HP Stream use?

[trevor storr]

Hi everyone,

as part of my work with the Connected Learning Advisory I'm working with a school that has class sets of HP Streams with 32 GB HDD's.  The machines are used by multiple users and connected to a domain.  Over time it appears that the HDD fills up.  Investigations have shown this to be related to userspace files - ~200-250MB of data ~30 users = 6GB which is most of the free space.

The actual question:  does anyone know of any schools using HP streams in schools that are used as class sets and have got round the disk fill up problem.  I can see several strategies to get around this, but wanted to talk with someone who has solved it, and seen it work with students.

Many thanks

Trevor

[Alistair Baird]

200-250 MB of user data is quite typical, and if you're using chrome browser, a lot of that will be internet cache. The problem is the 32GB HDD, which is not really that much for a shared device, just OK for a one user, and not good if they're into photos, music and movies.

Given 128GB HDD's are cheap these days (~$60) it might be worth considering an upgrade.

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Alistair Baird

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[J B]

I agree 32gb is a challenge even with a single user and is the massive downfall with these devices.  The 120gb sad idea is one we have toyed with.

 

Software wise there is cleaning the profile off each time its booted with a script even though W10 is junk with roaming profiles or, apparently there is a new type of profile coming to W10 to address this issue that I heard about on this list but can't remember the details.

 

Sent from my Windows 10 phone

[Nathan Mercer]

Last time I checked Stream uses eMMC storage and not SSD, and its soldered to the main board.  Its low cost for a reason.

 

For your shared PC configuration with Windows 10, check out the new shared PC mode in Windows 10 Anniversary Update, v1607

 

Students will be able to login <1 minute and Windows 10 v1607 will automatically manage the profile deletion with disk space is low.

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/edu/windows/set-up-school-pcs-technical

[J B]

Thanks Nathan, that's the feature I was thinking about, can't come soon enough given roaming profiles break edge, pictures viewer and in many cases the whole windows store database in the current versions.

 

 

Sent from my Windows 10 phone

 

[Patrick Dunford]

Hi there Nathan

I see in that page this feature

"

Information about Windows Update

Shared PC mode helps ensure that computers are always up-to-date. If a PC is configured using the Set up School PCs app, shared PC mode sets the power states and Windows Update to:

• Wake nightly
• Check and install updates
• Forcibly reboot if necessary to finish applying updates

The PC is also configured to not interrupt the user during normal daytime hours with updates or reboots."

Is this type of feature available only on managed PCs.

We have standalone PCs we want to run Windows 10 on but we don't like it interrupting people to demand updates need to be installed. I haven't worked out how to deal with this on a standalone PC. I figure an updates server could deal with it for the managed PCs but I can't work out how to stop the nag screen for updates on a standalone.

[Nathan Mercer]

Hi Patrick

 

‘Set up School PCs’ app sets a bunch of native policy settings including a new “Active Hours” feature in Windows 10 Anniversary Update, v1607

è Settings, Update & security, Windows update, change active hours.  Has a GPO or registry as well to configure if need be.

 

If you’re pointed directly to WU rather than say WSUS you can’t really manage the updates, but Active Hours will let you manage when the PC is being used/don’t reboot etc.

 

More documentation will come out on TechNet on Monday about this.

 

Thanks

Nathan

[trevor storr]

Thanks Nathan, that is very, very useful - and thanks to the others who contributed too.

Trevor

[Kevin Whelan]

I got excited when I first read about these new school apps until I read they were only for non domain joined machines.
They are from what I can gather to help a non IT person setup a suite of pcs quickly so anybody that uses AD and group policies misses out

quote "You can only use the Set up School PCs app to set up PCs that are not connected to your traditional domain."

Im hoping some of it is still valid once we have the update but its very grey at present

[Patrick Dunford]

MS's strategy is to make consumer devices and consumerise all of its offerings following Apple while at the same time they still have this big corporate thing going as well and it's almost as messy as when Windows 8 came along with the Modern interface pasted on top of the traditional desktop.