Sirbendy

One last tip for today... Don't be surprised if your headteacher walks in, chucks you a set of keys and says "can you look at "x"'s car? It's not starting..". First, we fix his in-car bluetooth, then we diagnose and remove/charge a duff battery on a TD Astra Mk3.. IT techies..is there anything we can't do?

Star Office? I remember that..I thought it had just "turned into" OO2..I'll look that up now..

The NGFL have Lan Licenser waiting to roll, but it's an arse. It'd stop so much that we use..let alone the kids! GPO alterations to knock out student USB/CD though is a definite possibility. It'd stop the MP3 players being loaded from here then too..

that remote profile cleaner is great! I'm going to leave it running overnight, while my machine does a new ghost build. It seems on the surface to be EXACTLY what we need. Many thanks..I'll update more tomorrow if it works..here's to a quiet day without the LRC calling every 30 seconds to report a "dead" machine..

Tried Delprof, but it couldn't tell "Administrator" from anything else, unfortunatly. Tried RMDIR..doesn't play nice with wildcards. Nor deltree. I'll have a look at the hive thing though..it really is a daft setup..

NGFL have no issue with it...."as long as they're a student/teacher, they can have Xp/Office from us, here's the media..". Thats the media I used for the sysprep. Steve and I have our doubts, but NGFL keep insisting.. I will be switching it to OO.org 2.0 in the next version, but it's still on XP Pro..I doubt our kids would like Ubuntu!

Our kids are OK with MP3s now...the script that erases them on the CCTV server every night made them give up. Now they just stay on the MP3 players. However, we have 5 students who are devious little gits..portable web server on the USB pens, running a "proxify" script to bypass SWS security and filtering, and portable Firefox as a web browser instead of IE. Seriously considering going "USB OFF" via GP, and having it only for teachers and IT Admin. That way the kids would have to come to us for work copying, giving me the chance to filter what's what. It IS a pain, but it's also inventive...as you say, we'd have done this once..

I always Sysprep in VMware..using SP1 and SP2 sysprep... no problems for me. I must get a KVM at some point I always extract the support.cab to the c: drive and go from there, using the sysprep.inf I keep on my USB pen. That looks somewhat like ours..I'll attach it.. I always fire up a command prompt and use Sysprep -bmsd to build the mass storage section before I use the gui with "Preactivated" and "mini-setup" options. Theoretically it should just be all in c:\sysprep, and go from there.. Ignore the last bit with the batch files..thats just to autorun our firewall killing script and install the drivers packs on our Precision 360's..*spit* copy_of_sysprep.inf

Right..bit of a rant, bit of a question. NGFL have created an XPSP2 workstation build now, and I've launched into the customary "rip it apart and redo it" Karl special. Build is good, stability is fair to good. Disk usage though..not great. We have a lot of "older" machines..10/20Gb drives. We even have a Suite of p2/350 / 192mb / 4gb machines. On all of these I can get an image down to 2.25Gb if I'm ruthless..but the size of the profiles they're caching means that it can take as little as a week or 2 before the machines fill up. The SP1 builds are not as affected, and in an effort to do some "routine cleaning", I have a script that maps each C: drive on the workstation, and deletes profiles beginning with certain letters..making sure to miss the "Administrator", "SophosSvcAccount", "EMLibUser" etc accounts. However, all it seems to do is empty the directories, but leave the structure intact. Xp being daft then makes a new dir structure when the kid logs back in with the same name, but with "EDIT" appended etc. After 5 or 6 rounds of this, the whole damned profile goes doolally, and we have to map and manually select/delete the users from each drive. So..my questions. 1. Any tools to automate this, bearing in mind we can't remove every profile or we kill the workstation? 2. Does anyone remember DELTREE from their DOS days? I'm sure it used to kill to wildcards, and remove directory structures in the process..I've tried it from DOS 5 to DOS 7 and DR-DOS..it can delete to wildcards, but again leaves the structure intact. 3. Anyone got a copy of the good old "nuke" file deleter? I seem to remember that was a beast of a tool.. Any ideas/help/suggestions greatly appreciated!

do yourself a favour - create a sysprep ghost image of an XP pro install with Office and a virus checker. Whenever a child/teacher brings their home box in with an "it's Broken", we blast it with the image, and 5 minutes later they walk out with a clean machine running XP, office and a virus checker. Reinstalling it manually is not a nice thing to be lumbered with if it's near the end of the day!

