Manuals/DiscoverStation Training Guide

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This DiscoverStation Training Guide is for DiscoverStation 4. It is designed to give non-technical (customer) staff an idea of what DiscoverStation is, how it works, how to support it. Userful distributes a printed DiscoverStation Training Guide which is given as a handout at all DiscoverStation training sessions.

This web-based version of the DiscoverStation Training Guide does not list default passwords for reasons of security.

Contents

A New Approach to Public Computing

Congratulations on your purchase of DiscoverStation, the world's leading public computing solution. This guide will introduce you to DiscoverStation's functionality as well as common questions you may be asked about by users of your DiscoverStation system. Please familiarize yourself with its contents and try the training exercises.

Traditional Approaches to Public Computing

With the traditional "do-it-yourself" approach to public computing, an organization takes a personal computer (a PC running Microsoft Windows) and installs an assortment of software to try to convert it as a secure public access computer.

This approach requires a lot of work to select, install, configure, and test the variety of software packages available. Often it produces unsatisfactory results.

Userful Approach (Turnkey solution)

DiscoverStation is a public access computing solution designed from the ground up to meet the needs of both those offering public computers and their users.

DiscoverStation includes all the public computer management features and software required to offer robust and convenient public computer access, as well as sophisticated management tools for staff and administrators.

Userful Provides Complete Support for DiscoverStation

All maintenance (security patches and software upgrades) is done automatically over the web by Userful. Stations are monitored 24/7 and anonymous usage statistics are collected.

Toll-free telephone and email support is included 10:30 AM to 7:30 PM (EST), 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM (CST), 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM (MST), 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM (PST)] on regular business days. Limited support is available during weekends. Please see the first inside page for support contact information.

Main Benefits: Reduced Staff Workload, Reduced Costs and Better Service for Users

  • Smooth running of public access computing frees up personnel for other activities.
  • System administration by Userful saves as much as 50-80% in IT and other hidden costs over other public computing options.
  • Fewer computer boxes translates into fewer computers to support and upgrade. This significantly reduces networking and troubleshooting expenses.
  • Reduced power consumption and environmental impact.

Userful Manager

Many features of DiscoverStation are configurable through Userful Manager, a web based configuration and management portal for DiscoverStation. To learn more about Userful Manager, please refer to the Userful Manager manual.

Tour of DiscoverStation

Users first see the Welcome Screen when they start using the DiscoverStation. This chapter guides you from the Welcome Screen, through application and file access, all the way to ending a session.

Multiple Language Support

Use the pull-down language option in the top right corner of the Welcome Screen to view the languages DiscoverStation offers. Many applications have full multi-lingual support for widely used languages (including help files) however, support for some languages is limited. The languages offered to users are customizable through Userful Manager.

Exercise

Try logging in using Simplified Chinese and note the changes on the desktop. (Note: To type in Simplified Chinese, first press "Ctrl+space bar".)

Session Profiles and Authentication

Session Profiles allow you to set up sessions key usage scenarios, reducing time spent by staff showing users how to use computer applications by providing users with direct access to a work environment best suited to their needs. If a user just wants to find a book, they choose the "Library Catalog" profile. Novice web users would choose "Internet Only" if no file saving or other activity are required. For maximum flexibility choose the "Inter-net & Desktop" profile. Session Profiles are completely customizable through Userful Manager to meet your organization's specific needs.

Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

An acceptable use policy may offer legal protection by ensuring users agree to your terms of use prior to accessing the system. It can be changed at any point by an administrator through the Userful Manager web portal. Administrators can also upload their translations of the AUP via Userful Manager

Privacy Protector

DiscoverStation ensures user privacy by logging users out automatically after five minutes of inactivity. This wipes clean all traces of their use including cookies, passwords entered, files downloaded, etc. Subsequent users cannot access any of their information. Userful Manager can be used to change the standard inactivity value from five minutes to other values.

Exercise

Click the button displaying the time remaining in this session to bring up session options. See how the Privacy Protector works by changing the length of time to automatic logout from 5 minutes to 10 seconds. Click "OK". Wait 10 seconds without touching the mouse or keyboard. The Privacy Protector will warn you that you've left the station. Move the mouse to prevent logout. To disable the automatic logout, remove the inactivity logout check mark. The station will not log you out now until your session has ended. You can get back to the Privacy Protector at any point by clicking on the digital countdown clock at bottom right of the screen.

