ActiveStudio problem on portable PCs

[acmoller]

Hi all,
we use a lot of portables, and the users all have their home folders redirected to their home folders on a network server when connected to the network. (Redirection by Group Policy in AD)

The problem is that ActiveStudio does not start when the machines are not connected to the network, it says it has a problem finding a valid program path.

We have tried A LOT of variants of installing and settings, but the program INSISTS on access to the redirected user folder which is not - of course - accessible offline.

This must be a problem others have experienced? What to do?

(By the way, running latest versons of everything...and yes, we have posted this before, been in contact with support and dealers but none could help.)

[airskeeter]

If I remember correctly, we recommend that you install the full program on the Portable, I am assuming laptops, and if you must, redirect your resources to the network area. You cannot run the program in a shared network setting.

The version 3.o license allows for one license per computer connected to a board for presentation purposes and a license for preparation.

So, if you have boards, you are OK to install on the "portable" computers.

I hope that helps.

[tingens4]

I use portables also. I did an install on the laptop and I have had no problems running the software.

It did take awhile for the software to load but once loaded we have had no problems.

I hope it works out for you:)

[acmoller]

To clarify:
We now have 6 Promethean boards and many of our teachers user portables (Read: Laptops, yes) with Activestudio installed. They create lessons on their laptops in their office and want to bring them to the classrooms/boards for the lessons.
But when their laptops are not connected to the network, Activestudion will not start at all.

To recreate the problem you can do this:
- Connect computer to network and log on
- Right click "My Documents" and select Properties
- In the "Target" field, write in the network location of your network home folder, like \\<server>\<homefolder> or maybe "H:\" (check with administrator..)
- Install and start Activestudio on the local drive, it will start ok, close it for now.
- Disconnect computer from network
- Try to start Activestudio, it will NOT start until the redirection is cleared, or computer is connected even though the settings surely are written to the users local "Documents and settings\Activestudio\... " folder.
We do NOT use ANY network shared resources at all for Activestudio, everything is installed locally on each laptop.
Like I said, when redirection of "My Documents" is on, Activestudio INSISTS on access to the networked/redirected "My Documents" even if the settings are available locally.

Hope you get the picture now...;)

[airskeeter]

"we use a lot of portables, and the users all have their home folders redirected to their home folders on a network server when connected to the network. (Redirection by Group Policy in AD)"

You are running AS on a network drive at this point and it makes complete sense that it will then not run when disconnected.

Look at the properties of the shortcut to make sure that when not connected you are opening the software on your portable (laptop) instead of your network. Add a second shortcut that points to the portable's hard drive.

You said you called tech support, try them again. I suspect that you may have to change your settings or reinstall AS while not connected and use it that way.

I believe that if you call Tech support and get an AV DR. report for them they can sort it out for you.

[DavidFhu]

I wonder will the Activstudio Network Edition solve the problem? :confused:

[acmoller]

"You are running AS on a network drive at this point and it makes complete sense that it will then not run when disconnected."

(:rolleyes:sigh...)
No, we do NOT, why do nobody understand this problem?
ALL software is installed locally, all default settings, NOTHING is installed on the network! (Sorry for being a bit po'd, but..)

The last one I tried was completely off the network when Activestudio was installed (from CD). All worked well until the computer was connected to the network and the Group policy redirected the users "My Documents" folder to the users %HOMEDIR%. After that AS does not start when computer is offline.

ActiveStudio ALWAYS wants to use the redirected "My Documents" folder, regardless if the computer is connected or not, therefore it will not find its settings folder (%HOMESHARE%\ActiveStudio\)

Activestudio is not supporting portable computers correctly, when disconnected it should use the local %USERPROFILE%\ActiveStudio\ folder instead of searching for it on the network which is unavailable. Never had this problem with other applications.

[Nigel Pearce]

As you have discovered, Activstudio (and Activprimary) by default require a fully accessible 'My Documents' folder in order for the program to run. This folder is chosen for storing a users personal Resource Library together with their Activstudio profile and settings.

The way you have described your issue suggests that you have chosen not to make use of the Microsoft 'Offline Files' feature within the Group Policy of the laptop users. Therefore when the laptop user is not logged onto your network, there is effectively no 'My Documents' folder available to the laptop generally.


Can you consider using the Offline Files and Folder Synchronisation features that Windows offers?
Activstudio has been designed with this in mind and works extremely effectively in this scenario.

[acmoller]

Yes, have activated Offline folders on some laptops to avoid this problem, but quite a few users have tens of gigabytes stored on their home folders and that takes forever to syncronize, not a suitable solution for everyone, sorry.

This is the only application we have come across with this problem, so how do other sw vendors do it? How would f.example Outlook function offline when cached mode is enabled if not the data file was in a local folder? If "ActivStudio was designed with this in mind" it would work without fuzzing with Offline folders. And IF Activstudio was designed this way, why should the settings be stored in a network folder at all??? Because that is what you say; it is dependent of the "Offline folders" to be activated and that is a network function in Active Directory to make some networked folders available to users when offline.... Do you mean the ActiveStudio does not work when it is installed on a standalone machine? No, because it creates a local folder for the settings.
Sure, the users ..\Documents and settings -folder IS available offline, and the ..\Documents and settings\ActivStudio -folder IS THERE too, so why not use it?

I'm not going to argue more about this for now, this a job for the developers.

[Nigel Pearce]

Sure, the users ..\Documents and settings -folder IS available offline, and the ..\Documents and settings\ActivStudio -folder IS THERE too, so why not use it?


This is curious. If these folders are available offline, Activstudio should be seeing them.

We'll try and recreate this situation in test.

When Activstudio runs it simply asks Windows for the location of 'My Documents' when it first starts. The fact that it won't run suggests that it is being provided with an invalid location, which further indicates that perhaps these computers may not be pointing at the local 'My Documents' folder when they are offline.

Question. On one of your offline systems does clicking on the 'My Documents' icon open Windows Explorer at the local folder?