ajbritton

You don't say which version of SQL, but a quick Google found this... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281574

If you really want to wipe 'em, I would recommend Darik's Boot & Nuke (DBAN) at http://dban.sourceforge.net/

All you need to do is modify the following registry key (via logon script of GP perhaps) HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\Favorites This can be redirected to a UNC network path or mapped drive.

The Broadcom site has the following to say; http://www.broadcom.com/drivers/faq_drivers.php#79

Anyone using NetOp (2, 3 or 4) and deploying via AD? I've got this working, but every time I do it it seems like I have to tweak something new to make it work. If anyone has the definitive method for this I'd love to hear it. Yes, I know I can push the client out from the server or whatever, but my aim is to have all software deployed via AD so that PC builds are as automated as possible.

I have some questions for the desktop Linux experts... 1 - Is there anything akin to Active Directory which enables easy centralised management of User accounts and policies for Linux? 2 - Is there an easy way of rolling out large numbers of new Linux desktops and automating the configuration and software installation? (a la RIS, and GP Software Installation policies) 3 - How easy is it to persuade staff who want particular software which is Windows only that they can't have it because you prefer Linux? (cos they just LOVE being told what to do, don't they ) I could go on, but I would be interested to see the answers and opinions on these questions.

@mark - No problem, use it as you wish. @tosca925: If you have ever looked at the registry (using regedit), you may have noticed that the structure is hierarchichal, much like a file directory. permissions can be set on the registry 'folders' and 'settings' just like you can with 'directories' and 'files'. This means that you can restrict what users can do to the registry. Generally, the HKLM hive is protected against meddling from ordinary 'Users'. The HKCU (current user) hive is open to the user for whom it was created. Herein lies the problem. If you log on to a PC and create a new profile, the user you log on with gets the correct permissions to the HKCU hive (this is what is stored in NTUSER.DAT by the way). If you copy the profile by dragging and dropping the folder from '\Documents and Settings' to the server, then modifying file permissions, the HKU hive will STILL have the permissions for the original user. If you copy the profile using the GUI under My Computer etc. and indicate that 'Everyone' will be allowed to use the profile, XP modifies the registry permissions for HKCU as well as the permissions on the profile files/folders. NB It IS possible to modify registry permissions on a mandatory profile using regedit, but much simpler (and unless you really know what you are doing, more reliable) to let XP take care of it!

Roaming profiles RULE! and anyone who says otherwise is girly wuss ;-)

Is your mandatory profile stored on a server? If so, users do not need any higher level of access than Read Only. (I usually give SYSTEM Full Control however). Have you renamed NTUSER.DAT to NTUSER.MAN? Assuming both these conditions are met, then the server copy of the profile cannot grow. The LOCAL copy of the profile can grow however. Make sure you set the 'delete local copies of roaming profiles' group policy setting (I think I usually do this on a per machine basis, but it may be possible to do it per use). One last point; deploy the UPHCLEAN service to make sure the User Profile Hive file is fully unloaded. This should mean the local copies of profiles are deleted correctly. With regards to the problem opening Office apps, I assume this is the issue where a Windows Installer dialog pops up to say that it is installing Office. This is just Office making sure all the necessary registry entries and/or user app data files are present. The trick with this is to convert the profile to a conventional roaming profile and log on as a user 1 - Make an edit copy of the mandatory profile, and rename NTUSER.MAN to NTUSER.DAT 2 - Modify the profile path on a temporary user account to point at the edit copy of the profile (this user must have full access to the profile folder) 3 - Log on to a PC using the temporary user account and make sure you run at least one Office app. (This should cause the Installer to do it's stuff) 4 - Log off (changes will be written back to the profile) 5 - If you are paranoid (like me) make another backup copy of the original profile 6 - Delete all the files from the mandatory profile 7 - Copy all the files from the edit copy of the profile into the mandatory profile folder 8 - Rename NTUSER.DAT to NTUSER.MAN in the mandatory profile folder 9 - Test the profile by logging on as a student. Another point to note about profiles is that not only do the files have permissions on them, but the contents of the registry does as well. I usually create blank mandatory profiles by using the copy function built into the XP profile management dialogs. This gives you the opportunity to 'grant access to' Everyone. These permissions will then be set on the files AND registry. Hope some of this helps somewhere!

