How to force local default or background options in the MonTel Client

This topic applies to MonTel Client Version 2.5 beta onwards.

Features local to the individual user's client include those found under the Options Menu of MonTel32, and other settings such as the last position and size of some windows, and the location of the Local Client Database. These settings are and generally read from the local users Windows directory in a file called MONTEL.INI. The full description of these can be found in the topic: Description of the contents of MONTEL.INI and DEFAULTS.INI

When a MonTel client is first started, default settings and some information from the PABX.INI file are used to create the MONTEL.INI file, unless there is a DEFAULTS.INI file present in the MonTel Application Directory. To save time when installing clients, you may wish to change to a set of standard defaults (rather than the system supplied defaults). These could include, for example the default Disbursement code in the pop up InfoBox, the minimum threshold pop-up value, network settings and so on.

You could do this manually in theory, but it is far easier simply to set up a typical client, filling in all the fields, and setting all the options to the desired result. When this is complete, save the options (from the menu) and exit the MonTel client. Now copy the MONTEL.INI file from the local hard drive (C:\WINDOWS or C:\WINNT on most machines) to the MonTel application directory, and rename it DEFAULTS.INI.

From now on the first time a client is created, it will use the defaults from this file.

DEFAULTS FOR INDIVIDUAL USERS

It may be you have some users, who need to have a some special defaults. If this is the case, set up a sub directory under the MonTel Application Directory, with the same name as the users name or (DIR) setting if they have one. Repeat the above process copying the MONTEL.INI file into this new directory, and renaming it DEFAULTS.INI. Note that these are an all or nothing affair, the client will only read one DEFAULTS.INI file, searching first for a User directory, and then in the MONTEL Application directory.

Finally there may be situations when you don't want any of the users changing their local settings. In this case set AlwaysUseDefaults = 1 in the [Program] section of the PABX.INI file. This setting will cause the client to loop trying to find the local client database if you do not have a DEFAULTS.INI present. There are some other possibilities detailed in TROUBLE SHOOT: Local Client Database fails to create or creation loops. In addition some users may become very frustrated at not being able to make seemingly trivial changes to there system. Therefore we generally don't recommend using AlwaysUseDefaults = 1.

There are other options, and it may be you wish to lock Montel down to make sure that users are forced to update calls. To do this see: How to lock down MonTel so users MUST update calls.

You may also wish to consider the security section of the PABX.INI file.