bossman

@pcstru: Have you tried plugging a stand alone laptop directly into your external access route bypassing your ISA entirely. This would go directly to the internet and then you would be able to determine if it is your network LAN or the ISPs WAN. Then if you find out its your LAN you could do some diagnostics by hiring a fluke tester and having some fun.

@mattx: Absolute genius! Really shows the power of communication in early years.........................brilliant have watched both parts and fell about laughing.

Well that would of been easy cos the answer is "You are" hehe!

@Rawns: Can you log in as the SA user and map the other users? When you upgraded the server did you detach both the Sims and FMS databases and then re-attach or was it just a straight server upgrade?

@Rawns: What version of SQL are you running with?

@pcstru: One would presume that your school has the LA ISP for its internet connection? Then it would most probably be their upstream proxy cache servers which may be adding to the increase in slow web-page loading. They often don't get reset so they tend to lock up which causes a bottleneck for all the other schools who use those services. We have had several accounts of this in the past with our LA ISP. Check out your proxy cache first to make sure your proxy is not at fault.

We used to have CPD which usually meant we could get on one course per annum, this has now finished due to lack of funding but I still see Teaching staff having training through their CPD. It is and always will be a two tier system wherein those that teach get and those that don't get nothing. I do feel that there is a required need for technical people to be constantly updating their skillset but the majority of schools don't feel this is made a priority within schools. HT's don't know basically what it requires to stay ahead of the game for technical staff as they really don't have a clue about these things and so rely on the LA for guidance, the LA in their ultimate wisdom do not want school technicians becoming better than their technicians as this means they lose money from the various SLA's that they provide to the schools and so it is a vicious circle. Only those schools who have good leadership invest in their technical people and this over the past 5 - 10 years has brought rewards to those schools whereas other schools have failed to do so and have been left to the devices of LA's which means they have paid over the odds for services which they could have had internally for a fraction of the cost year on in. This is purely a general overview based on information gleaned over the past 10 years from various sources.

@acrobson: How are you removing the local profiles from the PCs (Dumb question I know but there is a motive in asking)?

I too am awaiting the nod from the LA but may wait until April when I can download Discover and test. Anyone got any updated specs for client workstations running Discover?

@sippo: We Just have an overall AUP which covers everything which the users have to accept when they login for the first time or when ever it is changed thereafter. Your welcome to a copy of it if you want to PM me.

@saintoctopus: Apologies for sounding a little harsh, I do really feel for those who have no say in what the school procures for its ICT usage and to be honest just a little jealous as we have no money to purchase these kind of items even if we wanted them. Regards

How much will all this cost in real terms and how much more benefit will the students get on a pound for pound experience or is it just the latest gadget craze which will die along with the schools enthusiasm once the real costs come into play. I have no doubt that these products are good short term but the long term benefits are short lived me thinks especially when it comes down to replacements and the like. Has anyone done a pure cost analysis and if so what are the outcomes.

In Windows 7 if you don't want to go into the registry and delete the user profile keys a better way is to right click on Computer>properties>Advanced system settings>user profile settings>Highlight the required profile and then hit the delete button. This deletes the user profile and also the registry keys with it. If you just try to delete the user profile folder in C:\Users that user will not be able to log in to that workstation. I am sure that some script guy could knock something up to run through GPO or even at the users log off.

@Mattx: So my friend it comes to this as the great Frank Sinatra sang: "And now, the end is near, And so I face the final curtain. My friends, I'll say it clear; I'll state my case of which I'm certain. I've lived a life that's full - I've travelled each and every highway. And more, much more than this, I did it my way. Regrets? I've had a few, But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do And saw it through without exemption. I planned each charted course - Each careful step along the byway, And more, much more than this, I did it my way. Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew, When I bit off more than I could chew, But through it all, when there was doubt, I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall And did it my way. I've loved, I've laughed and cried, I've had my fill - my share of losing. But now, as tears subside, I find it all so amusing. To think I did all that, And may I say, not in a shy way - Oh no. Oh no, not me. I did it my way. For what is a man? What has he got? If not himself - Then he has naught. To say the things he truly feels And not the words of one who kneels. The record shows I took the blows And did it my way. Yes, it was my way." Keep in touch you crazy crazy man and let us know just how good the corporate world is? We will have that drink sometime I'm sure as eggs is eggs! Live long and prosper my good good friend, don't forget........................................Bee yourself buzz! buzz!

