Installing a new server...

I am installing a Windows 2003 server this weekend & am looking for some
advice.
18 client computers, most of them XP Home, a couple XP Pro, Win2k Pro & 1
Vista home Basic.
We plan on eventually upgrading all home versions to pro, but I have to make
this work as is for the time being.
My plan is to have it as a file & print server, with users My Documents
folders being on a share on the server, a public share for shared docs, etc
& one share that needs to be somewhat secure, as it will hold payroll
records, quickbook files (Enterprise quickbooks will be running on server,
as well), employee records & general stuff that only a select few should
have access to.
Would I be better off setting server as a DC or just leaving it in a
workgroup?
I hear there are things like X-Setup & older versions of Tweak UI that can
help, as well.
Any advice?

You will have a problem with the XP Home systems.
See:
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/art.../wxphdoms.html

hth
DDS
"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am installing a Windows 2003 server this weekend & am looking for some
>advice.
> 18 client computers, most of them XP Home, a couple XP Pro, Win2k Pro & 1
> Vista home Basic.
> We plan on eventually upgrading all home versions to pro, but I have to
> make this work as is for the time being.
> My plan is to have it as a file & print server, with users My Documents
> folders being on a share on the server, a public share for shared docs,
> etc & one share that needs to be somewhat secure, as it will hold payroll
> records, quickbook files (Enterprise quickbooks will be running on server,
> as well), employee records & general stuff that only a select few should
> have access to.
> Would I be better off setting server as a DC or just leaving it in a
> workgroup?
> I hear there are things like X-Setup & older versions of Tweak UI that can
> help, as well.
> Any advice?
>
>

This is way way way way more than we could ever teach you in a simple email.
"Ye know not what ye ask"
Some of these things you just cannot afford to do "wrong",...they need to be
right,...they need to be right the first time.

I see you have two choices,... and I mean this sincerely:

1. Call in outside help to get it setup. Then take a local college class on
Server 2003 and Active Directory management so you can take care of it from
that point.

2. Put off the project until you can complete a local college class on
Server 2003 and Active Directory management,...then do it yourself.


FYI
1. Vista home will not "join" a Domain
2. You have no *real* security with a Workgroup.
3. Roaming Profiles (My Documents on a server share) can be a mess to deal
with, even some skilled IT Admin don't mess with them. A Domain is required
for Roaming Profiles, which Vista Home won't work on.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------


"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I am installing a Windows 2003 server this weekend & am looking for some
>advice.
> 18 client computers, most of them XP Home, a couple XP Pro, Win2k Pro & 1
> Vista home Basic.
> We plan on eventually upgrading all home versions to pro, but I have to
> make this work as is for the time being.
> My plan is to have it as a file & print server, with users My Documents
> folders being on a share on the server, a public share for shared docs,
> etc & one share that needs to be somewhat secure, as it will hold payroll
> records, quickbook files (Enterprise quickbooks will be running on server,
> as well), employee records & general stuff that only a select few should
> have access to.
> Would I be better off setting server as a DC or just leaving it in a
> workgroup?
> I hear there are things like X-Setup & older versions of Tweak UI that can
> help, as well.
> Any advice?
>
>

On Feb 8, 2:14*pm, "Phillip Windell" <philwind...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> This is way way way way more than we could ever teach you in a simple email.
> "Ye know not what ye ask"
> Some of these things you just cannot afford to do "wrong",...they need to be
> right,...they need to be right the first time.
>
> I see you have two choices,... and I mean this sincerely:
>
> 1. Call in outside help to get it setup. Then take a local college class on
> Server 2003 and Active Directory management so you can take care of it from
> that point.
>
> 2. Put off the project until you can complete a local college class on
> Server 2003 and Active Directory management,...then do it yourself.
>
> FYI
> 1. Vista home will not "join" a Domain
> 2. You have no *real* security with a Workgroup.
> 3. Roaming Profiles (My Documents on a server share) can be a mess to deal
> with, even some skilled IT Admin don't mess with them. A Domain is required
> for Roaming Profiles, which Vista Home won't work on.
>
> --
> Phillip Windellwww.wandtv.com
>
> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
> or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
> -----------------------------------------------------
>
> "Mike" <mikey...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> >I am installing a Windows 2003 server this weekend & am looking for some
> >advice.
> > 18 client computers, most of them XP Home, a couple XP Pro, Win2k Pro & 1
> > Vista home Basic.
> > We plan on eventually upgrading all home versions to pro, but I have to
> > make this work as is for the time being.
> > My plan is to have it as a file & print server, with users My Documents
> > folders being on a share on the server, a public share for shared docs,
> > etc & one share that needs to be somewhat secure, as it will hold payroll
> > records, quickbook files (Enterprise quickbooks will be running on server,
> > as well), employee records & general stuff that only a select few should
> > have access to.
> > Would I be better off setting server as a DC or just leaving it in a
> > workgroup?
> > I hear there are things like X-Setup & older versions of Tweak UI that can
> > help, as well.
> > Any advice?

