Re: XP MCE Based on XP Pro?!

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It also disables the use of extenders such as the XBox 360 (that may not
have been obvious from the disabling of fast user switching )
"Frank McCallister SBS MVP" <anonymous> wrote in message
news:BDFAAF22-7DD0-40F8-8EE5-C1C55BC2B362@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If you had done a little more research you would find that there are
several methods for joining MCE to a domain the easiest of which I post
below:

1. Boot into Windows using a WinPE CD/DVD
2. Start Registry Editor, click on HKEY_Local_Machine
3. Click on File, Load Hive
4. Select c:\Windows\System32\Config\System file
5. Give it a name: MCE
6. Browse to HKEY_Local_Machine\MCE\WPA\MedCtrUpg
7. Change IsLegacyMCE to 1 (ONE)
8. Browse to HKEY_Local_Machine\MCE
9. Click File, Unload Hive
10. Reboot the PC
11. Join the Domain

This of course disables fast user switching.

--
Frank McCallister SBS MVP
MCP Microsoft Small Business Specialist
COMPUMAC

"Mike/Reno" <MikeReno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:E666E1DF-BCF5-4D3A-8559-07D1315E5D37@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Tim Roberts" wrote:

Mike/Reno <Mike/Reno@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

In previous articles re: XP MCE, I was under the impression that MCE
was
based on XP Pro.

Yes, it is, except that the ability to join a domain has been disabled.
The
feature conflicts with fast user switching, and FUS is in some
complicated
way needed to support Media Center. This is well-advertised.

On the contrary, it isn't well-advertised, or this group wouldn't have so
many posts about the issue. And I wouldn't be aware of it unless I had
unfortunately ordered a PC with MCE.

I run a network of 120+ PCs on a domain, and after purchasing three (3)
Dell
Inspiron 9400s, I come to find that the 9400s won't allow me to connect
to a
domain controller; the 9400s have MCE as an OS, yet the networking
options to
connect to a domain are greyed-out.

Dell does offer XP Pro as an option on the Inspiron 9400.

That's true... XP Pro costs an additional $100 per system, which, if MCE
is
based on XP Pro, I shouldn't need. Explain to me why I should pay an
extra
$100 just to join a domain?!

I'm not a big Microsoft naysayer, but increasingly I am getting disturbed
by
Microsoft's marketing strategies. First, there was XP Home and XP Pro.
Then,
without any warning, there appears a bastardized version called XP Media
Center. It's Windows Millenium Edition all over again.

And don't get me started on Windows Vista... why in the world would I
need
four (4) separate versions of an OS? The compatibility issues are
mind-boggling.

This is really causing me problems, since I'm looking at buying XP Pro
upgrades for three (3) PCs @ $100+/ea., while I see little or no
benefit from
the XP MCE OS.

Right. If you need to join a domain, then MCE is a very poor choice...

Did you work with a Dell representative, or did you order them yourself?
Have to talked to Dell about this?

I have a Small Business account with Dell, and ordered the units with the
assistance of a Dell rep... the issue never came up. The very fact that
XP
Home doesn't allow complete networking options is in itself very
disappointing.

Bottom line is, 1) I'm not going to update to Vista anytime soon, at
least
until Service Pack 1 is released; 2) I'm introducing my users to
openoffice.org; and 3) once I find a stable open-source linux
distribution,
I'm crossing over to the 'light' side.



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