Time Limit Manager

The Time Limit Manager is a simple way to enforce your organization's time limit policy. Limiting the session length prevents users from monopolizing the stations. It also saves the staff from policing time use on the stations. Each session type can have a different limit. For example, sessions allowing Internet use could be limited to 30 minutes, while Desktop Only sessions can last an hour. The clock, bottom right, tells users how much time is left. The system provides warnings at pre-set intervals so users can finish and save their work.

In addition, DiscoverStation offers a coordinated logout feature which simultaneously ends sessions for all connected users. Synchronized endings help in paper-based booking systems by discouraging restarting. Use this feature to ensure stations are clear for regularly scheduled events or prior to closing.

Exercise See how you can extend a user's session by pressing "Ctrl-Alt-T" and entering the password configured for this purpose through Userful Manager.

Looking Around the Desktop

Examine the task bar at the bottom of the screen. From left to right, the task bar contains:

  1. The Start Here menu button
  2. The show desktop button
  3. Buttons for each open application
  4. Count down clock with the time left on the session (this also allows users to optionally change their privacy protection and filtering settings for their session)
  5. A "log out" button to end the session
  6. The current system time

Full Range of Programs Available Through the Start Here menu

Web Browser: The Userful browser is based on Mozilla, the successor to Netscape. The vast majority of North American and European websites are compatible with the browser.

Word Processor and Office Suite: OpenOffice is widely recognised for its exceptional compatibility with and similarity to Microsoft Office. Unlike Microsoft Office, Open Office can compose PDF documents and includes a graphical HTML editor.

Exercise

Open the Word Processor by clicking the "Start Here" button in the lower left corner of the screen. Select "Word Processor". Type some text into the new document. Under the word processor "File" menu, click "Save As". Note that the file format defaults to "Microsoft Word (.doc)". Users can seamlessly work between OpenOffice and Microsoft Office applications.

Exercise Using the same open document from the previous exercise, create a PDF file by clicking "File" > "Export as PDF..." Save the PDF file to the desktop.

Other Applications Included

Genealogy Tool: "Family Tree" is a tool for creating family trees. It reads and writes files in the principal genealogy formats.

Draw: A drawing program for creating diagrams, pictures, illustrations, flow-charts, and organizational charts (similar to Adobe Illustrator, CorelDraw and Visio).

Photo Editor: A powerful tool for photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring (similar to Adobe PhotoShop).

Chat Program: communicate with others via on-line messaging.

Email:' Click "Start Here" > "Email" then choose a web-based email site. A web browser automatically opens the login page.

Note: A number of other applications are located under "Start Here" > "Extras".

Printing and Print Control

DiscoverStation can print to a local printer attached directly to the computer box or to a network printer. The print control feature reduces unnecessary printing and can help recover costs. When enabled, users are prompted to confirm or reject each print job before queuing it for printing. It displays the number of pages, the cost, and a customizable message with payment instructions (such as "Pay at the front desk"). An invoice/receipt can be included as the last page of the print job.

Exercise If your DiscoverStation is connected to a printer, try printing a PDF file, web page or word processor document. To print the open document, click "File" > "Print" from the application's menu. Click the "Print" button, leaving all other options at their default values. Click "Cancel" on the print payment message window.

Saving Files

Upon logging out, all files left on the system by the user are deleted. This ensures each session starts with the same settings, protects the DiscoverStation from discarded files and enhances user privacy. However, this also means that users must also be able to save their work. With DiscoverStation, users can save files in five ways:

E-mail: Users can email files that they wish to save either as an attachments or as part of the message.

CD: Users can access the CD writer in the central computer box to save files to CDs. Note that CD writing must be enabled in Userful Manager by your administrator before users can record CDs.

Floppy Disk: Users can either use the internal floppy drive on the DiscoverStation computer box or optional USB floppy drives attached to each workstation.

USB Memory Keys: Users can save files to most USB memory keys connected to keyboards.

