Device information overlay
The device information overlay is a small, semi-transparent panel in the top-right corner of the desktop wallpaper.
It shows identifying details about the device — name, network address, logged-in user, and the managing Scout server.
This helps helpdesk staff identify a device during a remote support call without asking the user to look anything up.
The panel is off by default. An administrator turns it on per device or OU.
Turning it on
Set this in Scout → Advanced Configuration → File Entries:
| File | /setup/terminal.ini |
| Section | Layout |
| Key | EnableDeviceInfoOverlay |
| Values |
false (default) / true
|
Changes take effect after a restart — overlay settings are read when the desktop starts.
What it shows
By default, the panel lists all nine fields, grouped into sections:
| Section | Fields |
|---|---|
| System | Device name, Domain, Operating system, Boot time |
| Network | IPv4, MAC |
| User | Logged in user |
| Scout server | Scout server, Manager address |
A row is left out when the device has no value for it — for example, Logged in user only appears once someone has logged in.
If nothing can be shown, the panel doesn’t appear.
To show only some fields, list them as a comma-separated set:
| File | /setup/terminal.ini |
| Section | Layout |
| Key | DeviceInfoOverlayFields |
| Values | empty (default, shows all nine) or a comma-separated list |
Field names: username, hostname, domain, ip, mac, os, scoutManagerName, scoutManagerAddress, bootTime. Names are case-sensitive.
For example, hostname,ip,username shows only the device name, IPv4 address, and logged-in user.
A section disappears when none of its fields are selected; an unrecognized name is simply ignored.
Adding custom fields
Add your own rows — an asset tag, a room number, a support number — in an extra Additional section:
| File | /setup/terminal.ini |
| Section | Layout |
| Key | DeviceInfoOverlayCustomFields |
| Values | Label=Value;Label2=Value2 |
Use = between a label and its value, and ; between rows:
Location=Building 7, Floor 2;Asset tag=UC-004182;Support=x4400
<!--NeedCopy-->
Only the first = on each row is the separator, so values can contain = too.
A row with an empty label or value is skipped, not broken.
Custom fields always appear, even if DeviceInfoOverlayFields narrows the standard ones.
Good to know
- The panel sits in the top-right corner and appears after login; its position is fixed.
- It’s click-through — clicks pass to whatever is underneath, so it never gets in the way.
- Desktop icons flow around it: they line up from the left edge, leaving the area under the panel free.
- On an extended desktop, the panel appears on each monitor.
- Boot time uses the date and time format of the desktop language.
- IPv4 and MAC update live if the network changes — no restart needed for those two fields.
- Switch between light and dark themes with
DeviceInfoOverlayTheme(sameLayoutsection) —light(default) is pale with dark text,darkis the reverse.