We recommend to prepare your DISE Premium Windows PC with the below instructions before installing Premium.

DISE Premium installation


TABLE OF CONTENTS


Documentation & standardization

It's important to document the work put into preparation, installation, and maintenance. The document should give details on all the players in the system, with the PC serial number / service tag, Windows license, IP addresses, host names / MAC addresses, usernames/passwords, player location, Teamviewer details (see below) and to leave room for DISE information such as software version, keys and special settings.

For your convenience please find attached below an example of a player inventory spreadsheet "Player inventory.xlsx" - feel free to use and customize!


Windows settings

Prior to installing DISE, it's important to optimize the player as a digital signage player.

Our recommendation is to:

  • In BIOS, change so that the power is restored in case of a power outage.
  • Find and install the latest drivers for hardware such as graphics card.
  • Setup a user which is logged in automatically in Windows:
    • Open the Run command by typing Windows key + R. 
    • Type control userpasswords2 and click Ok to open the User Accounts dialog.
    • Uncheck the box Users must enter a username and password to use this computer.
      The user needs to have the correct permissions to allow writing to the content cache download folder ("C:\DISEContent\ContentCache" by default).
    • If in a Windows domain, granted autologin is allowed, you can edit and use the attached "autologin.reg" registry file to set up the domain login. 
    • Go to "Sign-in Options" under "Settings" and set the "require sign-in" to "Never".

Deactivate Windows update:

WIndows 7/8
  • Perform a complete Windows update
  • Open the Run command by typing Windows key + R.
  • Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
  • Browse the following path:
    "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update"
  • On the right side, double-click the Configure Automatic Updates policy.
  • On the left side, check the Disabled option to disable the policy.

WIndows 10

We suggest you use the following application to completely shut off Windows update on Windows 10

https://github.com/WereDev/Wu10Man



Configure Power Options

  • Under Power Options, set the active power plan to "High performance".
  • Click Choose what the power buttons do in the left sidebar, click Change settings that are currently unavailable and then uncheck Turn on fast startup (recommended)
  • Go into the Advanced settingsfor the power plan. Set the following:
    • Disable Require a password on wake-up (if it is available, otherwise see below)
      .
    • Set hard disk to never turn off

    • Set Allow wake timers to Enable

  • Change so that no password is required when returning from sleep:
    • Open the Run command by typing Windows key + R.
    • Type gpedit.msc and click OK to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
    • Browse the following path:
      "Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Power Management > Sleep Settings"
    • Double click "Require a password when a computer wakes (Plugged in)."
    • Check the Disable option in the top-left corner.
    • Click Apply, then OK.
  • Optimize Windows' shutdown behavior by running the registry file found attached: "shutdown.reg".
  • Change the system failure behavior:
    • Open the Run command by typing Windows key + R.
    • Type sysdm.cpl and click OK to open the System Properties.
    • Go to the Advanced tab and click Settings under Startup and Recovery.
    • Check the box Automatically restart under System failure.
  • Players setup with Windows Embedded or 10 IoT Enterprise might be set with an active write filter called EWF or "Enhanced Write Filter" (Enhanced Write Filter - wikipedia.org). This is an overlay over a read-only partition which causes any uncommitted changes to a disk to be lost on reboot. For a DISE player this means that it would have to download everything again each reboot. DISE will try to detect if the drive has active EWF during installation.
  • Premium players need to be setup with time synchronization, in which case Windows connects to a time server (NTP).
    In some cases the default timesync setting in Windows is not enough. To force time synchronization to occur more often, please do the following:
    • Download the attached exported xml file: "Force Time Sync.xml".
    • Open Task Scheduler and select Action > Import Task..
    • Browse to the xml file.
  • Set the DPI scaling by right clicking the desktop, select Display settings, then under Change the size of text, apps, and other items, select 100%.
  • Deactivate security and maintenance messages that could pop up interrupting the playback.
  • Disable visual features that could have an impact on performance.
  • Deactivate any screen saver.
  • Optimize the virtual memory size.
  • Disable Windows services that we don't need.


Portrait mode

DISE will use the orientation set in Windows. If you have your screens in portrait mode, you need to set the Windows screen orientation.

You can either hit Ctrl + Alt + arrow right or left on your keyboard to rotate the screen or
Right click on the desktop then select Display Settings.
Next select "Portrait" or "Portrait (flipped)" under Orientation.


Access & security

Access & security


Set up remote access

We strongly recommend you to install software to allow for remote access and administration on players, in case some problem occurs (you can control only the DISE parts from Portal). This is especially true if the players are located in hard-to-get-to places. We recommend Teamviewer (https://www.teamviewer.com) and to install the Host version.
After installing Teamviewer Host, run the registry file found attached: "teamviewer-HooksOff.reg"


System image

Creating a system image of a completed installation can be a life-saver. 

  • After all the above Windows settings are done and the Premium installation is completed, you get a question to reboot the player. 
  • Select No and instead turn off the PC. 
  • Create the image using an imaging tool of your choice.
    Create and use a system image
  • When any imaged player starts, DISE Control Center will start with Windows, displaying a discovery code. This code is then used to register into CX Portal.
    Note that it's important to create the image BEFORE DISE Control Center has started, because otherwise it may already have fetched a discovery code and stored it locally.


Screen control

You can setup scheduling for the screen power on/off without any special cables or protocols. For example, that the screen will be on between 07-22. 

Schedule screen


For receiving information about screen temperature, input, and status, these things are required:
  • The players' computer and screen are connected, via an RS-232 or Ethernet cable, or internally (as is the case with built-in computers).
  • If required, the proper screen communication drivers have been installed.
  • The screen communication protocol has been implemented by DISE. Please contact support if you have any questions about screen support.
  • The screen itself has the correct settings to allow external control.
When a communication with the screen has been established and any drivers for it installed, the player will register the communication method in CX Portal.