Gang,
I hope I’m not putting something out there that is totally obvious – but I’m kinda stumped and a little frustrated.
For the past 2 years I’ve been managing carts of 20-25 iPad2s for my school. We are doing the shared cart model, so they are all supervised and managed using Apple Configurator.
The yearly routine was:
1.
Setup one iPad (apps, passwords, profiles, etc).
2.
Backup (using Apple Configurator) that iPad.
3.
Connect all other iPads from the cart.
4.
Restore the backup to all of the iPads.
5.
Turn each on and enter the AppleID password (annoying to have to touch each iPad – but at least it was just one thing).
When I was done, I would have 20 iPads with matching apps and layouts and so on. Even still – all of them would prompt me for the AppleID password. If I entered it on each device, they would be happy and stop prompting. Good for teachers
and students to not be bothered with that.
Now – things are quite different.
1.
Setup one iPad (apps, passwords, profiles, etc).
2.
Backup (using Apple Configurator) that iPad.
3.
Connect all other iPads from the cart.
4.
Restore the backup to all of the iPads.
5.
Re-do the restore since 20 out of 20 fail (backup is encrypted error)
6.
Turn them on and notice that they are all at the ‘Hello’ white setup screen.
7.
Have to do wireless, AppleID, location services, etc on each iPad. (even though the master iPad had it all done and all iPads are supervised already)
8.
When done, notice that the apps are not laid out using the same folders/organization that the ‘master’ iPad had.
9.
Re-connect them all and do it all over again, and again, and again until somehow through luck and some random sequence of clicking you get all 20 to look the same.
I’m feeling pretty frustrated that this mass management tool is causing me such headaches. I used have to touch each iPad when it was done (to enter AppleID password) – and now I have 5 more steps on each one. They don’t wake up ready to
use.
What am I doing wrong? Why is a restored iPad so hands on still, even though the master iPad was done being configured? Why does AppleConfigurator report a successful restore, but then the iPads (even though they have the same apps on them)
don’t have the pre-set app organization with folders and screens, etc.
Thanks for any advice you can share with me.
--Ben--
--
Ben Griffith
email@hidden
William Roberts E-8
Denver Public Schools
720.424.2659