@rednight: I would point you in the direction of IPCop which is free software which will install on a modest computer with 2 network cards installed and fulfil all you requirements. We used it here for 8 years very good:IPCop - Home good luck

@MatthewL: Have a look here and save yourself some time: Free Access Database Sample - Asset Management Database This might save you time and effort Or if you still want to do it yourself here is a good tutorial: Building an Access Database From the Ground Up Either way enjoy yourself

All our classroom printers are either HP1320n's or 2015n's and we have never had this experience, I would put it down to the quality of paper.

For what it costs always replace the HDD for a new one if passing on to another school or anywhere else for that matter, otherwise as has been mentioned previously a large ball-peen hammer does the trick and is very thorough when in the hands of my young technician.

@torledo: I totally agree with you and for the reasons you have stated, we had a young teacher who kept all of their work on a portable HD until one day they came to me crying as they couldn't access this drive when plugged into our network. They went on to state how they had only accessed it hours earlier on our network so it must have been our network which was at fault and therefore we must do something about it. I plugged the drive in and it wasn't picked up by the OS so I decided then and there to tell her that we couldn't do anything for her and did she have it backed up, no was the answer amid flowing tears. I calmed them down and told them that there were experts in the field of data recovery and I could get them some contacts to which they asked how much it would cost, I told them around £500 to £1000. They went away but later on that day I was contacted by SLT who wanted the drive to be seen by a specialist as there may be confidential data on it. So I spent a couple of hours contacting specialists and gave the reports to SLT. To this date nothing has been done and this was over 4 months ago so I wouldn't bother, save the schools money and tell the teacher that they should have had the data backed up and that they should have been more responsible when using school equipment and that they should count themselves lucky that they are not being charged for the repair costs.

@CyberNerd: Only system build I have done for myself is 2 years ago and this is it Windows 7 Ultimate with office 2010 to be honest it has been excellent. Of course I have an image of it if I ever needed to restore it back to its premium self. I also have another laptop with latest Ubuntu on, have also tried the new version of MINT distro absolutely recommend it.

@johnfermor: Thanks John really appreciate it

@synaesthesia: Just migrated Monday gone from CC3 and it has gone remarkably well. With lots of forward planning we achieved it in 9 days straight, involving new servers, virtualisation and lots of hard work it has been received very well by our staff. You would be very welcome to visit us

@GREED: Once you have everything the way you want it I would advise that you get yourself a copy of acronis home image and take an image of your computer and keep it on a portable HDD so when you want to restore it you just use the restore part from the CD boot menu 10 mins and your back in action. Even my dad who is 82 can use it and he swears by it. You can also increment the image as you add more apps or better still take another snapshot with a different date. Have fun

@mattx: My good friend what can I say that the others haven't already said..........................You are a very clever person who has endured more than the ordinary person should, I love your sense of humour and one day I would like to meet up with you and have a bloody good drink and chew the fat. You have a personality to match your big heart and I wish you all the very best in your new position, you deserve a special place in life where you can enjoy the peace and quiet without being disturbed by inanimate objects (You know what I mean by this). My very best to your family and may the sun shine always on you all. Live long and prosper my friend

I slap the backs of Neovo TFTs as it helps the connection to the power coil (Only if we don't have the time to strip them down and fix them properly) When as a child I used to watch in awe at my father thumping the TV to reseat the valves and it often worked especially when he wanted to watch the football.