Illinois - Operating Systems

RE: Windows 7 license downgrade options

2009-06-20T18:45:21Z

"Microsoft backtracks, extends XP availability to 2011" -- http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/microsoft-backtracks-extends-xp-availability-2011-093

Windows 7 license downgrade options

2009-06-17T16:53:12Z

Depending on how you obtain your licenses for Windows, this may or may not be an issue. It will not be an issue for us on most of our public machines, but it will be an issue on our staff computers:

"Microsoft's looming Windows 7 licensing 'disaster' for XP shops" -- http://www.infoworld.com/d/windows/microsofts-looming-windows-7-licensing-disaster-xp-users-639

Windows 7 beta testing

2009-01-26T18:55:10Z

I'm curious to know how many other libraries are beta testing for their own use the new Windows 7? I've been using it since it became available and have had better than just good luck with the system. It's much less cranky than Vista with permissions etc. and it's nice how it finds available wireless networks without much intervention. So far the only problem has been with my Creative Zen mp3 player..won't work. I also have a HP 6310 printer on which the HP software will not install, but the OS does recognize the printer and it is usable, it just doesn't have the value added features from the HP sware.

As Win XP nears it's end in the coming years I want to be able to smoothly transition without much change in infrastructure.
Best to all,
Stephen Boggs
New Carlisle Public Library
New Carlisle, Indiana

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2008-07-17T17:18:26Z

Open Source is so much more in line with the library philosophy than Windows. We are still an all-Windows shop, but I have had excellent experiences with open source software like Open Office and Gimp. I get so tired of hearing about the Gates "charity." Gifts of Widows-based equipment is not charity - it's marketing.

Re: Windows Time Service - Windows Server 2003

2008-06-06T14:46:50Z

That was good advice. Thank you from Geneva.

Re: Windows Time Service - Windows Server 2003

2008-06-06T13:56:48Z

The easiest thing to do is use the "net time /setsntp:<ntpserver>" command on each of your servers and allow incoming and outgoing UDP port 123 through your firewall.

Run the following command on each of your servers to sync with the US Naval Observatory Time Server:

net time /setsntp:tick.usno.navy.mil

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2008-04-04T03:39:10Z

Although we still have a plethora of Windows machines running throughout our facility, we too are slowly switching to Linux. We are looking at openSUSE, basically because it integrates easily with our Novell network. Our current hang-up on going all Linux is our Windows dependent ILS -- machines that require a staff client will remain Windows until we migrate to a platform independent ILS (or purchase an expensive license for our ILS Web-client).

I have found that openSUSE is just as easy to work with as Ubuntu. It is also easy to make the switch from Windows to openSUSE. Other staff that have moved from Windows to Linux have not expressed any frustrations with the switch.

I will admit that if you like to tweak things, or install lots of different applications, sometimes Linux can be a little more challenging. This may be a result of coming from the Windows environment that I've used for so many years; nevertheless, in Linux, I have needed to fine tune things in the terminal mode from time to time which I never found myself doing back in the Windows days. This doesn't bother me. However a novice computer user may find working with the command line quite bothersome and antiquated.

Overall though, I would say make the switch to Linux, so long as productivity stays the same or increases, costs are reduced, and staff and customers can navigate the operating system effortlessly.

Windows Time Service - Windows Server 2003

2007-11-07T23:07:25Z

I am trying to synchronize the clock on our network. The help for Windows Server 2003 says "When computers are part of a workgroup, you must manually configure Windows Time Service on those computers to use a known accurate time source, either by using special hardware or a time source available on the Internet. Then, all other workgroup computers can be configured manually to synchronize their time with these local time sources" What???????? I tried synchronizing the time on each computer, but get an error when I try to update with the internet. The server will set. Any ideas on how to get workgroup computers to synch with the server?

Re: Creating a shutdown shortcut on a limited access account in XP

2007-09-25T17:50:48Z

I'm going to move this over to the software forums as it is an OS issue more than hardware.

Wendell

Creating a shutdown shortcut on a limited access account in XP

2007-09-25T15:37:56Z

Does anyone know how to make a shutdown shortcut work on a limited access account in XP. It lets you set up the shortcut but when you use it it just flashes and nothing happens until you change it to an administrator account. But I don't want to do that. HELP!

Re: Windows Vista and the Public Access Security Tool

2007-08-30T15:45:19Z

Right, the current version is 2.0, which does not support Vista (I have not heard of anyone being able to install it on Vista either).

MS says that they are working on version 2.5, which will support Vista, but I have not heard any timeline for it.

Dale

Re: Windows Vista and the Public Access Security Tool

2007-08-29T21:14:08Z

"planning on releasing" does that mean the current version will not work with Vista? or the upcoming version will be better?
-jackie

Re: Windows Vista and the Public Access Security Tool

2007-06-15T22:24:38Z

Currently yes. They are planning to release a Vista compatible version in the future, but they have not given any indication of when that might happen.

Windows Vista and the Public Access Security Tool

2007-06-15T14:49:38Z

Are we limited to just Windows XP SR2 with this tool? Will it work with Vista or are there alternatives? Thanks.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-12T10:13:43Z

Thanks for this, mwynn. I'll pass it on.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-11T20:46:03Z

I have one "windows" only program that **Wine would not let me install. I purchased a program called Crossover by Codeweavers that is able to create a "windows bubble" or they call it bottle that allows windows only applications to run on linux.

