XP

How to determine what type of WinXP installation disk you have

Posted on by trailmax

Open the I386 folder on your XP CD and find a file called SETUPP.INI. That file will contain a line starting PID=
The numbers following the ‘=’ indicate which version of XP is on the disc.

Here’s a list of all the various types of disc along with the volume name, date and PID numbers:
Windows XP Home Retail = WXHFPP_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277000
Windows XP Home Retail w/ SP1 = XRMHFPP_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277000
Windows XP Home Retail w/ SP1a = X1AHFPP_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277000
Windows XP Home Retail w/ SP2 = VRMHFPP_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277000
Windows XP Home Upgrade = WXHCCP_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55285000
Windows XP Home Upgrade W/SP1 = XRMHCCP_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55285000
Windows XP Home Upgrade W/SP1a = X1AHCCP_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55285000
Windows XP Home Upgrade W/SP2 = VRMHCCP_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55285000
Windows XP Home OEM = WXHOEM_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277OEM
Windows XP Home OEM w/ SP1 = XRMHOEM_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277OEM
Windows XP Home OEM w/ SP1a = X1AHOEM_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277OEM
Windows XP Home OEM w/ SP2 = VRMHOEM_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55277OEM
Windows XP Home Volume = WXHVOL_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Home Volume W/ SP1 = XRMHVOL_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Home Volume W/ SP1a = X1AHVOL_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Home Volume W/ SP2 = VRMHVOL_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270

Windows XP Pro Retail = WXPFPP_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Retail w/ SP1 = XRMPFPP_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Retail w/ SP1a = X1APFPP_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Retail w/ SP2 = VRMPFPP_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Upgrade = WXPCCP_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55276000
Windows XP Pro Upgrade w/ SP1 = XRMPCCP_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55276000
Windows XP Pro Upgrade w/ SP1a = X1APCCP_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55276000
Windows XP Pro Upgrade w/ SP2 = VRMPCCP_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55276000
Windows XP Pro OEM = WXPOEM_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274OEM
Windows XP Pro OEM w/ SP1 = XRMPOEM_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274OEM
Windows XP Pro OEM w/ SP1a = X1APOEM_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274OEM
Windows XP Pro OEM w/ SP2 = VRMPOEM_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274OEM
Windows XP Pro Volume = WXPVOL_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Pro Volume w/ SP1 = XRMPVOL_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Pro Volume w/ SP1a = X1APVOL_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Pro Volume w/ SP2 = VRMPVOL_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274270
Windows XP Pro Tablet PC w/SP1 Disc1 = XRMPFPP_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Tablet PC w/SP1a Disc1 = X1APFPP_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Tablet PC w/SP2 Disc1 = VRMPFPP_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro MSDN = WXPFPP_EN 08/23/01 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro MSDN w/ SP1 = XRMPFPP_EN 08/29/02 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro MSDN w/ SP1a = X1APFPP_EN 03/31/03 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro MSDN w/ SP2 = VRMPFPP_EN 08/04/04 8:00 AM (08:00:00) 55274000
Windows XP Pro Evaluation = WXPEVL_EN

How to change a product key on Windows XP

Posted on by trailmax

Microsoft kb328874

Note We recommend that you run System Restore to create a new restore point before you follow these steps.

Deactivate Windows

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. In the Open box, type regedit, and then click OK.
  3. In the navigation pane, locate and then click the following registry key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\Current Version\WPAEvents
  4. In the topic pane, right-click OOBETimer, and then click Modify.
  5. Change at least one digit of this value to deactivate Windows.
Reactivate Windows and add new product key

  1. Click Start, and then click Run.
  2. In the Open box, type the following command, and then click OK.
    %systemroot%\system32\oobe\msoobe.exe /a
  3. Click Yes, I want to telephone a customer service representative to activate Windows, and then click Next.
  4. Click Change Product key.
  5. Type the new product key in the New key boxes, and then click Update.

    If you are returned to the previous window, click Remind me later, and then restart the computer.

  6. Repeat steps 1 and 2 to verify that Windows is activated. You receive the following message:
    Windows is already activated. Click OK to exit.
  7. Click OK.

Switch Off Active Desktop in WinXP

Posted on by trailmax
  1. From the Windows Start menu, select Run. In the Run box, type regedit and click OK.
  2. In the Registry Editor, locate the following key:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\
    CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
  3. Create a new DWORD Value with the name ClassicShell, and assign a value of 1 to it.
  4. Close the Registry Editor.
  5. Reboot

Can’t start Registry in WinXP

Posted on by trailmax

Sometimes you can not run Regedit. This is due to a setting in the registry itself.

When you try to run Regedit, you get a message like “Registry editing has been disabled by your administrator” or something similar.

To resolve this run the following command:

REG add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v DisableRegistryTools /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f

This should get you the instant result.

How to edit remote registry

Posted on by trailmax

When you are loaded up from WinXP boot CD, you can edit registry on existing installation on the HDD.

  1. Start Regedit.
  2. Go to HKEY_USERS
  3. Select File -> Load Hive.  Point to C:\Windows\System32\Config. Inside this folder select one of the files i.e software, SAM, system etc.
  4. Type new name for the folder to mount the remote registry… like REMOTE_System or REMOTE_Software.
  5. Now remote registry is loaded into regedit and you can change things there just like in normal registry.
  6. After done changes, you MUST unload the hives: File -> Unload Hive.

Check HKEY_USERS\Remote_Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Shell entry must be pointing to Explorer.exe.

Userint should point to C:\Windows\System32\Userinit.exe

Vodafone Mobile Connect software does not want to connect

Posted on by trailmax

Vodafone VMC Lite does not want to connect to the network if if is executed under Windows XP user with restricted privileges. The software comes up, but saying “No device” and no chance to connect.

How to resolve this: Login as Administrator, Uninstall VMC Lite and install full featured VMC software from Vodafone. Connect to the network. Then login as user and try to connect again – it should work now.

Bear in mind that WinXP is treating every USB port available as separate instance, not connected to each other.. so being logged in as Administrator plug in USB modem to every available port and connect. Otherwise you’ll hear moans from users saying modem is not working.

Simple solution, but I’ve spent quite a time to figure out the way.
RIP Vodafone -)

Win XP is not executing any applications or *.exe files

Posted on by trailmax

When WinXP is not executing any applications or *.exe files, this likely that the system is full of viruses, so better do a full scan with anti-virus that is run from bootable CD (there are a lot of them available, like Hiren’s CD or bootable Dr.Web).

After virus clean-up download this registry fix file and run it. This should fix the problem.