Andie

Phew, thanks guys for your endless patience! I shall hopefully have my XP machines sorted out before half-term - yippee!

Hmm, sorry if this is taking me a long time to get my head round. But are you saying that if the person who set the machine up in the first case entered an Administrator's password for that machine, then the password in the sysprep file will not take effect? And the sysprep/imaging will still work, but just won't reset the password? So I would need to talk to the ICT provider who set the machine up in the first place to get hold of my Admin password?

I have checked the sysprep inf file again, and it has encrypt password set to NO. Also, I don't have the DisableAdminAccountOnDomainJoin string set, so it can't be that either. I guess I shall have to reset the password manually, but each time I sysprep I'm going to have the same problem. Just a thought, and to demonstrate my ignorance, when I do sysprep on the XPs, I choose Mini-setup and Reseal. These wouldn't be affecting things, would they?

Our server was on the floor of the ICT Suite, and I did spend a lot of time asking small children to please not swing their legs around!! Now it is in the same room, but the ICT Suite has moved. Never had a problem with any children or staff touching it though - maybe I'm just fierce and scary and they wouldn't dare! Space is always an issue in any school, and the only solution is often not the perfect one. As for working in the ICT Suite, there isn't much choice for me. There is no real place to escape anywhere in a school - I've even been asked to do things when I'm in the Ladies!! But primary teachers, at least, are in front of a class of children for the bulk of their day and have to fit in their requests for help around that. I think, reading other posts, I get away quite lightly as most of the staff are actually quite polite and appreciative, and if I can't do something straight away I say so and they're normally OK about it. Mind you, who knows what they're saying about me in the staff room when I'm not there!!

I'm officially 15 hours a week, term time only, in a Junior School. I'm paid on a teaching assistant scale, and only get the normal rate if I do extra hours. I don't get paid lunch times or breaks on the days that I'm in, but usually get too engrossed in a job to take the breaks and very often end up working about half of the two lunch hours I'm in for. But school are flexible about letting me work at home sometimes if I need the peace and quiet. Would get more done if I came in regularly in the holidays, but family commitments make that difficult at present, so I mustn't complain.

I'd be interested, depending on the content (I might be nrevous if it looks way out of my league), and my ability to persuade my school to allow me to come (free bit might help!!). Both areas ideal for me to get to!! Probably lean towards first date as hols tend to be difficult with kids to cover (my own, not the ones at school!!). But if husband is willing to hold the fort, who knows...! (So that's a positive maybe then!!) lol

I am also Junior School, was 12 hours and now 15 hours (being a TA to all ICT classes included in these hours), sole tech support person. Minimal training, some at my own expense. We were Viglen Classlink, but changed to vanilla with Learning Network Manager in the summer when we bought a new server and additional workstations. When we first put out to tender for the new stuff, training and some kind of network management software were specified as a requirement. It was amazing to read, despite all of them visiting us to discuss our requirements, the wide range of solutions provided. One company expected to cover all my training needs in an hour and didn't think any network management software was necessary, as I could do it all in AD. And the term network management software covers a whole host of options, as reading this thread would seem to indicate. Would I go back to a setup like Viglen out of choice? No, because, as stated elsewhere, it is integral to the setup of the network, so you have to do everything their way and only with lots of time spent on their support line (that's putting it mildly ](*,) !). Is vanilla easy to use? No, but Edugeek is making it a bit more bearable. Learning Network Manager? Allows me to manage users easier, including adding users in bulk if I need it. Software is deployed with Ghost images. (It's a lot more than that I know, but that's the main bit I use). LNM sits on top of a vanilla setup and can be removed if I don't want it anymore. Like other software that is around. Phan, hang on in there! The going is tough, but you are only doing your best under difficult circumstances. I am constantly feeling out of my depth at the moment. Choose something that will help YOU for YOUR needs, but try and avoid tying yourself down to something you can't get rid of if you need or want to. Be prepared to make mistakes and don't feel guilty when you do. Primary techies are somehow expected to be all things tech support rolled into one on part-time hours and lower pay. And you won't be the first person in a school to spend money on a piece of software only to find out it doesn't do what it says on the tin!!

