Many public networks in schools, libraries, computer labs,
kiosks, internet cafes, etc. Have to regularly deal with
unintentional changes to the desktop appearance, reconfigured system
settings, unwanted software installations, virus infections, and so
forth. But such institutions cannot dedicate limited resources for
regular manual rebuilds, snap images of the machines, or otherwise
troubleshoot such issues. Also, the Windows system will experience
incidental
system degradation,
that is, inevitable degradation of performance over time. Eventually,
these systems will require the occasional reinstallation of Windows
from scratch.
One
affordable alternative for a lot of these problems is the use of
desktop
lockdown software,
limiting the users' Windows accounts to restrict access to many
functions such as the Registry Editor, Task Manager, and Control
Panel. Limiting Windows privileges makes PC management easier but
would necessarily also eliminate useful Windows functionality and
constrains the users' productivity.
There
used to be a free solution offered by Microsoft called SteadyState
(or Shared Computer Toolkit) which provided teachers, librarians, and
other non-technical staff an easy data recovery solution to
administer method for reconfiguring public access computers to
regularly return to a baseline state. But using SteadyState was
cumbersome. The system which involved many unnecessary complexities
and hassles and not very appropriate for staff members who lacked the
technical training or wherewithal to acquaint themselves with Group
Policies, Active Directory, Windows Server Update Services, et cetra,
et cetra,... Perhaps, due to the low uptake of SteadyState and the
servicing headaches it involved, Microsoft discontinued offering
SteadyState in 2010. So what’s the best SteadyState
alternative
available today?
If
you’re looking for freeware that acts as
replacement
for Steady State
by Microsoft look no further. Reboot Restore Rx is a freeware for
removing unwanted changes that users may have made on public access
machines. Reboot Restore Rx simply wipes the system of all the
changes any user may have made during their session and returns to a
clean
slate of Windows.
So it would be ideal if after one public user has ended the session
and the next user logs on, the machines would automatically return to
a baseline. That’s exactly what it does! Reboot Restore Rx
simplifies PC management by automating the process of maintaining a
consistent computer baseline by reverting the Pcs back to a pristine
condition, discarding any software downloads, virus infections, or
other changes made by the public user. Reboot Restore Rx essentially
write-protects
the hard drive
so that any changes made by the user are discarded on restart. With
Reboot Restore Rx installed users are free to attempt to hack the
registry, infect the computer with malware, delete system files, etc.
And the computer will still return to its predefined working state on
every reboot. Since Reboot Restore Rx is a non-restrictive
restore technology
it doesn’t limit your public users’ Windows functionality and
allows you to grant them all admin privileges.
A
strategic disaster recovery plan for critical enterprise
data is a .
Service disruptions with all their attendant impact on everyday
business activity, lost revenues, frustrated customers, employee
productivity losses, angry incoming calls to the helpdesk, and so
forth are easily avoided with a secure, up-to-date data storage
system. Yet most businesses don't have such a contingency plan in
place because traditional
backup and recovery is very time-consuming. Even users who
resolve to back-up regularly may go on
working for
lengthy periods between backups. But the usefulness of your recovery
option or
recovery plan is
only as good as the
last time you
made your backup
image and this typically may well
have been a
month or more ago. So the age old question is – Which technology is
better, traditional data
Backup
or RollBack?
The
practice of imaging
is, at best,
a last resort solution for the once-in-a-blue-moon occasion when you
can’t seem to reset the PC any other way. It’s not a practical
solution as most companies
seldom get around to making backups. Once a crash occurs, they
usually have to resort to a previous backup. Unfortunately, the
amount of data lost is proportional to the amount of time that lapsed
since the last backup made…
Furthermore, recovering specific
files and
folders is
next to impossible when dealing with complete system images. Rollback
technology on the other hand delivers a quick bounce
back from most of
such disasters.
If
you’re looking for a PC
rollback solution then RollBack Rx is the fastest and most
reliable rollback software that I’ve found. It's the only PC backup
and recovery software that can reasonably be called an
"instant
PC backup"
solution
or an "instant
PC recovery"
solution.
RollBack
Rx seamlessly integrates with Windows to backup every last byte of
data on your enterprise
systems.
Windows system restore only protects Windows System files and some
limited installed programs. System Restore doesn't backup your
personal vacation photos, work spreadsheets, e-mail contacts,
financial data, and so forth. If you're relying on Windows system
restore, all this information is vulnerable to a data disaster or
catastrophe.
RollBack Rx is the Windows
System Restore replacement.
(or Refresh
and Reset
in Windows 8) It only takes RollBack Rx a few
moments to
archive a complete instance of your system state in a "snapshot."
As an alternative
to Windows System Restore,
RollBack Rx allows you to store many thousands of such
snapshots.
RollBack
Rx gives your staff powerful tools to fix the PCs themselves by going
back in time to earlier snapshots rather than having to call
technical support. And your help desk no longer has to do manual
rebuilds, re-image, or troubleshoot PC-related issues. Software
incidents -- from accidentally deleted files, virus infections, the
Blue Screen of Death, on up to issues that cause Windows to no longer
boot -- are quickly resolved by restoring to snapshots made
earlier. And
RollBack makes it simple to always have an up-to-date snapshot to
restore to. In short, RollBack Rx crash-proofs
your computers
so that data
becomes easily
recoverable and
the Windows PC is ready
for
the
common problems
that occupy your IT staff's time. Most businesses,
when they use Rollback Rx,
experience a significant uptick in endpoint uptimes and productivity,
while drastically reducing support costs.
