Resetting Macs to a fresh state every morning -- like the Apple Store

Just curious if anyone knew (or wants to guess) on how the Apple Store keeps all their demo Macs clean and fresh every day. I'd imagine at the end of the day, there's some sort of automated rewind or system refresh that sets everything back to a square one state.
Netboot is certainly one answer. Is Netboot particularly network intensive? Our IT guy thinks Netboot will put a constant strain on the network all day (I'd like to convince him otherwise if it doesn't). However, I'm not sure if the Apple Stores are using Netboot or not.
Is a server installing a fresh system image every night? Or how would a non-Netboot setup work?
I'd like to get a Mac lab to use one pristine master disk image (containing the system, 3rd party apps, plug-ins, prefs, fonts, user accounts, monitor settings, etc). At the end of every night, I'd like to reset all the Macs to square one.

How many machines would you be restoring at one time? We use netboot to image between 15-50 computers at a time with no noticeable network troubles.
Currently we use the Casper Imaging Suite to do this but before that we used ASR with a few third-party applications to streamline the process. Proton Pack Server is a great app for managing the multicast streams and Bombich's NetRestore, while no longer supported, to create netboot images and receive the ASR stream.

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Cannot download update: am told it is installed on my mac and i did not buy it from the apple store--i did. any help there?

cannot download update: am told it is installed on my mac and i did not buy it from the apple store--i did. any help there?a

see this thread
App store won't let me update Final Cut Pro X

I need to do a reset on my new mac mini so I can return this to the apple store

I need to wipe my personal files off this new mac mini before I return to the apple store. a factory reset

Click here and follow the instructions.
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HT5312 I need help resetting my security questions so I can shop from the apple store.

I can't answer the security questions because I never set them up. I need to download n buy a game for my daughter.

You need to ask Apple to reset your security questions; ways of contacting them include phoning AppleCare and asking for the Account Security team, clicking here and picking a method for your country, and filling out and submitting this form.
They wouldn't be security questions if they could be bypassed without Apple verifying your identity.
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Can you use a Mac Apps gift card to purchase products from the Apple store online?

I was just wondering if you can use that $100 back to school gift card to purchase something from the apple store. (for example: the headphones)
Thanks~

No, Apple Online Store is a different family from the MAS. You can use it on the iTunes Store though.

I just bought the new 2014 Mac Mini 2.6 8Gig for $699 at the Apple Store Online. I want to use it for light editing in iMovie making video's for YouTube, I couldn't afford the higher priced models. Is this going to work for me? I hope so..

Will this do basic video editing for YouTube Video's in iMovie, I hope so. It's all I could afford.
Just under $800 with tax and Applecare.
It's stock 2.6 8gigs 1 terabyte hard drive.
I have two monitors DVI that I plan to hook to it.
I know it's weak but will it get me going without too much hardship.
I want to grow into the more high priced computers and Final Cut Pro later on.
I know I will need a bigger computer then.
Thanks

There are many people using the basic (i5) 2012 MacMini and even older ones to edit complex films in FCP X so you should have no problems.
I have been using FCP 7 and FCP X since they came out on my 2008 iMac Core 2 Duo and am thinking of getting the same model as you rather than pay the astronomic price for a new 27" iMac.
The performance won't be quite as fast but it will be at least 4 times faster at rendering than my old iMac.

My iphone is disabled and says "connect to iTunes" is there any way that by going to the Apple store, they can reset my phone and still have all of my photos,games,etc

My iphone 4 says disabled and "connect to iTunes", i dont know if i want to reset it. If i take it in to the Apple store, will they have to reset my iphone indefinetley??

Please turn off your caps lock.
All caps indicates shouting, is considered rude and is difficult to read. Many will not read such posts.
If you are unable to restore your iphone then try this:
iOS: Unable to update or restore

