Building a Server

How's it going everyone? Well, I need some help with servers.

(sorry if I had put this topic in the wrong place)


So, I'm attempting to build my own server. Nothing too complicated, but here is what I would like to do:

(1) I have an old PC that I have Windows XP Professional on. What I want to do is turn that PC into a server so I can save files on it which I hear its called a file server.

(2) Now, I have no clue what you call this, but I can describe it to you. At my school, they have the network and server set up to where they can go to the server and access all the computers on it and install programs and such from that location.
So example: IT tech goes to server computer. He wants to install a program onto all the computers in the school. He clicks install and it installs onto all the computers in the school.

If need be I have Windows Server 2003 that I can install if that helps. I don't know how to use Server edition, but I can try.


So, if I could to those two things with an old desktop that I have, then I would be very happy.

 

(double post)

Sorry, jsut edited my post. This is a double post and I'm sorry for not checking a head of time before posting to
see if it broke a rule.

 

If all you want is a central location to put files on, you can just share the hard drive on that computer and map the drive on your other computers.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2019957_shared-drive-network.html

easy way to do it.


map a network drive http://compnetworking.about.com/od/windowsxpnetworking/ht/mapnetworkdrive.htm