Configuration Tool

See Related Terms and Questions at the end of this section for more details on general settings.

General Tab

Start Page URL

• Start Page URL - Home page (main start page) of KioWare.  Enter a complete URL that begins with a protocol (e.g., “http://” or “file:///”).  If left blank, the default KioWare Welcome screen will display.
• Add Another Start Page URL - Select this button to set up additional start pages that will open in new tabs within the KioWare browser.  In the box that shows above the button, enter the URL of the new start page (in the format of http://www.example.com).
  
  Note: Tabs must be enabled in the “Max Popups/Additional Tabs Open” setting (see Browser Tab, Popup/Tab Settings) in order to set up additional start pages.  If selecting the above button when tabs are disabled, a popup window warns that you must first enable tabs before you can continue.  Selecting “Yes” enables tabs and shows the box for entering a URL.
  
  
• Additional Start Pages - All new start page entries show above the “Add Another Start Page URL” button.  Entries can be edited, removed, or reordered.
  • Edit - Click (or touch, if using a touch screen) in the URL box to edit an entry.
  • Delete - Select the “X” icon (see image above) to remove an entry.
  • Reorder - Click (or press and hold, if using a touch screen) anywhere along the border of a URL box to select it, and then drag it to reorder.

Exit Passcodes

• Add Exit Passcode - Select this button to show the passcode settings listed below.  You can set up a unique passcode for each user or group of users, as well as other needed passcodes.  Exit actions and descriptions for passcodes show in the Exit Passcodes pane.
  • Description - Enter a description for the passcode (user's name, user's title, user group, etc.).
  • Exit Action - Tells KioWare what to do when a user exits.
    • Exit KioWare - Closes KioWare but does not shut down the kiosk or computer.
    • Shut Down Machine - Closes KioWare and shuts down the kiosk or computer.
    • Restart Machine - Closes KioWare and reboots the kiosk or computer.
    • Logout - Logs off of the user session but does not close KioWare.
    • Navigate - Opens a web page when the correct passcode is entered.  Enter the address of the web page in the box below.
    • Execute - Starts other software when the correct passcode is entered.  Enter the software's file path in the box below.
    • UI Cleaning Mode - Activates User Interface (UI) Cleaning mode and resets all timers for the “Cleanliness Indicator” (see Cleanliness Indicator and Setting Up Multiple Toolbars, Customizing Cleanliness Indicator under the “User Interface Tab” section of this user guide).
      
      Notes:
      • When the “Cleanliness Indicator” (see User Interface Tab, Cleanliness Indicator) is set to “OFF”, attempting to add an exit action of “UI Cleaning Mode” will show a popup window with a warning.  Select “Yes” on this window, and a second popup window confirms that the “Cleanliness Indicator” has been enabled and the exit action can be added.
      • Any exit passcode entry that has an exit action of “UI Cleaning Mode” will automatically be disabled (but not removed) when the “Cleanliness Indicator” is set to “OFF” (see User Interface Tab, Cleanliness Indicator).
      
      
      
  • Require a Passcode - If checked, the passcode must be entered before KioWare will do any of the above exit actions.  The Change Passcode fields to the right can also be used to change your passcode.
  • Change Passcode - When the “Require a Passcode” checkbox is checked, enter the new passcode in both the “Enter Passcode” and “Confirm Passcode” boxes and select the “Done” button.
• Edit Passcode (pencil icon) - Select this icon to edit your passcode settings.
• Delete Passcode (“X” icon) - Select this icon to remove a passcode.

Remote Settings Configuration

• Enable Remote Settings Loading - Enables use of a remote settings file for importing JSON settings and any embedded resources (images, addins, etc.).
• Remote Config URL - When the “Enable Remote Settings Loading” checkbox is checked, you can specify the location of the remote settings file.
• Check for changes to the file every [ ] minutes (also called “Update Interval”) - Sets how often (in minutes) KioWare will check the remote settings file for changes while its browser is running and reload the file if changes are found (0 disables the check).
• Number of retries [ ] on an interval of [ ] seconds (also called “Retry Interval”) - Sets the maximum number of times KioWare will try again to load a remote settings file (that does not successfully load) and how long KioWare will wait, after each failed attempt, before trying again.  No further attempts are made when the maximum is reached (setting the first box to 0 disables all retries).
• Authentication Settings - Select this button to automatically use authentication when importing remote settings (see Remote Authentication Settings below; for more details on Basic Authentication and client certificates, see Security Tab, Related Terms and Questions and Kiosk Management Tab, Related Terms and Questions).

