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Hey guys,
I'm looking to find a way to provide a search to my users (50 some odd mechanics with no computer skills) for certain numbered files on a mapped drive.
My question is this, do any of you know of a way to customize the search available from the start menu on win98SE, or, barring that, know of any app that I could use for this, and have the default search for a certain extension in a certain root folder?
Thanx again!
I expect someone with vbscripting skillz could knock something up very quickly... being 98 it could be done as a dos search... but not pretty.
What's wrong with the search/find feature in windows? Properly instructed, maybe with some print screens to go along with, you could make up a quick outline of steps in a word document, then email it to everyone…problem solved.
while in the world of people who were familiar with computers, that might work okay, but in this case, its unfortunately not the case. To ask these guys to change what folder to look in by default is asking for trouble.
Think of the slowest and worst user you have ever experienced in your life, give that person a welder, THEN,... give them the idea that they can fix something because they are mechanics, and you might come close to the people I am dealing with. Believe me, I would like to be able to just train them, but I really have to make this idiot proof.
no insult intended,.. but I dont think that win98 search is a solution to my problem, unless someone knows what registry keys to modify to change the default behaviour of it.
Thanx!
Do you intend to wipe their A$$'s when they need their hands held then too? Come on man, you are talking about telling people to change the "Look in" dropdown in the find feature...If they are that stupid that they can't follow those basic instructions, they need to go on welfare. And you shouldn't need to take responsibility for making the environment so easy...fact is that the easier you make things for them, the dumber they get.
For one small example, on all the PC's I setup I always turn off the folder option to hide extensions for known file types, and be sure to show the path in both the title bar, and the address bar.. The reason: people understand more about a file when they can see the extension, and it becomes easier to understand extension associations...and being able to see the path as it is in the file system trains them to look there, and they become better equipped to manage directory structures locally, and on mapped drives…
The more educated you users become, the less you are there answering their stupid questions...
If I wanted your condescension, I would have typed like some A** newb, But, as you notice, I did not. I do not intend to "wipe thier ***" I just intend to make my life, and theirs a little easier by finding a search tool that works well. Most of these guys do not even have computers themselves. Hence, why I need a good search tool. We did not hire these guys because they were good with computers, we hired them because they could fix and build mechanical things.
I resent the statement "If they are that stupid that they can't follow those basic instructions, they need to go on welfare" as these guys are some of the most intelligent people I know when it comes to metal fabrication and mechanics. I respect that, having dabbled in it myself.
Ya_Know, one thing I think you may need to learn in life is that just because someone doesn't understand computers, doesn't mean that they are "stupid" and should go on "welfare". I am sure that it's evident to everyone else that from the way you just spoke about a bunch of extremely intelligent and skilled people makes it evident that your IQ is about the same as my shoe size.
Thank you, and good day.
You must have really big feet... :bor:Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigmafyre
Ok, so you respect these guys and their intelligence enough to say so in such an eloquent manor...they why don't you show them/teach them how to search a mapped drive the same way the rest of the world does, thus circulating some of that respect back to them?
If they are so educated and so very smart, they can continue to learn and evolve as an employee at your office. They don't need welfare, they need for you to take your high-horse ridin' self down out of the clouds long enough to see that the problem isn't them, it isn't me, it's you! Teach them and they will learn!!!! That’s respect boy!
I don't want to teach them to use the find feature simply because they don't want to know. They were perfectly happy with their paper, but then management decided to force the new electronic system upon them, so I don't personally see the need to teach someone who doesn't want to learn about a computer, how to use it. I want to make this as easy as possible for them and for me as well.
The IQ comment was a bit overboard, and I apologize for that. (good come back though I have to admit :) )
The reason I got a little uppity about that point was that I have had to defend these guys before, managment likes to jerk them around.
Anyhow, those issues aside, I was just wondering if any of you knew of a good search utility.
:)
No offense taken, I like the spark.Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigmafyre
As far as defending these guys, why? If they "don't want to learn" then they "don't need to collect a paycheck" either. If it's a decision by management to move these guys into computers then, as with fabrication, part of the requirement of employment is that they learn how to use the tools necessary to complete the job.
