As a temporary workaround for the Internet Explorer 9 memory hogging problem described earlier, PC-Topp Terminal pages will automatically refresh every 60 minutes, causing a momentary flicker, and potentially displaying the start page of the terminal (and not the page that was last being viewed). We do however watch out for ongoing user interaction and delay the refresh until we are have not seen any user interaction with the page for a reasonable time.

This workaround now makes it possible to use Internet Explorer 9 with PC-Topp's terminal pages without suffering the effects of long term memory loss inside Internet Explorer 9.

However, any other problems Internet Explorer 9 still has will not disappear with this trick, so users may still experience browser failures and similar effects in PC-Topp under IE9, the same effects Internet Explorer 9 users experience in popular Internet services like Google's www.gmail.com.

Internet Explorer 9

When working with PC-Topp.NET in Internet Explorer 9 you may face difficulties like unexpectedly high memory usage or browser crashes.

These are Internet Explorer 9 specific problems; in Internet Explorer 8 PC-Topp.NET is stable and runs with the usual reliabilty.

Microsoft has admitted the memory hogging problem in Internet Explorer 9 (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2572253/en-us); concerning the browser crashes a Microsoft statement is still pending.

Our developers are currently trying to find a workaround. However, in the meantime resp. as long as there is no official Microsoft fix we recommend using PC-Topp.NET with Internet Explorer 8. We will inform you via this blog as soon as there is a solution available.

 

Internet Explorer Add-Ons

No matter which version of Internet Explorer you are using, Internet Explorer add-ons can cause performance and stability problems in PC-Topp.NET.

Therefore, we advise you to disable all Internet Explorer add-ons like search engine toolbars, social networking tools etc., except those you absolutely need.

You can find instructions on how to disable add-ons here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Internet-Explorer-add-ons-frequently-asked-questions

In the past, if you wanted to execute a password protected action at the PC-Topp.NET Machine Terminal you had to re-enter your password for each following restricted action as well which could be quite bothersome.

This policy has been changed to make consecutive restricted actions easier: After a user has authenticated himself for a password protected action his user rights remain extended for one minute so he doesn’t have to enter his credentials again for the next restricted action.

Running the archiving procedure for PC-Topp statistics interferes with other PC-Topp modules accessing statistics. Most importantly, the archiving process impairs the PC-Topp.NET Machine Terminal functionality. Besides, when using the classical program for editing and printing production statistics PC-Topp users are forced to interrupt their work while archiving runs.

To avoid such disturbances a new automatic archiving mode has been implemented that can be configured in the PC-Topp Communications Control.

Statistics auto archiving can be set to run on a specific day of the week. Ideally you would configure the auto archiving procedure to run on days with minimum activity in the plant when nobody is disturbed by it.

(Consequently, in the classical program for editing and printing production statistics the PC-Topp users won’t be bothered by the blue info screen any more.)

In March 2010 Microsoft will release a Windows update including a browser choice screen that asks you to select your preferred web browser. (Microsoft does so to comply with the settlement with the EU in autumn 2009.) When that Windows update is run on your computer this is what you will see. (Click to enlarge.)

Screen 1	Screen 2

PC-Topp.NET is designed exclusively for Internet Explorer (version 7 or higher) and is not supported under any other browser.

Selecting a standard browser other than Internet Explorer will start PC-Topp.NET in an unsupported browser. This will lead to serious malfunction of PC-Topp.NET!

Therefore we strongly recommend not to select a browser in the browser choice screen but to inform your system administrator!

It might even be advisable for him to disable the browser choice screen altogether.

When running an automatic backup PC-Topp now creates a backup of the last existing archive folder.

The new Statistics Terminal is much like the Planning Terminal but doesn't allow planning. It targets technical personnel charged with system maintenance tasks like parameter changes or correction of the statistics who need access to most functions but are not supposed to have access to planning.

The parameters program Personnel Numbers used be available only as a classical DOS program. Now it has been implemented in PC-Topp.NET as well with an improved user interface.

There are many pages in PC-Topp.NET that remember your personal settings. Users can for example have direct links to the customers they work with most, the machine codes can appear in the toolbox in the "right" sequence - most pages have some kind of setting that can be personalized.

Similarly, it is recommended to set the number of lines shown in order lists to maybe 75 (to be able to smoothly scroll through the list), and to disable permanent page refreshes in favour of a 2 minute holding time during which any updates of the current page are only signaled on-screen but do not cause a full page refresh.

The problem was that a new user first had to configure all those settings, on all pages, to have PC-Topp configured "nicely".

The new feature makes it a lot easier for new users: The administrator can now designate a "model user" whose settings are used whenever a new user is created, saving you the trouble of manually presetting all necessary options for the new user.

To make the new feature work for your site, select a user account that has settings for all pages that will look good as a starting point, and check the little box in front of "Model User".

Now whenever you create a new user account PC-Topp.NET copies the settings of the model user to the new account. Another way to copy the model user's settings to one - or many - users is via the link "Copy Account Settings" on the bottom of the list of all users. Click it, select your model user from the dropdown list of potential models and then select the user(s) who should receive the model's settings.