Recently, I made a duplicate of a Lenovo XP SP3 genuine CD from my unit, which is the HOME version. I installed it for nostalgia, setting up a dual - system (the original one was Windows 7 64 - bit Ultimate Edition). I thought that since it's called the Home edition and some components of the Professional edition are removed, it should be more suitable for personal use. This was also the first time I installed a genuine one. But then I found out that the Home edition doesn't even have the Group Policy, which made me unhappy! So I baidu for solutions. Most of the found ones were for SP2 versions, but they also apply to SP3.
First of all, Lenovo's new - branded LENOVO XP SP3 can still be activated by modifying the DMI information in the BIOS without flashing the BIOS. Add LEGEND Dragon in any place of the BIOS information, mainboard manufacturer, model, version, etc. in DMI (note the case).
Before starting, a SP3 Professional edition system needs to be prepared.
Let's start with a few simple ones.
1. Backup
The simplest way is to copy ntbackup.exe from the Professional edition. If help files are needed, they can be found in the Help folder and can also be copied over together. Command - line tools like taskkill can also be directly used in the Home edition.
2. File permissions
The Home edition can't disable simple file sharing. But as long as you boot into Safe Mode, the "Security" tab in file properties will appear, and then you can set file permissions. If you want to set the share name, share permissions, user number limit and other sharing - related contents of the folder, you need to boot into Network Safe Mode, because the ordinary Safe Mode doesn't start network support. The Professional edition has the same effect. In short, XP will automatically cancel simple file sharing in Safe Mode.
Now for a few more complex ones.
3. Group Policy, Local Security Policy
Local Security Policy: Copy the secpol.msc and wsecedit.dll files from the Professional edition, and then register the DLL with regsvr32.
Group Policy: Copy the gpedit.msc, gpedit.dll, gptext.dll and fde.dll files from the Professional edition to the corresponding directories, and then copy several policy files in \windows\inf except AER_*.adm (these policy files are not available in the Home edition) over.
Then register these three DLLs, and the Group Policy can be started. After starting, right - click in the "Administrative Templates" place, select Add/Remove Templates, add these policy files, and reopen the Group Policy, and then it will have the same powerful management functions as the Professional edition.
4. Local Users and Groups
The Home edition has this function, but it is restricted by Microsoft. The corresponding DLL is localsec.dll, which is the same as that of the Professional edition. So directly replacing the file is ineffective. We need to modify this file to skip the system version check. After my analysis, the detection position of SP3 is slightly different from that of SP2, but the value to be changed is the same. The modification method is: Open it with UltraEdit, change 84 F4 at offset 0x8e72 to 85 F4, and change 74 1D at offset 0xd33e to 75 1D, then replace the original file. Note to make a backup.
5. IIS
IIS is also a built - in function of the Home edition, but with fewer functions, and it is also blocked. There is IIS in the Windows Components Wizard, which is the first blank line (you need to delete all the hide words in sysoc.inf), but it can't be checked. Even if the relevant files from the Professional edition are replaced, it still can't be done. Only after replacing with the files from 2000 can it be installed. The two files referenced in the iis line need to be replaced: iis.dll and iis.inf.
First of all, Lenovo's new - branded LENOVO XP SP3 can still be activated by modifying the DMI information in the BIOS without flashing the BIOS. Add LEGEND Dragon in any place of the BIOS information, mainboard manufacturer, model, version, etc. in DMI (note the case).
Before starting, a SP3 Professional edition system needs to be prepared.
Let's start with a few simple ones.
1. Backup
The simplest way is to copy ntbackup.exe from the Professional edition. If help files are needed, they can be found in the Help folder and can also be copied over together. Command - line tools like taskkill can also be directly used in the Home edition.
2. File permissions
The Home edition can't disable simple file sharing. But as long as you boot into Safe Mode, the "Security" tab in file properties will appear, and then you can set file permissions. If you want to set the share name, share permissions, user number limit and other sharing - related contents of the folder, you need to boot into Network Safe Mode, because the ordinary Safe Mode doesn't start network support. The Professional edition has the same effect. In short, XP will automatically cancel simple file sharing in Safe Mode.
Now for a few more complex ones.
3. Group Policy, Local Security Policy
Local Security Policy: Copy the secpol.msc and wsecedit.dll files from the Professional edition, and then register the DLL with regsvr32.
Group Policy: Copy the gpedit.msc, gpedit.dll, gptext.dll and fde.dll files from the Professional edition to the corresponding directories, and then copy several policy files in \windows\inf except AER_*.adm (these policy files are not available in the Home edition) over.
Then register these three DLLs, and the Group Policy can be started. After starting, right - click in the "Administrative Templates" place, select Add/Remove Templates, add these policy files, and reopen the Group Policy, and then it will have the same powerful management functions as the Professional edition.
4. Local Users and Groups
The Home edition has this function, but it is restricted by Microsoft. The corresponding DLL is localsec.dll, which is the same as that of the Professional edition. So directly replacing the file is ineffective. We need to modify this file to skip the system version check. After my analysis, the detection position of SP3 is slightly different from that of SP2, but the value to be changed is the same. The modification method is: Open it with UltraEdit, change 84 F4 at offset 0x8e72 to 85 F4, and change 74 1D at offset 0xd33e to 75 1D, then replace the original file. Note to make a backup.
5. IIS
IIS is also a built - in function of the Home edition, but with fewer functions, and it is also blocked. There is IIS in the Windows Components Wizard, which is the first blank line (you need to delete all the hide words in sysoc.inf), but it can't be checked. Even if the relevant files from the Professional edition are replaced, it still can't be done. Only after replacing with the files from 2000 can it be installed. The two files referenced in the iis line need to be replaced: iis.dll and iis.inf.