Web Drive: A web drive is a virtual hard drive provided over the Internet. Files saved to a web-drive can be retrieved from any computer connected to the Internet. For a recommended list of web drives click "Start Here" > "Devices" > "Web Drives".

For more on using file saving, see the "How To" section in chapter 4.

Using Shared Removable Drives

DiscoverStation allows the shared use of either the central floppy drive or central CD writer. Once a user loads a drive by double-clicking its icon in the "Computer" window, all others are denied access to that drive. Only when this user is finished and Unloads the drive, can the other users on that computer access the drive. (A user who wants access to a drive that is in use has the system send a request to the current user.)

Exercise Double-click the "Computer" icon on the desktop. It will open a window showing all shared drives. Insert a disc into the appropriate shared drive. Double-click the icon representing the shared drive into which you inserted the disc. You have now claimed use of the drive. To finish using the shared drive, right-click on the drive's icon and choose "Eject" or "Unmount". You may then safely remove the disc.

For more on using Shared Drives, see the "How To" section in the next chapter.

Using Dedicated USB Floppy Drives and Memory Keys

If the station has a USB floppy or the user attaches a memory key, files can be read from or written to the device through standard file open and save windows, as well as through the "Computer" icon on the desktop. Dedicated USB floppy drives and memory keys can only be accessed at the station they belong to.

To access a floppy drive or USB key at a station, double-click the icon on the desktop labelled "3.5 USB Floppy Drive (A:)" or the name of the USB memory key. A window showing the contents of the floppy disk or memory key will appear. Drag and drop files you wish to save into the floppy or memory key window. You may also drag and drop files from the floppy disk or memory key window to the desktop or another folder. To save directly to a floppy disk from a program, click "File" > "Save As..." and choose "3.5 USB Floppy Drive (A:)" from the list of folders. You must specify a file name before clicking "Save".

Note: The floppy disk or USB memory key must not be write-protected. If windows appears stating "Error: Read only file system" while attempting to save to a floppy disk, turn off write protection by sliding the tab, found in a corner on the under side of the disk, to the other position. A similar write-protection tab may be found on the side of some USB memory keys.

Note: Do not manually eject the disk while the status indicator light is on, or while the progress bar remains on screen. Ejecting the disk while it is in use may result in data loss.

Exercise Insert a floppy disk into the disk drive. Save a file to it from OpenOffice. Close the file. Open it again by double-clicking the Floppy Drive icon on the desktop, and double-clicking on the file.

Downloading Files From Digital Cameras

DiscoverStation is compatible with many digital cameras. Connect the camera to the DiscoverStation keyboard via a USB cable. Photos on the camera may be accessed just like files on USB memory keys, or opened in the Photo Browser application.

Internet Filtering

DiscoverStation features sophisticated Internet filtering capabilities. Session Profiles, configured through Userful Manager, allow administrators to choose the level of filtering most appropriate to their needs. The filtering settings for any particular DiscoverStation session may be adjusted by the user (if permitted by the organization) by clicking the timer button on the right side of the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. Staff can temporarily disable Internet filtering at a particular station by pressing "Ctrl+Alt+F" and entering the password configured for this purpose through Userful Manager.

Directory Structure

DiscoverStation includes shortcuts to common file locations such as the Desktop and removable storage so users should rarely need to navigate the directory structure. However it is worth explaining briefly for the odd situation that might arise. Each station has a home directory located at: /home/station_#/ (the final digit is the number of the station). The path to the desktop is: </code>/home/station_#/Desktop</code> On the desktop are shortcuts to any connected USB floppy or memory drives.

Ending a Session

A DiscoverStation session can end in any of four ways:

  1. The user logs out by either clicking "Start Here" > "Logout" or by clicking on the Logout icon on the bottom right of the screen. (In both cases, the user will be asked to confirm that they want to end the session.)
  2. The user exceeds their available time (see Time Limit Manager, above) and is automatically logged out.
  3. The station has had no activity for the predetermined inactivity time limit (see Privacy Protector, above).
  4. The station is reset by pressing the "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" key combination. This method of ending a session stops all running programs and any unsaved changes to documents will be lost. This is the preferred method of resetting a frozen station.

