SteveB_NI

Hopefully someone will be able to help me here with this annoying issue Server - 2008R2. I have the main domain controller (fileserver + active directory roles primarily) backed up each night, onto a 1TB external USB drive. This backup includes bare metal recovery. I have tested the BMR today onto a generic workstation - but I'm getting an error Steps I do on the generic workstation: 1. Insert Server2008R2 DVD and choose legacy boot device - DVD-ROM 2. Connect the USB backup drive & choose "Repair" when prompted to install Server 2008R2 3. Available BMR image is detected & displayed ok to choose 4. Next step - Format & Repartition disks is ticked by default - click next 5. Drives to restore look ok - C:\ D:\ E:\ F:\ 6. Confirm that all disks to be restore will be formatted & replaced with layout and data in system image. Click ok to confirm. 7. Error: System image restore failed - no disk that be used for recovering the system disk can be found. If I go back to Step 4 and also tick "Only restore system disks" - same error (Step 7) is displayed. Help!! Thanks

I use Wordpad here too but as there are no batteries in the laptops auto save would be handy so will look at other suggestions. Saying that though I was asked to set up about 10 laptops for this exam period - all barely used if at all. But no one will admit that here of course!

What is your school's current policy for printing, and in particular colour printing? As our budget has been cut substantially, I'm having to look at toner expenditure in particular. Our colour printing facilities are as follows: 2 x HP 4600 3 x HP 4700 1 x HP 4650 The toner costs (using compatibles) for each works out around £250 for all 4 colours. I've removed colour printing facilities throughout for all depts & students - except art (who need it for coursework at the mo) but ironically art dept due to the nature of their work is one of the heaviest users. What does anyone else do with printing, and in particular depts such as art? MFDs not an option at the mo I'm afraid!

Anyone here managed to find a suitable alternative for the PSUs of a Fujitsu E3500 desktop workstation? We've had several damaged here due to the "little darlings" playing with the voltage switch & replacements are looking very expensive. Is there anyway of recovering a dead psu due to the voltage switch or is it replacement time?

The way I tackle vandalism is as follows - I simply remove the machine from use. Keyboard damaged? No problem - I remove the keyboard, mouse & leave a machine sitting there. Rinse & repeat until the vandalism stops. After a few weeks after the last vandalism incident & teachers start to care. The keyboard etc is replaced.

Me too. I'm finding it incredibly hard to stay motivated due to the amount of money wasted elsewhere whilst I have to cry out for the most basic computer requirement.

Our volume license agreement was from PC World Business / Equanet, but now I need to renew / restart it I have no idea who is best to contact for advice. Can any reseller renew / restart a volume licence agreement, or does it have to be anyone specific?

Thing is - so do I. Toner expenditure last year was about £2k - even with using cheaper remanufactured toner cartridges. I've thankfully sorted licenses out for a bit but will have a few coming out towards end of budget year. Hoping it's reconsidered otherwise I'm stuffed!

After being told my budget is around £1000 to cover IT / network support / AV requirements for an entire school including consumables / toner / paper etc. Major plans out the window. Isn't ict network management in schools wonderful.

Same here. They are fantastic - the image quality is super too.

Hi Nimon What did you settle on in the end? We're looking at similar now in my school. In the current situation of budget cut backs do we actually need a full blown MIS? Surely something in house can be created which allows for stock management etc. integration with user accounts would be an issue but can be done easily manually anyway.

I'm hoping someone can help me here - I've inherited a primarily windows network, with the exception of 1 Mac suite + 1 Mac server to connect with windows server active directory. I have replaced my censornet internet filtering box & also as a result changed the IP address for the new system. This picked up ok in Windows by changing the proxy settings via GPO & everything ok, but I'm having serious problems now with our Mac suite (running OS X & the server running OS X 10.8.6) The mac suites will now not log in. Once I plugged the old Censornet box back in & it was assigned the old IP I was able to log into the mac suite no problems whatsoever. Unplug it again & it's straight away unable to log in again. Any ideas where I could go to start looking for the cause of this? I've changed the settings on the mac server to allow it to log in ok with the new Censornet box etc, but it doesn't seem to be helping the mac clients.

Is it a network machine? Has the Cached profile removed if so?

We experienced that here before. It's due to the drivers so I try to install pcl5 drivers where possible. Hope this helps!

