Windows 7 and XP

[rh91uk]

Hi all,

We're currently looking at deploying Windows 7 alongside Windows XP (with a full migration next easter or summer), firstly on our staff laptops.

The issue is - we need to run it alongside XP profiles. Obviously, there are specific Windows 7 gpos we can set but we use roaming profiles. As you know, XP profiles don't work with Win7.

Do you do what I want to do in your school? How do you do it?

thanks,
rh91uk

[willv28]

This was one of the reasons we eliminated the use of roaming profiles. We maintain clear agreements with everyone that they're responsible for their own backups. People don't move around a whole lot, but it's certainly not worth the added bandwidth, etc. As well they know we don't attempt to retrieve any lost data off the HDD. Basically we scare them into it. Never been a problem.

With the KMS volume licensing system, it's very easy in terms of that. You just need 25 Win 7 machines they will activate by themselves to the root KMS "server".

For our deployments I personally use FOG Project to create images for deployment from master machines builds I make. It's so easy now. The other schools under our control are still using the old pull the hard drive and clone method. So, personally I would use FOG. Especially with the multicast capabilities.

Take care of any issues with profiles. Setup some tests to try to iron out the issues and have a plan of attack as far as domain controller stuff goes.

[Gatt]

Any Roaming profile for Vista & Win-7 MUST end in .V2

Eg jbloggs (for XP) and jbloggs.V2 (for Vista, win-7, etc)

personally I hate roaming profiles and prefer GPOs and Folder Redirection - this way we force them to use network shares for their personal folders (Documents, Videos, Pictures, etc) and then restrict access to the C drive and the desktops so they cannot save anything locally..

All backed up with an AUP tellign them that we are not responsible for anything saved locally or to a pen drive

[willv28]

personally I hate roaming profiles and prefer GPOs and Folder Redirection - this way we force them to use network shares for their personal folders (Documents, Videos, Pictures, etc) and then restrict access to the C drive and the desktops so they cannot save anything locally..

That's what we do in place. Only we only restrict C and desktop for students. Any enterprise level deployment should not really be using roaming profiles anyway. We're talking many users, but still, until I came and got rid of that, roaming profiles were nothing but problems for the IT staff.

[AngryTechnician]

Windows Vista and 7 profiles automatically append .V2 onto the end of the username when the roaming profile directory is created on the server. This means Joe Bloggs will have a joebloggs and a joebloggs.V2 folder on the roaming profile share. They will co-exist quite happily.