Once the session has ended by any of these methods, DiscoverStation clears all personal information from the system including files left on the system, information related to web browsing (cookies, last sites visited) and reverts to default configuration, ensuring that all users have the same starting point.

Exercise End your session using either the "Start Here" button or the "Logout" icon.

Barcode Scanners and Other Input Devices

DiscoverStation is compatible with a variety of USB input devices such as barcode scanners and magnetic card stripe readers. In most cases, input devices can be plugged directly into the USB keyboard which will automatically assign the device to that station. Most programs will treat data from USB input devices as though it came directly from the keyboard.

Basic Administration

Viewing the Print Queue

DiscoverStation includes a web-based print queue management system for all printers connected to all DiscoverStations within your local computer network. This allows DiscoverStation users in the children's section to print to the printer connected to the DiscoverStation in the Adult Section, and vice versa. Users can view all items in the print queue by selecting: "Start Here" > "Devices" > "Printers"

Reset a Station

Press "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" to reset any single station. This only takes a few seconds. There is no warning message before your station is reset, and any unsaved work will be lost. This process will not reset any other stations connected to the DiscoverStation computer box, but only the individual station. This key combination can also be used to log out of a station.

If one or more stations are frozen and will not respond to "Ctrl+Alt+Delete", you must schedule a reboot through Admin Mode by pressing "Ctrl+Alt+A" and entering the correct password on a working logged-in station.

If all stations are unresponsive, reset the computer box by pressing and holding the front power button for five seconds. If the front power button fails, turn the off and on again with the rear power switch.

Adding More Time to a Session

More time may be added to any active session by administrators. Press "Ctrl+Alt+T" and enter the password for adding time. Select the desired extension time from the window presented. Press "OK" to confirm the addition of time.

Turn off Web Filtering for a Session

Press "Ctrl+Alt+F" and enter the password configured for this purpose through Userful Manager. This will immediately disable filtering. Once the filtering is turned off, it cannot be re-enabled for that session. Filtering is automatically reinstated for the next session.

Administrator Mode

Administrator mode is intended for use by IT staff. Please see the DiscoverStation Administrator Guide for details.

Passwords

For a list of the default and current passwords for DiscoverStation computers in your organization, please have your system administrator log in to Userful Manager to retrieve passwords from the System Passwords panel.

Assigning Keyboards and Mice to Stations

If at any point a USB keyboard or mouse becomes disconnected from the DiscoverStation, or if you add stations to the DiscoverStation, the monitor associated with the disconnected device will display a message indicating that no keyboard or mouse is connected. A subsequent screen will ask you to press a function key (F1-F10) to link the keyboard/mouse pair to the monitor they are in front of to form a station. After pressing the appropriate F-key, the station will display the Welcome Screen. Verify that the mouse works by moving it.

The identification of keyboards and screens will be preserved when you shutdown your computer. If you accidentally press the wrong key, you can repeat this process by choosing "reassign input devices" from "Admin Mode" or by unplugging and reconnecting the device.

Basic User Help

Print Preview

Print Preview allows users to preview a document prior to printing. Using print preview can help save paper and reduce printing waste. The image that is displayed in Print Preview is exactly what will be printed.

From the web browser, click "File" > "Print Preview" to preview the printing of a document.

To access the print view from OpenOffice, click "File" > "Page Preview"

To change printing options for the current document, click "File" > "Print" or "File" > "Page Setup".

For printer troubleshooting tips, see section 5.3.

Print Selection

Printing a selection allows you to print a specified portion of a document. With the mouse, highlight the portion of the document you would like to print. To print a portion of a web page, from the web browser's menu bar, select "File" > "Print". In the print dialog box, select the "Selection" button. Click "Print"

To print a portion of a document, from the Open Office menu bar, click "File" > "Print", then under Print Range choose "Selection", and finally "OK".

Save a File in OpenOffice

By default, DiscoverStation applications save files to the desktop. This includes OpenOffice, the Web Browser or any other application. To save to a floppy drive, change the "Save in Folder" from "Desktop" to "3.5 USB Floppy Drive (A:)".

