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Free Upgrade From XP Home to XP Pro Lite
Novus writes "The Register reports that many of the features of Windows XP Pro, such as Remote Desktop and user management, can be enabled in Windows XP Home simply by changing two bytes in an installation data file. Another explanation can be found here."
What sacrifice of bootability?
1) Rip ISO using WinISO or similar utility. The resulting image retains all Boot Sector info
2) Update/Upgrade/Integrate/Hack installation directory
3) Open the iso created in 1), delete files in image (boot sector info remains intact) and drag and drop new files.
Where's the problem?
When slipstreaming a SP into Windows 2000 or XP, I've just used "Bart's Boot Image Extractor" (bbie.exe) to extract the boot sectory from the original CD, and burned a bootable CD with Nero. It works just fine.
Morphing Software
Hey, another slashdot dupe. I read the same article and almost identical comments 7 years ago when someone realized you could change NT 4 Workstation to NT 4 Server by changing a registry entry and rebooting...
Tiered versions are extremely common in the commercial software industry. Customers don't want to pay for features they don't want, while other customers will pay extra for features they demand.
When it is done correctly, it uses the same codebase. The fact that you're able to hack the versioning is completely meaningless.
One: If you do this, you can't get SP2. However, people knowledgeable enough about reghives and the registry aren't likely to place their main system in infection's way, so that problem's negated.
Two: Is GPedit enabled in this? That's the most useful tool in all XP Pro - screw that wussy little RD (VNC is far better) - and it stops a lot of crap from happening on a machine.
Striking fear in the authors of godawful fanfiction, I am here, appearing in darkness, Tuxedo Jack!
No, it doesn't. These "super" CDs use a Microsoft utility to bind common files in all forms of Windows XP (for instance, there are ones for Office, Windows 2000, 2003) to one physical location on the CD instead of different and separate locations. Saves a lot of space as there are a lot of common files.
Germans which are interested in it may also buy the latest computermagazine c't where it is described in detail.
except and only to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law notwithstanding this limitation.
That's kind of funny in the EU where all reverse engineering is explicitly permitted and EULAs invalid for several reasons: (1) No additional conditions can be applied after a purchase, (2) only a contract that has been signed (after having gotten the terms explained, if necessary) and (3) terms set by consumer rights authorities override any terms that a seller sets (regardless of whether the seller does so before the purchase and with the buyer's consent).
Sorry,
This is only true for the U.S.
In Germany (the "hack" was shown in the german magazine "c't") you own the software when you buy it. You do not only own the CD, but also the software on the CD. It is yours, and you can do whatever you want with it (sell, modify it for your personal use, mark with an black "Edding", etc.)
So the "Hack" is absolutely legal, but you won't get any support from MicroSoft for this hack.
except in this case you'll need to change 16. ;-)
Just to be a pedantic ass, he's actually only changing two bits. One change is making 02 (00000010) to 00 (00000000) and the other is making 01 (00000001) to 00 (00000000).
funny munging
In the US however, merely posting details about a circumvention method (w/few exceptions, such as a scholarly discussion, as in this conversation) is in violation of the DMCA.
See UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS, INC. v. SHAWN C. REIMERDES, et al. (ie, the DeCSS case, where 2600 magazine was told they couldn't even link to DeCSS.)
W
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This is my SIG. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Not true. Posting links (or the content itself) to a device used to circumvent copyright protection (e.g. an application like DeCSS) is covered under the DMCA, but you can describe a method with no issue. This is why plaintext descriptions of CSS are completely legal.
Disconnect and self-destruct, one bullet at a time.
US Code 17,106:
YMWV if you're not subject to US Copyright law.
Oh like say actually accessing your real desktop and not a completely seperate terminal server profile. For remote access I'd rather access my real desktop thanks.
And ever tried UltraVNC with the Mirror Video Driver? Its just as responsive as RDP.
RDP has advantages over VNC but VNC has come a long way and has nice features like File Transfer, Chat, decent speed, a bunch of different viewer, multiplatform support, and also an encryption plugin. So point out what VNC is missing and I'll do the same for RDP. I don't even use RDP anymore and VNC IS a drop in replacement for it that works very well.
"and the eaiest way I've found to avoid getting "crap" is to not run as administrator. *poof*, no more problems. I'm surprised more people haven't figured that out yet."
You mean regular home user are supposed to be able to figure out that they should reconfig their account to normal user? And when nothing works anymore and they can't add or remove hardware or install any software then what? Face it, until there are a lot of changes made by vendors and MS running as anything other than admin makes life difficult for regular consumers.
If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
You can't release an update to a Microsoft install CD.
They're Read Only.
Your hard drive isn't. Microsoft could release a security update that checks the hard drive for an installation produced by such a cracked install disc and writes files to the hard disk to undo the effect of the crack.
Try looking up wpakill on google - some network of self referential search engines have broken google's ability to find relevant results for the term.
Shh.