Auto-Start Applications

• Add Auto-Start Application - Select this button to add an auto-start entry (see “Edit” below for descriptions of the settings that show).
• Delete (“X” icon) - Select this icon to remove an auto-start entry.
• Reorder - Select and drag an auto-start entry to reorder it.
• Edit (pencil icon) - Select this icon to edit an auto-start entry.  These settings show (see image below).
  • Application Path - The file path (with filename) of the software or other computer program you want to auto-start when KioWare is started.
  • Command Line Arguments - Enter any parameters that you want KioWare to pass to the software/program from your “Application Path”.
  • Working Directory - Generally, enter the directory of the software/program you want to auto-start (the “Application Path” above without the filename).
  • App Window Handling - Sets how KioWare will handle an open application (app) window.
    • None - KioWare does not control this app window.
    • Always Above KioWare - This app window will always show overtop of the KioWare window, but may or may not show overtop of other apps that are open.
    • Top Most - This app window will always show overtop of KioWare and all other apps that are open.
    • Hide - This app window will remain open but will be hidden.
    • Minimize - This app window will remain open but will be minimized.
    • Maximize - This app window will remain open and will be maximized.
    • Hide at Session End - This app window will remain open during a user session and may or may not show, but will always be hidden when the session ends.  It may show again at the start of a new session.
    • Close at Session End - This app window will remain open during a user session and may or may not show, but will always be closed when the session ends.  It will re-open at the start of a new session.
    • Send to Back - This app window will always be open behind KioWare and all other apps that are open.
  • Restart App on Exit - If checked, KioWare will restart the app any time it is closed.
  • KioWare Window Handling - Sets how the KioWare window is handled.
    • Default Behavior - No special handling is done.
    • Minimize - The KioWare window will remain open but will be minimized.
    • Hide - The KioWare window will remain open but will be hidden.
  
  

  

Remote Authentication Settings

This window shows when you select the “Authentication Settings” button on the main General Tab.  (For related settings that tell KioWare to automatically use authentication when the kiosk or computer is communicating with KioWare Server, see Kiosk Management Tab, Advanced Server Settings.  See also Browser Application, Command Line Arguments, for commands that can be used when importing.)

Basic Authentication

• Username - (Only available when the slider is set to “ON”) The username to use when authenticating a remote settings file.
• Password - (Only available when the slider is set to “ON”) The password to use when authenticating a remote settings file.

Server SSL Options

If you are using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) to “talk” with KioWare Server, you can tell KioWare to ignore SSL configuration problems that keep data from being passed correctly.  All options are checked by default.  (For more details on SSL errors, see Browser Tab, Related Terms and Questions.  See also Kiosk Management Tab, Advanced Server Settings, Server SSL Options for details on SSL and connecting to KioWare Server.)

• Ignore All Errors - Tells KioWare to ignore all problems.
• Ignore Invalid Host - Tells KioWare to ignore problems caused by a host computer that is invalid.
• Ignore Expiration Date - Tells KioWare to ignore problems caused by an expiration date.
• Ignore Invalid Issuer - Tells KioWare to ignore problems caused by an issuer that is invalid.

Client-Side Certificate

• Send Client Certificate - If enabled, tells KioWare to send a machine-specific client certificate, settings-based certificate, or both.  Select an option from the dropdown and use the settings that appear below.  (For more details on client certificates, see Kiosk Management Tab, Related Terms and Questions.)
  • Machine-Specific Client Certificate - (Only available when the “Send Machine-Specific Certificate” or “Send Both Certificates” option is selected above) In the “Certificate Location” dropdown, select if you want the current user or local machine.  Then use the ellipses button to select a machine-specific certificate thumbprint.
  • Settings-Based Certificate - (Only available when the “Send Settings-Based Certificate” or “Send Both Certificates” option is selected above) In the “Certificate Location” dropdown, select if you want the current user or local machine.  Then use the ellipses button to select a settings-based certificate thumbprint.

