Setting up a Server?

[Ejjman]

I have been given a project to setup something for a local NPO.

They have 10 computers, 9 with XP, 1 with Vista, and then a server in their basement.

I want to make around 8 logins for the computers

(example: User: A, Pass: Blah, User: B, Pass: Blah, etc.)

That is accessible from every computer. I want each user to have their own distinct slice of harddrive, around 200 mb I'm thinking.

I am pretty sure this is possible, but I have never ever messed with servers or how they work.

On a side note, this guy who was there was talking like he knew a whole bunch about servers. He said from the server, you can send a batch file to all the computers at a set time, and have them shut down. This I could imagine, but then he said you can send a file to them to have them boot up.


Either way, how hard is this going to be to learn? I want to do some other stuff, but this is the biggest start that they need. Thanks :)

Another question: Can you install a program such as Adaware just off the server, or do you have to go around to every computer and manually do it? (This goes for all programs)

[nielskool]

On a side note, this guy who was there was talking like he knew a whole bunch about servers. He said from the server, you can send a batch file to all the computers at a set time, and have them shut down. This I could imagine, but then he said you can send a file to them to have them boot up.

This is a dos command, but you can not start the computer. to start a computer 2 pins most be connected on the mainbord.


shutdown /r /m \\computername

[Wizzup?]

Does it need to be a Windows server?

[nielskool]

i think this will help:www.hku.hk%2Fcc%2Fhandbook%2Fpcnet%2Fchap2.ht ml
was not able to read it all, because i am on my phone, but i think that is what your searching for

[Ejjman]

Does it need to be a Windows server?

I'm probably more familiar with windows, and the people I'll sort of show have never even heard of anything other than windows. So sort of, ya :(

nielskool, your link does not work :(

[nielskool]

kopied te link from google... google converted the link for phoneview i removed everything in the url from google...
but if you search google: hku pcnet handbook
you should find it.

//edit
here is the link again.
www.hku.hk/cc/handbook/pcnet/chap2.htm

[Boreas]

I wouldn't put too much weight on what that guy says. He may being getting confused with Wake On LAN.

The description sounds like an Active Directory domain, but that generally is overkill for 10 machines (in terms of monetary costs and time to learn). For a small number like that you could just use network shares. Without AD, you would have to add the users to each machine (versus adding them to domain once, and then adding each machine to the domain), but you can do this with a batch script, 'net user add' or something.

As far as installing programs, with or without AD you can VNC in and install. You can store the executable on a network share (make it a hidden share like $ITDept), same thing for the contents of an office install CD. For apps with command line switches, you can just run a batch file 'adaware.exe /silentinstall' etc. For apps without switches, you can write AutoIT scripts to use the mouse/keyboard on the installer GUI. However in this case I would only bother with the batch files, as it might take longer to write a script than to install manually over vnc 10 times.

[Smartzkid]

Note that most computers have Wake On LAN configuration available in Windows or the bios; you rarely have to change mobo pins.