cbeeching

Yeeehaww, love it.

Least it's not a rude message

Haha I can picture the delivery guy driving up, slapping a frying pan on your desk 'how d'ya like your eggs?'

I think that sounds quite nice to be fair!

Sausage and Coleslaw (left over from the barbie at the weekend!) with a bit o' spicey sauce in a nice cheesey bap! Hand prepared by moi.

I'm mulling over the idea in my head too. My local support team is saying go with CC4, but my gut feeling is that it is not the most cost effective/efficient way to go. However, I only have so many hours in the day, I am the only IT guy here (as well as being very new to all things school IT + networking), and I don't see me getting a pay rise/or even more hours if I choose to take on the stress of converting our network to vanilla all on my own. I do like the idea of going vanilla, as I like a challenge, enjoy learning new things, and I like to be able to tinker (which I can't really do with CC3 - I imagine CC4 is locked down about the same, if not more?!). The trouble is, the school doesn't care what is going on in the background, they just want the computers to work - which is fair enough, anybody who works at a school is likely to already have far too much on their plate. I know it seems like a defeatist attitude but I will probably reluctantly walk into CC4 world because at least then I don't have all the responsibility on my back. Perhaps if they were to add a bit more to my bag of peanuts I would change my mind..

My first time voting - SO excited! Although, that might be a slight exaggeration...

Just slipped back into Ultima online - on the free shard UOgamers (uogamers.com) - All the mmorpg-ey goodness you'll ever need in classic isometric bliss!

Hehehe.. Gotta say i've wished for a star powerup many a time whilst being stuck in heavy traffic

I'm not sure that is the trouble, as it seems that NO registry fragment will be applied, for instance I tested another setting; [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\Keyboard] "InitialKeyboardIndicators"="0" "KeyboardDelay"="1" "KeyboardSpeed"="32" Just to see if maybe it would only change entries that are already present on the machine as default. I have added that reg frag, and the one for my screensaver into a custom package (where I took a before snapshot, then manually added the settings, and then took an after snapshot) - then I attempted to allocate that package to my machine. On a restart I can see the package being applied, but no registry changes are reflected once I am logged on. If I take either of these two registry fragments and click > add to registry, then they get added. The only screensaver settings I have set within the RMMC is the screensaver to use, and the time it should be activated by. It shouldn't even matter which screensaver I have selected, as the individual settings of the screensaver are held within the registry of the machine itself, and can not be changed through the RMMC (to the best of my knowledge). I can't see why the registry settings were not recorded when I made my package. The application wizard has produced a bunch of files, including a '.reg' , but on looking at this it doesn't seem to contain any of the changes I made during my before/after snapshop.. so I really don't understand what it has done!

Thanks for the input all. Seems like I might give the company a ring on Wednesday (not in tommorow! Hurrah!).

It acts as the backup power supply for our main server/sims server so I guess it is fairly critical. As far as I know it is out of warranty, I think it's a good 3/4 years old though I've only been here since Jan so I can't be sure.

No, I bought the UPS from globe microsystems, which was the supplier they recommended..

Don't worry, I asked for honest opinions

See now that's what my support team said, which does justify buying a whole new unit I guess? They are schools IT systems support (SITSS) linked with Hertfordshire council.

Hi there! Last week our school's support team notified me the backup battery on our server was running low so I should get another in place ASAP. They gave me a supplier to contact and so I got onto them, and asked them for a replacement etc.. Now this is the first time i've dealt with one of these, so I'm going to be honest and say I don't know much about them! I assumed the battery was the entire unit, if you get what I mean. So they gave me a quote for the unit (£345) which on a quick google seemed a fairly competitive price (as they also take away the old one). I was in a bit of a rush so I didn't really think much about it and placed the order. Now I got into school today and the unit had arrived, so I had a little look in the manual to check it out before I did anything crazy, and then I noticed this line 'this UPS has an easy to replace, hot-swappable battery module..' and it goes on, to say how easy it is to replace the battery. Suddenly i'm thinking... 'hmm!'. So on another quick google I see that you can buy a replacement battery for like £100.. even from RM! Now i'm thinking 'have I just spent money on something we don't even need!' - and believe me, I hate that feeling, usually being a real bargain hunter.. So I figure, okay no panic, i'll get back to my support team. They have clarified that in their experience it is not a good idea to replace the battery inside, and it is easier in the long run to buy a new unit. So now i'm feeling a bit better, but i'm still slightly dubious about the fact that the unit is over 3 times the price of the battery, and that this other company is coming along the pick up our old unit (which presumably just needs a new battery - for nothing!) So am I just being paranoid or are we being ripped off? Honest opinions please

Yeah, hehe, the space is a typo.. just checked my reg file incase (that would be so annoying if that was causing it!). Well I sent the screensaver file out as a package, although I don't think it was even neccessary as it appears you can run a screensaver file from any directory on your network (providing you put in the full path, and it is available to the machine). I made the MSI using the RM application wizard, simply by placing the SS file within the system32 folder and running the before/after snapshot. Maybe i'll try running that again but this time add in my registry fragment too... That could just work! Cheers.

