6.23 Action - Prompt User

The Action - Prompt User dialog box lets you specify that a prompt displays on the device and configure its settings. You can also specify the specific requirements that a device must meet for the action to be executed on the device.

Figure 6-26 Action - Prompt User Dialog Box

Action - Prompt User Dialog Box

To access this dialog box in ZENworks Control Center, click the Bundles tab. Click the underlined link of a bundle in the Name column of the Bundles list, click the Actions tab, click one of the action set tabs (Distribute, Install, Launch, Verify, Uninstall, Terminate, or Preboot), click the Add drop-down list, then select an available action.

The following sections contains additional information:

6.23.1 General

The General page lets you specify that a prompt displays on the device and configure its settings.

User Cancels Allowed

Specify the number of times that you can cancel the remaining actions in the action set.

Set the value of the CancelOnNoResponse registry key to 1 to cancel the remaining actions in the action set. See CancelOnNoResponse in the ZENworks 11 SP4 Registry Keys Reference.

In addition to the prerequisite above, you need to define the prompts in the Add Action - Prompt User page. In the Define Prompt(s) table, click Add to select the locale and the prompt. In the Prompt field, in the Select Locale and Prompt dialog box, do the following:

  • Include {0} in your text to provide a running counter that counts down the number of seconds to 0.

  • Include {1} for prompting the number of cancels or postpones allowed.

  • Include {2} for prompting the remaining cancels or postpones allowed.

For example, you can specify the following text:

Scheduled Updates: Updates will be applied if there is no response within {0} time. You have {2} attempts left out of {1} to postpone this activity.

If the action set installs an application that requires a reboot, and you select this option, you can cancel the reboot. This will in turn, cancel the installation. The install action set is performed again according to its schedule. For this reason, use this option carefully. There is no Cancel button on the dialog box if you use the default setting of 0.

If the value of the User Cancels Allowed field is 5, you can cancel the install up to 5 times. The number of cancels remaining is also displayed.

NOTE:If you configure the Prompt User action, with the User Cancels Allowed value set as 1 or more, the Cancel or Postpone button is displayed depending on the ShowCancelInPrompt registry key. If the value of this registry key is set to True then the Prompt User action, configured with the User Cancels Allowed option will display the Cancel button, else it will display the Postpone button. For more information, see ShowCancelInPrompt in the ZENworks 11 SP4 Registry Keys Reference.

Seconds to be Displayed

Specify the number of seconds that the prompt is displayed before the action is performed. For example, you configure a prompt that appears during an application installation before the device performs a required reboot. If you specify that the user can cancel the action set and you enter 10 seconds as the value of the Seconds to be Displayed field, the prompt displays for 10 seconds and then the device reboots.

The reboot control and the prompt control messages display the time in hours, minutes and seconds.

For example, if you define the option {0} in the Prompt field and enter 3606 as the value in the Seconds to be Displayed field, then the message displays the time as 1:00:06.

How Often to Prompt

Select the desired option:

  • Always: Display the prompt every time the action is performed.

  • Once per device: Display the prompt once on the device, regardless of how many users log in.

  • Once per user: Display the prompt once per user, regardless of how many devices the user logs in to.

Define Prompts

Define the prompt that you want to display on the device. Additionally, you can specify different locales with different messages.

The ZENworks Agent automatically detects the locale of the operating system and displays the prompt defined in the same locale as the operating system locale. However, if the operating system locale does not match any of the specified locales, then ZENworks displays the prompt defined by the first locale in the list.

To create a message:

  1. Click Add to display the Select Locale and Prompt dialog box.

  2. Select a language from the Locale drop-down list. The message displays only on devices in the specified locale. You can create different messages, each with its own locale setting.

  3. Type the text you want to display on the device.

    NOTE:On a Macintosh and a Linux device, the new line character does not work. To display a message on a new line, you must use a <br> tag before the message.

    You can include {0} in your text to provide a running counter that counts down the number of seconds to 0, after which the prompt is auto-accepted. For example, you could specify the following text:

    The machine will reboot in {0} seconds. Please save your work and close any open applications.

    The message displays for the number of seconds specified in the Seconds to be Displayed field.

  4. Click OK.

6.23.2 Requirements

The Requirements page lets you define specific requirements that a device must meet for the action to be enforced on it. For information about the requirements, see Requirements.