In the word processor, DiscoverStation defaults to saving documents as Microsoft Word files. Users can save in other formats if they wish by clicking on the file type down arrow.

To save a file in OpenOffice, select "File" > "Save As" and this dialog box will appear allowing users to choose where they save the file and in which format.

Opening Files

The easiest way to open files is to double-click on the file itself. DiscoverStation will automatically open the file using the correct application in most cases. To open a file from within most programs, click "File" > "Open" in the application's menu.

Open a File in OpenOffice

Select "File" > "Open" to bring up the open file-dialog box. Use the left hand side of the screen to navigate to the location of the file: home, desktop, USB floppy drive, USB memory key or CD drive. In the File selection box, double click on the appropriate file.

Note: The Desktop button near the top of the screen is a shortcut to the desktop. No matter where you are in the directory structure, this will take you to the files and folders on the desktop.

Open a Template in OpenOffice

Select "File" > "Open" to bring up the open file-dialog box. Double left click on "Home" on the top of the left field. In the list of folders you will see "Templates". Double left click on this folder. You will see a selection of useful OpenOffice templates saved in the Microsoft format. They include Resume, Letter, Business Card, Invoice and Brochure among others.

Accessing and Using the Shared CD Drive

To Save to a CD users must first insert a recordable CD into the shared CD burner. Note: Administrators may choose to disable both these shared devices through Userful Manager.

Recording a File to CD

It's advisable to first save the file to the desktop before recording it to CD.

Save a File to a CD using the CD Creator

  1. Insert a CD-R or CD-RW into CD drive and close the drive. The "File Browser: cdrom" window will appear (you can also open the folder by clicking on the "CDROM" icon on the desktop).
  2. Drag and drop the files you wish to record from the desktop to the CD Creator window, by left clicking on the file, holding down the mouse button and moving the file to the open "CD Creator" window. Release the mouse button.
  3. Click on the "Write to CD" icon.
  4. The Write to CD Recorder dialog will offer the following options:
    Write disc to: Selects the CD recorder to use. The default CD recorder chosen by the DiscoverStation is correct in most cases.
    Disc Name: The name of this CD.
    Eject Disc: Enable this option to automatically eject the CD when the writing process is complete.
    Reuse these files for another disc: Enable this option to leave the CD Creator Window open and make another copy of the CD when the first copy is complete.
    Write Speed: Set the write speed to no more than the maximum supported by your CD media.
  5. The CD will start recording.
  6. Remove the recorded CD from the CD drive.

Creating CDs using GnomeBaker

GnomeBaker is a CD recording application that has more features than the CD creator application described above.

  1. Start the GnomeBaker CD recording application by clicking "Start" > "Sound & Video" > "GnomeBaker".
    If you are adding files to a multi-session CD, click the "Import" button to import the contents of the previous session. Note that GnomeBaker is not compatible with all multi-session formats.
  2. Drag and drop files into the "Data Disk" area.
  3. Click "Create Data Disk" to proceed with CD recording.
  4. The default values on the following two CD recording options screens will work with most cases. Click "Start" on the second screen to record the CD.
  5. Remove the recorded CD from the CD drive.

Save or Download a File From the Internet

Users can work on documents stored in web-based email by downloading them with the web browser.

In the web browser, right click on the website's underlined link to the file you would like to download, and select "Save Link As..." which will prompt for a location to which the file should be saved. The default save location is the desktop. Select "Save" to save the file to the desktop.

Note: Some web sites do not offer the ability to save files with right click functionality, in which case left-clicking the link may produce the unknown file type dialog shown in Figure 4.6. In that case, choose "Save As..." from the dialog and proceed to save the file.

To edit or view the document, double-click it, or open an application, and select "File" > "Open" from the application's menu. Locate the document and press "Open".

After working on the file, save the file as indicated in the "Save a File to a CD or Floppy" section.

Note: If you are unable to find the file on the desktop, check the station's home folder in the top left corner of the desktop as you may have accidentally saved it there.

Viewing PDFs From the Internet

When you click on a link to a PDF file on a website, DiscoverStation will offer the option to save the file or to open it using another application (i.e. not the web browser). Click "Open" and it will launch the PDF reader. Visit http://userful.com/support/help-training to download some PDF files and try this for yourself.

Saving Graphics From a Webpage

On the web page, move the mouse over the desired graphic, right click the mouse. To save the image to the desktop, right click on the image and select "Save Image As..." The document name will be already filled in and it will save by default to the desktop. If you wish to save it elsewhere or to change the name, do so in this dialog box.

Moving Graphics Into an OpenOffice Document

Once you've saved an Internet graphic to the desktop (see above) you can move it from the desktop into an OpenOffice document. With the Word Processor open, you can either:

Drag and Drop: Click the restore/maximize button in the top right corner of OpenOffice (next to the X) to shrink it and drag the OpenOffice window so that you can see the desktop and the icon for the saved graphic. To drag the file from the desktop to the open document in the Word Processor: Left click and hold on the image on the desktop, move the image to the Word Processor and release the mouse button.

OR

Use the Insert pull down menu: Click "Insert" > "Graphics" > "From File..." You can change the image size by clicking and holding the mouse button down on one of the small green boxes at each corner of the image. When a double headed arrow appears, resize as desired by dragging the mouse. Press and hold Shift while resizing to maintain the image aspect ratio.

Printing Complex Webpages

If printing from the web browser fails, try printing the document from the word processor. Press "Ctrl+A" in the web browser to select the entire contents of the web page. Press "Ctrl+C" to copy the contents to the clipboard. Open a word processor document and paste the web page into it by clicking "Edit" > "Paste" in the menu.

This process will usually retain text and formatting and can be printed easily from there.

Hint: Pasting from a complex webpage can be slow and the results messy. If you just want the text from the page, click "Edit" > "Paste Special..." and select "Unformatted text".

Document Templates

DiscoverStation includes a variety of templates allowing users to rapidly produce standard documents such as resumes, newsletters and more. To create a new document based on a document template, right-click the desktop and select "Create Document" and choose the kind of document you wish to create. A new file will appear on the desktop, which you can open and edit just like any other document. To rename this file, right-click its icon and choose "Rename" and type a new name for the file.

Configuring USB Audio Devices

DiscoverStation supports a number of USB audio devices on a per station basis. USB headsets can be plugged in to a keyboard for the use of particular stations.

Exercise Install a USB headset by plugging it into a USB port on a keyboard of a station. Enter Admin Mode on the station by pressing "Ctrl+Alt+A" and entering the Admin Mode password. Double click the "Device (CD/Floppy/Audio) Assignment" icon to configure audio devices. In most cases, the automatically configured settings will be correct, so press "Yes. Do it for me." to continue.

If you wish to manually configure the USB audio devices, click "No. I prefer to do it myself" and assign devices manually. To identify an audio device, click "Check (<device name>)" to play a sound on that device. Click "OK" and restart the stations to which you've added USB audio devices added for the changes to take effect.

Playing Media files

DiscoverStation includes programs to view most types of media files downloadable from the Internet. Supported formats include WAV (audio), MP3 (audio), rm/ram (audio and video), MPEG (audio with video) and MOV (audio with video). In addition, many, but not all AVI files are supported.

Note: Audio devices must be installed and configured using the USB Device Assignment administrative control panel in order to hear audio.

Users can view media files by downloading them to the Desktop, or view them from within the Internet web browser. To view a saved media file, double-click the media file.

If no media player opens after double-clicking the media file, you may need to manually open the media file from within the media player. A selection of audio and video media players is available under "Start Here" > "Sound and Video."

Note: No single player supports all media formats in use. If a file does not open in a particular media player, try another player.

To open a file in most media players, right-click the media player window, and click "File > Open". Press the play button to view the file. The other player controls operate much like controls on physical audio and video players.

Exercise In a web browser, visit http://www3.userful.com/files/ to access a selection of video and audio files. Open these directly in the web browser by clicking the links, or download these files to the desktop and view them with a media player.

Help and Troubleshooting DiscoverStation

DiscoverStation includes many built-in features to help you and your users make the most of their computing experience.

Application Help

Each program has a help menu as shown in Figure 5.2 for OpenOffice Writer. To access application help, click "Help" > "Contents" from within the application. The tabs as shown below provide a variety of search options.

On the Desktop

"Application Help" contains folders that provide extensive help on major applications, as well as using foreign language inputs.

Exercise Double Click on the Applications Help icon and explore some of the folders noting the variety of help options available here. For more application help, see the "How To" section.

At Userful's Support Site

At http://userful.com/support/, you'll find online documentation and links to FAQs.

Log an issue or suggestion

You can contact support to report an issue in one of several ways:

Each desktop has an exclamation mark icon which links users to the web reporting tool which also can be found at http://userful.com/support/issue

Email support at support@userful.com

Userful also provides phone support: (403) 289-2177 or 1-866-873-7385 ext. 2

Printing FAQs

Q: The printer fails not for a specific print job but for all jobs from at least one station.

A: There are three approaches to the problem of a printer which will not print: checking the physical condition of the printer, checking the printer configuration and checking other factors.

  1. Physical Checks
    Double check that the printer is connected, powered on, and has ample paper. Check the status lights on the printer for indications of problems (such as paper jams, errors, etc.). Consult your printer manual if necessary.
  2. Printer Configuration
    The Printer Configuration Tool is available in Administration Mode. This tool provides the same configuration, diagnostic options and tools that the Userful staff has access to. Follow the on-line help provided with the Printer Configuration Tool to diagnose and resolve the printing issue.
  3. Other Tests
    If the previous two steps fail to resolve the printing issue, check the following items:
    1. If print jobs sent to the printer do not appear in the queue: Try printing a test page from the printer administration window. Confirm that you are following the correct procedures for printing in the application you are using; then describe the problem via email to support@userful.com
    2. If print jobs are appearing in the print queue but are not printing: Check that the printer itself is working by using the test print button(s) on the printer; (consult your printer manual on how to do this). If test print does not work, there is a problem with your printer. Consult your printer manual for trouble shooting help, and if necessary contact the printer manufacturer for technical support.
    3. If the test print works, try the following:
      • Confirm that the cables are securely connected.
      • If the printer is connected via USB re-plug the connectors at both ends of the USB cable.
      • Printers occasionally stop communicating correctly and need to be restarted. Power off the printer, power it on again, and reconnect the USB cable.
      • Ensure that the printer cable is not faulty by trying to print with a different printer cable of the same kind.

Q: While printing a .doc word processing file, the document came up in two pages with a large space at the bottom of the first page on screen. The space cannot be deleted.

A: There is likely a page break embedded in the document. Try highlighting from the last word on the first page to the first word on the next then pressing delete.

Q: What are the best ways to resolve a paper jam?

A: If the printer jams, look for stuck sheets. When you find jammed paper you will need to remove it carefully since torn paper is more difficult to remove and can cause further printing problems. Grasp the paper with both hands (if possible) and pull slowly, evenly and firmly. Use the following general procedure to locate stuck sheets.

Step 1. Remove the paper tray and look inside. Pull out any stuck paper and fix the paper tray. If you can't see a jam or if you can see it but can't pull it out proceed to Step 2.
Step 2. Open up the top panel, remove the toner cartridge and remove any paper stuck in the paper path. Carefully replace the cartridge and close the panel.
Step 3. Open the rear output bin or tray and carefully remove any paper there (you may need to press a lever to reduce the printer's grip on the paper).
Step 4. If you did not open the top panel while clearing the jam, open and close it. The printer will then complete a self-diagnostic test, and printing should resume. If the problem has not been fixed, the printer control panel will continue to report a paper jam. If this happens make sure that you have properly inserted the cartridge and closed the top. Then check that all the paths have been cleared (two sheets may be jammed). If you can't clear the jammed paper using the steps outlined here, consult the printer manual.

Other FAQs

Q: A web page does not print properly with the Userful Internet browser. How can I get it to print?

A: Certain pages are not compatible certain browsers. We have found this to be the case with all browsers (including Internet Explorer). Try copying and pasting the web page content into the word processor and printing from there.

Q: Why does the keyboard or mouse fail to work?

A: First check that the keyboard and mouse are properly connected to the central computer box.

