crc-ict

Hi All, As you know Christmas is on its way, and I'm thinking about asking Santa for some upgrade parts for my main workstation. I'm currently running Windows XP Pro on a Pentium 4 540 (3.2GHz HT, 800MHz FSB), Asus Socket 775 board, with 1Gb PC3200 RAM and a NVidia GeForce 6200TC 256Mb. I'm finding this rather sluggish (re-installing Windows makes little difference) and want to make some improvements. I've been looking at a package deal with a Core 2 Duo E6300 and 1Gb DDR-2 RAM on a Gigabyte board, for about £300, which is slightly over budget, and I'd want a graphics upgrade too - the 6200TC is poor. I've also been looking at keeping the board and P4, but going for another gig of RAM and a much better graphics card. I was wondering what other people thought of the two options. I'm not big on games, but want to be able to run Flight Simulator 2004 (and hopefully X) well, along with Office apps, Photoshop Elements 4, Premiere Elements 2 and general stuff. Any suggestions would be very muchly appreciated - I can't figure out what to do for the best at the moment! Cheers, Chris/

Thanks for the suggestions, but I was really looking for something which actually takes a 'snapshot' before and after the install, then makes a silent MSI of the changes. I have been trying Discover from WinInstall LE from a Windows Server 2000 disk, but this is failing at the stage of converting the NAI file (which it seems to use internally) to the MSI file. I am running it on one of the XP workstations I want to deploy the MSIs to. WinInstall would be perfect, if only it worked properly! I get an error stating the source file must begin @SourceDir: ... Any more suggestions would be very gratefully received Chris.

Hi all, Just a quick question, can anyone recommend any good programs for creating MSI installer packages from the original Setup programs, preferably which are free? I have an idea for deploying software using MSIs not using AD or group policies (more on this later if it works...) and need a free way of making MSIs so I can pilot the idea. This will also save me a considerable amount of hassle and nagging at one of my schools, who want to be able to deploy software, but not have the other trappings of AD/GP. Thanks for your time, Chris.

And in my experience, at this end of 'down here', a surplus of teachers. I finished what was basically a teaching degree in July* and a great many of my teaching compatriots from that course as still looking for teaching positions. I was also strongly encouraged by tutors not to follow my desires to move into educational support. *no, I'm not a teacher myself - I jumped out of that into Edugeeking during the second teaching placement

Why is it that sometimes when someone posts the word 'want' in a post, it appears as (edited)t? I am sure we are all aware of a 'bad word' which starts w-a-n-, but it seems a bit mad to filter that letter combination and not just the bad word itself. After all, it's fairly likely that the term WAN is going to come up on a computing related forum from time to time... I don't mean to gripe, but I do find it rather annoying... Cheers, Chris

Actually, I was just stupid! The admin machines run through a proxy to the 'net, and local addresses weren't bypassed from the proxy. Now that's done, it works OK without any further trouble! Sorry for the stupid question :oops:

I am currently in the process of trying to set up an intranet at one of my schools using Sharepoint services on a standalone 2k3 server (ie. not on a domain, just part of the workgroup) on our curriculum system. I can access the Sharepoint site by typing http://servername from any of the curriculum machines. The problem arises when you try to access it from the admin machines, on a different workgroup and a different set of IP addresses. typing the above does not work. Curriculum machines use the range 172.25.***.19-190, while admin machines use 172.22.***.19-190. Both use the subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and both workgroups can see each other. (*** is the same on both systems but is blanked here for security) Is there a simple way to enable access to the sharepoint site from the admin machines? Using the server IP is not an option as it is allocated via DHCP and can't easily be made static. Any suggestions would be very gratefully received. Cheers, Chris..

Just hope their commercial sales division is different to the retail one... I dealt with Serif for some software for personal use at home a few years back and found that they pestered the life out of me afterwards. Repeated phone calls, lots of junk mail, and an annoying system where you have to phone them for activation codes, but then get a hard-sell session at the same time. The way it worked was they'd write and offer you a package cheaply. It would usually be the previous version, then they'd spend the next six months trying to sell you the upgrade!

Yup, same sort of experience here with a laptop which lost an argument with a teacher and a pencil sharpener. New screen for a Dell, less than a year old, £275 + £12 carriage + VAT. Then I was offered a 'generous' £25 off "seeing as it's for a school"!!! 8O Interesting to note that, although the thing isn't even out of warranty yet, Dell won't supply the screen, saying it's discontinued!

b) Not if you staple then to the skirting board Sadly, yes, even if you do that. Yeah, but was he talking about stapling the cable or the perpetrators to the skirting board?

Last time I used one of those (several moons ago) it fried the drive... An object lesson in making sure the connector is the right way round I think!

Thanks, all. Much food for though! @ajbritton: Sorry, my mistake. There is about 74Gb of space on the server, and it says RAID-1 when it boots up. Not had time to investigate properly what's actually in there. Thanks for the correction - saves me looking a fool later :oops: @sysman_mk: Thanks for the offer of answering questions. Might just take you up on that! I think I need to give it some serious thought myself, and talk it through with the rest of the staff. I agree with the points about young children remembering passwords, but another school of thought is that they have to get used to it at some time... :twisted: I'm quite keen on the idea of going along the full-on domain route, for my own development as much as anything else, but I'm not convinced of the value in that setting. Much pondering to come, methinks... Thanks to all, Chris

I've got a question here that I'd like to throw open to the floor... In one of my new schools, we have a network of 15 recent Dell machines, all running Windows XP Pro, and currently connected as a Peer-to-Peer network. I also discovered a new Dell PowerEdge server sitting in the corner doing nothing! It had been unpacked, connected, had Windows Server 2003 installed and then nothing else was done. It's a Xeon 3GHz, 1Gb RAM with 2x 36Gb SCSI HDs in a RAID 1 configuration, running Windows Server 2003 Standard. There are about 170 pupils plus staff, so call it 200 users. My question is whether or not it is viable to convert to a full domain-based system with individual user accounts? It is a school aim to achieve that, but I am not personally convinced for three reasons: 1. Insufficient disk space on the server 2. I only work there one day (5hrs) a week* 3. General competence in ICT is low What do you guys reckon? Is 74Gb enough space for 200 users? Is one day of support a week enough for a full client-server implementation? I'd be really grateful for any advice or tips you could share. I'm not experienced with domain implementations or administration but very keen to learn and feel it would be a good experience for me, but I don't want to go down that route if its not the right thing! It's only my second week in the job! Cheers, Chris. * This concern comes about because when I did my dissertation (on ICT Support in Primary Schools) I found several sources who said that you shouldn't implement client-server networks without full-time support.

I'm currently musing over the purchase of a 30Gb iPod Video, and am very tempted by the offer of a refurb one for £143 over at the Apple Store. Was just wondering if anyone here had bought anything from Apple which is sold as refurbished? Really looking for comments on the quality of their refurb stuff. It's a good saving, but not good enough if its going to look secondhand! Their marketing schpiel (?sp) goes into detail about the technical points of the process, but doesn't really make it clear if your going to get a 'showroom' condition one, or one with all the scratches that appear 10 seconds after taking out of the box! I'd be very interested to hear any feedback. Cheers, Chris.

Thanks all for the replies! Fortunately, after much battling we managed to find out the password! Safely changed to something that I know now! Cheers

Hi All, I'm hoping someone can help me with a problem. Just started a new job today, and no-one knows that password for the Windows 2003 server! Can anyone give me any ideas how to get around this? Feel free to PM me to keep the knowledge private. This is a genuine cry for help! Please help me if you can! I'm going to have to give up and re-install Server 2003 before long. Cheers, Chris.

