All computers same, synched, desktop same, what prog am I looking for?

[blackacidevil]

Hi there,

I've tried several ways to do this. I basically have a client who has three desktops in his house, an XP, two Windows 7 computers. He wants all three computers desktop, just be identical and I really can't see why this ought to be so hard, considering he'd have to remember all three and keeping everything synched on them would be a bit of a pain.

So all the documents folders/bookmarks/ must be synced. etc.

Also is there a way, to make all three computers, when you log on, just its just the damn same.

I realize the limitation of XP not being the same windows 7.

Im not interested in subscription based sync servers, and Remote Desktop seems a bit overkill and resourceful considering we have three functional computers all capable of running on their own.

Help me, what program am i looking for

 

[CaedenV]

there are a few ways to do this.
1) get a simple home server with a share drive and point all of the document folders to it (note there are some limitations to opening the same file on multiple computers). Then manually change all 3 desktops to look and feel similar, but it will not sync the appearance and programs, so you will have to change all 3 individually if you want to make changes.

2) Move up to Win8 when it comes out and sign in via LiveID and it will sync your Metro programs, as well as your passwords, backgrounds etc. Use a skydrive synced folder (limited to 5GB) on each PC to sync the files you want. Otherwise do what I suggested in #1 to use a home server to point all documents to.

3) Get Server 2008 or newer, and get the Pro version of your desktop OS's and then point all of your OSs to the server's domain for all user settings, and what applications that will support that type of setup.

4) Go full virtual machines where the computers become dumb-boxes with nothing but a bootloader on them, and have them load a virtual machine from a centralized server so that all applications, documents, and user data is identical for each machine. As all major processing would be done on the server, all 3 machines should act the same as well. To do this properly you may need gigabit or better Ethernet run throughout the house.

Quite simply, what you are asking for is something that has been for enterprise level use only in the past, and it is slowly the direction that home use machines are moving in. It is something that would be an expensive pain to set up right now, but in just a year it will be much cheaper and easier when win8 is released, and will be even easier with win9 when we will potentially have fully cloud based OSs available.

 

[Brett928S2]

Hi

The answer is NO....

Very good advice above for a business envirement where cost is no object, but for home use...its not on....3 different machines with 2 different operating systems just makes it too impractical...

All the best Brett

 

[blackacidevil]

Actually no kick ass idea for just a project, I want to do the dumb boxs. I'd like just to setup one in my house and see how it is. I do a couple wierd things with computers anyways at the moment, like an 10 year old laptop, is setup to play online darts, real board, real players via dartproleague. uses skype. I have a second monitor for their board and one for score. it runs tinyxp. Although Im setting up another laptop here on microxp and so far so good.

So essentially the dumb boxs, are these just regular computers, so am I essentially just putting to waste parts (well actually maybe that doesnt matter, if its *** computers. I have well over 18 cases over my life span, computer parts everywhere all over the place, Im trying to think of things now and then that I could make a computer for. But a jukebox is lame, only thing I could think of interesting, would to have a wall mounted, speech recongition system no keyboard using dragon, i just dont know what i would be yapping at it to do.

Id make a mame thing but Ive modded my wii and nintendo ds, the ds now runs mame perfectly.

So lead me to right place for virtual machine (obviously not vmm, thingy, i have vmware with windows 8 at the moment, but i just dont like all frigging start ups and resoucres vmware workstation uses, its like your already running the machine with the amount of start up programs they include. I almost confuse the program with itunes since it almost comes with the same amount of bullcrarp 5 programs, blah. anyways.

 

[blackacidevil]

Best answer selected by blackacidevil.

 

[nikorr]

This topic has been closed by Nikorr