tarquel

Also, read the note following the product key list: "Instead of implementing any of the solutions outlined below, Volume License customers can use Volume License media to install the same operating system that was licensed from an OEM without acquiring a volume license for a PC being re-imaged..." While i think this used to be a no-no... though I'm quite sure we all did it anyhow... they are saying if you are a volume customer, you can just use your volume media and key [providing the computer has a legal OEM COA on it]. Clarity may be needed here though as i may be reading that wrong lol Nath.

My brain is pickled today as whats to stop anyone just using them, knowing they wont activate? I think there is more to it than that, or that they are meant to be used in conjunction with sysprep but who knows!?! *goes to take a virtual lie down*

...but bear in mind some Windows XP OEM's that come with Royalty OEM machines such as Dell, HP/Compaq, etc.. are locked to that OEM so they possibly wont work on another machine. I had one set of HP laptops that had the XP disk with it. appeared to be a normal disk but was actually a modified one which put some HP stuff in, so be cautious of that. Hologramed ones I believe can only be original, unmodified OEM discs so use one of them where possible. Cheers Nath

Closing thread.

Sorry. I wasn't clear in my post. I meant to put: "I knew you could generate the computer name automatically to use, but didnt realise sysprep could take the computer name from AD" Been doing it various with UA installs for many a year.... which is why i didnt think that you could automatically retrieve the computername from AD [except by using RIS / another 3rd party deployment method].

I didnt realise sysprep could take the computer name from AD. Thought it was only using RIS where it does that. Guess I've learnt something new there, but no, the only way around it i guess is to manually enter it. Thats what i did when i used to sysprep computers before RIS.

...and even easier to create a RIS image... * opens the proverbial can of worms *

Thought I already did that on the curriculum lan.... ah well... enjoy the experience Is it running 2000 native rhydian? Nath

Seems very odd indeed aye... Still not sure if u've answered whether you can get into Safe Mode or getting it to work using VGA Mode? [sorry if i missed it] Not used to the heat here at the moment [heavy weather - cant stand it lol] so brain not firing on all cylinders lol Nath

If you have switches up to the task is having seperate vlan's... one for thinstation machines and the other for PXE booting to RIS/WDS for the normal "fat clients". Dont ask me how as i havent set it up, but i'm sure if u tell us what kind of layered network switches u have, we can come up with something Nath.

I'm 99% sure that the monitor attached cant support whatever screen mode it is using. If its a old old old monitor [like i used to have at the previous place] you may need to tell it in the sysprep to use 16bit colour instead of 24/32bit... even 256 colours! Best bet is get a monitor you know works with the image and hook it up. Again, graphics drivers are another thing it could be, so follow Michael's suggestions of trying VGA mode or heading into Safe Mode. Regards

The thread is a bit old and the gent (I'm presuming this) has likely bought and made his machine, but here's another good PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA 650 | PSUs | PSUs | Labs Tests | Custom PC I've always stuck by Antec for PSU's, and havent had a machine blow up on me ['cept one, but the person's electrics have always looked dodgy to me hehe]. I have a Antec 550W NeoHE modular PSU... paid about £50 for it approx Nov last year... not looked back since, plus no needless cables Shame the EarthWatts PSU isn't modular but u get yer money's worth I'd say and a stable machine Nath.

Firewall settings in Norton 360 are nicely hidden away... no wonder people have trouble with that and the other new ones that come out lol Glad i was on track myself when reading the first post... guess my ol' brain aint mush after all Nath.

Try a file recovery piece of software as soon as poss. I used to use this one [well... a older version of it] CONVAR & PCinspector Data Recovery Datenrettung recupero dati datarecovery récupération données which used to do the trick, sometimes a while after the event, but you should get finding straight away if its important stuff. Cheers Nath

Just a note but there is a new version of the free one out now [along with a retail one] called TrackMania Forever [and TrackMania United Forever for the paid one]. More polished... maybe the installer will be better for your machines with this one? Cheers Nath

