[ale] If you must restore a windows computer, how do you make it better?

[Brian Pitts]

On 10/14/2009 02:36 PM, Richard Bronosky wrote:
> ## Please include this in replies. The OP is requesting that we refrain from
> ## the use of cryptic L33t H at xx0r anti-MSFT-isms.
> 
> My MiL had a hard drive failure in her Dell windows media center
> machine. (which does not have a tuner card and serves not media center
> purpose, but the Dell sales person up-sold her) I have recovered the
> data using my Linux desktop and a drive dock. I now must consider what
> to do with the bones.
> 
> She will not use anything other than windows. End of story. Moving on.
> 
> I would like to put a Linux based virtualization solution underneath
> so that I can have snapshots and recovery options in the future.

You want to keep her from breaking things. You want her to be able to
use her computer like before, with no changes that cause confusion or
annoyance. I think the virtualization solution won't do either. I'd look
at Microsoft's no-cost utility StadyState [0]. You can use it to lock
things down or even go as far as resetting the system each time it's booted.

It looks like Pessulus [1], but with more options. To drift off-topic:
It's too bad Pessulus is dead (afaict), because I think GNOME needs a
lockdown editor and that there's lots of things that could be added to
pessulus that currently require mucking in gconf. Ideally we need a
lockdown editor that extends beyond gconf to also handle policykit and
config files for common applications like firefox. At least Sabayon [2]
is showing some signs of life. They even claim that the latest version
works, which is a change from the last year or so. [3]

[0]
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/sharedaccess/default.mspx
[1] http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/62060
[2] http://www.linux.com/archive/feature/114319
[3] http://mail.gnome.org/archives/sabayon-list/2009-August/msg00005.html

-- 
All the best,
Brian Pitts