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From: Jeff Liebermann on 9 Oct 2009 11:44 On Fri, 9 Oct 2009 12:02:23 +0000 (UTC), bz <bz+ser(a)ch100-5.chem.lsu.edu> wrote: >disfortunately, the grad-student owned machines only get brought to my >attention when they are infested or crashed. >(one machine had over 50,000 virus infected files! "My machine is running >slow.") The most I've seen is about 2,500 files. However, I rate my infected machines by the number of different viruses, worms, and spyware types found (not including cookies) that are actively running. No points for counting infected emails that haven't run. So far, about 20 different types is the worst I've seen where the machine is still sorta running. >Budget and personnel restraints prevent us from doing regular PM on most >state owned machines. >However, as part of my normal 'virus clean up' (often backup data, >reformat, reinstall OS is the fastest and safest method) I do check the >hard drives for signs of impending failure. Well, I have a partial solution. Keep the user out of places they shouldn't be playing. <http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx> It wasn't really designed for the purpose, but it's sufficient to prevent total beginners, arrogant grad students, and ivory tower professors, from trashing the operating system. Plenty of other solutions, but this is the one I like. As soon as they shutdown, the computer returns to its original state. Once a month, the PC goes into the shop for an update, lube job, and oil change. I have it installed at 2 car wash kiosks and one middle skool classroom. Other than having to establish an update regime, it works well. Actually, you don't really need to install MS Steady State on every laptop in your system. Just one or two and the word will get around. After that, merely the threat of having it installed should be sufficient to inspire the students to clean up their act. Also, you're being too nice. Make it clear that they are responsible for their own data backups. If they bring a machine to you for cleanup and disinfection, they should assume that it will be wiped and reloaded from scratch. -- Jeff Liebermann jeffl(a)cruzio.com 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
From: bz on 10 Oct 2009 19:06
Jeff Liebermann <jeffl(a)cruzio.com> wrote in news:1jluc5lr8m5un791i9i8q6id2c83c55rfr(a)4ax.com: > On Fri, 9 Oct 2009 12:02:23 +0000 (UTC), bz > <bz+ser(a)ch100-5.chem.lsu.edu> wrote: > .... > > Well, I have a partial solution. Keep the user out of places they > shouldn't be playing. > <http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default > .mspx> University policy and academic freedom.... My authority is rather limited when it comes to student owned computer or computer under the authority of various professors. Also, many of the computers I deal with are controling very expensive intruments. The main problem in those cases is keeping them from putting such machines on the internet. > It wasn't really designed for the purpose, but it's sufficient to > prevent total beginners, arrogant grad students, and ivory tower > professors, from trashing the operating system. Plenty of other > solutions, but this is the one I like. As soon as they shutdown, the > computer returns to its original state. Once a month, the PC goes > into the shop for an update, lube job, and oil change. I have it > installed at 2 car wash kiosks and one middle skool classroom. Other > than having to establish an update regime, it works well. Would work well in a room with 50 similar computers. We don't have any (though other departments do) such setups. > Actually, you don't really need to install MS Steady State on every > laptop in your system. Just one or two and the word will get around. > After that, merely the threat of having it installed should be > sufficient to inspire the students to clean up their act. > > Also, you're being too nice. Make it clear that they are responsible > for their own data backups. If they bring a machine to you for > cleanup and disinfection, they should assume that it will be wiped and > reloaded from scratch. > When I am talking about someones years of research, I warn them to back up everything, I ask if it is ok to wipe their drive if needed, I make an image of the drive before I do anything to it, AND I restore all their data that can be recovered! I tell everyone about a guy I knew that had 9 years of research data in his car (paper notes) and his car caught fire and burned. He never finished his research and a few years later, he blew his brains out. The lesson, I tell them, is 'make backups', 'make frequent backups', 'make multiple backups' and 'keep your backups in a different place from where your computer is located.' It is bad enough to have to tell someone "I am sorry, I can't recover anything from your [hard|thumb] drive. There are companies that, for hundreds or thousands of dollars, will disassemble it and attempt to recover your data. Is it THAT important to you?" I would much rather have someone say "thank you SO much for saving my data" than "you ruined my life", or going 'postal'. -- bz 73 de N5BZ k please pardon my infinite ignorance, the set-of-things-I-do-not-know is an infinite set. |