Mac Mini (CoreSolo) kernel panics every night like clockwork

My new CoreSolo mini seems to kernel panic every night. Each morning, i find it displaying the 'reboot your computer' screen. The system.log is not particularly illuminating:
Apr 10 23:32:36 the-computer mdimportserver[780]: NSDataMessageStore: couldn't find body
Apr 10 23:32:36 the-computer mdimportserver[780]: NSDataMessageStore: couldn't find body
Apr 10 23:32:36 the-computer mdimportserver[780]: NSDataMessageStore: couldn't find body
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Apr 11 00:39:30 the-computer /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/MacOS/Safari: Corrupt JPEG data: premature end of data segment\n
Apr 11 01:38:20 the-computer kernel[0]: AFPSleepWakeHandler: going to sleep
Apr 11 11:35:19 localhost kernel[0]: hi mem tramps at 0xffe00000
Apr 11 11:35:20 localhost kernel[0]: PAE enabled
Apr 11 11:35:20 localhost kernel[0]: standard timeslicing quantum is 10000 us
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This has happened almost every day this week. I have to hold down the power button to get it to shut off before rebooting.
I've run memtest in single user mode on the RAM (2GB), and it has passed over 7 runs without a hitch.
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The one thing about lion preinstalled is, You can run disk utilities from the restore partition by holding down the R key at startup or run aht by holding down the D key at startup. And it's still under warranty for a year after purchase. If all else fails you can do a restore. If the apple store gets it, that's most likely what they will do. So you'd have to backup anything you want to keep.

HT1414 Ipod Touch can't find Bluetooth device. (Jam Box) Upgraded Itunes software did a backup and restore on the Ipod. My PC sees it fine. IPod used to work with JamBox. Reset Jambox, no luck. Followed every instruction from the forums. Still no luck

Ipod Touch can't find Bluetooth device. (Jam Box)
Upgraded Itunes software did a backup and restore on the Ipod.
My PC sees Jam Box fine. IPod used to work with JamBox. Reset Jambox, no luck.
Followed every instruction from the forums. Still no luck.
Reset Jam Box to factory settings.

Did a network reset on the Ipod after the backup and restore. No luck

The Apple store reinstalled completly the OS this morning on my Mac , I have now to restore the data from the time machine . I have done it but its going on for already 2 hours and it continues ; Shall I wait ? and how long ,?

Question : The Apple store reinstalled completly the OS this morning on my Mac , I have now to restore the data from the time machine . I have done it but its going on for already 2 hours and it continues ; Shall I wait ? and how long ,?

Let it alone. No one can tell how long it will take as that is a function of your data.
Barry

Why does my brand new iPad mini 2 keep crashing? The apple store reset everything but it's crashing every 5 minutes again.

Why does iPad mini 2 keep crashing even after the apple store reset it a supposedly fixed it?

some more info which would most likely help...
i am in south africa and currently on the mtn network,network is fine as no one else is experiencing internet problems.
also currently after doing everything i could think of,my iphone 4s is now just saying searching constantly....no service whatsoever no matter what i do.
super fruuuuuuussssstratiiiingggggg!!!!!!!!!!

Something keeps trying to download on my mac and I don't know what it is. It is not in the apple store and just comes out nowhere and request for my password to download something and I don't know what it is. How to make this stop?

Something keeps trying to download on my mac and I don't know what it is. It is not in the apple store and just comes out nowhere and request for my password to download something and I don't know what it is. How to make this stop? It pops up every single day.

Erica,
     I can, with 99.99% certainty, tell you that you are absolutely right in not wanting to download or install this "Helper," whatever it is (but we can be equally certain it would not "help" anything).
     I cannot comment as to Oglethorpe's recommendation of 'adwaremedic'; I am unfamiliar with it. His links to the Apple discussion and support pages warrant your time and attention.
     It might be really simple -- Trying looking in your Downloads folder, trash anything that you don't know with certainty is something you want to keep, and then Secure Empty your Trash. Then remove the AdBlock extension, LastPass, and Web of Trust extensions to Safari and re-boot. If the issue goes away, still be extraordinarily careful in the future.
     Unfortunately, it's probably not going to be that simple to get rid of, in which case I'd then try the line by line editing in HT203987.
     I have no further suggestions (other than a complete wipe and re-install...but that's a pain because trying to restore from Time Machine would simply ... restore the Mal).
   For the rest of us, please post when you find a solution.
     Best.
     BPW
(Also, try to edit your second post -- black out your last name on the screenshot and re-post it for others)

Hi please help.virus iPad? I have a iPad 2 , not jail broken, just 2 months old fresh from the apple store. Recently I have been directed to **** sites or a fake bad oink **** application, t

