Easy! Simply visit https://thepoint.kctcs.edu. If you receive a log-in prompt, enter your log-in information like this:
User ID: kctcsacc\ASMITH0001 (where "ASMITH0001" is your KCTCS account name)
Be sure to include the "kctcsacc\" part, and note that that's a BACKSLASH rather than a forward slash. The backslash is located just above the Enter key on most PC keyboards.
Password: your current KCTCS account password
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This article pertains to Windows based PC and using Internet Explorer when attempting to connect to thePoint from an off-campus location (outside of the KCTCS network). You may receive an error message even before you get a chance to log in. This is a known issue and can be fixed. This can be frustrating because the connection does not even seem to be attempted and the “Diagnose Connection Problems” button is not helpful in this situation.
For the resolution, check your Advanced Internet Explorer Settings:
You can, actually. You just won't have access to as much of the built-in functionality of thePoint. It's not that you can't use Firefox, your Mac, or other devices, but thePoint is based on Microsoft technology and takes advantage of the fact that KCTCS is a 99.9% Microsoft environment.
KCTCS is heavily invested with Microsoft and, as such, over 99% of the desktop clients are Windows based. The recommended operating system is Windows 7, x64 bit version, mostly because it represents the newest version and helps “future proof” the desktop environment. However, Windows 7 x32, Windows Vista post SP1 (both x64 and x32), and even Windows XP post SP3 are acceptable versions of the base operating system configuration. It should be noted, however, that the decision on which version of Windows is chosen may directly affect the subsequent decisions made regarding the web browser type and version, as well as the office productivity type and version. For instance, Windows XP is nearing end of life for support and Windows Vista pre SP1 has a host of documented problems. Windows based systems in the KCTCS Active Directory will also provide the foundation for the easiest login experience.
Technically, a non-Windows based system (Linux, McIntosh, etc) will be able to connect and work with thePoint. However, the user experience will be degraded in several ways. First, the foundation for providing the automated login is missing. With a Windows based desktop, the user is required to login with Active Directory credentials every morning. Additionally, this can be passed directly to certain trusted systems, such as thePoint, which will aid in login process for thePoint. Non-Windows based desktops can bypass this kind of Active Directory login and there is no base on which to build the seamless login protocol. Second, a non-Windows based PC will likely contain a different set of software, including web browser and office/productivity suite. Aside from these variations causing support headaches across the KCTCS Enterprise, these non-standard configurations almost ensure poor user experience within the KCTCS network (not only on thePoint).
Again, considering Microsoft products are the mainstream and are freely available to all desktop users through a generous licensing agreement, the recommended browser is Internet Explorer 8.0 (IE 8). Additionally, with the current version of thePoint, IE8 should be run with “Compatibility View” enabled. This feature is easily enabled through a single click in the user interface. The version 7.0 of this product (IE7) is acceptable. The older version, IE6, is not supported. Aside from being one of the least secure browsers ever made by Microsoft, IE6 users will have a greatly degraded experience on thePoint due to the lack of PNG support and other issues.
Other browsers such as Firefox (all versions), Opera, Safari, and Chrome will technically work in most basic cases, but the user’s experience will be greatly reduced. In some cases, such as with Chrome, basic navigation will be adversely impacted. In other cases, the extra “bells and whistles” of thePoint, such as exporting list data to spreadsheets, seamlessly creating and editing MS Office documents, and multiple file transfers will not be available. These extremely useful functions rely on ActiveX technologies and only work when other Microsoft products are involved.
You shouldn't have to, first of all. In fact, with the right browser and computer settings, you shouldn't ever have to log in manually at all. Here are some instructions that should help you. This will work for your home computer or your work computer. Please note that if you don't have access to make these changes to your work computer, you'll need to contact your local IT staff. These settings should have been pushed out automatically some time back, so be sure to let them know if you're not set up correctly.
If you're a Windows user, add https://thepoint.kctcs.edu/ to your either your "Intranet Zone" or your "trusted sites" zone in Internet Explorer. The Intranet zone will work a little better. There is sometimes an additional step required for Windows Vista users. You should ask your IT staff to help make that change however. To add thePoint to your intranet zone:
To add thePoint to your trusted sites:
First make sure thePoint is in your “Intranet Zone”, that is step one. If you continue to get prompts, try this registry edit:
CAUTION: This process can cause harm to your computer if done incorrectly!!!
After this registry entry is created, the WebClient service will read the entry value. If the client computer tries to access a URL that matches any of the expressions in the list, the user credential will be sent successfully to authenticate the user, even if no proxy is configured.
Unfortunately no, not a DL. You have to use an Active Directory “Security Group” (or an e-mail enabled Security Group in Active Directory). You can never use a personal distribution list directly in thePoint. If the group is in Active Directory as a Distribution Group (domain level Distribution List), it can be changed by Technology Solutions to a Security Group and it will continue to function as a DL (receive e-mail, etc), plus be able to be leveraged for security on thePoint AND on file shares, etc….