| General
Questions |
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A1. |
What is BrowseControl? Top
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BrowseControl makes it possible to control access to the Internet and block applications on Windows OS. Also BrowseControl can be used to block access to Floppy disks, CD Drives, and USB drives. This product is suitable for use in companies, schools, cyber cafes, libraries, hotels, hospitals etc.
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A2. |
How does BrowseControl manage Internet permissions - by User or PC? Top
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BrowseControl is able to function in two
modes, Computer based and User based. In the
Computer mode, the BrowseControl client settings
are applied to each computer in the network.
Alternatively, User mode allows control over each
user on the network independent of the computer
being used. All functions and settings are
available for both the Computer based mode and
User based mode. When using User mode, select
Tools -->Import Users to import all users in
the Active Directory so they are visible in the
Console. |
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A3. |
Which operating systems does BrowseControl support? Top
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BrowseControl Server - Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP 2, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista.
BrowseControl Console, BrowseControl Client - Windows 2000 SP4, Windows XP SP2, Windows 2003 Server, Windows Vista.
BrowseControl can be installed on a Netware environment as long as the Console is installed on a Windows PC.
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A4. |
Which browsers does BrowseControl support? Top |
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BrowseControl supports all leading
browsers, including: Internet Explorer, FireFox, and Opera
Note:
BrowseControl does not actually deal with the
blocking of a specified browser but blocks the
entire Internet connection for the computer
itself |
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A5. |
What are the limitations of
the trial? Top |
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The evaluation period is for 30 days. The
trial version is fully functional and can be
installed on up to 50 client PCs. |
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A6. |
Is BrowseControl Vista
compatible? Top |
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BrowseControl supports the Windows Vista operating system. All three BrowseControl components (console, server and client) are compatible on Vista.
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| Installation
Help |
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B1. |
Does the BrowseControl
Server Or Console need to be installed on a Server
OS? Top |
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No, the BrowseControl Server is not
restricted to a Server OS. It can be
installed on Windows 2000 Professional, XP
Home/professional.
The Console
can be installed on Windows 98 and
above.
Note: as of
BrowseControl Version 2 the Windows NT operating
systems is not
supported. |
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B2. |
How do I install all
components of BrowseControl onto a Single PC -
Standalone/Home user? Top |
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If you are planning to use or test
BrowseControl on a single PC, please install the
Client, the Console and the Server onto the same
computer. During the Client install, please
enter LOOPBACK as the Server name when
prompted. |
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B3. |
Why can't I see the Client
in the Console window after installing?
Top |
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This problem is typically caused via
connectivity problems between the Console and
Client. There are 2 methods that may fix this
problem.
a) Check the client/console connection
- Ensure that the Client is installed
with admin login rights
- Make sure the Client service is
running.
- Make
sure there are no firewall and/or virus scan
software intercepting with the Client and
Console.
- Use IP address
instead of Computer Name to connect to the
Console
Run the following
script on the run command of the Client PC:
cwClient.exe –pv Admin (please note that
Admin is case sensitive). If the password was
changed during the installation of the Client,
then please substitute it in place for
“Admin”.
This
will bring up the client interface. On the
interface, click on Connection tab to check the
entry for the Server IP address or computer
name. To edit the data click on the Edit
button.
- Ping the Console from the
Client.
- Ensure that port 3050, 8998 and
8999 is not used by any other
application.
- Reboot
Client.
b)
Remotely
redirect BrowseControl Clients connection to the
desired Server
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From
BrowseControl Console select Advanced -->
Redirect Clients.
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The
Server Name/IP Address to which the Clients
are to be redirected will be retrieved
automatically by the Console.
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Enter
the Password of the Client which is to be
redirected.
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You
can either select to connect all BrowseControl
Clients to the mentioned Server or specify the
Clients that are to be redirected.
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Alternatively
you can force all BrowseControl Clients with
the Given Password to be connected to the
current Server by checking the "Force
connection to the current server"
checkbox. This will force the Clients to get
connected to the current Server even if they
are connected to other Servers.
If
you have further issues contact support@codework.com |
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B4. |
How do I configure
BrowseControl so that it works with my Proxy
Server? Top |
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You do not have to install BrowseControl
onto your Proxy
Server.
- On
the BrowseControl Console menu, right click on
the computers icon, select Group Settings. Click on
the Port/Proxy tab. In the
HTTP text box, enter the Proxy Server port.
Ensure that the Filter Type is “HTTP
Filter”.