I was able to get education prices and paid $49.95 for the "pro" version. I get support for a year and each year after for an annual fee of $35.00. It is the only thing I have had to purchase because of incompatible windows applications. It was very quick to install.

**Wine: Wine Is Not an Emulator. While the name sometimes appears in the forms "WINE" and "wine", the project developers have agreed to standardize on the form "Wine". Wine is a project which aims to allow a PC with an x86 architecture processor running a Unix-like operating system and the X Window System to execute programs that were originally written for Microsoft Windows.

Re: Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-11T19:30:07Z

We're thinkin' about it ... the issue has much to do with what Sirsi does (and forces our consortium to do). The new Java client won't run on Linux. So far.

Anyway, I can state with some positive emotion that my 13 year old son installed Ubuntu and is quite happy with it. This is to say that there should be no fear of uber-geekish complexity for us librarian types. ;-)

Wondering about Linux?? Listen to this...

2007-04-11T19:21:04Z

We did it!!

Not Vista - E. U.

Linux - Yeah!

Our library is all Linux. Our staff and public access computers are Ubuntu Dapper Drake 6.06 and my web server is Debian Sarge. Our patrons are very happy with the speed and that the blue screen of death is no more. I also saved a ton of money by going with open source. We have Open Office on all machines and the patrons love it because they can open and save documents in so many formats.

I was at a crossroads with purchasing new computers. We were using P1s and P2s with windows 98. Then in July 2006 microsoft stated they would no longer support 98. That meant we were going to have to buy windows xp for 6 computers. Then the vista thing started. How long would xp be supported? My guess would be 3 - 5 years at the most and then abandoned. Then I realized that the computers we currently had were not capable of running xp (not enough memory or processor speed). They would never work with vista. What to do?

I ran across Ubuntu when I was reading my news on digg.com and I was intrigued. So I downloaded the iso and installed it on an abandoned 500 Mhz (slower than P1) machine that I had put together in 1999. It worked. Not just worked but worked better than the 2.3 Ghz windows xp pro computer sitting right beside it.

I was sold.

That was in November 2006. Our library is currently running Linux in March 2007. I was able to get 9 new computers using Linux instead of 3 or 4 using windows vista. Not only that but I don't have to spend additional money on filters, (free - Dansguardian) or Virus protection software, or adware protection or word processor or spreadsheet or .... you get my drift.

I know I made a really good decision to work with Linux instead of microsoft for my library. It is so nice to be free of the choke hold that microsoft had on us. The beauty is also that in a few years, vista will be sucking up more and more resources on your hardware. Their solution will be to release the next generation of windows. It is not going to get better. It will simply become more -- bloated! (My name for microsoft ware is "bloatware")

I don't have to purchase new machines to work with the operating system. The operating system works for me. If I get new computers it will be because I need a new computer not because I have to meet microsoft's expectations.

I encourage anyone here to investigate and research Linux. It is not as scary as you think. Several of the issues that I ran into were because I was thinking in "windowese" where you go around your elbow to get to your thumb to get things done. Linux is very logical and once you know the commands, it is portable to any version or "flavor" of Linux you use. And the same commands that are used now are the same commands that were used years ago. Once you know it you don't have to constantly relearn it.

One other thing. Linux is true multitasking. It really uses the resources of your machine the way it was meant to be. In Ubuntu you can have 4 work spaces. This is like having 4 separate places to have applications doing their thing. A click of the mouse is all it takes to go from one workspace to another.

And another thing. Security issues. I have my public access machines set up with two users. One for staff so we can make changes and add applications, then I have another for patrons that is very limited. If they try to get into something they are not supposed to, Linux won't let them because they don't have the right privilages. Setting these up was so easy.

Anyway, I have to stop here and get some work done. If you have questions post here and let me know.

I recommend Ubuntu for public access and staff computers because it has a desktop that is very easy to navigate. It is installed from a CD just like any other software. If you just can't let go of windos, then you can have a dual boot machine where you decide which operating system to use.

It would be nice if there was a separate section on the discussion board just for Linux. I did a search and found very little here regarding Linux. I hope to hear from others who have made the flying leap to freedom. You are out there. I cannot be the only one. Let me hear from you!!

Re: "Illegal System DLL relocation" ????

2007-04-06T19:31:51Z

Hi-

Any idea what was happening when this popped up? Was it at atartup? Otherwise what applications were running?

And is this on Windows XP?

... actually a little more searching turned up this at Microsoft:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925902/en-us
It looks like there is a new Windows update to address this.

"Illegal System DLL relocation" ????

2007-04-04T14:30:46Z

Hi all

I just got this message on a computer.
"Illegal System DLL Relocation: The System DLL Kernal32.dll was relocated in memory. The application will not run properly. The relocation occurred because the DLL C:\Windows\System\MPR.dll occupied an address range reserved for Windows system DLLs. The vender supplying the DLL should be contacted for a new DLL"

I'm confused and lost!! What does this mean?? What caused it?? How can I fix it and is it ok to continue to let patrons use this computer???
Thanks for any help and advice!
TAL