has been around for 8 years and is used by Microsoft within their products quite extesively
For IE, you need to use a script e.g. .vbs like:
I haven't yet confirmed behavior in Firefox and Chrome.
Const navOpenInBackgroundTab = &H1000
site1 = "(write here your site)"
site2 = "(write here your site)"
site3 = "(write here your site)"
Set oIE = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
oIE.Visible = True
oIE.Navigate2 site1
oIE.Navigate2 site2,navOpenInBackgroundTab
oIE.Navigate2 site3,navOpenInBackgroundTab
Set oIE = Nothing
I haven't yet confirmed behavior in Firefox and Chrome.
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