ROFL...too true. They're a bit stuck with me..I don't drink..

I'm sure the 1220C and Jetdirects do have issues. It's been a few years since I had to pull my hair out at DT's kit. We had intel Netports as well...and I *seem* to recall they worked better. It was definetly a driver thing though. By the by now - One snapped the encoder strip and threw a wobbler, and a teacher put the other on its side to "move it temporarily", and the catch tanks covered the electronics, head, casing and carpet in ink. Both were scrapped, and have been replaced with an Epson A3 inkjet, and a Xerox Phaser 8400 that sits outside our office for A4 work. The Epson is on a Jetdirect 170x, and the other JDs have been attached to our 3 CAMM1's. I doubt very much it's 2D...we've done bugtesting for them, and 2D works fine with JD170X's..

I've just set all my home machines to dual boot XPSP2 with Ubuntu...it's the only one I found that likes my Wifi cards...even the missus likes it.

OK..it's a custom built p4/3GHz PC, MX4000 graphics, Top end mainboard, 512mb RAM, 250gb SATA drive, DVD/DVDRW drives, running XP Pro as a standalone machine, linked to the network but not "built" for the domain. It has a Geovision GV900 PCI card for the cameras-link here: http://www.remote-security.com/gv900.htm All cameras run dual RG68 power/data cables from location through the roofspace, back to the IT office and the PC, allowing the data and power for all cameras to be provided by 2 laptop power supplies located under my desk. The included software gives you "thumbnail" camera views, PTZ camera controls(if the cam has it), timed recording, motion detection, object monitoring, web viewer for remote access, e-mail notification etc. The system is on 24/7, and also does our intranet/booking form serving using Abyss, our CD/DVD ripping and burning, and our VHS->DVD transcoding, as well as running shutdown scripts to power the machines off at night. All while running the CCTV, with no slowdown.

Here's something Steve and I integrated into our new suites..a hardware "screen kill" option. Basically, 2 mains feeds. Marked sockets, 1 for "CPU", 1 for "Screen". "Screen" sockets run off a heavy duty switch next to the interactive board/teacher station. If kids misbehave or we want their undivided attention, or even before we go at night, one click is all it takes to kill 35 screens dead. Cheaper than using software to do it, and no "conflict" problems either..the kids HATE that feature.. As to remote assistance, we use RAdmin..handed down by NGFL. Not good, but not terrible. We also have "self fitted" ceiling speaker systems, wired back to 2 rack-mounted amps in our tertiary switch rack rehind me, with audio inputs taken from each teacher PC. It may be worth factoring in some form of CCTV as well, if you have light fingered kiddies. We have a p4/3GHz rig next to me running a Geovision GV900 card, and 16 cameras covering our suites and corridors around IT, as well as reception.

another point-mug up on MP3 players and operational methods.. I've just been handed my 3rd MP3 player to "make it work"..heh. It's called RTfrickingM..

Us? Ordered to do something stupid? Doesn't happen.. My line manager is the network manager, his line manager is the deputy head..we have weekly consult meetings of the IT Team and deputy head, and it has been commented on that we are the most "tight knit" department in the school. Oooh yes, if during interview you're taken round by a student or teacher on a tour, file the spiel they feed you under "suspicious, uncorroborated tosh", and don't take it as gospel. The kids told me this place was great, sang it's praises etc...didn't tell me about all the staff in-fighting, the (then) low morale, and the fact that not all kids were like the appointed "guide". IE, they were little sods. It's improved a lot though..new management, new staff..I've been here 6 years, which makes me an "old man", as I'm the only member of IT thats been here since before the NGFL network went in, and can remember what this school was like, which is why when the new staff say "they're horrible!", I just grin and say "nah.".

if all else fails, you could always stop them in the middle of their forced conversation, cock your head to the side and look like you're concentrating, then mutter "they're in pain..I hear them..the servers are screaming...OH MY GOD!!" and run off in totally the opposite direction... I'm blessed with sensitive hearing, and it's not unknown for me to walk into a room, stop, tip my head to the side, listen and then say "bugger..your PC needs a service" because I can hear the fan pitch isn't in the "normal range". It's always staggered me that you walk into a suite of 35 PCs, and you can always hear when there's a discordant whine amongst all of them.

