In this series of posts I will discuss a my pains and successes related to the deployment of Windows SteadyState. SteadyState is designed to lock down shared computers, shielding them from some or all changes made during normal use. This way if the guy who used the computer before you goes on a ad-clicking rampage, you can be confident that his internet germs have not passed on to you. Lysol on the keyboard and mouse can help with the other type.
In the past, I have used DeepFreeze from Faronics with great success, until Vista came along. Our budget does not allow for us to upgrade to the new DeepFreeze version, so the FREE SteadyState has become my new project.
First impressions of SteadyState reveal a longing for DeepFreeze for its ease of use. In DeepFreeze you create a profile, you deploy it as a regular install on a configured system, reboot, and your set. Every reboot wipes out any changes to the system.
SteadyState provides more options, but takes longer to get going. I will go over that in my next post.
