Copy Settings Wizard - Not Really an Admin Tool

[Updraft]

I just got off the phone with my VAR and he told me some very interesting things regarding the Copy Settings Wizard (CSW). Since I have a bunch of relatively new users here I used the CSW to quickly setup everyone's machine the same. This was particularly useful for the setting file locations in addition to the toolbar settings. I also made a "home" version that was identical except that it was stripped of its references to network file locations. All we then had to do was setup a few standard directories on our hard drives, run the CSW, and all would be good with the world.

Apparently the CSW is not really the administrator's tool I'd like it to be. My VAR said that since we have different operating systems the CSW might not give us the complete results we would like. It writes to registry keys and these registry keys are different between operating systems. For instance, between our home and work computers we have four OS's: XP-Pro 32-bit and 64-bit, Vista Pro 64-bit and Windows 7 Pro? 64-bit.

We have used the work and home CSW's without an obvious problem, but we might not have everything the way we would like. Apparently the CSW is better suited as a backup tool for a given machine (OS) than as an administrator's tool.

I'd like to hear from those of you that have some insight into this situation. How do you administer the installations between users at work and further, how do you spread that to the home installations?

Thanks,

- - -Updraft

 

[fcsuper]

Updraft,

My solution was to create separate restore files for each OS. When a new OS is introduced, I create all the desired settings on a fresh system, then save it's settings for any future installs on that OS.

Matt Lorono, CSWP
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion
Follow me on Twitter

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

AFAIK, there should be no differences between x32 and x64 systems.
Differences between XP and Win7 definitely exist.

 

[TheTick]

Copy Settings Wizard is doing exactly what it was designed to do: make you feel better without actually guaranteeing that it can do anything to help you.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Copy Settings Placebo?

 

[fcsuper]

Tick,
I not sure what you are getting at. It saves me a lot of work. I prefer it over the admin image (at least while I'm still running 2010).

Matt Lorono, CSWP
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion
Follow me on Twitter

 

[ctopher]

I don't admin other users anymore other than myself and my boss.
When I used to admin 30 users, I always worked with admin image. It was tricky at first, but once It worked it worked well.
All users have to not have SW running during updates. If one is running, it will not work well. Once everyone starts SW they will see updates automatically.

Chris
SolidWorks 10 SP4.0
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[SBaugh]

THe Admin Image is getting far easier to use.

I use the Copy settings Wizard from all our divisions, because each division has their own setup. Each division has their own Admin image that I copy from one server to another. Then each division uses the *.sldreg file from copy settings for their division and it works really well.

However nothing is locked and requires further admin processes. I posted on the SW forum about "CAD Administrators - Lock System\Doc Props", because I am trying to find away to lock certain options from being changed on users machines. Copy settings Wizard was never designed to be an admin tool, it was designed to get your settings out or backup your settings, that's it.

Regards,

Scott Baugh, CSWP
Berry Plastics
Cad Admin\Design Engineer
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader

http://www.scottjbaugh.com

"If it's not broke, Don't fix it!"

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