Microsoft Setup School PCs App (Preview)

More info: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/ukschools/2016/06/07/windows-10-technet-guides-use-the-set-up-school-pcs-app-preview/

What does this app do?

The Set up School PCs app helps you set up new computers running Windows 10, version 1607. Some benefits of using this app to set up your students' PCs:

 

• A computer set up this way is tailored to provide students with the tools they need for learning while removing apps and features that they don't need.
  
  • Places tiles for OneNote, Office 365 web apps, Sway, and Microsoft Classroom on the Start menu
    
  • Installs OneDrive for cloud-based documents and places it on the Start menu and taskbar
    
  • Sets Microsoft Edge as the default browser
    
  • Uninstalls apps not specific to education, such as Solitaire and Sports
    
  • Turns off Offers and tips
    
  • Prevents students from adding personal Microsoft accounts to the computer
    

  [*]Significantly improves how fast students sign-in.

  [*]The app connects the PCs to your school’s cloud so IT can manage them (optional).

  [*]Windows 10 automatically manages accounts no matter how many students use the PC.

  [*]Keeps computers up-to-date without interfering with class time using Windows Update and maintenance hours (by default, 12 AM).

  [*]Customizes the sign-in screen to support students with IDs and temporary users.

  [*]Locks down the computer to prevent mischievous activity:

  • Prevents students from installing apps
    
  • Prevents students from removing the computer from the school's device management system
    
  • Prevents students from removing the Set up School PCs settings
    

Make sure you read the Tips for success section first...

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/edu/windows/use-set-up-school-pcs-app

Edit. Just spotted this...

Note: If your school uses Active Directory, use Windows Imaging and Configuration Designer to configure your PCs to join the domain. You can only use the Set up School PCs app to set up PCs that are not connected to your traditional domain.

That looks promising

It did until I saw this...

To get the best performance this means we would have to switch to using Windows 10 Pro for Education or Windows 10 Enterprise for Education on PCs that are non-domain joined or joined to Azure AD.

Hmmm, looking at it in more detail, it kind of looks anti-deployment - they show a lot of hands-on interaction ?!? Is that how it looks to you?

Those features you mentioned, it highlights that it applies to 10 Pro and 10 Pro for Education. What version are you thinking of using.

Either way, for the most part, I'm scheduling 2017 for moving to Windows 10. This coming academic year will still be 7.

What's your strategy - to use the technical term

Hmmm, looking at it in more detail, it kind of looks anti-deployment - they show a lot of hands-on interaction ?!? Is that how it looks to you?

I might have got the wrong impression but to me it looks like Microsoft's way to make Windows devices more like Chromebooks.

By not having the computers joined to a traditional Active Directory domains you avoid the issue of Group Policies and mandatory/roaming profiles (among other things) slowing things down and MS doesn't have to touch any of the legacy code that is responsible for those features.

Windows is increasingly becoming like OS X and iOS in the sense that more and more settings can be managed through an MDM.

What version are you thinking of using.

I was planning on using Windows 10 Education, although I guess now I might switch to Windows 10 Enterprise for Education when it's released (assuming MS does away with the regular Education edition?) since Windows 10 Pro for Education is bound to have the same limitations as Windows 10 Pro (i.e. no AppLocker, Direct Access or Start Screen Control with Group Policy etc.).

Either way, for the most part, I'm scheduling 2017 for moving to Windows 10. This coming academic year will still be 7.

Mostly the same for me too. Hopefully the Anniversary update won't have any annoying bugs otherwise that's just going to delay things even further.

Windows 7 is getting really long in the tooth. I won't be sad to see that go!

I might have got the wrong impression but to me it looks like Microsoft's way to make Windows devices more like Chromebooks.

 

By not having the computers joined to a traditional Active Directory domains you avoid the issue of Group Policies and mandatory/roaming profiles (among other things) slowing things down and MS doesn't have to touch any of the legacy code that is responsible for those features.

Totally agree. With Azure AD, I wondered what direction they were taking, and this part of their strategy possibly suggests a move towards a more cloud based management. Maybe that's not such a bad thing, but it makes me shudder to think of what could possibly go wrong with that.

Hadn't given much thought to the Education versions of 10, I was thinking of the standard editions Pro/Enterprise. Although, sods law, I encouraged one school last year to withdraw from the EES subscription framework, they were covered for their OS licensing and just bought office outright.

Thanks for your feedback Arthur.

So near yet so far...

I'd love a built in supported way to deploy machines and if it worked could even see my way to moving away from domain joined machines, but we don't use Office 365 web apps, Sway, Microsoft Classroom or OneDrive so I don't need them adding to the Start menu and taskbar.

And then the final nail in the coffin:

"Sets Microsoft Edge as the default browser."

No thanks...

New guide for schools from Microsoft.

Deploy Windows 10 in a school district