Standard Build Auto Restore

[technobia]

ENVIRONMENT:

Public Access & Training Computers
Windows XP Pro

We have many users and students at all different computer skill levels that need to changing system and application configurations that can easily break things for other users. Therefore we need to establish a system restore for a standard baseline build that users can restore without assistance.

APPROCH:

I do have a copy of Ghost 2003 but am not attached to that application. Ideally I would like some kind of image stored on a hidden partition with a front end/boot menu that the user can select to restore automatically early in the boot sequence (I think) OR have the system automatically perform a restore each time the system boots.

I would appreciate some advice on what the best way to approach this project. I have seen some open source applications such as CloneZilla but I am not sure what people are using reliably. I have 4-6 machines I need to set up for this.

I do not need to take in-use real-time snap short images I only need to take an image with the OS inactive, ,much like how Ghost does from a “dos” boot.

I really do not want to be disparaging but this really needs to be an idiot proof restore for users.

 

[ttech]

Faronics Deep freeze will allow you to set up a computer then freeze it. The users can do anything to it but when it is rebooted it returns to the state it was when you froze it. It can be "thawed" to make changes then re frozen. Thaw space can be made to save files to, but other than the thawspace, the computer is completely back to where it was

 

[SimonDavies]

Perhaps look into PING (Partimage Is Not Ghost), it's a Linux based disk imaging tool that can image whole disks or single partitions, it can be made to auto restore images back as well (ie, press the space bar to choose restore and press enter), there is no getting out of the restore (ie you can't bypass it, it will start the restore process.

Ping.windowsdream.com

SimonD.

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 

[wahnula]

A member here uses this:

http://www.valtx.com/P2.htm

It's a hardware solution. She works in a public library, which as you can imagine has PCs subjected to all sorts of malfeasance. A reboot fixes everything.

Tony

Users helping Users...

 

[linney]

Have you looked at Windows SteadyState formerly the Shared Computer Toolkit?

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/results.aspx?pocId=&freetext=Windows SteadyState&DisplayLang=en

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...2d-93e9-4b02-bd95-9d770ccdb431&DisplayLang=en

 

[Rick998]

If you need a solution to automatically restore a PC to a baseline then I second ttech's suggestion about Faronic's 'Deep Freeze' (

http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp).

It's a tried and tested solution which we use for public access PC's in libraries. The basic methodology is to allow changes in use but to revert on reboot.

An alternative methodology is to prevent users from making changes to the baseline in the first place, thus reducing/preventing any need to revert. For this we use a product from Provisio called 'SiteKiosk' (

http://www.sitekiosk.com/Default.aspx).

It can be a little complex to configure and we've been having fun (NOT!) trying to configure SiteKiosk so users can use their own USB devices, e.g. flash disks (particularly U3 devices or encrypted devices which are designed to use 'autorun' to function correctly) and media readers.

Windows SteadyState seems to use a combination of both methodologies. We're evaluating it at the moment to see how granular the control is.

Given your 'need to establish a system restore for a standard baseline build that users can restore without assistance' I would recommend you having a look at 'Deep Freeze'.

Hope this helps...