Related Terms and Questions

If the answers to your questions are not in this table, visit the KioWare website for frequently asked questions (FAQs).

What is the start page?	The start page (or home page) is the first page that displays when a KioWare session starts.  If you do not set a start page, the default KioWare Welcome screen will display.
Can I customize the default start page?	Yes, but you may prefer to create your own page (with your own custom design and layout) and set that as the start page by entering the file path or URL in the “Start Page URL” box.  (However, if for some reason you really want to customize the default start page, see Configuration Tool, Customizing Warning and Other Pages for details on locating and customizing this file.)
I set my start page, but it is not showing.	Be sure that you tell KioWare to allow the page to be displayed and not block it.  Use KioWare's browsing access list to allow the page (see Security Tab, Browsing Access List Configuration Screen).  If your start page is not added here, then KioWare will think that it must be blocked and will give an error.
How can I reload the start page in the KioWare browser?	On the User Interface tab, you can create a custom toolbar and add a “Home” button to it (see User Interface Tab, Setting Up Multiple Toolbars, Adding/Deleting Toolbar Controls).  This “Home” toolbar button will appear in the KioWare browser and can be used to reload the start page at any time.
KioWare starts before Internet Information Services (IIS) does, so my start page is broken.	If you are not using KioWare as the browser shell, check that the “Automatically detect settings” option is enabled in your browser.  Once enabled, KioWare will automatically redirect to the “Start Page URL” when an error occurs.  Note: For highest security, it is recommended that you always use KioWare as the browser shell.  You can use the System Settings tab to change your browser shell (see System Settings Tab, Utility to Change User Settings, Change User Settings Button).
Can I set more than one start page?	Yes, just select the “Add Another Start Page URL” button and, in the box that shows above, enter another start page URL (in the format http://www.example.com).  You can add as many additional start pages as you want (additional start page tabs are not included in the “Max Popups/Additional Tabs Open” setting; see Browser Tab, Popup/Tab Settings).  Select any entry and drag it up or down to reorder.  All additional start pages will open in a new tab.
What is a remote settings file?	It is a JSON file that contains all your custom settings for KioWare (see Configuration Tool, Related Terms and Questions for a definition of JSON and more details on the remote settings file).  The file can be saved to your computer or other drive, and then loaded on other kiosks or computers.  You can also reload it if you update your operating system, change kiosks or computers running KioWare, or update your KioWare licensing.  Use “Enable Remote Settings Loading” and “Remote Settings Location” to tell KioWare if you want to use a remote settings file and where to find it.  Then KioWare will automatically load the file when its browser is started.
Can KioWare automatically load updates to my remote settings file?	Yes, by setting the “Update Interval” to a value other than zero.  This value tells KioWare how often it should check the remote settings file for any changes.  If there are none, the file will not be reloaded.  If there are changes, then KioWare will reload the file and restart immediately if no user is present or the default “Inactivity Timer” (see Attract/Inactivity Tab, Inactivity) is set to 0.  Otherwise, KioWare will wait until the session ends before restarting.  Regardless if the file is reloaded or not, KioWare will wait the same number of seconds and then check the file again.  This process of waiting and checking will continue until the KioWare browser is closed.
What happens if my remote settings file does not load for any reason?	If any errors occur with the file, they may prevent it from being loaded or even cause KioWare to automatically restart.  When entering non-zero values in both boxes of the “Retry Interval” setting, this tells KioWare how many times to keep trying to load the file and how long (in seconds) to wait, after each failed attempt, before trying again (e.g., if retries are set to 2 and the time interval is set to 30 seconds, KioWare will wait 30 seconds after the first failed attempt and then make the first retry attempt; if the first retry attempt fails, KioWare will wait 30 seconds and then make the second retry attempt, after which no more attempts will be made).
