Locking Down Computers for School Use

[Guest]

OS: Windows 2000 Pro SP4

I am going to be helping a teacher setup his lab for this year. We are going
to be formatting all of the computers and starting fresh. The students will
be using 'user' level accounts. I would like to know: What they can and
cannot do in this level account? and Are there ways for me to disable access
to certain features [run, user settings (start menu and display for
starters)]?

Thanks

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

OS: Windows 2000 Pro SP4

I am going to be helping a teacher setup his lab for this year. We are going
to be formatting all of the computers and starting fresh. The students will
be using 'user' level accounts. I would like to know: What they can and
cannot do in this level account? and Are there ways for me to disable access
to certain features [run, user settings (start menu and display for
starters)]?

Thanks

No matter what you try, there will always be some students who
find a way around your restrictions. The most effective way of
nailing down PCs in a school environment consists of doing this:

- Split your hard disks: Keep the OS and your apps on drive C:,
and your data on drive D:.
- Create an image file for each PC on a CD.

When a PC is no longer what it should be, restore it from the
CD. This takes two minutes of your time and 15 minutes of
elapsed time.

Splitting the hard disk helps you in keeping drive C: small. It
also gives you the opportunity to store image files on drive D:
instead of CDs.

To create your image files, use a product such as PowerQuest
DriveImage, Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage.

 

[Guest]

I understand that clearly. The major issue in doing imaging is that NONE of
the computers are identical. Unless I'm wrong about how windows works, it
would go all , for lack of a better term, nuts. Just wouldn't work, or so I
assume.

OS: Windows 2000 Pro SP4

I am going to be helping a teacher setup his lab for this year. We are going
to be formatting all of the computers and starting fresh. The students will
be using 'user' level accounts. I would like to know: What they can and
cannot do in this level account? and Are there ways for me to disable access
to certain features [run, user settings (start menu and display for
starters)]?

Thanks

No matter what you try, there will always be some students who
find a way around your restrictions. The most effective way of
nailing down PCs in a school environment consists of doing this:

- Split your hard disks: Keep the OS and your apps on drive C:,
and your data on drive D:.
- Create an image file for each PC on a CD.

When a PC is no longer what it should be, restore it from the
CD. This takes two minutes of your time and 15 minutes of
elapsed time.

Splitting the hard disk helps you in keeping drive C: small. It
also gives you the opportunity to store image files on drive D:
instead of CDs.

To create your image files, use a product such as PowerQuest
DriveImage, Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage.

 

[Rob Stow]

I understand that clearly. The major issue in doing imaging is that NONE of
the computers are identical. Unless I'm wrong about how windows works, it
would go all , for lack of a better term, nuts. Just wouldn't work, or so I
assume.

You might want to consider getting an enterprise version
of a product like Roxio's GoBack.

You would have the option of setting each system up
exactly the way you want it, then tell GoBack to
have the system revert to that state on every reboot.
Not sure if you can set it to revert with every logon.

You just need to make sure that the users don't have
permissions for GoBack. And, of course, you need to
make sure the user's can't circumvent GoBack by booting
from a floppy, CD/DVD, or USB device - which is something
you should have taken care of anyway.

The downside to GoBack (and competitors) is that
they make it awkward to keep the systems patched
and up to date. Once a week or so you will need
to sit down at each system, log on as admin, apply
the patches, then tell GoBack that this is the new
standard state. Perhaps versions of GoBack newer
than the one I have used have made the patching
process a little easier ?

:

OS: Windows 2000 Pro SP4

I am going to be helping a teacher setup his lab for this year. We are
going

to be formatting all of the computers and starting fresh. The students
will

be using 'user' level accounts. I would like to know: What they can and
cannot do in this level account? and Are there ways for me to disable
access

to certain features [run, user settings (start menu and display for
starters)]?

Thanks

No matter what you try, there will always be some students who
find a way around your restrictions. The most effective way of
nailing down PCs in a school environment consists of doing this:

- Split your hard disks: Keep the OS and your apps on drive C:,
and your data on drive D:.
- Create an image file for each PC on a CD.

When a PC is no longer what it should be, restore it from the
CD. This takes two minutes of your time and 15 minutes of
elapsed time.

Splitting the hard disk helps you in keeping drive C: small. It
also gives you the opportunity to store image files on drive D:
instead of CDs.

To create your image files, use a product such as PowerQuest
DriveImage, Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

There is no problem in all PCs being different. Just create one
image CD for each of them - they are cheap!

I understand that clearly. The major issue in doing imaging is that NONE of
the computers are identical. Unless I'm wrong about how windows works, it
would go all , for lack of a better term, nuts. Just wouldn't work, or so I
assume.

OS: Windows 2000 Pro SP4

I am going to be helping a teacher setup his lab for this year. We are going
to be formatting all of the computers and starting fresh. The students will
be using 'user' level accounts. I would like to know: What they can and
cannot do in this level account? and Are there ways for me to disable access
to certain features [run, user settings (start menu and display for
starters)]?

Thanks

No matter what you try, there will always be some students who
find a way around your restrictions. The most effective way of
nailing down PCs in a school environment consists of doing this:

- Split your hard disks: Keep the OS and your apps on drive C:,
and your data on drive D:.
- Create an image file for each PC on a CD.

When a PC is no longer what it should be, restore it from the
CD. This takes two minutes of your time and 15 minutes of
elapsed time.

Splitting the hard disk helps you in keeping drive C: small. It
also gives you the opportunity to store image files on drive D:
instead of CDs.

To create your image files, use a product such as PowerQuest
DriveImage, Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage.