M
Mike Jankulak
I would describe myself as a reluctant sysadmin for some desktop
computers in a scientific lab. One XP machine in particular is
causing me headaches. Briefly, here's the situation:
* It's a shared computer in a back hallway, with a scanner attached.
* All of our computers are on our lab's domain. I am not a
domain administrator but I know where I can find one.
* Maybe 19 different users have logged on to this machine in its
lifetime, and each one got a DOMAIN\User local profile created.
* A backups job runs centrally in the lab overnight. In order for
this to work properly, client computers must NEVER "turn off
hard disks" and NEVER "system standby." This is easy to set in
the "Power Options" control panel.
However, it seems like the computer has a separate set of Power
Option settings for every user profile. What's worse, when
nobody's logged on at all (which is most of the time), it retains
the Power Option settings from the last-logged-in user. And the
default profile appears to have been configured to turn off the
hard disks after one hour, or something similarly unuseful.
[The computer is a Dell Optiplex GX520, it's got Windows XP SP2
patched with any and all updates offered by Windows Update.]
So my questions are:
* Is there a way, as computer administrator, that I can alter
the power option settings for ALL profiles that exist on this
computer? I've tried doing this as COMPUTER\Administrator but
they just switch back the next time someone else with different
settings logs on and off.
* Also, where do I go to change the Default Power Option settings
for as-yet-uncreated user profiles, on this computer or any
other? I'll doubtlessly be configuring other new computers in
the future and I'd like to avoid more messes like this if I can.
I'd appreciate any pointers, helpful URLs, commiseration or
random abuse that might be offered.
thanks,
Mike J+
computers in a scientific lab. One XP machine in particular is
causing me headaches. Briefly, here's the situation:
* It's a shared computer in a back hallway, with a scanner attached.
* All of our computers are on our lab's domain. I am not a
domain administrator but I know where I can find one.
* Maybe 19 different users have logged on to this machine in its
lifetime, and each one got a DOMAIN\User local profile created.
* A backups job runs centrally in the lab overnight. In order for
this to work properly, client computers must NEVER "turn off
hard disks" and NEVER "system standby." This is easy to set in
the "Power Options" control panel.
However, it seems like the computer has a separate set of Power
Option settings for every user profile. What's worse, when
nobody's logged on at all (which is most of the time), it retains
the Power Option settings from the last-logged-in user. And the
default profile appears to have been configured to turn off the
hard disks after one hour, or something similarly unuseful.
[The computer is a Dell Optiplex GX520, it's got Windows XP SP2
patched with any and all updates offered by Windows Update.]
So my questions are:
* Is there a way, as computer administrator, that I can alter
the power option settings for ALL profiles that exist on this
computer? I've tried doing this as COMPUTER\Administrator but
they just switch back the next time someone else with different
settings logs on and off.
* Also, where do I go to change the Default Power Option settings
for as-yet-uncreated user profiles, on this computer or any
other? I'll doubtlessly be configuring other new computers in
the future and I'd like to avoid more messes like this if I can.
I'd appreciate any pointers, helpful URLs, commiseration or
random abuse that might be offered.
thanks,
Mike J+