Spotted this in my browse for jobs: ASSISTANT NETWORK MANAGER Jack Hunt School Ledbury Road Peterborough Cambs PE3 6PN Telephone 01733 263526 Fax 01733 330364 No. on Roll 1472 Post Title Assistant Network Manager Closing Date 06 Feb 2007 Details A Specialist Language College and Leading Edge School Tel: 01733 263526 Fax: 01733 330364 email: [email protected] website ~ http://www.jackhunt.net Headteacher: R A Duncan, MA, BEd (Hons) Group 7 (11-18), Roll 1476 (253 in Sixth Form) ASSISTANT NETWORK MANAGER We have an exciting opportunity for a high calibre individual with exceptional interpersonal skills to join our I.T. Support Team. The successful applicant will be required to assist the Network Manager in the leadership of a team of 5 and in developing our technical systems to support staff and students’ I.T. needs. We are seeking to employ a highly technical person with sound experience in I.T related disciplines and/or appropriate training. Knowledge of any of the following would be advantageous: Active Directory, XP Pro, Active Network equipment, HTML, ASP and SharePoint Portal. This is a full time appointment for 37 hours per week. Salary will be paid at Scale 5 on the Local Government Pay Scale £18,450 - £20,235 per annum. A workplace nursery is open on the school campus. The Governing Body of Jack Hunt School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. The school is part of the Peterborough Education PFI Project which will see an investment of £10 million to expand and refurbish the premises by September 2007. Application form and further details available from Carol Hargreaves (please telephone). Closing Date: Tuesday 6 February 2007.

Hi, folks. I have done a bit of comparing the script I have, which may or may not be the cause of my problem, with the scripts others have posted here. Although there are common elements, they all seem different. I have no knowledge of scripting languages, so can't tell if mine is faulty or not based on what I can see here. If no one can spot anything obvious, I guess i will have to hope that someone will get time to check out the ADM template and report back. Thanks to all who have helped so far.

Thanks, all. As I did say in my posting, I was worried by the warning message that came up in Windows suggesting dire consequences if I reset the Administrator password. But as you have all suggested I do this, can I assume that it won't do anything awful? And does anyone know why the password set in the sysprep.inf file doesn't work?

:oops: I seem to be unable to log on to the our XP workstations as local administrator. When I install software, I use Ghost images and Sysprep. The inf file for sysprep contains the local admin password, or so I thought. But although the imaging and setup of workstations has been working fine, I can't log on to the machines locally with the local admin password. Our old Win2k workstations haven't been sysprepped/imaged since we got the Win2003 server, and I can still log on to these locally successfully. I did look at trying to reset the local password, but got a nasty warning from Windows when I tried so I abandoned it. Is there a password that may have been set at a deeper level on the machines that would prevent the local admin password behaving properly? Help! Please!

OK, here's the script that is currently used as a login script for pupils and teachers: 'Favourite Folder creation - creates folder in users home area 'The script below is for a LAN with a "My Docs" redirect GPO, but %username% could be used 'Please note the different spellings of 'favourites/favorites' On Error Resume Next Set fs = CreateObject ("Scripting.FileSystemObject") Set foldr = fs.CreateFolder ("S:\My Documents\Favourites") On Error Resume Next Set WSHShell = nothing 'Fav Folder redirection Dim Path Path = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders\" set ws = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") o=ws.RegWrite(Path & "Favorites", "S:\My Documents\Favourites","REG_EXPAND_SZ") v=ws.RegRead(Path & "Favorites") Set WSHShell = nothing The My Documents is redirected by GPO to the following path: Path: \\MS-LNM-SERVER\user data\students\%USERNAME%\My Documents In the user Properties, for each pupil and teacher user, on the Profile tab, is the following entry in the Home Folder section: Connect: S: To: \\Ms-lnm-server\User Data\Students\username where the username is the actual username, not a variable. Also may be worth pointing out that we have a mixture of XP and Win2k workstations here, running on Server 2003.

I'd be interested in the results of your tests on the AD Template. I don't have any test facilities here, so trying things out can be a bit dicey. I've never used a template before, but it looks like the link covers some instructions on how to use it too. (Brain beginning to function a bit now, after rice krispies and toast!).

Likewise, the problem may be on the computer and not the projector. The Sahara we have (AV2100) loses the image at the edges if the screen resolution is set too high. As Paul suggested, try lowering the screen resolution.

Thanks, folks. Have been out of it for a day - picked up a tummy bug from my son - and am still off work. But will have a look in detail at your suggestions when back on Monday. Head still a bit muzzy due to lack of food. Looks like there may be some good things to try, so thank you for your help so far. Did wonder why the script seemed to work sometimes and not others, though. Wondered if maybe it was because we log in a whole class with the same username, and maybe the system can't cope. Will post script if necessary. Watch this space!