Dunno if you've got your answers Heebeejeebee, but we've got "ESET NOD32 Antivirus (Business Edition)". We rollout the client [see below about that] and on a server you want to use as a update mirror, you install the ESET Remote Administrator Server [a sort of database I assume it is] and the ESET Remote Administrator Console [for managing the server component - you can also install this on a client machine i.e. your own machine... on our system its dead slow for some reason but i digress...]. Using the console, point it to the localhost [if the console is on the 'update' server] and set it up how you want it i.e. on the updates Tab of the Server Options, set it to: Choose automatically/20 minutes/esetusername and the password. and configure the mirror settings to how you want. Note that the license file is used with the server, not with the client machines. For the client machines, you will need to configure them to point to your local NOD update server. We have found that the best way is to create a config file called cfg.xml which you can make using the ESET Configuration Editor [its on the Tools menu in the Administrator Console] and place that along side the msi and install it using: START /WAIT msiexec /i \\server\path\eavbe_nt32_enu.msi /qb-! REBOOT=ReallySuppress in a startup script or deploy using GP [put the msi and the config file alongside the msi in the folder structure of the GPO you create]. Settings-wise, you'll just have to have a play and get used to it, but at least the above will give you a overall view on how it all works. The documentation and various nuggets of info about didnt even give me that... had to work it out mainly how it worked. Least this should give any other people new to it a partial clue The difficulty I'm having with the product at the moment is installing the new version and removing everything else throughout the domain. So far ESET suggestions hasnt been great i.e. after telling them how many clients [basically 1000/1500+] we have, their suggestion was "As far as uininstalling eset, you simply need to choose uninstall from the start> all programs> eset". Sorry guys... not very useful I've found that version 3 will fail to install if it detects even a nugget of any antivirus product out there but seems to create a sort of ghost entry in the registry so Group Policy doesnt try to install it again...typical! And uninstalling their older versions automated [we have varied versions of the software ranging from 2.0 upwards] is less that easy too. The only thing they have is a uninstaller tool for v2.7... which isn't silent / automatic [well i havent found how to get it to do it silently yet], and there is meant to be a way to uninstall the old clients through the Remote Administrator tool, but it just fails with varied error messages So... Its a great product, but IMO their support and deployment methods need a bit of improvement. I'm not knocking them here [as its easy for me to say they need to improve this and that] as the product itself is great and is a good antivirus tool. IF anyone knows of any decent ways to clean up the mess of varied antivirus products [symantec antivirus is about too - tho i have found something called nonav for that, but theres likely to be other old A/V products out there, including the old versions of NOD which refuse to be uninstalled], please give me a shout as any suggestions are really welcome at the moment. Many thanks to anyone that can help me, and hope this helps you [and others] Heebeejeebee Nath.

Initial post updated [well... I thought it was about time ] P.S. I'm a ATI fan Nvidia has given me much weirdness, whereas ATI has been a rock to me [except on my overheating lappy ] Regards Nath.

Yes... I would if you are planning on using the R2 features, then you have no choice so you may as well do it beforehand. Although you dont have to, you can put the key alongside your Server 2003 one using the following [if you are trying to install via RIS for example]: ProductKey = "AAAAA-BBBBB-CCCCC-DDDDD-EEEEE" ProductID = "FFFFF-GGGGG-HHHHH-IIIII-JJJJJ" Remember: ProductKey = your windows 2003 key ProductID = your windows 2003 R2 key [as R2 is basically a bolt on] This should work for a media based method too, so if the Dell tool you are using allows it [i've never used our Dell tools to install the servers so dont know whethere it would allow it but anyhow...], edit the answer file and change the following to the above. If you are doing a media based install, it will ask you for the second disk when you get to it, or if during the install of 2003 you have connected to the network etc, you could specify a network location to put the second CD i.e. I have it so at the end of the install it installs R2 automatically using the GUIRunOnce section - kicks off a batch file that does: start /wait \\YOURSERVER\SOMESHARE\SRV2K3R2\setup2.exe /q /a start /wait %windir%\system32\sysocmgr.exe /i:sysoc.inf /u:\\YOURSERVER\SOMESHARE\SRV2K3R2\r2comp.inf r2comp.inf consists of: [Version] Signature = "$Windows NT$" [Components] and you can choose the components to install automatically here if needed... we havent [yet] as no need to. Hope this helps Nath.

Maybe a silly question but did u try updating the network drivers to the latest version just in case the older ones were having problems with either SP3 and/or group policy? Worth a look to see if makes any diff. Nath.

You can do this with 2003 R2 servers and GP... at least.... I did Can't remember off hand what or where it is, but at least as far as the 2003 R2 servers go if they are the file server, its in File Restrictions or something similar in the Administrative Tools. Don't happen to have 2003 R2 installed with it here so cant be specific but its a option to investigate possibly. Certainly good for stopping .exe's and setups being run from a users home drive Nath

Oh... if anyone is interested in setting up a PS3 static game sharing account with me and has a card that they can use to buy from the US store [being that we seem unable to get the US games any other way], then let me know. P.S. for those that dont know... its not illegal - check out the thread on it here for details or dont quite understand: http://www.ps3forums.com/showthread.php?t=59032&highlight=game+sharing

Hi Stuart.... Have the demo on PS3 and had a good blast on it... quite enjoyable... think i'll wait until its been out a while / cheap, as its good fun but not worth initial full price for me. You tried the online mode on the demo? that was odd but amusing. Nath

You going to let teachers migrate servers themselves?!?! lol [j/k]

Dont suppose u have a link to anything that clarify's that? I do believe you... just want to show my co-workers it as I'm not sure if they are aware of it Cheers Nath

indeed... although I'd trust software RAID about as much as i'd trust myself to not spend lots of money needlessly on computer games hehe Nath.