Deep Freeze:
The answer to many SeniorNet Learning Center Lab Coordinator’s dreams.
Deep Freeze is a software solution, used in many schools, that can solve many of our problems with students changing, adding or deleting items from computers during class. To achieve this result is as simple as getting the computers exactly as you want them and then installing Deep Freeze. From that point in time each time you reboot the computer the computer will be restored to the exact configuration you had at the time Deep Freeze was installed. Even gives short term protection against virus attacks as on reboot anything the virus installed is no longer there.
What if I want to make changes to the computer configuration, you ask? When you install Deep Freeze it asks for a password to be setup, if you know the password you can “thaw” the drive and make changes such as adding a new program or updating an existing program or installing one of Windows many security updates. You can set the computer to be thawed until reset or for a specific number or reboots. Then set Deep Freeze to “freeze” the drive and reboot and it is working again as we really want it to work – no changes allowed. You can read more about Deep Freeze and can download a trial version good for 60 days at this website http://www.deepfreezeusa.com/ . You can read the User Guide from this web page http://www.deepfreezeusa.com/support.asp .
There are some other things you may want to consider. If you wish to use the hard drive for student data files you will need to create a new partition on the hard drive to use for data files. In that case you will not apply the Deep Freeze freeze to that partition. For example, if instead of using the floppy drive for the students you could move the My Documents folder to the second partition, say the D:\ drive and let the students use that location during class just as they would at home. You could backup their files to the floppy for them to take home for practice. Same could be true if you use the hard drive for a graphics class or Quicken or other data files you want to let the students keep during the course. Just create new folders for those files on the D:\ partition, use them during the course and at the end of the course just delete all of those files and you are ready to start a new session.
SeniorNet will purchase licenses for use of Deep Freeze on your Learning Center computers. We need to know the number or computers in you lab and the operating system (OS). Since SeniorNet is paying for these licenses we ask that you not order if you do not plan to use the software; for a trial just download as noted above. Send the required information to Phil Carnahan at and allow a week to ten days for delivery.
The chart below documents tests to determine if Deep Freeze would be a candidate to fill the need we all have to help maintain the Learning Center computers during course sessions. It was prepared by Allan Greenberg of the San Jose Almaden and Willows Learning Centers. The various attempts to change configurations while Deep Freeze was installed all resulted in no changes remaining after reboot.
Deep Freeze
Version 3.20.000.0505
Installed on a P266 Laptop Running Windows Me
Mischief / Results after RebootingMoved icon on desktop / The icon was put back to original spot
Deleted icon on the desktop / The icon was restored
Deleted photo file in My Pictures/My Documents / File was restored
Deleted MS Works Calendar Reminder from Startup folder in Start Menu / Icon and command were restored
Moved a Program group to the desktop / Program group moved back in Program menu
Moved a Program group to My Documents / Program group moved back to Program menu
Changed to a wallpaper on desktop / Original wallpaper (none) was restored
Moved taskbar to right side of desktop / Taskbar restored to bottom of desktop
Change resolution from 1024x768 to 800x600 / 1024x768 resolution restored
Put Windows\Sysbckup folder in Start Menu / Sysbckup was restored to the Windows folder
Deleted Favorites from Link folder in IE / Deleted Favorites were restored
Added a Favorite to Link folder in IE / Added Favorite was removed
Deleted an address from OE Address Book / The address was restored
Downloaded Birthday Reminder 3.0 to c:\temp / No trace of downloaded file
Downloaded and installed ZipCentral
Downloaded and installed Birth. Rem. 3.0 / Removed all traces of installed programs and files.
Deleted HP 930 Printer / HP 930 printer back in Print folder
Uninstalled WinFax Pro / WinFax Pro back in Start menu
Changed POP and SMTP servers in OE / Restored to original POP and SMTP servers
Changed LAN settings in IE / LAN settings restored, IE worked fine
Changed View Options and Page Setup in Word / Both restored to original values