I've had a look at some of the previous postings on this subject, but being new to vanilla networks I am struggling with this one. Answers will need to be very step by step! Apologies if some of the information given below is unecessary. I have a VBScript which is used to redirect Favorites to a folder in the user's My Documents called Favourites. This is used as a login script in Group Policy (User Configuation>Windows Settings>Scripts>Logon) All our pupils log in with one username for their class (primary school setup, I know!!! ). Teachers log in with their own username. The problem is that sometimes the Favorites are redirected and sometimes the Favorites is just empty when the users log on. I have just retested this with four computers logged on as one year 3 class: two had redirected favorites and two had none. When Favorites are showing, it is definitely the redirected one and not one from somewhere else. However, I've recently discovered that, in the share on the server, but outside of the student or teacher area, a My Documents has appeared containing only Favorites. When I tested a teacher user, they got that Favorites and not the one from their own My Documents. I have no idea where this has come from! We have mandatory profiles for teachers and pupils. My Documents is redirected to a share on the server by group policy under User Configuration>Windows Settings>Folder Redirection>My Documents>Basic; one policy for teachers and another for pupils. In Active Directory, in the Properties of the user in the Profile tab, the Home folder is connected to S: with a path to the same shared area on the server. But as far as I can tell, drive S: isn't mapped elsewhere on the server. I am going round in circles with this one! If anyone can suggest some more tests that will narrow the problem down that would be great. I don't want to publish the script as I didn't create it, but I can pm it to someone if they are willing to take a look.

I don't have a workstation either, just a chair!!! (To be fair, I didn't ask for that, they just thought I ought to have one. The workstation may have been more useful...!). It's good to know that I'm really not the only one struggling with this kind of work experience. Sometimes, other staff have a way of looking at you that makes you question whether you are just being awkward when you tell them that their piece of software may take longer than 20 minutes to install on 31 machines and work on the network....

Sorry to break up the sharing of comics, boys! Be thankful that you get the mornings! At my school the policy is to have the Suite booked whenever staff want it, to justify having spent the money on it primarily, which is fair enough. Which means that I am now a nomadic techie, moving from Suite to classroom and back to Suite to get my work done. Not always convenient, but if I need to image the Suite I am allowed to book the whole room to myself. And I did get my own adjustable chair this year, instead of the plastic stool, so mustn't complain.

Hi, Amy Saw your job description (or list!) on another thread and wondered if you'd posted here too. Are you full time??? It was quite a list of jobs. Great to have another female (down Jake), and another primary techie too.

Here, here! I guess this sort of question is designed for those in secondary schools??

Thanks to all involved. Not very hopeful of ever being allowed to come to BETT, but am more hopeful of possibilities offered by regional training workshops. Great to know that people in the big world of supply are beginning to sit up and take notice, and being helpful moreover. This is obviously the site to be a member of!!

Yes, but I bet you're better qualified! I see what you mean about the similar job, though. I was so pleased to find another primary techie who recognised my job description that I did a bit of digging in other postings and yes, I've been through the projector lamps and getting info from SIMS (well, Integris in our case) bit as well! And the trying to sort out a new computer suite, despite not being really at the correct level of management for it. And....I could go on and on! The worst part of the job is actually the isolation of being a one-woman-band. Maybe Edugeek might save my crumbling sanity. May be able to help with this one in the not-too-distant future!!!

Hi, like others in this thread, I've been watching the forum for a long time. I finally plucked up courage to join at Christmas. I'm in a Junior School, part time. My job title is ICT Technician/ICT Teaching Assistant, and this is my fifth academic year. The bulk of my hours are officially allocated to being in ICT classes to assist staff and pupils, which means that I do a lot of unofficial hours keeping on top of the tech stuff that most staff seem to expect to happen by magic. When I started this job it was a new post, so I have been able to develop it as I've gone along. This also means, like others, that my job description now bears no relation to the amount and variety of things I actually do. As in other primary setups, the ICT Co-ordinator is a full-time teacher. I am the only in-house support. We started out with a Winsuite peer-to-peer network, moved onto Viglen Classlink with a small Suite of 11 computers and 16 in classrooms, and now have an LNM Windows 2003 Server setup, running a Suite of 31 XP's and the old machines relocated to classrooms and still running Win 2000 Prof. No Ranger or similar. Just LNM and AD and Group Policies. Fun! Previously I was a mum-at-home, and prior to that I worked at a university as their Computer Laboratory Assistant (DOS days!). I am largely self-taught, and the only IT qualification I hold is a dual ECDL/BCS level 2!! Now you know my sad position in the world of IT, can I say how good it is to finally find a site that happily includes female members and those who work in primary schools.

My primary school solution was to create a Word document of text boxes containing the computer names, print off the sheets, laminate, and guillotine the boxes to make labels. I just fixed these on with two small blobs of blu-tack. In four years, we have had a few blobs of blu-tack removed and a few labels relocated, but the tack and labels are easy to replace. If I need to move a machine, the label is easy to change. I also keep the machines in physical numerical order (I use computer names such as IT-01 for the Suite and YR3-01 for classrooms). But I appreciate most of you are dealing with a much bigger environment and bigger pupils! And despite the nice clear label on the front, users still refer to "the computer next to the furthest door from the office"!