System Center Messages

The IT department has put a new management system in place to help make software installs and updates more readily available and efficient within SEFS. This system, known as Microsoft System Center, may periodically display messages on a Windows workstation regarding the installation or availability of software. Some examples of these messages follow.

You can click on either of the following balloon messages for more information. The first is alerting you to an assigned program, which may be a standard app for all SEFS computers such as an antivirus update or a new program that you have purchased a license for.

This message is alerting you to a new program that is not assigned to your computer specifically, but that can be installed on demand. This would be something that is licensed for all SEFS computers such as Microsoft Office 2010, or a free application such as the Firefox web browser. Double-clicking on this bubble will open the “Run Advertised Programs” window where you can view what has been newly advertised.

If you are looking for software that was previously advertised but you are no longer receiving the new program message you can open up the “Run Advertised Programs” applet in the control panel and run the install from there. To find the applet in the Windows 7 Control Panel simply type “run” into the search box in the upper right corner of the Control Panel window, and in the results click “Run Advertised Programs.”

To find the applet in XP you will need to switch the control panel to “classic” using the link towards the upper left of the window.  You can also find it this way in Windows 7 by changing the Control Panel view to either small icons or large icons mode.

Here is an example of the “Run Advertised Programs” window. Your view will vary depending on compatibility with the type of operating system your computer has and what software is currently being advertised. Note that if you open this window by clicking on the new advertisement bubble you will be presented with the “What’s New” filtered view. To ensure that you’re seeing everything we have made available, change the category drop-down to “All Categories.”