Any reason why you can't make all your users use the same scheme? Why the difference? I use the following user account settings - map H: to \\server\share\%username% GP My Docs redirect to %HOMESHARE%%HOMEPATH% If you have settings that work, use a script to modify users with non-working settings to correct them.

Try here (Labtop overscore) http://www.themeworld.com/fonts/indexL.shtml

Mark, I think you should be seeing errors in the Application Log. Probably generated by USERENV. These might give some clues as to why the redirection is failing... I've a feeling that sometimes XP 'puts off' redirecting folders until the next logon. This may be occurring on these PCs.

@Geoff: Quite right too ;-)

@geoff: Presumably there is some trade-off with performance if more traffic is routed onto the LAN by fewer APs?

@Geoff: I though that bug only applied to redirection of the Application Data folder. I use XPSP2, My Docs redirect and IE settings without any problems.

Can anyone tell me more about using WDS (wireless distribution system). It sounds like this totally gets aroung the problem of the limited number of channels at 2.4GHz...

Most decent APs support 802.1x (even old ones). This enables the use of a RADIUS server to authenticate computers onto the LAN using either certificates or a shared password.

@mark 1 - Are you using roaming profiles? 2 - What, if anything, is in the event logs (for USERENV I think) when the GP fails? 3 - Exactly what path are you redirecting to? I have the feeling the redirection is ever so slightly different between 2000 and XP.

Log on to PC as admin Copy the script to the C:\TEMP on the PC Run a CMD session Change to C:\TEMP Execute script by enter CSCRIPT.EXE (full scriptname including extension) Look for errors. Failing that, post the script. Maybe we can improve the internal error checking within it.

Can anyone reccomend good (or warn against bad) courses on application repackaging. I'm looking at the Wise Package Studio tool and possibly the Wise approved course which runs worldwide (introductory, not advanced). The course would need to bring an experienced installation engineer who has never repackaged up to a level where they can cope with repackaging standard (ie not horribly complex) applications. This course is not for myself, but for a team of engineers who work alongside me, supporting networks in schools.

I don't think Outlook would create a new .PST if it could not access a shared one, it would just complain and attempt to open the default file system or something. Probably a safer bet than OE, but I've never been that confident using Outlook as a POP client. Having said that, Outlook 2003 as a LOT better than previous versions. Education prices for Exchange are low....

If you have an EXE which will do a silent install, you can create an MSI wrapper, which will simply launch the EXE, by using the Windows Installer Wrapper Wizard (see Essential Software WIKI)

We have used OE in 'shared' mode by moving the store location to a network drive. Wish we'd never bothered! If two users try to access at the same time, one will be unable to access it. This is bad enough, but the copy of OE on their PC will create a new set of files (inbox1 etc) and refer to these in the future. We tried to make it reliable by creating individual shares for each mailbox and setting the max concurrent users to 1. This worked, but once a user connected to the share by loading OE, the connection to the share would be held open until that user logged off their PC.

OK, I'm getting there... When I have used roaming/mandatory profiles, I have enabled to policy which automatically deletes local copies of roaming profiles. This presumably would have no effect on 'local' profiles. Each PC therefore will accumulate a set of profiles unless they are deleted in some way. What's the best course here? Leave them or delete them? If delete, what's the best way to automate it?

Yes, but what I'm getting at is that when a user has a roaming profile, any changes he makes to his environment are saved in his personal registry. These settings are then available at any PC he logs on to. It would seem that unless you use roaming profiles (even if you redirect every possible folder; MyDocs,Desktop,StartMenu,AppData), anything saved in the user registry will be lost when the user logs off. I wonder what the effect of this will be on applications like Microsoft Office, which install a significant number of user registry entries (courtesy of Windows Installer). Will these entries be recreated each time the user logs onto a new PC?