ViewSonic VOT132 - Disable F3 Restore & Recovery on Boot?

[LostInTheLab]

Is there a way to hide or completely disable the F3 Restore & Recovery prompt as the system is booting? We have 8 of the Viewsonic VOT132 units. Our users have a lovely habit of hitting the F3 key on reboot & wiping the machine. Thanks for your time & help!!

 

[goombawaho]

I don't see it in the manual. If you can't find an option "hide F3 or recovery prompt" or something similar in the BIOS, then I guess the answer is NO. Failing that, the most efficient way to handle it is to fire one person that does it. Should be enough to teach a lesson.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[LostInTheLab]

I didn't see it in the manual either... And I tried the BIOS - nothing there, or at least nothing that I recognized, as a means to disable/hide the restore & recovery. I tried pw protecting the BIOS itself as a hail mary - not surprisingly, no joy there.

While the firing of the next perpetrator may be quite the lesson for the rest of the folks I don't think I'm ready to take such a drastic step. At least not yet.

You know... that just got me thinking. I should check the BIOS version - see if another version is out there that provides the option! I'll post back if there are any great strides...

 

[goombawaho]

Good call - BIOS update. So maybe not fire someone, but just like you wouldn't tolerate sexual harassment in the workplace, you can't tolerate computer abuse either.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[rclarke250]

Why would they be hitting the F3 key? You could try replacing the keyboards with a keyboard that needs to have a second key pressed to enable the F keys. Like the microsoft multimedia keyboard 1.0a it has a F mode button that has to be pressed before the F keys are enabled, and by default it is disabled on boot.

 

[LostInTheLab]

When the system boots it prompts not once, but TWICE, to 'Press the F3 for Restore & Recovery'. The first time it appears along with the splash screen, then again ALONE (the ONLY verbiage on the screen) & hangs there for a few seconds... Just long enough to frighten the user that something went wrong & that their interaction is required. I'll be honest, the first time I booted one, it caught me off guard as well.

I haven't looked into the BIOS version yet... but a keyboard requiring a 2nd key to enable the Function option is brilliant! Quick & easy! (and no one gets fired! ha!)

 

[goombawaho]

Why would they be hitting the F3 key?

Sabotage, not wanting to work, stupidity, lack of training - pick one. Personally, I'd burst a blood vessel on the them.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.