We actually use both! Paper cut has been introduced this year on our managed service (teaching staff) network and I have PMP on our own internal network. I've been thinking for a while about getting Papercut throughout. Those of you who have PMP - do you pay the yearly maintenance fee? That's another thing I'm questioning is it worthwhile paying.

Yeah different images... just tried again adding him to local admin & it's now working. Very strange! Thanks for your help!

Very bizarrely, it works fine with Right-click > Run as Administrator with his local admin elevation on 1 type of computer, but not the model of computer that he uses to teach...

One of our members of teaching staff requires the ability to run .exe files to showcase some Flash design work. As default on Win Server 2008R2 & Win7 clients they seem to be blocked to everyone except for administrators (i.e. me). Even whenever I want to run an EXE I have to right click > run as administrator. Now this automatically runs for me at this point, but when he does that it obviously prompts him for a username & password. I've tried adding him as local administrator rights to that particular workstation but it makes no difference - he still gets prompted for a domain administrator username + password. Any ideas please?

That's a good question! I am the only ICT Tech / Network Manager here & I look after quite a substantial network in house - also I look after the audio / visual needs of the school including assemblies, event support etc. I can barely take a half day during term time let alone a full day without the requests going through the roof. Right now I'm in the position where I have to take pretty much all hallowe'en, Christmas, and half term in Feb off to bring my annual leave down to an acceptable level to carry over (7 days max) ... that's not touching my 10+ days in leiu at the mo I've accrued from working bank holidays etc. Thankfully I can carry those over, but then again the same problem will come around next year!

Exactly! My server room is a cosy 32oC normally at this time of year - rising to the odd 38oC in the last few weeks. Must have went higher last night as one of the servers had shut down. Thankfully a lot of the servers are being removed soon from the managed service provider as it's going mostly cloud based.

I'm hoping to reimage our stations with Win7 over the summer using sysprep / wds and using Server 2008r2. Basically can someone give me advice please as to what I'm doing wrong / missing with this sequence of actions... 1. Install win7 on one of the workstations & install basic packages such as MS Office 2010, Photoshop CS4 etc. register all packages & activate them as necessary. 2. Install all win7 updates to date to save updating every station afterwards. 3. Sysprep & upload file to wds. Keep the wim file on external hard drive (what's this used for if the image successfully uploads to wds?) 4. Using pxe boot on another workstation install the image. 5. Rename the PC & Join the domain. 6. Enter win7 product key & activate the o/s etc. Now - a few problems with this - firstly the computer is naming itself as "administrator01" etc on active directory - but this is easily resolved by changing name. Secondly office2010 has now complained about a hardware change & needs reactivated.... But won't let me do that. I'm not using any unattend file though - is there anything else I'm doing wrong? Thanks for your help!!

That's a good idea with the assembly all made up - what plugs are on the other end then? Is it like a normal vga plug on the other end which goes directly into the projector?

I've been given the go ahead for a room to be kitted out with a new projector installation over the summer - and this is all new to me due to the other projectors all being on site & mounted before I arrived here. Just about to source & order the parts required, and then our building maintenance company is happy to install - thus we only have to pay them the labour costs. Have I missed anything here? The plan is just to use a dry-wipe whiteboard as the screen as an interactive board is not required in this room at all - it's only used for small group work. 1. Projector - Epson EB-X20 2. Dry wipe board - 1200x900 non-magnetic 3. B-Tech Universal Projector Ceiling Mount 4. Wall plate - VGA, Audio (Left / Right / Video) 5. VGA cable - 25m ** Do I need to get a specific VGA cable type / end if I'm using the A/V wall plate? ** 6. AV Lead - 25m - 3x phono to 3x phono ** Do I need to get a specific AV cable type / end if I'm using the A/V wall plate? ** 7. Long power cable (or provide an extension to the projector mount) Do I need a specific type of VGA & A/V cable to go into the back of the wall plate? Thanks very much, trying to ensure I have everything ordered beforehand & ready for the summer.

Sorry to resurrect this old thread but what music do you recommend for a sports achievement assembly? Last year I used Script - Hall of fame but fancied a change this year!

ok thanks for your advice - I already work full time here (salaried) & also part time (salaried) in another job so well over my tax allowance, so if I work as self-employed I'll probably end up paying more tax than it's worth! Might just have to turn it down