Restroe the PC to Initial Status

I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the kids to use.
I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the kids
using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean status
without any works done by the kids and only with the initial programms
installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are re-booted.
What I want is not the system restore point.

"yclhk" wrote:

> I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the kids to use.
> I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the kids
> using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean status
> without any works done by the kids and only with the initial programms
> installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are re-booted.
> What I want is not the system restore point.

Most branded computers (Dell, Sony, HP, etc.) come with a hidden restoration
partition that can be used to restore the machine to the "as shipped"
condition. You usually invoke this process by pressing one of the "F" keys at
startup. Read the owner's manuals that came with the machines for
instructions. If you don't have the owner's manuals, you can usually download
them as a PDF from the website of the maker of the computer.

Thanks Mark,

My PCs are Lenovo and the manual found at website. Using F2 key while
re-boot the PCs. However, is it possible to run this process while the PCs
are log-in after log-out without press the Fn key ?

"Mark Adams" wrote:

>
>
> "yclhk" wrote:
>
> > I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the kids to use.
> > I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the kids
> > using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean status
> > without any works done by the kids and only with the initial programms
> > installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are re-booted.
> > What I want is not the system restore point.
>
> Most branded computers (Dell, Sony, HP, etc.) come with a hidden restoration
> partition that can be used to restore the machine to the "as shipped"
> condition. You usually invoke this process by pressing one of the "F" keys at
> startup. Read the owner's manuals that came with the machines for
> instructions. If you don't have the owner's manuals, you can usually download
> them as a PDF from the website of the maker of the computer.

"yclhk" <> wrote in message
news:57F271D8-F21A-4825-BB52-...
> I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the
> kids to use.
> I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the
> kids
> using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean
> status
> without any works done by the kids and only with the initial
> programms
> installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are
> re-booted.
> What I want is not the system restore point.

Microsoft has something called "SteadyState" that is designed to,
among other things, return a PC to a pre-defined status, and I think
it can be done automatically on every reboot. Much quicker than
restoring to a factory image, etc. It is a free download, go to
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...5-9d770ccdb431

--
Zaphod

"The best Bang since the Big One" - Eccentrica Gallumbits

On Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:36:15 -0700, yclhk wrote:

> I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the kids to
> use.
> I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the
> kids
> using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean
> status without any works done by the kids and only with the initial
> programms installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are
> re-booted. What I want is not the system restore point.

There is, or was, a hardware solution to this problem. Our local library
used to have MS machines set up with this hardware. When the kiddies
logged out, everything that they had done was discarded and the machine
was returned to it's pre-login status. Don't have a name and don't know
if it's still made - but a creative web search might turn something up.

Another option would be to have them run from a Linux Live CD. Since the
OS is on the CD (or DVD) it can't be modified.

"yclhk" wrote:

> Thanks Mark,
>
> My PCs are Lenovo and the manual found at website. Using F2 key while
> re-boot the PCs. However, is it possible to run this process while the PCs
> are log-in after log-out without press the Fn key ?
>


I doubt it, they can probably only be restored at startup. Even applications
like Acronis True image can only restore when booted from CD or a flash
drive, and not when Windows is running.


> "Mark Adams" wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > "yclhk" wrote:
> >
> > > I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the kids to use.
> > > I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the kids
> > > using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean status
> > > without any works done by the kids and only with the initial programms
> > > installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are re-booted.
> > > What I want is not the system restore point.
> >
> > Most branded computers (Dell, Sony, HP, etc.) come with a hidden restoration
> > partition that can be used to restore the machine to the "as shipped"
> > condition. You usually invoke this process by pressing one of the "F" keys at
> > startup. Read the owner's manuals that came with the machines for
> > instructions. If you don't have the owner's manuals, you can usually download
> > them as a PDF from the website of the maker of the computer.

Thanks, that's the way I expect. Does the SteadyState for download supports
Windows 7 Home Premium ?

"Zaphod Beeblebrox" wrote:

>
> "yclhk" <> wrote in message
> news:57F271D8-F21A-4825-BB52-...
> > I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the
> > kids to use.
> > I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the
> > kids
> > using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean
> > status
> > without any works done by the kids and only with the initial
> > programms
> > installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are
> > re-booted.
> > What I want is not the system restore point.
>
> Microsoft has something called "SteadyState" that is designed to,
> among other things, return a PC to a pre-defined status, and I think
> it can be done automatically on every reboot. Much quicker than
> restoring to a factory image, etc. It is a free download, go to
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...5-9d770ccdb431
>
> --
> Zaphod
>
> "The best Bang since the Big One" - Eccentrica Gallumbits
>
>
> .
>

"yclhk" <> wrote in message
news:5CB141C8-DBFD-42E8-8869-...
>
> "Zaphod Beeblebrox" wrote:
>
>>
>> "yclhk" <> wrote in message
>> news:57F271D8-F21A-4825-BB52-...
>> > I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the
>> > kids to use.
>> > I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after
>> > the
>> > kids
>> > using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and
>> > clean
>> > status
>> > without any works done by the kids and only with the initial
>> > programms
>> > installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are
>> > re-booted.
>> > What I want is not the system restore point.
>>
>> Microsoft has something called "SteadyState" that is designed to,
>> among other things, return a PC to a pre-defined status, and I
>> think
>> it can be done automatically on every reboot. Much quicker than
>> restoring to a factory image, etc. It is a free download, go to
>> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...5-9d770ccdb431
>>
> Thanks, that's the way I expect. Does the SteadyState for download
> supports
> Windows 7 Home Premium ?

I don't think it supports Windows 7 yet, but I haven't looked into it
that carefully in close to a year. The download details page should
say somewhere.

--
Zaphod

Arthur Dent, speaking to Trillian about Zaphod:
"So, two heads is what does it for a girl?"
"...Anything else he's got two of?"

Hi, yclhk.

I was about to refer you to the thread, "guest mode" here - but I see that
YOU started that one, too!

Dave-UK advised you to:
"Do a Google search for ' kiosk software for Windows 7 '"

What did you learn when you followed Dave-UK's advice?

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX

Microsoft Windows MVP
Windows Live Mail 2010 (15.3.2804.0607) in Win7 Ultimate x64)


"yclhk" wrote in message
news:5CB141C8-DBFD-42E8-8869-...

Thanks, that's the way I expect. Does the SteadyState for download supports
Windows 7 Home Premium ?

"Zaphod Beeblebrox" wrote:

>
> "yclhk" <> wrote in message
> news:57F271D8-F21A-4825-BB52-...
> > I'm runing a small tutorial services, there are two PCs for the
> > kids to use.
> > I wish to set the PCs would be back to the initial status after the
> > kids
> > using the PCs. I wish the PCs would return to the initial and clean
> > status
> > without any works done by the kids and only with the initial
> > programms
> > installed such as MS office, Anto-Virus etc while the PCs are
> > re-booted.
> > What I want is not the system restore point.
>
> Microsoft has something called "SteadyState" that is designed to,
> among other things, return a PC to a pre-defined status, and I think
> it can be done automatically on every reboot. Much quicker than
> restoring to a factory image, etc. It is a free download, go to
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...5-9d770ccdb431
>
> --
> Zaphod