Wierd prob...NOTHING will open....?

[Admiral]

Still, wouldn't hurt to have a look in the mouse tab in TweakUI.

[Kruzin]

Well, checked a couple things this morn, and am now convinced one of the students intentionally disabled this PC.
I went to the start>run dialog to get to the command prompt, and saw someone has run regedit. I know it wasn't me, so it had to be a student.

There was nothing odd about the mouse settings, and the system has enough RAM and virtual memory, and also has an anti-virus prog, so I don't think it's any of those things. Someone butchered up the registry (pretty sure I know who, but I can't prove it)

Now, if I could just remember the exe that restores an old copy of the registry...or if one of you could remind me

[drslump]

I had a similar problem some months ago in a WinMe machine, it'll not be able to run any program or command. Even the "Run" option didn't worked. It was fixed after updating the IE, I don't know why but maybe the registry was broken and the IE fixed it.
btw the only way to run the installer was to put it in the win.ini file.

[HomeBrewer]

Try this link. To Microsoft Knowledge Base :
Knowledgebase Article for registry restore

Hope it helps

[rubank]

Originally posted by Kruzin

Now, if I could just remember the exe that restores an old copy of the registry...or if one of you could remind me

scanreg /restore at the DOS prompt should do it

[Kruzin]

That's the one.
Thanks guys.
Restoring the reg to one from a few days ago fixed it right up
Problem solved

[Kooldino]

sweet.

[Admiral]

Originally posted by Kruzin

Problem solved

You still have to fix the kid that broke it

[Kruzin]

I asked the kid who I thought might have done it if he had any idea how this might have happened.
By his own addmission, he's prob the only student there that even knows what the registry is, much less how to muck it up.
Also, that he had the time and opportunity to do it.
But says he didn't do it.
And I have no way to prove otherwise, so it's a closed case.
If he did do it, he at least now knows that I'm onto him, and probably won't try it again.

[drslump]

you can always put some "illegal substance" in his desk, then make a big scene when you accidentally find it and bye bye student

[Kruzin]

Nah.
He's generally my easiest student to deal with. Only a month away from graduation, and works totally independantly. He's only in my lab to give him a place to sit and work quietly.

[Admiral]

Oh !
my apologies then

[UtwigMU]

I recommend installin NT based OS.

Secondly like our technical teacher did for the modell making class:

These closets will be unlocked, it's a matter of trust. If things (tools) start missing (which they did), we'll start locking them.

I recommend you reading Mastering Windows 2000 Server by Mark Minasi, it's 30$ on amazon or "free .pdf" from DC sharing places.

So tell them you'll start locking machines step by step.

Yank out floppies, disable run, disable active desktop, disable control panel, specify which programs may run (IE, Word, Notepad and Calculator - you can start removing those as well), of course make only those show in start menu, disable java scripts, cookies and the like in IE, imply deafult user server profile that gets downloaded from template each time a user logs on etc...

There is such kiosk PC in the bank: you can only browse the web, you cannot even minimize IE and start something else.

You could install Proxy server and start blocking down domains.

[Kruzin]

Not possible.
Won't happen.
The boss-man would NEVER EVER go for that, for many reasons, none of which would make any sense to you or me (or any sane, rational person).
I'm lucky I got away with formatting and reinstalling the software that came with this particular system. Generally, he will not allow me to remove any software from any system for any reason, so a clean install of any OS is rare around there. Hard drives are packed, and no more can be installed on many systems. And most of it is old crap that is never used any more.
I am waiting as patiently as I can for February, as he will be gone for a full 30 days. In that time, I plan to reformat 8 of my lab's 13 windows PCs, in the hopes he will not notice when he gets back. The only way I can hope he doesn't notice is if I stick with the same various 9x versions that they are all running now.
I have already dicussed this with the assistant admin and other lab teacher, and we are all in agreement. It needs to be done, but can only be done when he isn't around...

[Pace]

Originally posted by UtwigMU
There is such kiosk PC in the bank: you can only browse the web, you cannot even minimize IE and start something else.

I managed to crash a rather well locked down NT3.51 box in a bank kiosk - all you were allowed was IE, and no address bar. I managed to work myself to Macromedia.com through them using a Flash file, which opened a new window and allowed me to print. Clicked print and played some more...BSOD! D'oh