The computers
sometimes get stuck in DF maintenance mode. You cannot reset them or restart
them or do anything from the console. Usually a web page is displayed in
IE7, but you cannot type anything and clicking the mouse produces no
response. Often one of our screen saver slides will be stuck but there may
be a part of IE showing on the bottom of the screen. The only thing you can
do is to hold in the power key for 10 seconds to force the power off, then
power it on, wait for it to restart at which time it will immediately shut
down again because it thinks it is coming out of its maintenance period.
After all this, which can easily take 7 minutes with one of these old
machines, you then have to press the power button once more to start the
machine a final time. Usually then it will be okay for a while, but can get
frozen again with a non-responsive keyboard or mouse at any time during the
day. We have found that it happens more often on certain computers, not
every single one of this model. By the way, I was able to up the RAM from
512 MB to 1 GB in all of these computers but that did not help this problem
at all. Finally, I had to uninstall Deep Freeze Ent. from all of these
computers and they work fine now. I don't know if you would experience this
if you were not running the My Pictures Slideshow screensaver on these or
similar computers, and it may not be a problem if you are running something
less than IE7. I believe I did run DFE on a couple of 270s for a while with
no problems. I think I could have solved my problem by removing the
screensaver and leaving DFE, but since these were OPACs with very limited
Internet Access, I decided that risks to the hard drive and system were less
important than the things we were trying to advertise and promote on the
screensavers.
In general, I think DFE is a superb
product and I just renewed my 135 license. But chances are I will be able to
upgrade all of these old computers in the next year. Also, I should say that
I did not bother to call Faronics to seek support on this issue so I don't
know if they would have been able to help. My attitude was: these are old
machines and I'm pushing my luck anyway with them, not worth spending hours
or days tracking down the source of the problem.
Michael Wofsey
Assistant
Director for Technology
-----Original Message-----
From: Gretchen Garcia - LIBRARY <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 10:32:53 -0700
Subject: Re: [LIBNT-L] More deep freeze questions ;)
Going
on the tangent of old machines… 98% of our express catalog
machines are gx240’s. At this point I can’t upgrade. (Not for lack of
trying!)
We don’t have any 260’s in public service but we do have a few 270’s
and many
many 280’s. Can you give me some more information on this “bad
state” problem?
:)
Thanks,
Gretchen
Garcia
MCLD IT
Services
[log in to unmask]
From: Library NT
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Michael Wofsey
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 8:30 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: More deep freeze questions ;)
I use Deep Freeze widely, on both public and staff
machines
(we have roaming profiles and re-directed user folders, so nothing is on the
local computer). I use the Enterprise version so I can manage my 135
machines
from a single console, and love the ease of re-starting, waking-on-lan,
etc. from the console. I like that so much that even on a few machines that
I need to leave unfrozen because they have programs that need to
write to the local drive, I install DeepFreeze and unfreeze the machine
just so I can shut them down or start them up from the console.
The one problem I have had with the Enterprise edition is that it seems
to
cause problems with our oldest computers (Dell Optiplex GX260's), which we
are
still using as OPAC's. I'm not sure what aspect of Deep Freeze causes the
problem, perhaps the network polling, but those older computers frequently
get
into a bad state and have to be forceably restarted several times to get
them
out of it. But frankly, we are really pushing our luck by still trying to
run
these old workhorses, so I don't blame Deep Freeze for the problem. The
other
factor that seems to contribute to the unstability of these systems is that
we
run the My Pictures Screensaver on them, with images stored on a server. We
do
this to advertise events and new services, so that is another thing that
perhaps overloads the network traffic to those almost ancient computers.
I also run JAWS and Kurzweil 1000 on one computer with
Deep
Freeze and have never had a problem with it.
Michael Wofsey
Assistant Director for Technology
Public Library of Brookline
361 Washington St.
Brookline, MA 02445
617-730-2348 (desk), 617-799-8529 (mobile)
[log in to unmask]
http://brooklinelibrary.org
-----Original Message-----
From: James Guilford <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2010 02:40:58 GMT
Subject: Re: [LIBNT-L] More deep freeze questions ;)
We have several installations of JAWS and DeepFreeze doesn't interfere with
them. DeepFreeze doesn't seem to have any negative effects on any software I
can think of providing permanent changes are not required for routine
operation
of that software. Even then, as you've read, a "thawed" drive can be
created where permanent changes are allowed.
DeepFreeze is so transparent to OS operations that, should you forget to
thaw
your Program Files drive as Administrator, you could run through a program
installation successfully only to find your work wiped clean on system
restart!
----------------------------------------------
James Guilford, I.T. Manager
Westlake Porter Public Library
-----Original Message-----
From: "Gretchen Garcia - LIBRARY" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent 4/5/2010 7:18:21 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [LIBNT-L] More deep freeze questions ;)
Do
any of you have Deep Freeze running with JAWS? Does it work? :-) What about
Kurzweil 3000?
Thanks,
Gretchen Garcia
MCLD
IT Services
[log in to unmask]
http://www.mcldaz.org
"There are 10 types of people in this world. Those
who understand binary and those who don't." =)
