Notes for "Deep Freeze" users
These configuration instructions for Deep Freeze refer to the Professional version 5.70. Instructions for other versions are hopefully similar.
If you are running Deep Freeze hard disk protection, the drive where the WCG software is installed needs to be unprotected so the work unit data files can survive a reboot and not be wiped clean or restored to a previous state. This means one of two things: 1) change your existing partitions and create a new drive letter (logical partition) where you can exclusively install WCG or 2) create a new Deep Freeze Workstation installer with a Thawspace drive selected. Option #1 is more complex as it requires that Deep Freeze be configured to not protect the drive letter where WCG will be installed. Also, because of the way Windows assigns drive letters, the letter might not be consistent across all machines. Option #2 is much easier. Just remember to select a drive letter that is unused on all the machines where Deep Freeze Workstation will be installed.
The size of the Deep Freeze thawspace partition is determined by several factors: 1) how much free contiguous space is available on your hard disk, 2) how much you are willing to give up for grid use and 3) how big you intend to set the value in the grid profile. If you decide on an amount of 5Gb, you will need to create a thawspace of that size first and then modify the machine profile on the grid website. You might want to make the partition size a bit larger (200 Mb) as the thawspace partition needs to hold both the software and the data files. Just remember that the thawspace drive and all its contents will be visible to all users which could compromise data integrity. Also remember that the thawspace size is in Mb so 1Gb=1024Mb and 5Gb=5120Mb so simply multiply the required Gb size by 1024 to get the Mb size.
If a Deep Freeze installation is already in place, boot the machine with Deep Freeze thawed and run the newly-created Deep Freeze Workstation installer to remove the present install.
If Deep Freeze is not yet installed, or was just removed from the previous step, install it now. Once done, it will reboot with protection enabled. Select to reboot in Boot thawed for next 1 restarts, and reboot again. The WCG installer needs to modify the registry and add a file to the Windows directory so Deep Freeze needs to be in thawed mode.
Other protection systems such as Sheriff or Clean Slate are beyond the scope of this site.
Email the author: Peter Schepers | Last updated: Dec 6, 2006