In news:(E-Mail Removed),
(E-Mail Removed) <(E-Mail Removed)> had this to say:
My reply is at the bottom of your sent message:
> I have never installed a server before, but need to set one up for a
> small charity (six users) so would welcome some pointers and warnings.
>
> I have a legal copy of Windows 2000 Server. Service packs and
> updates?
>
> Machine is old (Pentium II, 450 MHz, 512 MB RAM 2 x 9 GM HDD) but I
> think will take 2000.
>
> PCs are, unfortunately, XP Home. Don't know if roaming profiles etc
> will be able to work.
>
> There is a BTInternet router acting as hub and DHCP server.
>
> Won't be able to afford Exchange Server. Is there any chance of a
> profile looking at the same set of Outlook Public Folders on the
> server wherever they log in (guess that's a question for the Outlook
> group).
>
> Any general sucking of teeth, dire warnings etc would be greatly
> appreciated.
I guess, well, you can make XP Home MOSTLY logon to a domain with some
tweaking but it's my understanding this is not entirely effective. Is there
a specific reason that you HAVE to use roaming profiles? If worse comes to
worse you just assign a generic account for all people and assign them a
network share for their documents and saved files. Unfortunately schools,
not-for-profits, charities, and the like often lack funding so have to look
for alternative solutions which generally work just as well.
So...
Using the router why not establish shares on the 2k server (formated with
NTFS of course) for the users to store their files in? As for the lack of
funding to do Exchange... I'm not willing to recommend software that I have
not tried but I've heard tell of some alternatives to using Exchange for the
sharing of contact, schedules, calenders, etc... I'd recommend that you take
that specific question to an Office group because they're the ones "in the
know."
Anyhow, this is the link that I saw in there:
http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/share.htm
I'm not able to recommend any of those solutions as I've never used them
though the site is highly recommended.
You've got a router, that is good so that you needn't worry about trying to
configure internet sharing. Unfortunately, because you're going to have some
problems with a domain and using XP Home Edition (again as far as I
understand) as it's not designed to do so, you'll need to address security
on the desktop itself. Freeware solutions abound... Most of which aren't
free for businesses BUT you will find are likely to have a link to apply for
free or discounted licensing and an additional benefit is avoiding the
expense of buying server-centric (that's probably not a word) software which
will kill any budget you might have.
Something I like to add to these type of posts. Consider checking with
either your local highschool or college. Many of them will leap at a chance
to give this sort of access to a system and will do a good job as well as
having an additional pool of resources that you might be able to tap into.
By resources I mean all types - old unused software licenses are a
possibility but more important is the human element in which you're able to
capitalize on the education and experiences that they may have had that
overlap the gray areas that you have. What you know they may not and what
you do not know... That sort of thing... I know the two high schools nearest
me and the comp. sci. department at the university nearest me are generally
willing to get involved for the teaching experience and the hand-on benefits
that this gives their students. Some times you'll even be lucky enough to
find a young IT person who's willing to consult or even get dirty in the
trenches for absolutely nothing just to learn, practice, or because the
cause is something they care about so don't be afraid to reach into your
personal network.
--
Galen - MS MVP - Windows (Shell/User & IE)
http://dts-l.org/
"A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the
furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the
lumber-room of his library where he can get it if he wants it."
Sherlock Holmes
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