Windows 7 and MLS 3.3

Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
crislapi
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Windows 7 and MLS 3.3

#1

Post by crislapi »

We just got a new computer from FM (Dell Optiplex 580) that shipped w/ Windows 7. The order stated it was supposed to be downgraded to XP Pro, so I sent an email to the FM group but while waiting for a reply, decided to just double-check with the LUS that MLS does not run on Windows 7.

Imagine my shock when the analyst told me that it was probably intentional to ship the computer w/ Windows 7. The church is anticipating a lot of units replacing their old computers in the next year or two (all ours are at 6 years and counting). Continuing to use XP is like avoiding the inevitable, so the next version of MLS (3.3) and the beta (??) are compatible with Windows 7. It is not currently available for download, so those of us who kind of need it now regardless will be sent a hidden link where it can be downloaded from.

Kind of cool to see how it'll work!
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mkmurray
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#2

Post by mkmurray »

crislapi wrote:We just got a new computer from FM (Dell Optiplex 580) that shipped w/ Windows 7. The order stated it was supposed to be downgraded to XP Pro, so I sent an email to the FM group but while waiting for a reply, decided to just double-check with the GHD that MLS does not run on Windows 7.

Imagine my shock when the analyst told me that it was probably intentional to ship the computer w/ Windows 7. The church is anticipating a lot of units replacing their old computers in the next year or two (all ours are at 6 years and counting). Continuing to use XP is like avoiding the inevitable, so the next version of MLS (3.3) and the beta (??) are compatible with Windows 7. It is not currently available for download, so those of us who kind of need it now regardless will be sent a hidden link where it can be downloaded from.

Kind of cool to see how it'll work!
See this very recent thread for more info on MLS 3.3 beta and Windows 7: http://tech.lds.org/forum/showthread.php?t=5833
crislapi
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#3

Post by crislapi »

Thanks for that link. I like the release notes! Sounds great!

Some interesting observations so far.

1) The instructions online need to be updated. Almost nothing is the same.

2) Installed Sophos but there is no client firewall with it. Not sure if that's a Windows 7 thing, a glitch and I should reinstall, or what. Doesn't show up in the Start Menu under Sophos like it does on the XP machines.
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greenwoodkl
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#4

Post by greenwoodkl »

A few questions regarding Win7 and MLS 3.3:

Our YSA stake has just gotten new computers. Is there a new version of Local Unit Desktop for Windows 7? Supposedly the FM group received the new computers direct from the warehouse. I have not had the opportunity to see them yet, I assume there is no image on them and the Church doesn't have the OEM install the image and the FM group would usually do that. Do we just install the beta and the software on mls.lds.org (Sophos/LANDesk) and create the default username/password on the boxes? Would LANDesk download any changes that we couldn't do manually?
beanda
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Windows 7 and MLS

#5

Post by beanda »

We also received new Win7 machines and are anxious to begin distributing them. We won't downgrade to XP but will see what the 3.3 beta software may offer. Since all the computers in the stake are being replaced, it won't be an issue to roll out the beta software everywhere (I believe the recommendation is that one beta installation necessitates all stake computers run the beta software, though I don't know if that is an absolute requirement).

Any information you all may learn between now and when we begin installing later this week will be very much appreciated.

Thanks.
David

NOTE: Ah, I see Karl has beaten me to the punch with pertinent issues. Good job!
russellhltn
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#6

Post by russellhltn »

Please keep in mind that you need the stake president's approval to run the beta MLS.
Have you searched the Help Center? Try doing a Google search and adding "site:churchofjesuschrist.org/help" to the search criteria.

So we can better help you, please edit your Profile to include your general location.
crislapi
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#7

Post by crislapi »

From my reading of the wiki, LANDesk has never really been used to provide updates. This is the 3rd computer I've set up for my stake since July. They come from FM with just the OS. The STS is responsible for installing MLS and any other approved software.

The install instructions can be found in part on the wiki (but for the Dell 740) and complete on the MLS download page (again for the Dell 740).

I set up the user account. The hidden admin account was not modified during the setup. I read online how to modify it (change password) but also read about some freaky side effects so I opted not to touch it until official instructions are posted. LUS mentioned that most important is that the Clerk account be set up. Done.
crislapi
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#8

Post by crislapi »

freewholly wrote:We won't downgrade to XP but will see what the 3.3 beta software may offer. Since all the computers in the stake are being replaced, it won't be an issue to roll out the beta software everywhere (I believe the recommendation is that one beta installation necessitates all stake computers run the beta software, though I don't know if that is an absolute requirement).
Per my conversation this morning with LUS, no it is not necessary that all computers in the stake switch. I did specifically ask due to some of the comments I'd read here.

It is still not available for download on the MLS page, and sounds like it won't be for several more weeks at least. I'm having install issues right now with it (it did not recognize user accounts. Once I got the user accounts to show up, the passwords did not follow). Many of the files have new paths and even names, so the fixes on the Wiki do not work. Apparently a brand new install of 3.3 (instead of an upgrade from 3.2.2) has some issues when restoring from a back-up. I still don't have it working.

I do want to mention that LUS instructed me to download 3.3. This is not something I went off trying to do on my own.
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childsdj
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#9

Post by childsdj »

Currently all machines that are ordered from your FM will have a Windows 7 license but will have a stock Windows XP build on it. Dell started shipping some computers with the base Windows 7 build on it for a week or so, which is why some of you have Windows 7. When MLS 3.3 is released (hopefully in the next month), we will take the XP image off of the machines and have any new machines come with the factory build of Windows 7 on it.

There will not, at the current time, be anymore desktop images. It is too costly to keep them updated. Instead, the machines will be shipped with a base build of Windows 7 and the clerks can install MLS, anti-virus software (Sophos) and any other products that are needed.

I hope this helps. I hope to have an MLS 3.3 beta available to use in the next couple of weeks, so if you have approval from your SP, you can get the build off of the beta site.
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aebrown
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#10

Post by aebrown »

crislapi wrote:Per my conversation this morning with GHD, no it is not necessary that all computers in the stake switch. I did specifically ask due to some of the comments I'd read here.
That's good to know, but no one should draw any general conclusions from that statement. It has definitely been the explicit policy in the past that an entire stake had to upgrade to a beta version at the same time. If an exception was noted to one stake for one MLS version, that statement applies only to that one stake for that one MLS version.
crislapi wrote:It is still not available for download on the MLS page, and sounds like it won't be for several more weeks at least. I'm having install issues right now with it (it did not recognize user accounts. Once I got the user accounts to show up, the passwords did not follow). Many of the files have new paths and even names, so the fixes on the Wiki do not work. Apparently a brand new install of 3.3 (instead of an upgrade from 3.2.2) has some issues when restoring from a back-up. I still don't have it working.
That sounds like some of the typical perils of dealing with early beta software. We'll certainly be interested to hear how you work through them -- my guess is that some of them will require software fixes in subsequent beta iterations.
crislapi wrote:I do want to mention that GHD instructed me to download 3.3. This is not something I went off trying to do on my own.
That's certainly an important note. I would highly recommend that anyone else in this same situation work directly with Local Unit Support to make sure they are specifically directed to use this early beta. Also, as has been mentioned before, the stake president has to authorize use of beta versions of MLS.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
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