I have set up servers, AD Domains, networks before, it's just I have
never had to deal with XP Home (or Vista) in the mix!
I tried to talk the check writers into upgrading, but they say this
will have to come later.
I am not talking anything like roaming profiles, etc., just simple
file sharing - figuring that if users keep their important stuff in
their 'My Docs' folder, they will reside on the server & be backed up
in the event of a computer failure.
I have seen this in a network much larger than the one I'm setting up,
it's just the guy who did it moved out of state & I don't know how to
get in touch with him.
For simple file & print sharing, would I be better off setting up a
workgroup for now & after all home versions are upgraded to pro, then
change to an AD domain?

Mikey <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> On Feb 8, 2:14 pm, "Phillip Windell" <philwind...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> This is way way way way more than we could ever teach you in a
>> simple email. "Ye know not what ye ask"
>> Some of these things you just cannot afford to do "wrong",...they
>> need to be right,...they need to be right the first time.
>>
>> I see you have two choices,... and I mean this sincerely:
>>
>> 1. Call in outside help to get it setup. Then take a local college
>> class on Server 2003 and Active Directory management so you can take
>> care of it from that point.
>>
>> 2. Put off the project until you can complete a local college class
>> on Server 2003 and Active Directory management,...then do it
>> yourself.
>>
>> FYI
>> 1. Vista home will not "join" a Domain
>> 2. You have no *real* security with a Workgroup.
>> 3. Roaming Profiles (My Documents on a server share) can be a mess
>> to deal with, even some skilled IT Admin don't mess with them. A
>> Domain is required for Roaming Profiles, which Vista Home won't work
>> on.
>>
>> --
>> Phillip Windellwww.wandtv.com
>>
>> The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or
>> Microsoft, or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
>> -----------------------------------------------------
>>
>> "Mike" <mikey...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>> I am installing a Windows 2003 server this weekend & am looking for
>>> some advice.
>>> 18 client computers, most of them XP Home, a couple XP Pro, Win2k
>>> Pro & 1 Vista home Basic.
>>> We plan on eventually upgrading all home versions to pro, but I
>>> have to make this work as is for the time being.
>>> My plan is to have it as a file & print server, with users My
>>> Documents folders being on a share on the server, a public share
>>> for shared docs, etc & one share that needs to be somewhat secure,
>>> as it will hold payroll records, quickbook files (Enterprise
>>> quickbooks will be running on server, as well), employee records &
>>> general stuff that only a select few should have access to.
>>> Would I be better off setting server as a DC or just leaving it in a
>>> workgroup?
>>> I hear there are things like X-Setup & older versions of Tweak UI
>>> that can help, as well.
>>> Any advice?
>
> I have set up servers, AD Domains, networks before, it's just I have
> never had to deal with XP Home (or Vista) in the mix!
> I tried to talk the check writers into upgrading, but they say this
> will have to come later.
> I am not talking anything like roaming profiles, etc., just simple
> file sharing - figuring that if users keep their important stuff in
> their 'My Docs' folder, they will reside on the server & be backed up
> in the event of a computer failure.
> I have seen this in a network much larger than the one I'm setting up,
> it's just the guy who did it moved out of state & I don't know how to
> get in touch with him.
> For simple file & print sharing, would I be better off setting up a
> workgroup for now & after all home versions are upgraded to pro, then
> change to an AD domain?

For more than a tiny handful of computers, a workgroup is a mistake. This
network is far too large to be manageable that way. If you've worked with AD
before you should fully understand why that's true.

I think you really ought to pull back and come up with a project plan to
implement AD and get everything properly centralized & manageable before
jumping the gun here....just my $.02. Don't bother setting up a domain if
the workstations can't all join it....keep the workstations as consistent as
possible.

If all they wanted was more storage, a simple NAS box would've sufficed (not
even running Windows). But I would hate to manage an 18-workstation
workgroup.