- Add
another HTTP port, with a Port No of 80 and
Filter Type of “Blocked”.
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B5. |
I have lots of machines and can not go to each one to install the BrowseControl Client.How do I deploy the Client? Top |
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There are two methods to remotely install BrowseControl Client on to desired PCs.
- BrowseControl is distributed in MSI (Microsoft Installer) format. This facilitates the deployment of BrowseControl through Microsoft Active Directory, SMS, Altiris and many other Software Deployment Tools that support the MSI Standard.
- BrowseControl has a built in Remote Installer. To use this feature follow the steps below. If you are running Windows Vista on the PC you intend to install the Client on, please disable UAC.
- On the menu bar click on Advanced --> Remote Install Client(s).
- Enter/Browse the path of the Client msi file on the Server computer.
- Enter the Server name/IP address and the Client password. In case the Client password is not mentioned then the password is taken as the default ‘Admin’. Click Next.
- Select the PC’s on the network where the Clients are to be installed. Click Next
- Enter the Username and Password of an Administrator account of the PC where the Client has to be installed. Click Next.
- The Client component will be installed on the selected PC.
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B6. |
Why does the Remote Client Installer return the error messages “Access Denied” or “RPC server is unavailable”? Top |
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The most common error reported by the operating system for WMI problems is Access Denied. As you might have guessed, there are many causes for ‘Access Denied’ and ‘RPC server is unavailable’. The following list provides possible solutions for this issue.
- Click Start, click Run, type in “net start rpcss” the Open box, and then click OK. Test to see if this resolves the issue. If the issue still occurs, continue to the next step.
- Make sure that the username and password you have supplied for each computer correspond to an administrator account on the target computer. That account MUST have a non-blank password.
- Check that DCOM is enabled on both the host and the target PC. Check the following registry value on both computers (go to start menu > run > type in “Regedit”):
HKey_Local_Machine\Software\Microsoft\OLE. The value: Enable DCOM, should be set to 'Y'
- Make sure WMI is installed. WMI is present by default in all flavors of Windows 2000 and later operating systems, but must be installed manually on NT4 systems. To check for the presence of WMI, type "wbemtest" into the Run box (Start Menu). If the WMI Tester application starts up, then WMI is present, if not, it must be installed.
- On a Windows XP Pro computer, make sure that remote logons are not being coerced to the GUEST account ("ForceGuest", which is enabled by default computers that are not attached to a domain). To do this, open the Local Security Policy editor (e.g. by typing secpol.msc into the Run box). Expand the "Local Policies" node and select "Security Options". Now scroll down to the setting titled "Network access: Sharing and security model for local accounts". If this is set to "Guest only", change it to "Classic" and restart your computer.
- Also on an XP computer running SP2, configure the firewall to allow remote administration. To do this, open a command prompt and type: netsh firewall set service RemoteAdmin
- If you have other internal firewalls on your network, you may have to configure them to allow WMI messages.
- Even if you are not knowingly running any firewall software, bear in mind that big-name antivirus solutions such as those produced by McAfee and Symantec often contain their own firewall functionality. If such software is not properly configured to allow WMI traffic, then this may be the cause of the problem.
- Make sure that no remote access or WMI-related services have been disabled. On an XP machine, the following services should be running (or at least allowed to start on demand):
COM+ Event System
Remote Access Auto Connection Manager
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Procedure Call (RPC)
Remote Procedure Call (RPC) Locator
Remote Registry
Server
Windows Management Instrumentation
Windows Management Instrumentation Driver Extensions
WMI Performance Adapter
Workstation
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| Functionality
Queries |
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C1. |
How can I customize the
BrowseControl settings? Top |
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On the Console menu click on Tools
--> Options, to edit the
settings. |
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C2. |
Can I restrict access to the
Internet but still allow access to our local
Intranet? Top |
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Yes you can allow access to your local
Intranet page and still deny Internet access. To
do so, enter in the name of the Intranet page into
the Allowed List to be given access to it.
e.g. Intranet Page: http://companymachine/
Enter in: "companymachine" into the Allowed
List to allow access to the
page.
