My brothers school laptop

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 17:44

I'm thinking of wiping it and putting Windows 7 on it (tiny 7). Hope the school don't mind he has a limited account. also how do I give him admin rights?

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 18:14

Not if you just use it for netbooks and change the product key for Windows 7. I don't know how to strip down windows 7 properly yet.

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 18:26

Yeah that's what I was thinking but well it's his laptop, the schools giving away EEE PC 904s. He pays £5 a month for it so it's basically his. All the other kids have changed to admin, Windows 7 would be more efficient on the EEEPC due to the new quick launch.

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 18:55

Ayye. So I would need to format the laptop? Do you know a way without formatting, it's really restricted can't even edit the system32 folder.

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 19:11

Yeah I might just leave it, but I wonder if they would even notice. a lot of schools are doing this now but what if some kid gets theirs stolen from them

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 19:35

chrisxuk said:
My school gave each 6th form student the EEE 701's for free Don't work most of the time though

I'm suprised my city can fund 1 at all. Why don't they work? I'm going to boot from USB like bledd said and install 7. If they complain they can put xp back on worth a try.

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 21:40

Will it still work with the schools network? Will they have to set it up again

Nate Silvers · 30 Sep 2009 at 22:36

Lol then the battery dies and the kids can't do no work.

Nate Silvers · 2 Oct 2009 at 21:36

Man they even passworded the bios. Now how to remove a battery from a 904.

Nate Silvers · 2 Oct 2009 at 23:00

I managed to get past the bios password and Windows passwords and now installing Windows 7 RC. Hope the school teachers don't get too mad.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 01:42

lol Yeah it is HIS laptop too and there was only his domain and an ICT one (obviously). His friend changed his to admin before but they cought on and locked the new ones down. I'm going to copy his friends .bat files for the schools network. I have installed everything that was on it like OpenOffice etc. It was locked so bad he couldn't even use a LAN cable to use our home wired internet. I've told him to keep his mouth shut about it

We'll wait and see if he gets suspended. Fingers crossed.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 05:11

Good idea but not possible with a locked down limited account.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 05:40

I can't boot from anything with a locked bios. I am taking responsibility for this and life isn't worth living without taking risks. The worst that can happen is all my efforts are in vain and they install their image of XP back on. Btw Jon do you work nights, you seem to be up in the twilight hours all the time.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 05:54

Lol bring it on I'll be waiting with a gun and a packet of banana sandwhiches.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 06:14

The school lock/passworded it. I had to bypass the Windows XP password first to install Asus's update bios program. I erased the bios and updated it with the latest one to reset it. In bypassing XP it resetted it all to factory defaults so no point backing it up.

If all fails I will give him my own laptop for school.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 14:36

It's not wrong it's just naughty.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 15:54

Haha thanks

The Asus update utility actually reboots to POST to install the bios, so not from Windows itself. To be honest I never really thought of imaging it (stupid). Also this 904 Laptop has different connections so can't really connect to image it. These laptops have been given out to over 200 year 7 pupils as a new learning scheme. I'm not sure if they repair/checkup on the laptops but if they do they're in for a suprise, and I'm in for a spanking! :eek:

Find out on Monday hehe.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 17:32

No the actual LAN port was disabled and removed. I already know the proxy and have created .bat files to run it from the new Windows.

Nate Silvers · 3 Oct 2009 at 19:02

Well nobody needs to maintain it because he has a tech savvy brother. His account is still restricted and it has the same anti-virus the school installed. He's not going to get into any trouble as I'm responsible. The most that will happen is they re-image it. If that happens then fair enough let it be but these laptops are for learning and why give a laptop that you can't do anything on because it's locked down like a goverment nuclear facility. Some of the other kids laptops come on Windows 7 (the expensive option laptop) so why not his, it's exactly the same except it's not XP.

Westyfield2 I think that is a very fair idea, an option to take responsibility, it's not hard to maintain a computer if your working at IBM.

Nate Silvers · 4 Oct 2009 at 00:05

Hmmm Jon, really good point. I was thinking about nuking it after I read memyselfandi's post. I even know what you mean about laptops, the first time my girlfriends laptop broke I was absoultely useless. Nowadays I think people prefer to just re-install rather then spend hours fixing a virus.

Tiny7 is illegal I did say I was putting RC on it later which I did and then I was going to re-arm it 3 times until my Windows 7 comes which is 100% legal.

I havn't used torrents for 2 years, except the odd thing.

I just have to mess with things, I did with my Wii trying to mod the fan and case. That broke. I can't help it I have to try and tweak a computer and clean it up it's like an OCD. I actually enjoy formatting and re-installing everything. I'll just swap his laptop for his friends whilst he isn't looking.