All worked fine, well kinda fine, with Windows 2000 Pro clients with Office
2000. This client has 10 new PC's with XP SP2 and Office 2003. The problem
is that they are a hot desk company so users log in to whatever PC they can
find. The problem is that if an user changes O/S things get screwed.

1) The shortcuts for Word, Excel, etc are different so Desktop Icons will
only work on same type O/S.

2) Outlook mail settings get screwed. Realy very bad things happen.

Is there a solution?

The MD has worked out that it would be cheaper to move to whole lot to Linux
just don't want to do that!

"inthedark" <nyoung (thingy) vipintersoft.com> wrote in message
news:9B5CE3ED-2747-451D-B680-78075F9732C9@microsoft.com...
1. Profiles are not compatible between OS versions - get everyone on WinXP
if roaming is really a need. You may be able to get away with a one-time
"win2k user logs into winXP machine" thing, and then configure/tweak/fix
anything that doesn't work right immediately, but don't try to go back and
forth or Very Bad Things happen.

2. Keep all workstations consistent with the software load as well.

Roaming profiles are great, but you need to make sure the workstations are
as close to identical as possible when it comes to OS and software.

So for this customer his options are:

A) To upgrade all PC to XP and Office 2003

Cost £zillions

or

B) To install Windows 2000 pro & Office 2003 on the XP systems

Cost £zero

In news:4DA2C96D-DB07-4994-B4AA-2DE12E8FE473@microsoft.com,
inthedark <nyoung (thingy) vipintersoft.com> typed:
It can, yes.
Except in labor, sure.

I personally love working with XP clients, especially when it comes to the
extra options you get with group policy. I think it costs less to maintain
it. A coupla other things:

Remind the client that Win2k will reach end-of-life in terms of support far
sooner than will XP

Consider the age/performance of the existing Win2k workstation
hardware....and how soon *it* is going to need replacing. It might be
cheaper in the long run to replace the workstations with new ones
pre-installed with OEM WinXP Pro - and perhaps even Office 2003.

Remind the client that "things cost money." Sometimes people forget that.
He's the one who wants roaming profiles, right?

The cost for Option B isn't "zero". You need a valid license for W2K and
Office 2K or you are in violation of the license agreements. Just
because you can install w/o a license # or activation doesn't mean it's
"free"....

Regards,
Hank Arnold

inthedark wrote:

Thanks for that Hank, for the record, the company I am helping would not
break any rules and neither would I. But I seem to remember reading that the
License for Office and think it allows you to install/use an earlier verion.
And also for Windows perhaps. So it is more likely that they will downgrade
office 2003 to 2000 until they can affoird to upgrade all PCs to 2003.

But Microsoft's policy is almost unworkable for large companies who don't
seem to have any choice but move to Linux so they can at least control their
own destiny.

"Hank Arnold" wrote:

Your point is well taken. I've seen what you say when we bought Windows
2000 Server and MS Office licenses. I can only say this is true w.r.t.
corporate Open License situations..... Not sure how it applies otherwise.

I wasn't really pointing at you. I was just making sure people
understood that just because you can get away with it, it doesn't mean
it's OK.....

Regards,
Hank Arnold

inthedark wrote: