Jeeden

No annoying work rule to share...but we can beat this inactive thing.

We need some info though, is this just windows and when it hits the screensaver it goes to the ctl+alt+dlt screen? Do you have access to the screen save settings or are they locked? Do you have the ability to install a program on your computer?

There are plenty of programs out there to keep the computer active. If you can't install something, then we need to get creative and have outlook send yourself an email every 20 seconds or so

Jeeden

oh, here is another way too:


1.Goto Start>Run and type gpedit.msc
2.Once it comes up go to computer configuration go to Windows>Settings>local policies>security options
(For Windows XP you’d go to: Windows Settings>Security Settings>Local Policies>Security Options)
3.From there you will see the require Ctl-Alt-Del setting. Disable it. (I’m not sure if you need to do this and this isn’t shown here in Windows XP.)
4.Next find the one that says “Amount of idle time required before suspending session” and change it to its maximum value 99999.

SuperJim88

or the historical "ghost mouse" comes to mind.

I'm sure there are plenty of work around out there.

tbird2340

I'm sure if IT is placing a 30 second lockout that they have took the liberty to lock everything else down as well (including gpedit, installing programs, etc).

GoVegan

And then risk being fired for circumventing security measuers when someone notices you've left your desk for three minutes and you're still not logged out.

I would just get used to absentmindedly tapping the mouse periodically or hitting an arrow key or something.

Nifty03

WiebeTech's Mouse Jiggler USB stick prevents sleep

arminius

Knowing how clueless bosses love metrics, calculate the amount of re-logins and how much time they take and multiply by a week so the number looks big.

dave-o

Lots of great responses and suggestions so far guys thanks (well with the exception of the "why don't you quit your job response"....).

It is indeed very distracting. I have to write reports that take an hour or longer sometimes and this annoyance is going to add quite a bit more time to get those completed. So far the workaround I have been using for when I am reading emails and articles is to just set the stapler on the control key. But this will not work when I am using Word. And I think I'll abstain from doing a true workaround b/c that probably could get me in to a heap of trouble.

I have no doubt that this new policy will be changed shortly as it is quite obviously excessive and will end up costing them money in wasted time. I don't blame the IT guys though (I actually like them quite a bit, they have always been really cool with us), they are just implementing a policy that has been handed down to them from the legal counsel here.

For a little background, I am a psychologist and I work at a university counseling center. So there is indeed a need for security on our PCs because of HIPPA and the protected health info we have on them. However, I have my own office and it is not in a public area, so the amount of foot traffic hear is basically nil. Even a 2-3 minute time would be over-kill, but I could live with that and even understand it.

They claim that they are following HIPPAs federal guidelines, which is incorrect. HIPPA does not give a specific number or time that the security must be set at, it only states that the HIPPA compliance officer should decide the appropriate amount of security time needed based on a number of factors. I have never heard of a setting that is even close to 30 seconds before.

Lets just say we have had issues with the legal department before and I don't think we are their favorite people around here...so....

Gizmo

I miss Ghost Mouse and WhatsHotNow.com during the early DVD days...good times.

Goldblum

Where's the end of the sentence? I think the OP just got locked out again.

fumanstan

That's ridiculous. We do 10 minutes by default, but have rules for no lockout or 30 minute lockout by request.

superdeluxe

That is pretty idiotic.

X

Suggest that they put a "dead man's switch" in your chair like they have on tractors.

Giantrobo

We have this but it's about 20min before it locks.

We had some assholes going into offices and using computers that didn't belong to them and other who never logged off at the end of the day so they set this up.

Giantrobo

Next they'll put those Japanese timed toilet doors in where after a few minutes the door swings open for all to see.

Mordred

This reminds me of a time in college when some ass from the class before mine set my UNIX workstation to have the screensaver turn on after literally .001 seconds of inactivity. Why the original programmers would even allow this is beyond me, but it happened. I had to shake the mouse as fast as possible to try and find the menu entry allowing me to access that setting. The timer was so quick that while I was shaking the mouse the screen would blank because I don't think the mouse polled very quickly. It's also very hard to click on something while shaking a mouse as fast as possible. There were no open terminals so I had to fix it, and I couldn't transfer colleges either because I was already a Junior.

It took me about 5 minutes to get the problem fixed.

Wazootyman

... they'd repeatedly do this, or it was a one time thing that made you think about transferring?

Groucho

Yeah, I see what you did there.

writer106

30 seconds is ridiculous. I could see maybe 2-3 minutes.

madcougar

Wow. That sucks. My computer at home goes about five minutes before it locks you out (don't want the wife finding my pRon!) and that annoys the crap out of me. I can't imagine thirty seconds.

Mordred

I was just trying to stay ahead of the inevitable suggestion.

Quatermass

Deliberately misspell your password 3 times until you are locked out of the network - contact network admin to drop what he's doing and reset your password. Repeat a few times a day. It will take several days, but I'm pretty sure he'll eventually get annoyed enough to at least change the default timeout on your computer. If not, start calling him on his lunch break or after hours and tell him you're locked out and can't work. If he asks how come you're having so much trouble typing your password, offer to stick a post-it note on your monitor with the password written on it. They love that.

bunkaroo

I was going to post exactly this. Get everyone to do this. It will be effective!

Rockmjd23

30 Seconds is ridiculous...At my work I think it is set to 10 minutes and even then I get annoyed.

Goldberg74

That's pretty cool.