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Gates PCs - Saving the game software

gina.persichini's picture
2005 02 Dec

Libraries that received Gates Public Access Computers 5 years ago are probably aware that they do not have the CDs for all the software on those computers. As the computers are upgrades and/or replaced, libraries may be wondering how they can upgrade and still keep the children's educational programs that have been so popular.

WebJunction can help. WebJunction has a number of "community partners" that can be selected from a drop-down menu at the top, right corner of the screen. In that menu, select PAComputing to find helpful articles and documents regarding your Gates Public Access Computers. Or, you can just use this link: PAComputing*. Some helpful articles can be found in the "How To" section.

Two articles of interest are:

  1. Planning a Windows 2000 or XP Upgrade for Your Windows NT Gates Library Computer, which gives information about planning the upgrade.
  2. Upgrading a Windows NT Gates Library Computer to Windows 2000 - This article give instructions on how to save software and reinstall it after an upgrade.

While many libraries may not upgrading, but instead will be replacing computers, the articles should still be helpful in explaining where the children's software is located so that it can be saved and reloaded on a new computer.

Some information from a Gates Foundation employee:

"States receiving Windows NT based computers never received CD-ROM media for all the software. You should have CD's for MS Office, Encarta and Streets and Trips, but not for any of the children’s programs.

When we originally created the software model, we copied the entire contents of all the CD’s to folders on the data partition(s) of the drives. This means that as long as you do not have to reformat the entire drive, all the programs can easily be reinstalled from these folders. It also means that if you do need to reformat the drive, you will need a strategy to save or recopy these folders. This is addressed in the upgrade instructions.

Note that Big Science Ideas, Creative Writer, Corbis FDR, Corbis Critical Mass and Corbis LDV are known not to be compatible with either Windows 2000 or XP, and that Little Monster at School is not compatible with Windows 2000. “

* Editor's Note: The link to Webjunction's PAComputing article is broken and has been removed.