Is the red light on the bottom of your optical mouse on and does pressing Num Lock on the keyboard toggle the Num Lock LED status indicator?

If they do not light up, the keyboard may be unplugged. If there is a USB keyboard extension check that there is a protective knot at the joint. Even if it appears to be properly plugged into the central computer, un-plugging the keyboard, waiting several seconds, and plugging in again may solve the problem.
If the station is still unresponsive but the mouse and keyboard are on pressing "Ctrl+Alt+Delete" may log you out and solve the problem.
If these do not solve the problem, reboot or schedule a reboot for the central computer box. If rebooting fails or if a particular station gives repeated problems there may be a problem with your hardware.

Q: A station is prompting me to: "Press the 'F3' key" however, pressing F3 does nothing. What should I do? A: The keyboard you are pressing F3 on is either linked to the wrong station or is disconnected. Press the "Num Lock" key. If toggling the num-lock key causes the LED to switch on and off, the keyboard has accidentally been linked to the wrong station (trace the cord back and replug the keyboard, this will free the keyboard for reassignment).

If pressing the num-lock key has no effect on the LED, then the keyboard is not connected, trace the cable back check all USB extension cables and replug the keyboard. IF this still does not work, there is either a problem with your USB keyboard or with the USB port on the motherboard. Verify that the USB port is working (e.g., by pluging in a known-good optical mouse), If not ensure that USB is turned on in the motherboard BIOS, and that the USB port has not somehow come disconnected from the motherboard. Then contact your system vendor about replacing the faulty components. Typically, a request to use the F key to make a link means there is a loose connection somewhere. Follow the instructions for Keyboard will not work.

Training Exercises

OpenOffice Training Exercises

The Tool Bars

Get to know the buttons in OpenOffice. Hold the cursor over the buttons on the top and left of the OpenOffice Writer window to show tool tips on the functionality of each button. Use the sheet in Appendix A to write notes for yourself about each button's functionality. You should experiment with the commands on this section of this document, which is downloadable from our web site at: http://www3.userful.com/files/training.txt

File Saving, Opening and Printing

Using the instructions in the "How To" section:

  • Save a file from OpenOffice to the desktop and to the floppy drive.
  • Try saving it in different formats.
  • Copy a graphic from the Internet into an OpenOffice document.
  • Open the resume template and begin to write a resume
  • Use print preview and print selection to ensure you don't print more pages than you need to.
  • Open OpenOffice help "Help" > "Contents" and look through the index or try searching for information on a topic.

Formatting

When users bring in Word files they will occasionally need some formatting work. Understanding how to format documents in OpenOffice (bullets, numbering, indents, margins, font type and size) will ensure you can help if necessary.

Use the plain text version of this section of this document downloaded in section 6.1.2. It contains none of the formatting you see here and none of the graphics. Open it in OpenOffice and try and duplicate the formatting you see here.

More exercises from the "How To" section

  • Try downloading and launching a PDF from the Internet using the instructions in "How To". You can find a PDF of our product guide at http://www.userful.com/products/library-ds-product-guide.
  • Use the instructions in the "How To" section to load the CD burner. Use a blank CD and follow the steps for writing to it (you don't need to actually burn the CD).
  • Reset your station with "Ctl+Alt+Del"
  • Add more time to a new session using "Ctl+Alt+T"
  • Spend some time looking through the help files by clicking on the life preserver icon on the desktop.
  • Report an issue to Userful support using the exclamation mark icon (no need to actually send the comment).

Appendix A - Training checklist

To help ensure you're well equipped to work with DiscoverStation, please use the checklist below to help ensure you've learned all you need to today. If you don't feel comfortable with all of the tasks listed, ask your instructor to go through each with you again.

I know how to...

  • download a file from the Internet
  • navigate through the directory in order to "Save" or "Open" a file (e.g., find home, desktop, floppy drive and switch among them)
  • find a file I've downloaded or saved
  • print a file
  • extend a user's session time
  • reset an individual station
  • reboot the central computer box
  • report a concern or issue to Userful support
  • save to a floppy drive
  • open a file from a floppy drive
  • read from a CD drive
  • contact Userful support to report an issue or concern
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