In the retry interval, I set retries to 5 and the seconds to 60, but KioWare is not making 5 retry attempts during that 60-second interval.	The interval is actually how long KioWare will wait, after a failed attempt to load settings, before trying again (see above).  So, in this case KioWare will wait 60 seconds after each failed attempt before trying again, up to a maximum of 5 retry attempts.
What is the process for auto-loading a remote settings file when booting a kiosk?	The remote settings file can be either a configuration (.kwconfig) or package (.kwpkg) file (for more details on configuration and package files, see Configuration Tool, Related Terms and Questions). Your kiosk or computer boots, but the remote settings process does not start (it waits until KioWare is running and fully locked down). KioWare starts and remains safely locked down throughout the remote settings process. If “Enable Remote Settings Loading” is checked and the “Remote Settings Location” is entered, the remote settings process automatically begins, and KioWare checks for and downloads any updated remote settings file.  It also verifies that the updated file was downloaded without any errors. When the remote settings file is replaced with the updated one, the SaveID is overwritten so that KioWare knows to use the updated file and not the prior one (for more details on the SaveID, see Configuration Tool, Related Terms and Questions). KioWare then waits for Content Update mode to start (for more details on content updating, see Kiosk Management Tab, Related Terms and Questions). When Content Update mode starts, KioWare unloads any loaded addins (to help prevent it from locking up) and loads the updated remote settings file. KioWare then restarts and runs with the updated settings.
What is the process for auto-loading a remote settings file while KioWare is in use?	Generally, the process is the same as when booting your kiosk or computer (see above), only KioWare waits for a user session to end (Attract Screen mode to start) before entering Content Update mode.  (For more details on user inactivity and Attract Screen mode, see Attract/Inactivity Tab, Related Terms and Questions.  For more details on content updating, see Kiosk Management Tab, Related Terms and Questions.)
What happens if I exit KioWare during the process of downloading or updating a remote settings file?	You can exit KioWare while it is downloading, verifying, or updating remote settings files (or while it is waiting for Content Update mode to start), but the remote settings process will end instantly.  (For more details on content updating, see Kiosk Management Tab, Related Terms and Questions.)
What happens if either the file download process or update process fails?	KioWare automatically closes and restarts.
KioWare is not recognizing changes to my remote settings file.	First, check for any errors in the Windows Application Event Log (select Windows “Start” button, search for and open “Event Viewer”, and select “Windows Logs”, “Application”).  If no errors appear, then be sure you also change the SaveID value if you manually change your remote settings file.  You can set it to any value, as long as it is changed.  For more details on the SaveID value, see Configuration Tool, Related Terms and Questions.
I need help with a custom start screen.	For help with a custom start screen, contact KioWare via phone (Toll Free USA: 877-843-4790; International: 1-717-843-4790) or our website (www.kioware.com).  Also visit the Custom Development section of the KioWare website for more details on KioWare's custom development.
How is a passcode different from a password?	The term passcode sometimes means a password that only contains numbers, but in KioWare, passcodes can contain numbers, letters, and special characters.  When you exit the KioWare browser (see Quick Start Guide, KioWare Browser), you will see a window asking for your passcode.  You can enter your passcode using a keyboard that is connected to your kiosk or computer, or you can select the “Keyboard” button and use the on-screen keyboard that shows.
Are there any guidelines for setting up passcodes?	KioWare itself has no strict guidelines, but you should check if the Group Policy applied to your kiosk or computer has any restrictions set up (e.g., must be a certain number of characters and contain both capital and lowercase letters as well as numbers).
Help! I've forgotten the default passcode.	The default passcode is 3523.  Use the “Add Exit Passcode” button in the Exit Passcodes pane if you ever want to set a different passcode.  Note: For maximum security, it is highly recommended that you change the default passcode after installing KioWare.
Help! I've forgotten my kiosk passcode.	Contact KioWare support via phone (Toll Free USA: 877-843-4790; International: 1-717-843-4790) or our website (www.kioware.com), and we will help you.