ROFL! Really? I could do that.... I was a resource tech before an IT Tech, so videos/tvs/DVD units/electrical and electromechanical stuff holds no fear for me. 3 VCRs this week I've had dropped on my desk. Basically, practise patience. Users=muppets. Don't get frustrated, just stay calm, and smile a lot. Even if you mutter "read the f***ing manual, moron" as you walk away. If you're unsure about something, look about. Google it, Edugeek it..just say "I'll look into it", and get back to them when you know. I personally always smile at staff if I'm talking to them, along with using "Sir" or "Miss" as a title when addressing them. It seems to put them off balance a bit.. Just relax, be yourself. As to the kids..yes, inventive little sods. Just remember what you were like at that age, and be eternally cynical. Our kids are perfectly friendly/helpful/courteous to the IT staff, but they usually have an ulterior motive. Just don't let them fluster you. I had one who refused to stay in his lesson yesterday and decided to bug me. I went to move some shelving, and he followed me until I suggested he might want to go elsewhere before I accidentally kneecapped him and limited his movements. As a rule, I get doors held open for me, help if I need it, and frequent hugs from several students..in mitigation though, I am related to 2 of them.

I use VMWare 5.5.0 here for building/sysprepping/ghosting/testing workstation builds..I do have to tweak the config manually sometimes though.

now I come to think on, yes, we ALSO have an MS Microscope. We use our cashless catering thing though. And our photocopy card system. Our wacom tablet exploded though. Oh dear. Still..musn't grumble..

good call...we have some PCs inside cupboards with only the screen/kb/mouse on view..but usually only in art to keep them free of flying dust paint and glue. You could always use adhesive to lock the cables together? We're still OK for vandalism..one or 2 keys moved, 1 or 2 badges gone wandering..but we have just lost a 19" CRT to a leaky roof in IT suite 1 over the weekend...sigh..flat roof? Bloody useless.

Famasoft Radmin. Not excellent, but good enough. Comapny are crap though, I reckon. Support is ropey too.

ROFL! I've got one in my public journal somewhere...not interested in winning anything, just for fun, I'll post it. Can't remember what tune I had in my head at the time either.. Ode to stupidity. There was a teacher at my place of work, Whos XP was royally f*cked. I can't be arsed to spybot the thing, I'd rather the OS was chucked "You can't!" the distraught teacher exclaims, "My life is on my laptop". "I have to", the annoyed techie explains, "For it is about to come to a stop." "Spybot can only repair so much, and, frankly it's gone way beyond, If it repairs, then XP won't be good for much and the machine would be best in the pond." I've booted the bugger with windows PE it's running quite nicely on that but if there's one thing that really, REALLY beats me it's why most end users are prats. For if you never bother to backup your work and your laptop decides to die at best, you end up looking like a burk at worst, you're going to cry. So please, resist the cover CD and filling your PCs with crap for as and when you bring them to me one day, you may find I snap. To this misguided user, I must now explain the writing that is now on the wall her XP install will go down the drain go forth, and get reinstalled. I daresay they won't be too happy with this but thats just really hard luck. If you own a PC, then don't take the piss because we really don't give a f*ck.

HERE HERE! It makes me SO annoyed when I hear "the whiteboard/projector/network is playing up, and I NEED it for my lesson." I was taught from books, on chalkboards. We occasionally got a video, or on one memorable occasion a loaned videodisc player with the doomsday project on it, that staff were scared to touch. We had 10 minutes every few months on Prestel. I'd say I got a better education that this lot do. My missus was educated here, and she has huge gaps in her general knowledge etc..I find it quite shocking TBH. I never minded a "drier" education either! The chalkboards taught me to duck the "teacher hurled" rubber if I was talking etc. If they liked you, you got the soft chalky side-if not, you got the wooden one, and that hurt. You just CAN'T get the same effect with SMARTBoards.. More's the pity.