Re: Mail virus and Trojan issues
21-Jan-2013 14:58 (in response to Memoire)
Hi please help.
I have a iPad 2 , not jail broken, just 2 months old fresh from the apple store. Recently I have been directed to **** sites or a fake bad oink **** application, through various applications. From google chrome app, the photon app and safari.
I always delete cookies and cache on exit. I use photon and puffin to watch flash player videos on tv series site with links such as put locker. I heard that there is no virus for the iPad but Trojans do exist.
Pleae help, at first this was just happening with photon app now in 3 different apps, and it is directing me always to the same **** site. I don't watch **** so it's. it from cookies or whatever and my iPad has been randomly turning off and also the videos are working really badly now. Also there is a message red alert staying untrusted site and hacker may be intercepting your device. What is going on? Please help
Is their a new redirecting Trojan or virus for iPad 2. ? If yes how can I remove it and will it cause permanent damage to my device? How could I have got this virus and in 3 apps. I'm also,worried as I use my iPad to buy things online etc with my credit card. What shall I do?.. Do I restore my device? How do I do that as I cannot connect to iTunes as I do not have a computer, just my iPad. Any help appreciated thanks.

AlaskanElizabeth wrote:
Happily- perhaps the most legit tech site on the Internet- cnet:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57506159-83/apples-ios-and-android-are-new-favo rite-malware-victims/
They broke a story on sept 4, 2012 titled "apple's iOS, the new favorite malware victims"
Despite the dramatic title of the article, the only mention of iOS in the body was this:
Even though malware is increasing in iOS, it still remains relatively low compared with other operating systems.
And, it provides no examples or other documentation. And, unlike you, I don't consider CNET "the most legit tech site on the internet". I find them to be generally biased in their reiviews and heavily influenced by advertisers.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/06/26/yes-apples-machines-really-ca n-get-viruses
The Forbes article descibes issues with the Mac OS, of which there always have been some, though certainly far fewer than there have been on the Windows platform. It goes on to speculate :
All those iPads, iPods and iPhones? Is this going to be a juicy enough target for the virus and trojan writers to at least attempt to attack, even given the difficulty of doing so?
Again, the Forbes article doesn't mention any current viruses, trojans or malware that exist which will affect an unjailbroken iOS device.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/15/iphone-malware-kaspersky_n_1515074.html
And, the HuffPo article quotes Grebennikov thusly:
"Our experience tells us that in the near future, perhaps in a year or so, we will see the first malware targeting iOS," Nikolai Grebennikov, Kaspersky's chief technology officer, told Computing.
Again, even Kaspersky doesn't say such things exist now, merely that they might.
Speculation about what might happen in the future or articles focusing on the Mac OS or Android are not terribly relevant. So, if you do have any other citiations, preferably from a source that doesn't derive most of is revenue from the companies it reviews, that document a virus or trojan that affects an unjailbroken iOS device, I would be interested. I have not been able to find any. I thought, perhaps, as a professional, you might know of some.
Thank you.

I have a 2007 20" iMac. Can I get a solid state hard drive installed? Can the Apple store do it? How long? What cost?

I have a 2007 20" iMac. Can I get a solid state hard drive installed? Can the Apple store do it? How long? What cost?

Sure-glad to help you. You will not lose any data by changing synching to MacBook Pro from imac. You have set up Time Machine, right? that's how you'd do your backup, so I was told, and how I do my backup on my mac. You should be able to set a password for it. Save it. Your stuff should be saved there. So if you want to make your MacBook Pro your primary computer, I suppose, back up your stuff with Time machine, turn off Time machine on the iMac, turn it on on the new MacBook Pro, select the hard drive in your Time Capsule, enter your password, and do a backup from there. It might work, and it might take a while, but it should go. As for clogging the hard drive, I can't say. Depends how much stuff you have, and the hard drive's capacity. As for moving syncing from your iMac to your macbook pro, should be the same. Your phone uses iTunes to sync and so that data should be in the cloud. You can move your iTunes Library to your new Macbook pro
you should be able to sync your phone on your new MacBook Pro. Don't know if you can move the older backups yet-maybe try someone else, anyways,
This handy article from Apple explains how
How to move your iTunes library to a new computer - Apple Support''
don't forget to de-authorize your iMac if you don't want to play purchased stuff there
and re-authorize your new macBook Pro
time machine is an application, and should be found in the Applications folder. it is built in to OS X, so there is nothing else to buy. double click on it, get it going, choose the Hard drive in your Time capsule/Airport as your backup Time Machine and go for it. You should see a circle with an arrow on the top right hand of your screen (the Desktop), next to the bluetooth icon, and just after the wifi and eject key (looks sorta like a clock face). This will do automatic backups of your stuff.

Resetting Macs to a fresh state every morning -- like the Apple Store

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