Sharing Programs

[Jay]

Hello all! Got a thinker on my hands.

I have a network which constist of 4 computers.
We will call them A, B, C, and D.

Computer A is my main computer. Has 500GB Storage, a brand new belkin wireless router (top of the line ).

Computer A has 2 hard drives, with 2 partitions each.
The first hard drive is the factory hard drive, 300GB SATA. The second hard drive is what I have added. Its a 200GB IDE drive.

The second hard drive is my primary shared hard drive. I share this hard drive with all computers in my network.


I now install all my programs to the second hard drive on Computer A.

My question:

I would like Computers B, C, and D access, AND run all the programs on Computer A.

Those computers do not have as much hard drive space, and im wanting to save space, and share programs.


Is this possible?

If so, how so?


Thanks a lot! I have been stuck on this for a few days now!


Thanks,
James Jones
A.K.A. Jay

 

[BobC]

Hello all! Got a thinker on my hands.

I have a network which constist of 4 computers.
We will call them A, B, C, and D.

Computer A is my main computer. Has 500GB Storage, a brand new belkin wireless router (top of the line ).

Computer A has 2 hard drives, with 2 partitions each.
The first hard drive is the factory hard drive, 300GB SATA. The second hard drive is what I have added. Its a 200GB IDE drive.

The second hard drive is my primary shared hard drive. I share this hard drive with all computers in my network.


I now install all my programs to the second hard drive on Computer A.

My question:

I would like Computers B, C, and D access, AND run all the programs on Computer A.

Those computers do not have as much hard drive space, and im wanting to save space, and share programs.


Is this possible?

If so, how so?


Thanks a lot! I have been stuck on this for a few days now!


Thanks,
James Jones
A.K.A. Jay

Not possible unless the application/program is specifically designed as a
network application. MS Office programs (word, excel, etc.)for example are
not network applications

 

[Chuck]

Hello all! Got a thinker on my hands.

I have a network which constist of 4 computers.
We will call them A, B, C, and D.

Computer A is my main computer. Has 500GB Storage, a brand new belkin wireless router (top of the line ).

Computer A has 2 hard drives, with 2 partitions each.
The first hard drive is the factory hard drive, 300GB SATA. The second hard drive is what I have added. Its a 200GB IDE drive.

The second hard drive is my primary shared hard drive. I share this hard drive with all computers in my network.


I now install all my programs to the second hard drive on Computer A.

My question:

I would like Computers B, C, and D access, AND run all the programs on Computer A.

Those computers do not have as much hard drive space, and im wanting to save space, and share programs.


Is this possible?

If so, how so?


Thanks a lot! I have been stuck on this for a few days now!


Thanks,
James Jones
A.K.A. Jay

Jay,

Windows Networking is great for sharing data files. For executable files, not
so great. Why? Because many applications require configuration files to be
specific to the computer that you're running the application from.

Some applications support being network shared, but not many.

You can't just install MS Office, for instance, on Computer A, and share it on
Computers B, C, and D. You'd probably have to re install the applications
repeatedly, on each Computer B, C, and D, to get the configuration files created
on each computer.

 

[Jay]

Yes. I know about Office. Im thinking more along lines of Need For Speed
Underground 2. Or The Sims, or games such as that. the larger games.....

 

[BobC]

Yes. I know about Office. Im thinking more along lines of Need For Speed
Underground 2. Or The Sims, or games such as that. the larger games.....

Are they designed to be "run" from a networked computer? If not, you can't.
Check the specs/sites for these programs to determine if they are designed
as network executable programs. Some simple programs that do not create
local registry entries can be "run" from networked computers.

 

[Brian Smither]

Computer A is my main computer. Has 500GB Storage,

Convert this to a Terminal Server. Might involve reloading "A" with Server
2003 then use the concept of Thin Clients. At least I've had no problems
with any applications using RDP.

Playing graphics intensive games? Think about upgrading all boxes to 1GB
Ethernet.