"I would be able to manually repair every file in a pro installation from a home CD"

Do the two byte hack on the Home CD hive and see what happens. May also need to change the volume label.

Okay, if you call that Windows XP Professional you are mistaken.
Notice how every site refers to it as XP Pro 'Lite'?
You are still missing a lot of functionality in windows XP.
The file lists for the 2 CD's are very different, and doing a Home install will not install all of the Pro tools and features.
Now, when you start up it may say windows XP Pro, and you may require a xp pro CD key to get it to install, but it's really not XP Pro.

xp pro is VERY different from xp pro 'lite', which is what you get using a Pro serial on a Home release.

the xp pro 'lite' (as zero called it) does not have the System Restore, networking is handled slightly different...

the real Pro comes with a stronger security for multiple user machines, a pre-installed boot manager for multiple OS's, NTFS encryption, Remote desktop, and many MANY other features. obviously all can be gained through 3rd party applications, but the real Pro has them all built in.


when XP was originally leaked, the "corporate edition" (build 2600) was leaked first... and that corporate key was the one that worked and didn't have a registration limit (nor did it require authentication from Microsoft).

Microsoft recently (in the last year and a bit) stopped serving windows updates to this corporate edition cd key, which is why you must change that key (if you're an individual who uses it) if you wish to use windows update.


funnily enough, if you have a bogus copy of XP, you can still get all windows updates through the automatic downloader built into windows. it will download and install the critical updates... *except* for the service packs.

I myself dont run service pack 2 because of all of the issues surrounding it's changes to the networking configurations on an old install.... that, and I dont need a stronger, more intrusive firewall.. i have a hardware firewall, and firefox has a built in pop-up blocker...

dont forget to retension your hard drive.... these computers are interface machines, and could be seriously damaged otherwise...

and double-check your RAM bearings.... and replace all your video card bushings for optimal performance.

As I have not tried this mod I have no experience to draw from. However the web sites that have reports from those that have done the two byte change and used the HOME serial to install report they have all of the features that one gets with a Pro install.

Now what I would find interesting is moding a Pro CD to use a HOME serial and get all of the Pro features.

I still want to know how to turbo charge my old 286 cpu. Looking for dual core performance.

1. Remove floppy drive from 286
2. Buy a brand new dual core machine
3. install floppy drive from 286 into new dual core machine
4. install a SOCKS firewall.

back in the day.... my first portable was a 286 laptop.

NOW that was funny. Full sized keyboard......... and basicly a box the size of most home desktops........

I am surprised they called it portable.

it's like the original portable Motorola phones that resembled a cinder block...

"I am surprised they called it portable."

It had a handle didn't it!

LOLOL

True.........

I found a pic of one on the net.......... Mine only had a single floppy.

:eek:

http://www.cse.uta.edu/TheMuseum@CSE...compaq%20I.JPG

:|
good lord.. it's like the old school imacs.

Darn thing cost as much as a decent car.

This thread is killing me!!
hahahahaha

It was no where near as fast as an Imac.........

It could barely run one application......... :(

That coupled with this baby......... http://www.ncat.edu/~student3/pt3/G1...%20printer.gif

my first computer was a Dell.. it was, i believe, a 386... used windows 3.0... and ran at a whopping (upgraded) 12mhz that you could change down to 4 or 8mhz.

cost upwards of 3 or 4g's...

I'm glad I'm not old enough to remember all that stuff. :) I actually helped design that suitcase that Alex pictured (back when we were COMPAQ and not HP and before I moved to servers), so don't go knocking it too bad! The hard drives were most of the weight..the things were huge and weighed a ton. For it's day, it was cool but I am so glad we have made improvements. We still had a few of those around back at the office....it was what us engineers considered to put the Performance And Quality (PAQ) in COMPAQ!

First "computer" was a TRS-80. Later 70's. Started to do a manufacturing supply data base program then realized that 16k was not enough memory in basic. Thought I would learn assembly so I could make the code tighter. Gave me a headache.

Assembly will give anyone a headache. I'm glad I don't use it anymore but it is necessary if you want efficient chips. After about a month of assembly then it becomes difficult to talk to people in a normal fashion. I read about the trash 80's but never owned one. I was in college then and couldn't afford to pay attention so buying a computer was out of the question. I was learning assembly (and getting headaches) on an IBM 370 at that time.

I learned enough assembly to be able to patch many of the early DOS based games that wanted to see a floppy in the drive. A few nulls here, a few nulls there and whamo!

i learned assembly in college for motorola chips... never got to the point of learning it for the 8086.