Running LS ovr explorer my only option?!?! Thread last updated on 2003-07-28 10:58:41

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-23 13:19:37

Here's the deal. I want to run Litestep desperately as my shell here at work but the network admin said he would unplug me from the network. So I can't. But....

Is there a way I could run Litestep as my shell, but have a Combination-key configured OR a 'Run line' command to have Explorer (Start menu,desktop,etc) come back quickly so as to avoid detection incase they come to my department?

I will be installing Omar's version w/ Simplicity theme.

Your suggestions, ideas, and responses will be very much appreciated.

-Limited by Them

Posted by member 1316 on 2003-07-23 13:26:57 link

yes, and yes (sort of). there's a walkthrough somewhere on here to run litestep on top of explorer. for the second part, after litestep is installed, you can hit ctrl+alt+f1, which will bring up the litestep "emergency" menu. one of the options is to kill litestep. you would need to re-start it afterwards.
having said that, as a network support tech, if you were at my company and did this after we told you not to, we would bring it to the owner, and ask for you to be fired. not because you're running litestep (I run it at work, so I don't really care about that), but because we told you not to, and for various other reasons. not the least of which is that the users should never install anything on their computers. 99% of the time, they f$*% something up, call us over, and then we need to waste our time fixing a problem that never should have happened in the first place. but, that's just my opinion.

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-23 14:35:07 link

Thanks for your quick response!

I was network support 5 years (now I'm in a different dept) so I understand why just thinking I'm an end-user, that might f$*% something up, could give you that opinion.

You suggested running litestep on top of explorer. Then you said ANOTHER, separate, suggestion to kill litestep.
Or
Were you suggesting I run litestep on top of explorer and then subsequently killing litestep would leave me with explorer?

Please clarify.

Posted by member 1316 on 2003-07-23 15:33:14 link

sorry about that, lemme try again. run litestep on top of explorer(again, read the docs and walkthroughs on how to do this, otherwise you'll have conflicts between certain modules and explorer), then when someone comes by, just kill litestep how I suggested.

get it now?

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-23 15:54:54 link

Yes, thanks.

After you tipped me in the right direction, i found that the modules you are referring to are desktop modules. I'm going to search for desktop modules and see what I find, hopefully, i can find a list and then disable them ;;;;;;

Posted by member 6801 on 2003-07-24 00:22:03 link

your network admin its a as....le [censored] :P

Posted by member 1316 on 2003-07-24 11:07:35 link

angel, as an admin myself, I can definitely see where he's coming from. as it is, we have dozens of people who download and install everything they see, and say yes to anything that pops up on their screen, which then causes hours of work cleaning off peoples machines when they complain about getting ad popups every 30 seconds. you have to at least try to preserve some control.

Posted by member 1 on 2003-07-24 19:53:03 link

I come from the same boat as deuce...Managed Desktops are great. I can also understand where the admin in question is coming from with something funny he doesn't understand being used on his desktop. Just more of a headache to fix in the end.

The only real help I can give is to try and educate the admin and maybe, just maybe, he can turn the company stance. Phil from Leaf R&D uses LS to manage his users desktops and I have never heard him complain. One theme...one layout...total control.

Posted by member 6801 on 2003-07-24 22:55:37 link

sorry for my comment, but every time when i open the MSDOS console, and a Admin pass behind me, allways think im hacking everything :P
so... its compresive too the fear of the admins from suposed hackers.

but new admins know litestep and know that explorer can change the
shell for current user only.

so, litestep its not a big problem. The big problem here its (that you say deuce) the big amout of download and install everything and didnt know what is installed

Admins in my university never clean the computers,
so i clean by myself.

in someway, meaby your admins need to turn on candles for their
work, but here where i study, the only thing they do its
close the MSN program :P

Posted by member 2112 on 2003-07-24 23:51:52 link

The last thing I would want is my users installing LS on their PC's and then logging calls saying when they login they can only see a wallpaper and they can't access any programs. *shudder*

Posted by member 1 on 2003-07-25 00:16:03 link

man...we take over 1000 calls a day as it is...can you imagine us letting 23,000 people download apps like LS. I rip my hair out enough as it is...no thank you!

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-25 09:26:04 link

I really don't want to RUN LITESTEP OVER EXPLORER.
I tried and had problems with the Simplicity theme's taskbar.
You know how if you have a program open it displays an icon and labels it with (for example) 'Microsoft Visio'. Well it had 10 icons with the label 'Shortcut' and I couldn't close them. I'm still researching that.

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-25 09:31:59 link

BUT

I want to know if someone has written a script that will change the registry settings back to my original Explorer.exe shell, and log me off immediately afterward. That way instead of just killing litestep, the following would happen:

1. combination-key pressed
2. registry settings back to explorer shell
3. log me off network
4. When i log back onto the network - Good ole explorer =)

Last, when I install Omar's version, I will choose to install this only for my login. So if the script needs to be edited to allow this, then I'll make the modifications to the script here. Thanks again!

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-25 09:33:20 link

my login = my profile

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-25 10:14:31 link

About the problem with multiple Shortcuts on my taskbar that won't close. I used task manager to get rid of them, but when I did, my virtual desktops manager disappeared. I ;;;ed out shortcuts2.dll and the multiple Shortcut problem went away, but then I don't have my pop-up menu. I'll search for a different shortcutxxx.dll to use in it's place.

Posted by member 1316 on 2003-07-25 11:12:29 link

oh, sorry, I didn't catch that. just get a shell switcher. I don't use one personally, but I've seen a few recommended on here. shellwm is the only one I can think of off the top of my head though.

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-25 11:36:16 link

i'll research it and others, thanks again =)

Posted by member 35 on 2003-07-25 13:36:53 link

i think *activa* does that

Posted by member 45783 on 2003-07-27 06:35:43 link

I voluntarily do not run LS at work because I know that if something would happen, I'd be in trouble, more or less. It's not like I would be fired but the stuff installed is somewhat old and valuable and I would have a hard time setting it up again. Don't want to risk that.

However, theratening to unplug someone from the network for installing LS sounds like the netrep is ignorant, nothing more. A bit like my dad who had a superficial fear of NICs before we demonstrated how handy it was for each machine to access each others resources.
And besides, if working in a big companu, why not install a decent browser for the people you're watching over - then there would be no popups to click. Or to just tell them simple facts about adware and spyware. I refuse to believe that humans cannot learn.

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-28 08:29:41 link

Bleeding hearts of America unite!!!!! -lol-
=0)

Posted by member 1316 on 2003-07-28 09:44:26 link

"I refuse to believe that humans cannot learn" you don't do support, do you? some people can learn, but some people can not, no matter how many times you tell them.

Posted by member 17951 on 2003-07-28 10:58:41 link

ok guys -
anyone have a link for activa or another shell switcher??

i had a hard time finding +activa +shell"...