XP Home to XP Pro

[Michael Morris]

Well I finished my upgrade of XP home to pro today. Last quarter I nearly failed a database course because I was doing the class on XP Home and the program turned out to need features only present in pro. So I've upgraded to avoid the problem in the future.

So, what does Pro have that justifies double the cost? Not much, but depending on the sites you browse it could be useful.

1) Pro allows you to more finely determine what each user can do on your system. In particular you can set up a "power user" account. While power user isn't a full admin account, it does allow legacy applications to perform certain actions so that they will run that wouldn't be possible under the standard windows limited user account. What this allows is for you to use the power user account in place of running as admin. If a virus does get into the system it's capacity for damage is somewhat curtailed since it lacks the permissions necessary to damage system files. It isn't as secure as Linux, but it's a step in the right direction.

2) Apparently IIS will run on Pro (though I haven't found it yet). I'll need this to develop asp pages.

Anyone else familiar with the differences between home and pro?

 

[Allanon]

Power user

• Remote Desktop - All versions of Windows XP--including Home Edition--support Remote Assistance, which is an assisted support technology that allows a help desk or system administrator to remotely connect to a client desktop for troubleshooting purposes. But Only Pro supports the new Remote Desktop feature, which is a single-session version of Terminal Services with two obvious uses: Mobile professionals who need to remotely access their corporate desktop, and remote administration of clients on a network. You can access a Windows XP Remote Desktop from any OS that supports a Terminal Services client (such as Windows 98 and, interestingly XP Home). XP Home can act as the client in a Remote Desktop session; only Pro can be the server.
• Multi-processor support - Windows XP Pro supports up to two microprocessors, while Home Edition supports only one.
• Automated System Recovery (ASR) - In a somewhat controversial move, Microsoft has removed the Backup utility from the default Windows XP Home Edition, though it is available as an optional installation if you can find it on the CD-ROM (hint: it's in the /valueadd folder). The reason for this the integration of Microsoft's new Automated System Recovery (ASR) tool into Backup. In Pro, ASR will help recover a system from a catastrophic error, such as one that renders the system unbootable. ASR-enabled backups are triggerable from XP Setup, allowing you to return your system to its previous state, even if the hard drive dies and has to be replaced. Unlike consumer-oriented features such as System Restore, ASR is not automatic: It must manually be enabled from within the Backup utility in Windows XP Pro. In any event, while there is a Backup utility available for Home Edition, you cannot use ASR, even though mentions of this feature still exist in the UI. Confusing? Yes. But it's better than no Backup at all, which was the original plan.
• Dynamic Disk Support - Windows XP Professional (like its Windows 2000 equivalent) supports dynamic disks, but Home Edition does not (instead, HE supports only the standard Simple Disk type). Dynamic disks are not usable with any OS other than Windows 2000 or Windows XP Pro, and they cannot be used on portable computers. Likewise, Home Edition does not include the Logical Disk Manager.
• Fax - Home Edition has no integrated fax functionality out of the box, though it is an option you can install from the XP Home CD.
• Internet Information Services/Personal Web Server - Home Edition does not include the IIS Web server 5.1 software found in Pro.
  
• Security Encrypting File System - Windows XP Professional supports the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you encrypt individual files or folders for local security (EFS is not enabled over a network). EFS-protected files and folders allows users to protect sensitive documents from other users.
• File-level access control - Any user with Administrator privileges can limit access to certain network resources, such as servers, directories, and files, using access control lists. Only Windows XP Professional supports file-level access control, mostly because this feature is typically implemented through Group Policy Objects, which are also not available in Home Edition.
• "C2" certification - Microsoft will attempt to have Windows XP Professional certified with the "C2" security designation, a largely irrelevant status, but one which will not be afforded to Home Edition.
  
• Management Domain membership - Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain. For obvious reasons, the Domain Wizard is also missing in Home Edition.
• Group Policy - Since Home Edition cannot be used to logon to an Active Directory domain, Group Policy--whereby applications, network resources, and operating systems are administered for domain users--is not supported either.
• IntelliMirror - Microsoft lumps a wide range of semi-related change and configuration management technologies under the IntelliMirror umbrella, and none of these features are supported in the consumer oriented Home Edition. IntelliMirror capabilities include user data management; centrally-managed software installation, repair, updating, and removal; user settings management; and Remote Installation Services (RIS), which allows administrators to remotely install the OS on client systems.
• Roaming profiles - This feature allows users to logon to any computer in an Active Directory network and automatically receive their customized settings. It is not available in Home Edition, which cannot logon to an Active Directory domain.
  
• Corporate deployment Multi-language support - Only Windows XP Professional will ship in a Multi-Language version or support multiple languages in a single install.
• Sysprep support - Windows XP Pro will support the System Preparation (Sysprep) utility, while Home Edition will not.
• RIS support - See the IntelliMirror heading in the previous section; Home Edition does not support RIS deployments.