As far as the “utility” you seek, just what is it you want to be able to do? I understand changing the default search path to the mapped drive would be more lucrative for you and they could use the native find tool in 98 at that point. But without that, I still can’t get over it…if these guys can go Start/Programs/accessories/games and find Solitaire, they can search a mapped drive for files they need, and also learn to save to these files on the mapped drives. If they can point and click, they can be taught the difference between C: and X:.
You are opening a can of worms if you make things too easy. Fact is, certain variables will come into play, and the paths might switch in mid stream while these guys are working with a file, saving changes, whatever, next thing you know it’s on the C: drive and not X:. If you teach them now about the networked drives, show them how to search them, browse them, and otherwise explore with all the native tools…they will be better for it, and your call volume will go down tremendously as they become more proficient!!! That's what I have been trying to elude to this whole thread!
A very good point. Thing is, I don't want them to be able to browse the network. We have had issues in the past with some of these guys stealing drawings. (thats what I am trying to search for, autocad drawings) So I have locked down these computers (win98) as much as possible. And as for security it would be a lot easier if I could just provide them with a tool that didn't require knowledge of the network to use.
I guess I didn't properly communicate that in all my eloquent speech. DUH... sorry
ok, so if these drives are mapped and mapped drives appear in my computer, then if they put the file name in and ensure the subfolders box is checked and that the words my computer is shown just below the filename they entered and then they click start, it will find the file, no?
Wait a minute...these guys use CAD, or at very least Voloview, even if just to plot...and they don't know how to do a drop down to change drive letters...come on man! If they can't hack windows native utilities, how are they ever going to survive with CAD??? You got a lot of training to implement! :thumbs:
As far as preventing them from stealing drawings, the method you proposed isn't going to stop that...I guarantee it. You need to figure out a way to tighten up things. For instance, remove floppy drive, disable USB, no CDRW's, stuff like that. Telling them not to explore in windows is not a sound security measure!!!
How about a small batch file that gives directory search results for *.dwg? Assign a new drive letter alias to the drive and set permissions on the server appropriately and then map the necessary Win98 machines to that alias.
I think perhaps I am coming across as new or something
First off, these guys are not CAD users, nor do they know how to plot or use voloview. All they will do is open up a dwg in voloview, zoom and pan, NO PLOTTING.
I have done the following on these systems
1. removed floppies
2. removed cdroms
3. disabled USB entirely
4. used 98lite to remove any and all email functionality
5. used 98lite to remove IE (or at least the icons :S)
6. removed all permissions except readonly on the drawings directory
7. removed all control panel icons
8. removed all start menu items
9. removed all programs not necessary to voloview
10. set the computers to autologon
11. mapped a network drive to the folder with the drawings, and placed a shortcut on the desktop.
I hope you get the idea. These guys are mechanics. All they do is read the drawings and build the equipment. They do not design, they do not plot, in fact, if they do, they are severly reprimanded.
That being said, I could probably do what NooNoo suggests, however, the problem is that the engineering departments drawing numbering schema uses filenames of the format 10110111011.dwg, and they will be searching using numbers, so it could bring up a lot of stuff.
I am not saying I can't train these guys to do this, I was just enquiring as to whether or not there was a search utility that I could use to do this.
Ya_Know, don't try to tell me I have to implement security measures, I already have, the only reason that I didnt post the measures I took was because this is a tech to tech forum, I kind of figured that you guys would assume that I had.
All I want to know is if you know of a utility, I do not require someone to tell me that I have training to implement, or security to review.
Lets focus on the question please?
If you kill access to the drives in my computer, except for the mapped drive with the .dwg drawings, would a simple listing in filename order be enough?
Congratulations...you get a C+ for effort. What's with the auto-login might I inquire, oh security god?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nigmafyre
Btw, me staying focused on your question is so difficult right now. I am having too much fun. But look at it this way, with this kind of activity, your thread is getting viewed much more frequently, perhaps by someone with an answer to your question...you can thank me later... :p
unfortunately not, my engineers have the directory structered according to some internal schema that I am not party to. There are about 600 sub-directories based on numbers that are all based off a reference sheet that they have, hence I need to be able to search the sub-directories.
good idea though
How about a simple database? The result of the search could be in hyperlinks....