Alternatively, you can enter the IP
address of the Intranet server. |
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C3. |
Can I delete a group /
client? Top |
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You can delete a group if the group
does not contain any Computers/Users. However,
BrowseControl will not allow you to delete a
connected client. |
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C4. |
How can I view the IP
address of a client Computer? Top |
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When in Computer mode, you can view the IP address of a
client by right clicking on a computer from
BrowseControl Console, then selecting Properties
from the menu. The properties dialog window provides
detailed information, such as the Computer name,
IP address and the group in which the Client belongs
to. |
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C5. |
Is URL Filtering supported
in BrowseControl? Top |
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Yes, you can provide access to selected
sites. First set the Internet setting to OFF, by
right clicking on the specific Group and click on
Internet/OFF. On the menu select Tools/URL Filter.
On the “URL Filter” screen add the URL addresses
of the sites to be made accessible or to be denied
to the users. Please note that http:// prefix does
not need to be added. Just enter the www address.
To deny access to specific URLs click on the
Blocked List tab and transfer the URLs to the
Blocked List pane. To allow access to specific
URLs, transfer the URLs to the Allowed List panel.
This feature is group specific. |
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C6. |
What is protocol
filtering? Top |
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To block access to specific protocols
select Tools --> Group Settings and
click on the Port/Proxy tab. Click on the
Port Type to select the desired protocol and click
on the Add button. The port number may need
to be modified according to your
settings. |
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C7. |
Scheduler information has
not reached the Clients even though the scheduler
settings were applied to a Group/Client. Why is
this? Top |
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This can be resolved by selecting the
specific Group or Client and selecting File
--> Refresh Data to Clients on the
menu. |
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C8. |
What are the ways to allow
Internet access to Client systems? Top |
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There are primarily three methods.
- Internet ON/OFF (Tools/Internet)
- Applying scheduler (Tools/Scheduler)
- Timer (Tools/Timer)
All the three
methods can be accessed from the menu under
‘Tools’ or by right clicking the specific group or
Client pc icon. |
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C9. |
What is the best way to
allow or disable Internet access to a number of
systems? Top |
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Create a new group and add the selected
Client PCs to this group. Set the scheduler
information for this group by right clicking and
selecting "Scheduler". Click on Enable Scheduler
button to apply the scheduler settings to the
clients. |
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C10. |
Does BrowseControl support
multiple scheduling? Top |
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Yes. BrowseControl supports multiple
scheduling of up to 10 time intervals. You can
create schedules to make the Internet accessible
to Clients at scheduled intervals e.g. daily,
weekly and monthly etc. |
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C11. |
I forgot the Console
password. Is it possible to retrieve
it? Top |
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Contact your local Codework Ltd.
office. Click here
for contact details. |
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C12. |
What ports need to be opened on my firewall software or Windows XP SP 2 Firewall?
Top |
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Under the default settings, the following TCP ports must be available open the server: 3050, 8998, 8999
Also, the following UDP port should be available on the client for remote message purposes: 8999
To make these changes on Windows XP, access the Control Panel -> Windows Firewall, select the Exceptions tab, click on the “Add Port” button and add the above ports.
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| Application
Blocker |
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D1. |
Can you block an application from being running using BrowseControl?
Top |
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Yes, BrowseControl can block applications on remote PCs. Right click on a group and select App Blocker to populate the list of blocked applications. Any application added that is already running on a client PC will be automatically closed.
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D2. |
Is it possible to block
Screen Savers with Application Blocker feature of
BrowseControl? Top |
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Yes, you can block Screen Savers with the
Application Blocker feature. Just enter in
the appropriate "Original Filename" of the screen
saver which you wish to block into the App.
Blocker. |
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D3. |
Is the Application Blocker
feature a mere window blocker? Top |
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No, the feature is much more than
that. By using the Original Filename of the
application BrowseControl prevents the file from
running via its internal windows
filename. |
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D4. |
Is it possible to cheat/get
around the Application Blocker by renaming the exe
file? Top |
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No. BrowseControl’s Application Blocker uses either the Original File Name property or a checksum of a file to block applications by. This means that the filename of the EXE is not considered when tracking which file needs to be blocked. The Original File Name is a property that is inherent to the specific .EXE file. In the event that this is not available, a checksum is used. A checksum is a series of numbers representing the contents of a file and it is extremely improbable that two executable files have the same checksum.
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D5. |
Is it possible to show a
message box to the user while the user tries to
run a
blocked application? Top |
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By default a message is presented to a user
when they try to run a blocked application.
To customize this message, on the Console select a
specific Group, click on Tools on the menu and
select Group Settings. Click on the General tab.