Okay I have been trying to send out Messagepoint as a custom screensaver across our CC3 network. Messagepoint simply loads a PowerPoint file, and runs it continuously until interrupted by mouse movement etc. As we use CC3 I set the custom screensaver as Messagepoint through the RMMC, and sent it out to the system32 folder of all my machines as a package. Now the problem is that the screensaver requires a setting to be changed (the one that tells the screensaver which PowerPoint presentation to use) before it will operate. It seems there is no way to access the 'settings' of your own screensaver through the RMMC, and so from digging around I worked out I could change it within the screensavers registry file on each machine. I assumed I would be able to add my registry fragment as a custom setting on my custom workstation type, and then the registry entry would be made, but it just will not apply, and the screensaver will not work. However if I visit one of my machines manually and double click my registry file, add it to registry, and then log off, my screensaver operates perfectly. So, basically I need a way to add this registry file to all my machines without going round each individual station. I've been playing solution tennis with my local support team, who have in turn been bouncing off RM. But after over a month of message based sport they have reached the conclusion; 'RM have articles on creating pre and post logon screensavers. If the customer choses to deviate from these articles and try to get these working another way then that is there prerogative but its not something RM would support.' This is after they pointed me the same knowledge article twice (TEC558217) – which simply explains how to go into the RMMC and point to a screensaver file. Like I’ve said my problem lies in the settings of the screensaver, not which screensaver I want to use! If anybody could offer some help on my issue, I would be forever grateful. Thanks in advance! EDIT: Forgot to add, this is the registry fragment that I am trying to add to each machine (most of which is irrelevant apart from the 'Presentation' line; [HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Software\PresentationPoint\MessagePoint] "EndOnKeyboard"="True" "EndOnMouse"="True" "Language"="EN" "LastProductInfo"="2" "Presentation"="\\\\servername\\drive\\*powerpointname*.pps" "Timestamp"="01/01/2000" RM have stated that 'You cannot apply a HKEY_USERS setting in a Workstation Type. These can only be set on User types.' but then that would not work as somebody would have to be logged in for that registry setting to be applied, and the whole idea of the screensaver is that it plays when a user is not using the computer. I know these are the registry settings I have to change as I have made contact with the creator of the program who clarified this, as well as testing it out manually.

Preferring BC2 to MW2 atm (i'm on Xbox), i'll still be getting the MW map pack when i'm next online though, as I have some spare points to burn.. I'm especially enjoying the squad rush mode on hardcore.. It's quick paced and you HAVE to work as a team as it's only max 4 on each side. The matchmaking can go a bit stale though, as it seems if people leave it can take a while for replacements to join. Sometimes I've been playing like 2 v 2, and because everyones playing so stealthy, you could be 5 mins into the game and suddenly think 'wait a minute.. I haven't seen anyone', then realise the enemies have left! Apart from the those small annoyances the game is brilliant, so get it and love it!

It amused me whilst waiting for a teachers laptop to startup... oh and it took a while! I appear to have stunned the '6 legged' dog thing though.. as its frozen in the middle of the screen and won't follow me anymore.. I think I made it jump to much..

*Roarrr* I am the grammar troll!

Wheyyy, just checked my inbox to see my ticket confirmation had come through after buying ma' Leeds tickets last night and we're good to go! Anyone else going to either? I think the line up's quite good this year.. Hope its as good as last time I went.. which was 2003 I think.. Arcade Fire, QoTsa, Cypress Hill and Limp Bizkit - just to see Fred Durst dancing around like a prat haha. Then Crystal Castles, Pendulum and LCD soundsystem for some all round electro goodness. Hope I can fit all those in and more.. Mm Mmm!

Yeah supermarkets are the way... usually can get devilishly cheap deals on cans of lager, though I usually go for the pick n' mix deals they have on bottled ales (usually the same at most supermarkets... like 3 for £4 etc). Mmm beer... Gah, it's only 1:25pm, and it's Monday!!

No easter eggs as of yet.. Got a penguin last week though! Haha. Don't think that counts though, cos that was from one of the admin ladies who also works in my office - we have a bit of a black market going on in here when it comes to treats hehehe!

Yeah it's annoying.. when I had my good old corsa, with my premium quality argos 50 quid stereo system (HaHa!), I could have my Ipod going direct in through the 1/8" auxilliary connection (3.5mm psh!). Just got a new little nissan on lease as my corsa died, and it's got an in-built system, but no jack port... It does play MP3 Cd's, so i'm having to resort to that atm. But its just not the same as leaving your ipod on shuffle for endless hours of fun.. Plus the MP3 cd player doesn't do seamless playing so you get gaps in your album!! I might have to have a little look under the hood.. but as it's a lease car I can't really make any lasting changes to it. I've heard the FM transmitters are a bit pants too?