"New Computer Desktop" orientation
What is this about?
Your school has been upgraded to a new desktop configuration that will clean up the look of your machines, give you greater control over how your computers operates, and enable the IT department to respond more quickly to your needs.
What does this mean to me?
Very little will change. Your desktop will look a little different - instead of icons for programs being sprinkled all over the desktop you will have a folder called Program Shortcuts that will hold all program shortcuts. Additionally, you will see a folder called Websites and one called Student Files.
Click either image to enlarge
Old Desktop |
New Desktop |
There are only a few interesting folders on the new desktop:
- Program Shortcuts - this folder contains all the programs that are globally accessable across all student PCs in your school. This is an IT controlled folder - modifications to this folder are done by putting in a help desk ticket. This is where all the old desktop icons now live! (Note that teacher computers will have this folder as well - some programs may not work on teacher computers.)
- Websites - this folder contains shortcuts to websites that teachers want to use in class. All teachers have the ability to modify the contents of this folder. Students do not have access to modify the contents. Talk to your teacher tech mentor if you need assistance changing the contents of this folder.
- Student Files - This shortcut is to a central location that students can write information to. This is accessable from all computers and is a good place to drop class files that students need to update and is a good place to have students drop assignments. Teachers also have full access to these files. (Careful - students can accidentally or intentionally delete or modify any file in this area!)
Reorganizing the desktop icons
In the event that the desktop icons become messy, you can reorganize the desktop icons quickly and easily by clicking on the "Arrange Desktop Icons" icon located in the Program Shortcuts folder.
Rebuilding a student desktop (as a last resort)
If a student machine becomes corrupted in some way (desktop icons are so messy you can't reset them easily or program settings are completely messed up), a teacher can rebuild the student desktop by following these steps:
- Log in to the affected computer as yourself (not as the student, but as a teacher)
- Find and run the DeleteProfile.exe program from the "teacher items" folder
- In this popup box, type the student login id of the profile to delete. For example, at Meadowlark, you would type mls1
- Click "ok" to rebuild the student profile
- Log off as the teacher. The next time a student logs in, the student profile will be rebuilt and be "clean"
- Only staff (not students) can run this program and it will only work to clean student logins - it can't be used to clean teacher logins