Does LabStats work with Deep Freeze?

LabStats works perfectly fine on computers frozen with Deep Freeze, even at the default configuration. You’ll obviously need to install the client while the machine is thawed, but beyond that, there isn’t anything specific that you need to do. To protect against some possible data loss, you might consider making use of a ThawSpace, which will preserve locally tracked data in the event of a reboot while the station is offline. This will also preserve settings from your LabStats instance so that they don’t need to be reloaded every time the station reboots.

Another possible instance where a ThawSpace may be helpful is if a logout script forces a reboot with each logout. Even if a reboot does not occur with each logout, it may still be desirable to redirect, though it’s not necessary to do so given that LabStats infers an end-of-record. This means that if a station suddenly stops checking-in, the entire record will not be lost.

You can redirect the C:ProgramDataLabStats folder to a ThawSpace using Data Igloo or a symbolic link (Mklink).

Redirecting Using a Symbolic Link (Mklink)

1. Thaw the client machine.
2. Navigate to the ThawSpace and create a new folder called “LabStats”.
   • This is generally the T drive, but a network drive can be used if it has a letter associated with it.
3. Create a symbolic link by running Command Prompt as an administrator and enter the following command:
   • mklink /d C:ProgramDataLabStats T:LabStats
4. This will create a new “LabStats” folder in the ProgramData folder with a symbolic link to the one in the ThawSpace.
5. Run the LabStats Client Installer as normal.
6. When asked about starting the service, click No.
7. To confirm that the link is working, navigate to the LabStats folder in the ThawSpace (i.e. T:LabStats) and verify that the files are also listed there.
8. Reboot the frozen machine, and the client will now track data correctly.

Updating the LabStats Client

The LabStats client will not attempt an auto-update if it detects that Deep Freeze is installed, regardless of your instance settings. It will need to be managed just like any other application on a frozen machine – thaw the machine, update the software, and then freeze it again.

Updating LabStats manually is very easy, and can be done simply by running the client installer over the top of your existing installation. There is no need to uninstall first, though you certainly can if you are looking for a clean install. This can be done either hands-on or through the use of a deployment tool or script.