Tip #4134 - Windows SteadyState
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Q:
What is Windows SteadyState?
A:
You know, I was wondering the same thing! I came across Windows
SteadyState last week when I was writing a tip for the Windows
Vista parental controls, but at that time, I didn't have a chance to look
into it more. So, when I received this question in my e-mail Inbox yesterday
morning, I knew I had to write about it right away! I'm sure there are
several of you out there wondering what it is too, so we'll just all learn
together! After you're done reading this article, I think you'll have
a better understanding of what Windows SteadyState really is. Let's check
it out!
To begin, SteadyState
is mostly used with shared access computing. So, what is shared access?
Well, it's basically when one or more computers serve multiple users all
from one location. For example, the computers in schools, Internet cafes,
libraries and even in a few homes. SteadyState was created by Microsoft
for the main purpose of keeping all those shared access computers running
smoothly and without any trouble. Also, with it, the computers will stay
the way they're supposed to, no matter who uses them from day to day.
With shared access
computers, you never know what sort of condition they will be in by the
time everyone is done using them. Each computer probably has several users
on it throughout the day and more than likely, each one did something
different, depending on the type of work they had to do. So, by the end
of the day, those computers could be filled with downloaded files, newly
installed programs, the normal settings could be changed, there could
be some viruses or spyware on the system and so on. Basically, a shared
access computer is always filled with different items and it could be
bogged down for various reasons.
Because of that, you
need something that will be able to clean up those computers and get them
ready for the next day. And that's where SteadyState comes into play.
With SteadyState, you're given an easy way to manage multiple users, you
can set in place a locked down platform that will make each computer more
stable for shared computing and there's even an easy way to keep all of
your settings in place, meaning no one will be able to alter them.
Like I said earlier,
SteadyState really comes in handy for certain locations, including schools,
Internet cafes and libraries. In a typical day, the computers at those
types of places will be used by hundreds of people. Luckily, SteadyState
comes with a design that fits each of those locations the best. So, for
example, if you're managing the computers at a school, you can use the
specialized part of SteadyState that works the best for computers in a
classroom. Or, if you have shared access computers in your home (maybe
you have one for yourself and a couple for your children), there's also
a special design in SteadyState for that. Each one really fits each location
to a tee and it makes managing your computer so much easier!
So, how can you get
SteadyState? Well, I will give you that information in a second, but there
are a few things you'll want to do before you install it on your main
computer. First, you'll want to double check the system requirements.
SteadyState only works with Windows XP with the SP2. It works for XP Professional,
Home and even the Tablet PC edition. Now, you may already be using a utility
called the Shared Computer Toolkit, but you'll want to upgrade to SteadyState,
as it is the newer version. You'll want to uninstall the Shared Computer
Toolkit first as well. You will also need to defrag
your computer before you install SteadyState. That's just to ensure that
your computer is optimized and ready to go.
When you're ready,
you can click here
to install SteadyState. Just click on the blue Download Now
button and follow the directions. It will bring up a wizard for you to
follow and it's not that long of a process. For more information on everything
we've discussed today, you can visit this Web
site. It should answer any additional questions you may have. Once
you have SteadyState installed, you'll be all set and ready to go with
your new shared access computers. Check it out today!
~ Erin
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