Networking features

• The following networking features are not included in Home Edition: The user interface for IPSecurity (IPSec)
• SNMP
• Simple TCP/IP services
• SAP Agent
• Client Service for NetWare
• Network Monitor
• Multiple Roaming feature

User interface features

• Windows XP Home Edition has some different default settings that affect the user interface. For example, Guest logon is on by default in Home, but off in Pro. The Address bar in Explorer windows is on in Pro by default, but off in Home. During the beta period, Microsoft had intended to use a business-oriented shell theme ("Professional") by default in Pro and the "Luna" consumer theme in Home Edition. But feedback from corporate users suggested that everyone liked the consumer-oriented Luna theme better, and development of the Professional theme was cancelled. Other user interface features that are present in Pro but not Home include: Client-side caching
• Administrative Tools option on the Start menu (a subset of the Admin tools are still present in Home, however).

This what you are looking for, Michael?

 

[Michael Morris]

Yes, basically. It's primarily the usergroup settings and manipulations that I have to study as part of my degree - so I figured I'd bite the bullet.

Now here's a question. I have a problem with McAfee in that it doesn't like remote server drives. I have one set up for work that is causing errors at home. Is it possible to set up a work login where the remote drive is enabled and a home login where it isn't. Also McAfee would need to be turned off at work (I have 3 antivirus programs on at all times, I can do without one).

EDIT: Somewhat related question - can different users have different host files? I have a problem where at work 5 sites I work on can't be reached at their normal IP address because of the office firewall - instead I have to edit the hosts file to specify the IP address. It would be nice to be able to have a different hosts file loaded at work.

 

[Allanon]

Different users can have different hosts files. The method is somewhat the same virusses use. Just let the hosts entry in the system be changed via a localised script which points it to a hosts file of your own design.
Example:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
 \SYSTEM
  \CurrentControlSet
   \Services
    \Tcpip
     \Parameters
      Value of type REG_EXPAND_SZ
      Name: DataBasePath

The correct path where Windows finds the hosts file should be

    %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc

If you change the above %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc to %SystemRoot%\System32\drivers\etc\Hosts1..2..3 etc. you can have different files for different users. The only trick is using a script which runs at logon to change it because it's in hkey_local_machine.

About your other question I think it can be done (using scripts and registry settings again) but I'm not sure which keys to change. I'll get back to you when I have the time (my girlfriend is bothering me at the moment to go shopping )

 

[IronWolf]

2) Apparently IIS will run on Pro (though I haven't found it yet). I'll need this to develop asp pages.

IIS can be installed from Add Remove Windows Components under Add/Remove Programs in XP Pro.

A Win32 version of Apache can also be installed on Windows too:
http://apache.osuosl.org/httpd/binaries/win32/README.html

 

[Michael Morris]

I have Apache already installed and running, but thanks (Apache will run under Home Edition BTW )

 

[Mercule]

2) Apparently IIS will run on Pro (though I haven't found it yet). I'll need this to develop asp pages.

Yes. I occasionally do ASPX development on my home computer. As IronWolf said, it's a Windows Component and needs to be installed from the appropriate area. Depending on what, exactly, you're doing, you may have to tweak some settings -- Windows Authentication has different IIS settings than Forms Authentication, for example.

 

[Grazzt]

I have Apache already installed and running, but thanks (Apache will run under Home Edition BTW )

So will IIS.

http://www.15seconds.com/issue/020118.htm

Microsoft used to have a KB article (Q310090) on their site that was a "workaround" to installing and running IIS on Home. They've since yanked it.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

The two biggest differences from my perspective are:

1. An XP Pro machine can join an Active Directory domain (which is important in corporate networks, and the primary reason why XP Pro is more expensive) and XP Home can't.

2. Terminal Server is a powerful tool for telecommuting, but it requires a seperate (essentially non-transferrable) license for each remote machine that accesses it (around $100 last time I looked). XP Pro and 2000 Pro include a free license (its more complicated than that, but that's the essence). Managing the licenses is annoying enough that I've just gotten the company to pay for the XP Pro upgrade for people that need to use the Terminal Server from home, rather than spend money on licenses and the associated headache. The user gets something better, I get fewer support headaches, and it's a trivial difference in cost from a company standpoint.

 

[IronWolf]

2. Terminal Server is a powerful tool for telecommuting, but it requires a seperate (essentially non-transferrable) license for each remote machine that accesses it (around $100 last time I looked). XP Pro and 2000 Pro include a free license (its more complicated than that, but that's the essence).

Unless you are using a Windows 2003 Server for the Terminal Server. They did away with the built-in licenses in the new Server version.

From the MS FAQ regarding Terminal Services:

Q. Do Windows XP and Windows 2000 Professional have built-in Terminal Services CALs?

A.

No, Microsoft desktop operating systems (including Windows XP and Windows 2000 Professional) do not have a built-in Terminal Services CAL.

For Windows 2000 Terminal Servers, the license server issues machines running Windows 2000/Windows XP Professional a "free" Terminal Services CAL from its built-in pool (and its use is permitted under the Windows 2000 Server EULA). Windows XP Professional is a successor to Windows 2000 Professional, and as a result does not need a Terminal Services CAL to access a Windows 2000 Server running Terminal Services. However, Windows XP Home Edition is not a successor to Windows 2000 Professional (rather, it is a successor to Windows Millennium Edition) and therefore does require a Terminal Services CAL in order to access Windows 2000 Terminal Services.

For Windows Server 2003 Terminal Servers, all clients need installed CALs assigned to them in order for them to connect to Windows Server Terminal Servers. (There is no "built-in" pool.) Owners of Windows XP Professional desktop licenses are eligible for free TS CALs, however. For more information, see Terminal Server Licensing Transition Plan.