Under the App Blocker Message textbox, enter your
customized message. |
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D6. |
Is
it possible to block applications silently, ie;
without showing a message box? Top |
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Yes, you can block applications
silently. On the BrowseControl Console
select a Group and click on the menu select
Tools --> Group Settings. On the
General Tab, delete the message displayed
under "App Blocker Message". This will now
prevent all the selected applications from
running, without displaying a warning message to
the user. |
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| Allowed Listing |
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E1. |
Why is the site I entered
into the Allowed list not working when I turn the
internet OFF? Top |
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The site may have additional external links
referenced on the page. This tends to occur
on websites such as bbc.co.uk and dell.com,
as some image and areas of the page are retrieved
from different sites. You can ensure that all the
content loads by entering in " bbc. " as opposed
to bbc.co.uk or " dell. " as opposed to dell.com.
Also please check the source code of the page to
identify any additional links referenced on the
page. |
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E2. |
How can I give access to ALL
of the sites localized on a domain ie. Yahoo.com,
Yahoo.ie, Yahoo.co.uk? Top |
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To allow access to all extensions of a
known domain (works for sites like: Google, Yahoo,
Dell, BBC etc.), then simply enter in the
following URL into the allowed list.
".yahoo." Ie. A dot before and after the name of the site. This will allow access
to everything in the Domain of Yahoo. and so will
cover Yahoo.com, Yahoo.ca, Yahoo.co.uk,
news.yahoo.com. |
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| Vista-Related |
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F1. |
Does BrowseControl support Windows Vista? Top |
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Yes - as of 3.1, BrowseControl can function on Vista as a server, console, and/or client. |
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F2. |
Why does Vista give me a prompt saying ‘An unidentified program wants access to your computer’ when running BrowseControl Console or Server Manager?
Top |
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The User Access Control (UAC) feature in Windows Vista brings up this prompt when an application requires Administrator-level access. Since BrowseControl Console and Server Manager need Administrator access in order to work, you are presented with this dialogue. You must choose ‘Allow’ in order to proceed. |
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F3. |
How do I install the BrowseControl Server and Console from the .MSI file with User Access Control (UAC) enabled?
Top |
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When installing from the Console and Server from the .MSI file, you must have elevated privileges. In order to open the .MSI file with administrator-level privileges, please use the following steps:
- Place the cwBC.MSI file on to your desktop
- Open the command prompt with Administrator privileges: Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories and right-click Command Prompt then choose run As Admin
- Allow Windows to open the command prompt by clicking Continue
- Change your current directory to the location of the cwBC.MSI file by typing the following then hit Enter: cd \users\[your username]\desktop (So, if your username was John, then type cd \users\john\desktop]
- Type the following then hit Enter: cwBC.MSI
- Follow the installation wizard prompts |
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F4. |
When performing a Remote Client Install on to a Windows Vista machine, I keep receiving the error ‘Unable to connect!’ Top |
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Windows Vista’s User Access Control system currently prevents BrowseControl’s Remote Installation. In order to use the Remote Installer on Windows Vista, you will have to disable UAC from the ‘User Accounts’ utility from the Windows Control Panel
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F5. |
The command to bring up the local Client configuration interface brings up an error regarding Interactive Services – how do I access it? Top |
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In Windows Vista, please take these steps to perform a local configuration on the Client software:
- Open the command prompt with Administrator privileges: Go to Start -> Programs -> Accessories and right-click Command Prompt then choose run As Admin
- Type the following into the command prompt then hit Enter: cwBCAgent
- Enter your password for the Client
- You will then be presented with a screen where you can configure the IP Address of the Server PC.
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| Other Common
Queries |
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G1. |
Can I block P2P applications (ie. Kazaa, Limewire) and Instant Messaging (ie. MSN, AIM) using BrowseControl? Top |
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Yes, there are two methods to block these applications:
Use the App Blocker feature to block the Original file name or checksum of the file
Or:
Block the ports that are used by these programs by accessing the Console’s ‘Group Settings’ option
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G2. |
To prevent users from using
Hotmail, which URLs should be added to the
Blocked List? Top |
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- oe.hotmail.com
- services.msn.com
- loginnet.passport.com
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G3. |
How can I block certain (potentially dangerous) file types from being downloaded or viewed? Top |
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For any file type that needs to be blocked, simply add the extension (including the preceding dot) into the Blocked List of the URL Filter. For example, to block executable files (EXE), you would add .exe to the Blocked List. Or, to block screensavers (SCR), you would add .scr to the Blocked List.
