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Administration tool |
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At the very first run of the ThinPC device, the system will be on administration mode. When a user parameter has been set by the administrator, the ThinPC program will start the user Logon Panel. TSE server access parameters
Up to nine TSE servers can be specify for the ThinPC user. ThinPC program is compatible with Windows 2000, Windows 2003 and Windows 2008 Terminal Services servers. User and/or Administrator PIN code option
If a PIN code is specified, the user will be requested to type before displaying the User Logon Panel
Advanced security option
For very sensible workstations or applications, this option enables to lock the ThinPC program to one specific workstation name and/or to one specific IP address. Customizing the ThinPC logo
With this option the administrator can replace the default logo.
Option to Re-purpose the PC into a Thin-Client locked device
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ThinPC Frequently Asked Questions
What is ThinPC?
ThinPC® is an application which transforms a PC into a single purpose device, much like a Thin Client. For instance, Thin Clients are generally configured to start up and launch either an ICA connection to a Citrix desktop or an RDP connection to a Terminal Services Server, or an RDP connection to a Virtual Machine (VM). One advantage of Thin Clients is that when they are configured to launch a designated session, that session is all the user has access to. The end user doesn’t have access to the Operating System to make changes and potentially cause the Thin Client to stop functioning. With ThinPC, the same advantage can be enjoyed on a PC. When starting a PC with ThinPC enabled, the end user only has access to the application configured in ThinPC.
Can I configure ThinPC to launch an application other that the ICA or RDP client?
Absolutely. You can configure ThinPC to launch any single application installed on the PC. ICA and RDP clients are the primary intended use, however, any application will work. A frequently used application is Internet Explorer (IE). If you configure ThinPC to launch IE, the PC is quickly converted into an Internet Kiosk without the work of locking the user out of the local operating system. The caveat with launching any application other than the ICA or RDP client is that ThinPC does NOT lock down the application or any of its features. In the example above, when using ThinPC to turn a PC into an Internet Kiosk, you would need to decide how to lock down the actual (Internet Explorer) application.
What does ThinPC do when it is installed?
During installation, ThinPC updates the registry so when the system boots with ThinPC installed, ThinPC has complete control of the PC and monitors which user logs on to the PC. ThinPC will launch the configured USER PANNEL, instead of the standard Windows shell. ThinPC then monitors the PC to ensure that the designated application continues to run. If for any reason the designated application exits (user closes the application, the application fails, etc), ThinPC will immediately launch it again.
Why can’t I simply lock down the PC myself instead of using ThinPC?
A variety of methods currently exist to provide various levels of lockdown. Most companies already lock down their PCs to some degree using one of these methods. Generally, a great deal of time could be spent configuring group policy or registry settings to the point where the end user had no access to the local desktop, or had access to only a single application. The ability to enable the application to be continually monitored and automatically restarted were it to be closed would entail additional development and testing. ThinPC eliminates the need for any of this and offers a simple and convenient way to accomplish this goal.
Does the end user still see the Windows Desktop with the Start button?
No. The end user only sees the USER PANNEL that ThinPC has been configured to launch. If the end user closes that application, it will immediately start again. The end user has no access to anything other than the configured application.
What happens if I insert something like a USB mass storage device or insert a CD into a PC running ThinPC?
The end user will be unable to see anything locally on the PC. However, they would have access to those resources in an ICA or RDP session if it was enabled on the server side, or if it was a function allowed by the selected application.
Can I configure ThinPC to launch more than one application?
Absolutly yes. The USER PANNEL can have up to 9 RDP sessions, one local application, Internet Explorer and/or the Remote Desktop. More over, if the end user is connecting to a Citrix or Terminal Services environment, they can launch all applications necessary in that session. In the case of a Virtual XP-Pro session, all the user’s applications and data would be accessible via the RDP connection to that Virtual session.
If the ThinPC user is automatically logged in at boot, how do I break in as another user, such as administrator?
When logged in as ThinPC users, press ALT-SHIFT-a ThinPC management tool, or ALT-SHIFT-w to start Microsoft Desktop. This will allow a local account such as administrator to log on normally.
Will Windows Update and my Antivirus software still function even if ThinPC is controlling the PC?
Yes. Windows continues to run normally in the background. All services and background processes remain unmodified.
Can I install ThinPC onto a PC that is joined to a domain?
Yes. The PC itself can be joined to a domain and will have all of the Group Policy that is assigned to it.
Are Microsoft Updates and Antivirus updates required?
Yes. They are still required because the PC is still running Windows XP. You can use your existing management tools to accomplish these tasks. Nothing is changed with ThinPC that would prevent any other software from functioning.
Can I easily change the applications the ThinPC is launching on boot?
Yes. The path to the executable launched by ThinPC is defined by the Administrator and can be easily changed using your ThinPC management tool.
Can I easily disable ThinPC once it is enabled?
Yes. Assuming you are logged in as user with the appropriate permissions, it can be disabled locally or by using your PC management tool by using the standard uninstall procedure.
As a Citrix customer, what advantages does ThinPC give me over a Thin Client?
As you may know, Citrix has added functionality that is only available in the Win32 ICA client, such as Universal Print Driver support , TWAIN support, and PDA USB synchronization. When using ThinPC in a Windows environment, you would be using the latest version of the Citrix Win32 ICA client with the security of a Thin Client.
Can I use ThinPC to connect to my Terminal Services machines automatically?
Yes. ThinPC can be configured to launch MSTSC.exe (RDP client) at boot to connect to your terminal services environment.
How does ThinPC function as an Internet Kiosk?
Simply configure ThinPC to launch IE. The end user would then be able to use IE , but will not be able to access the local operating system. This makes deploying a PC as an Internet Kiosk much faster, easier, and more secure. You will still need to use Windows Kiosk options to lock down the browser to your satisfaction as ThinPC relies on the MS Kiosk options to lock down the browser itself.
How about terminal emulation?
For those users who simply need access to an emulation session from their PC, ThinPC works well, too. Configure ThinPC to launch the locally installed emulation package on the PC and you have quickly and securely turned the PC into a device running a Terminal Emulation package, with no access to any other applications or settings on the Personal Computer.
How does ThinPC work with a VDI (or VDM) infrastructure?
ThinPC would simply connect (via RDP) to the VM session. There is no limitation regarding its access to a connection broker, which talks to Virtual Center® in order to connect a PC based user with his/her virtual XP-Pro VM session(s) running on an ESX server. It can also connect directly to the virtual machines via RDP without a connection broker, but it is obviously a manual process to configure this environment.
Why would I use a PC locked down with ThinPC rather than using a lower cost Thin Client?
There are many reasons, but the most obvious reason is that you can use ThinPC on your existing PCs without the need to purchase additional hardware, thereby extending the life of your PCs. Additionally, since the PC is running Window XP, all peripherals are supported, which isn’t generally the case with a Thin Client. For example, if you wanted to attach a smart card reader or biometric device for use in the application designated by ThinPC, it will not be an issue because Windows XP drivers are available for almost all peripheral devices. The same cannot be said for drivers available on Thin Clients, especially as related to Universal Print Drive Support in the Citrix world.