A single-purpose terminal for everyone to use

May 4, 2015 14:36 GMT  ·  By

Terminals you use to get info or simply interact with are based on a specialized operating system that only lets you manage specific info. Chances are the kiosk you’re using is actually a modded Windows with some features and controls disabled.

A careful management of Windows features can turn any ordinary PC into an info station with limited access to everything. However, this can take some time, and the time invested might not be completely satisfying or worth the effort.

This is where specialized applications come in handy, simplifying the process to a few mouse clicks and deciding what features to leave available. In other words, it’s much easier and faster to disable everything and only pick the ones to leave active than choosing what features to disable, and this is exactly what Antamedia Kiosk does.

The following steps describe how to quickly set up a basic Kiosk. Note that possibilities are not limited to the description below.

Setting up a kiosk

Step 1: Download Antamedia Kiosk and close all other running applications. This is because a system reboot is mandatory and you don’t want to lose anything.

Step 2: Go through with the setup and reboot your PC.

Step 3: Switch to the Browser category on the left pane to configure Internet browsing options.

Step 4: Pick a custom theme, choose what buttons to make available, add your own start page, create a list of websites to block, and a few more.

Step 5: Go to the Browser tab to disable desktop icons, autostart features, screen display options, the context menu, as well as Windows Explorer elements. Again, a blacklist can be created for applications.

Step 6: The Personalize tab lets you manage Kiosk interface elements. This determines the level of freedom given to the end user, with options to create custom folders and place program shortcuts that can be launched while in Kiosk mode.

Step 7: Switch to the Setup tab to specify a hotkey that brings up the dashboard, as well as a password to enable access to administrator configurations. In addition, the application can be made to run with Windows in case unexpected events restart the host PC.

Extra tips: It’s not necessary to put your computer in Kiosk mode only for public use, but can simply equip it with a few video games, multimedia player, or jukebox. This comes in handy when organizing parties so you don’t risk losing data, and also letting anyone control the situation.

Set up and run in kiosk mode (2 Images)

Friendly Kiosk
Setup and kiosk mode example
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