If you would like to prevent the transfer of files through other (non-HTTP) protocols, the easiest way is to block off the entire port. For example, if you’d like to prevent FTP transfers, you can just block Port 21. Recall that port blocking is accessed through the ‘Group Settings’ function of the BrowseControl Console, then accessing the ‘Port/Proxy’ tab.
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G4. |
Can
BrowseControl block user access to Floppy disks
and CD/DVD Drives? Top |
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Yes, this feature is available at the Group
and individual PC level. Right click on a
Group or PC and select the options, "Block
Floppy Drive" or "Block CD Drive".
Please note that these features are not
available on Windows 98. |
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G5. |
Can
BrowseControl switch between User and Computer
Mode? Top |
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Yes, this feature is available using the
BrowseControl Server Manager. When
changing modes, all settings for the original mode
will be saved and will be available if the mode is
switched back. |
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| Uninstall
Help |
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H1. |
How can I uninstall the
BrowseControl Client? Top |
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The BrowseControl Client can be uninstalled
from the BrowseControl Server by right clicking
the Client and selecting
Service/Uninstall.
If the
Client is not connected to the Server or if the
Client does not appear on the Console, please
follow these steps to uninstall the
Client:
At
a client PC, click on Start -->
Run
Enter the following script: cwClient.exe –pv
Admin (Please note that Admin is the default
password and is case sensitive. If you
changed the password during the client
installation, then please substitute that
password in place of Admin. )
- You
will be presented with the Client
interface.Click on the services tab and click on
the uninstall button.
- Reboot the PC.
- Repeat this step for all the client
PCs.
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H2. |
How can I uninstall the BrowseControl Console? Top |
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To uninstall the BrowseControl Console, use the Windows Control Panel "Add/Remove Programs" utility. |
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H3. |
How can I uninstall the
BrowseControl Server? Top |
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To uninstall the BrowseControl Server, use the Windows Control Panel "Add/Remove Programs" utility.
NOTE: Please make sure to exit
BrowseControl before starting the uninstall
operation |
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| Purchasing
Related |
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I1. |
Where can I get pricing
information? Top |
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You can find the price list for
BrowseControl from http://www.browsecontrol.com/order.htm
FYI,
pricing is done on a per Client PC basis. The
Console/Server component is complimentary.
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I2. |
By what methods can I
purchase BrowseControl? Top |
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You may purchase BrowseControl in any of
these ways: by Credit Card, Bank Transfer or
Cheque. To purchase, please contact your
local Codework Office:
EUROPE
Codework
Limited
Atlas House, 1 Simonsway,
Manchester, M22 5PP, United Kingdom
Tel: +44-(0)161-499-7888
Fax: +44-(0)161-499-7899
Email: info@codework.com |
USA
Codework Inc.
1623, Military Rd #556,
Niagara Falls,
NY 14304-1745, United States of America
Tel: 905-278-8278
Fax: 905-278-0168
Email: info@codework.com |
CANADA
Codework Inc
629 Sequin Crescent, Mississauga,
Ontario, L5H 1W4, Canada
Tel: 905-278-8278
Fax: 905-278-0168
Email: info@codework.com |
ASIA
Codework Solutions (P) Ltd.
'Thapasya', Infopark,
Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala,
India - 682030
Tel:
+91-484-4055678
Fax: +91-484-4061003
Email: india@codework.com |
OTHER COUNTRIES, please
contact:
Codework Limited
Atlas
House, 1 Simonsway, Manchester, M22 5PP, United
Kingdom
Tel:
+44-(0)161-499-7888
Fax:
+44-(0)161-499-7899
Email: info@codework.com |
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I3. |
How is the product
delivered? Top |
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The trial copy of BrowseControl is fully-functional, however the evaluation lasts for 30 days. Upon purchasing BrowseControl, you will be emailed a license key which will allow you to activate the software as a permanent copy. Delivery can be electronic or you may choose to receive a CD which will cost you $39.99 USD, £15, 20 Euros, $39.99 CAD.
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I4. |
What is 12 months free
maintenance? Top |
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12 months free maintenance entitles you to
free upgrades and telephone/ e-mail support for
the year. |
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I5. |
Do I have to pay for the
product every 12 months? Top |
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No! Your license key is a permanent key and therefore you only pay a one time fee. You only have to pay a maintenance fee once each year, if you would like to continue receiving free upgrades and support. The cost of Maintenance is currently set to 25% of the current RRP (Recommended Retail Price).
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