The NDA is not a bad idea. The problem is arising because you are not employed by the school or the Local Authority, and as such, are outside of their control. I have just got the contracts through from the LEA for my new jobs and they include a clause very similar to an NDA covering all issues of confidentiality, Data Protection and data access. This is a very serious issue in this modern world and you would both (ie. yourself and the school) do well to ensure that all relevant 'backside covering' has been done. It is probably worth getting the head to take advice from the LEA about what's needed in the first instance, certainly before incurring legal costs from engaging a solicitor

The county-wide plan hits a snag too - one of my schools is near to a county boundary, and a neighbouring school at most two miles away is a different county. And the way things work around here with getting school places, some of the children from one might very conceivable live in the same streets as children from the other and be friends out of school. It's a very difficult problem to think of a solution to which will please everyone.

Ever since the last big batch of Microsoft updates, my Junk Mail Filter in Outlook 2003 has been absolute rubbish! One of the updates in the batch was an update for the mail definitions for the Junk filter, but ever since it has been catching hardly any junk mail. Prior to that, it had been working pretty well. It even seems to be ignoring the blocked senders list. I've been through the obvious things (checking it's turned on, lower the level then raising it again etc.) but I can't make it work. I'm getting fed up with adverts for 'medication', fake Rolex watches, dodgy diplomas and Russian dating agencies in my Inbox! Has anyone else noticed the same thing, and more importantly, has anyone else found a fix?! I'd be interested to know whether it is a generally botched update, or whether it's just my install that gone up the wall. While I'm on the subject, a bit of a silly question, but does it affect the accuraccy of the filter if you delete the contents of the Junk Mail folder? I've got nearly 1500 junk mails I'd like to bin completely, but have a strange idea that maybe Outlook needs them to filter new mail - like a kind-of 'learning' system? Cheers, Chris.

I think you are confusing two different things with Sharepoint. Sharepoint Portal Server is expensive and complex. Windows Sharepoint Services are free with Server 2003 and pretty straightforward to set up. WSS might not be comprehensive enough for a complete VLE, however. It's horses for courses really, depends what you need it to do.

Probably a silly thought, but the programs aren't available to download from BBC are they? ICBW, but I think they are putting rather a lot of stuff online to download these days. I don't know where these files stand with DRM and licence expiry etc. however. HTH, Chris.

1. Well, as I said, I have a colour laser already, so the inkjet is going to be limited to photo printing only. So more or less everything is going to be at the highest quality setting, on gloss paper. In terms of a monthly figure, probably no more than 10-15 prints a month, less in winter times. 2. I don't really have a defined budget for consumables. I suppose 'as little as possible' would be the most suitable answer! 3. Perfectly willing to try new things. I have tried refilling before (Canon BJ-10 and HP 53 & 54 cartridges), but have overall been disappointed with the results and find it a messy chore! On the advice of a friend have been looking at an Epson R220, and was thinking about a continuous ink system I saw online for about £40 to go with it once the original cartridges run out. Had also been thinking about the Canon Pixma range, but someone warned me off Canon, saying they're not much good...

I'm looking for your recommendations for decent inkjet photo printers - the A4 variety not those little Epson PictureMate kind of things. I've not had great experiences with inkjets in the past, but my colour laser just doesn't cut the mustard when it comes to photos. I've been advised to look towards Epson and avoid Canon and HP, but I have suffered a great deal with clogged nozzles on Epsons over the years. This is for home, and will only be used relatively infrequently. Budget is not great, looking for below £100. Cheers

Thanks Indie. Is it possible to boot the machine from Classic at start-up without removing OS X? There are other uses for the machine which will prevent us from wiping it and installing only Classic/OS 9. And also, we have neither licences nor disks for OS 9.

No, it's only the one machine, but there is a tale behind this... We have a mobile classroom of Mac laptops, and the kids are writing their programs in Flowol on the Mac and the teacher wants to then transfer their programs onto a machine with the control box and an IWB to demo it in real life. Here lies the problem... the saved files from Mac Flowol cannot be opened by the Windows version! So we have to figure a way of connecting the serial control box (rather ancient - it has a connector for BBC computers!!) to legacy-free Macs! And to complicate things further, Mac Flowol is an old program and only runs in Classic mode!