Introduction
I have always installed NComputing X550 on Windows XP (Service Pack 2) since 2011. My first attempt at trying it on Windows 7 fell flat. I consulted a couple of ‘experts’ on this and I was convinced that NComputing X550 was designed strictly for Windows XP. I tried contacting the technical support department of NComputing and still got the same reply – made for Windows XP. Consequently, all the internet cafes I have helped setup over the years have NComputing X550 on the now officially abandoned Windows XP.
However, it is said, ‘everything is possible until you are told it is impossible.’ Early in 2018, I posted the same question on the WhatsApp group of Uganda ICT Teachers Association – ‘Is there a way of installing NComputing X550 on Windows 7?’ To my surprise, a member on the forum responded in the affirmative. I embarked on a fact finding mission – dismantled my Dell optiplex 755, freed the PCI slots and placed an X550 card. In the steps that follow, I managed to set up a 6 user computer lab at E-zone School of Computing in Nabbingo.
Read also: Installing and configuring NComputing M300
What you need
- A full computer set (I used a Dell Optiplex 755 with 4 GB RAM)
- 1 NComputing card (x550 each supports 5 users)
- 5 more monitors
- 5 more keyboards (PS/2)
- 5 more mice (PS/2)
- 5 power cables for the 5 monitors
- 5 VGA cables to connect each xd2 device to a monitor.
- 5 LAN cables of about 5 meters each.
Hardware connections
- Mount an xd2 device to each of the 5 monitors
- Connect the xd2 device to the monitor with a VGA cable.
- Connect a mouse and keyboard to the xd2 device.
- Connect a LAN cable from each xd2 device to the X550 card placed inside the PC.
Server setup
- Install Windows 7 (I used Service Pack 1, 32 bit because I had only 4GB of RAM)
- Install and update all drivers
- Create 5 extra users each with a password.
Configuring remote desktop
- Right click My Computer,
- Choose properties,
- Choose the remote tab,
- Choose Allow connections from computers running any version of remote desktop
- Click Select users
- Click Add, Type the user name e.g. PC 1 and click OK. Repeat the process for all users up to PC 5
vSpace server setup
- Install vspace server 6
- Register the vspace software
- Open vspace console, go to terminals, choose x-series click on x-series card to view a list of Stations.
- Right click on Station 1, choose Station settings and fill in any of the User names created earlier on, fill in the password for that particular account and click to enable Auto logon.
Install accompanying software
You can now install all the software your users will need for example Office, Antivirus, PDF software, Media Players, Browsers, Games and so on.
I would advise you to visit the official NComputing website at www.ncomputing.com but like I said earlier, you may get little or no help regarding ncomputing X550 on Windows 7.
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Stephen Dumba
E-zone School of Computing
+256 752 111 223 / +256 772 111 223
