New Clerk PC hardware - 2021

[lajackson]

Odd how the provisioning tool only displays for 2 seconds and then starts, not time enough to even see what it's doing.

If this is happening, I would call the Global Services Department. The first thing that should happen in the provisioning tool is for you to have a chance to select what type of installation you are doing. If the tool jumps directly in without giving you that option, you are getting either the default or the first choice on the list installed on your machine.

As far as I remember, neither one will work for an administrative computer in a clerk's office. That one was two-thirds the way down the last time I configured a new box.

And every box I have installed in the last two years stars u as soon as the power is connected. I learned to connect everything else first.

[Mikerowaved]

Odd how the provisioning tool only displays for 2 seconds and then starts, not time enough to even see what it's doing.

If this is happening, I would call the Global Services Department. The first thing that should happen in the provisioning tool is for you to have a chance to select what type of installation you are doing. If the tool jumps directly in without giving you that option, you are getting either the default or the first choice on the list installed on your machine.

I think you misunderstood. There IS an opportunity to select the type of environment the PC is going into from a dropdown list. It's after that, as part of the automated setup, that a screen briefly flashes that has checkmarks on different options to be installed; probably based on the previous environment selection. It would be nice to be able to interact with this screen, but it comes and goes too quickly.

For example, most of the applications the tool installs are outdated versions. It would be nice to keep those from installing, since they're going to be manually reinstalled anyway with updated versions.

[craiggsmith]

Odd how the provisioning tool only displays for 2 seconds and then starts, not time enough to even see what it's doing.

If this is happening, I would call the Global Services Department. The first thing that should happen in the provisioning tool is for you to have a chance to select what type of installation you are doing. If the tool jumps directly in without giving you that option, you are getting either the default or the first choice on the list installed on your machine.

I think you misunderstood. There IS an opportunity to select the type of environment the PC is going into from a dropdown list. It's after that, as part of the automated setup, that a screen briefly flashes that has checkmarks on different options to be installed; probably based on the previous environment selection. It would be nice to be able to interact with this screen, but it comes and goes too quickly.

For example, most of the applications the tool installs are outdated versions. It would be nice to keep those from installing, since they're going to be manually reinstalled anyway with updated versions.

Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes, I can select the type of install, it is the screen after that which shows what is being installed that is too quick to do anything with. In the old days we could select and unselect things on that screen.

I've left all 6 machines on all night for 3 nights in a row. Only 2 of the machines installed Sophos, and that was the first evening. So I called the help desk about those and the other machine that wouldn't update to 20H2. They told me simply to uninstall Sophos, which it wouldn't let me do. So then they said to disable the services, which it also wouldn't let me do. So then we tried that under the support account with no success. Which matches what I've read here. So then they told me the only option was to reimage the machines, which is what they told me for the one that wouldn't update as well.

So I thought I would try the factory reset option first instead of a full reinstall. When they came back up it required a church employee email address; I used to work for the church so used my old one. It took it but then had me log in to my church account, at which point it returned an error, but gave me the option to skip. I then had to set up a user and I was in. It still had 20H2; I then ran the provisioning tool. It ended up with a few things it didn't have before. I let it sit for a couple hours and it installed Sophos again.

So I guess I will try a full reinstall, but I'm afraid Sophos will install again. I assume this is a BigFix configuration issue? I asked the help desk to escalate the ticket to the appropriate group for that but they said I just had to do a reinstall.

[russellhltn]

Yes, it appears to be a configuration issue. I have 5 of 6 new machines that installed Sophos. A direct quote from the person handling it is "We found the computer is in the Workforce Sub Estate and not the Meetinghouse Sub Estate in Sophos".

I'm still working my contacts to see what it will take to fix things.

[lajackson]

I think you misunderstood. There IS an opportunity to select the type of environment the PC is going into from a dropdown list. It's after that, as part of the automated setup, that a screen briefly flashes that has checkmarks on different options to be installed; probably based on the previous environment selection. It would be nice to be able to interact with this screen, but it comes and goes too quickly.

For example, most of the applications the tool installs are outdated versions. It would be nice to keep those from installing, since they're going to be manually reinstalled anyway with updated versions.

Okay. I understand now. I would like to be able to access that screen and make/unmake some selections, as well.

However, my experience as been different. An older box installed Sophos, but the newer ones did not when i installed 8 of them last year. For the older box, I pulled the current provisioning tool from the Church website and ran it again. Sophos did not install that time.

Of course, the provisioning tool has probably been updated/broken/changed since I used it last. And obviously the GSD does not know that it takes special administrative privileges to uninstall Sophos that even they do not have working remotely. There was an update from headquarters that took Sophos off of the other computers in my stake that were not swapped out last year.

The provisioning tool is some type of a batch file. Is it possible there is a keyboard shortcut that might pause it when the selection screen comes up, Ctrl-P or something? Yeah, I am old school. Everything moves too fast for me nowadays.

[Mikerowaved]

OK, if you hit the spacebar when the selection screen is visible, it will hold it there indefinitely and allow you to make changes. The ONLY changes I recommend is to uncheck Chrome, Adobe Reader, and LibreOffice, since they are outdated versions that have to be updated anyway. Those choices are all on the first screen. When done, hit the "Begin Install" link in the upper left and it will continue. Don't touch anything other settings! (And no, Sophos is NOT one of the choices available in this menu to deselect. That would be FAR too easy! )

Speaking of LibreOffice, I tried with several PC's to get version 7.1.6 working, but without success. It runs its own "Safe Mode" version, but won't launch the full version. Apparently, there's some incompatibility with a new LibreOffice install and certain Windows 10 updates. Reinstalling doesn't help, nor do the dozens of possible solutions found on the Internet. The ONLY solution that worked for me was to install version 7.2.1. Whether over the older version, or as a fresh install, it just works. The reason I didn't go that route before is that 7.2.1 is NOT considered a tried and proven "stable" release, where as 7.1.6 is.

[russellhltn]

The ONLY changes I recommend is to uncheck Chrome, Adobe Reader, and LibreOffice, since they are outdated versions that have to be updated anyway.

However, updating them is no big thing (and if forgotten is likely to do it automatically if given the time).

Likewise, installing an updated LibreOffice is the same as installing it overtop. I don't see much to be gained from stopping the older version.

What problems did you run into? I was able to install 7.1.6 with no issues, but didn't get to opening anything with it.

[Mikerowaved]

What problems did you run into? I was able to install 7.1.6 with no issues, but didn't get to opening anything with it.

When I double-clicked on the LibreOffice desktop shortcut, it would like start, then die, without so much as a popup. Same with trying to run it from the start menu.

[lajackson]

When I double-clicked on the LibreOffice desktop shortcut, it would like start, then die, without so much as a popup. Same with trying to run it from the start menu.

LibreOffice has a bug where the background process does not always stop when you close the last file. Just go into Task Manager and delete all of them. It happens most often when you save a large file, then close the file before the save is complete.

Once the first process hangs, you usually will see two more of them for each time you tried to open a new file.

[Mikerowaved]

Except I'm not trying to open a file, nor has it ever been run previously. Trying to run it after a fresh reboot doesn't help either, which would kill hung processes.