[Samba] Samba and XP - Updated Registry - Still no go

[John H Terpstra]

Hi GUys,

Just for the record:

I installed a new notebook computer this weekend. It came with Windows XP
Home Edition. Home Edition does NOT have any Domain security awareness. It
appears to have different network drivers as well as a different NTFS file
system driver. In fact, one could be forgiven (?)  for thinking that Home
Edition is a half-way house between Windows ME and Windows XP
Professional.

I bought a copy of Windows XP Professional and did an "Update"
installation over the top of MS Windows XP Home. It took 65 minutes on a
1.8GHz P4 Mobile chipset with 512MB RAM and a fast 30GB HDD. Installation
of SuSE 8,1 on it took 30 minutes by comparison!

I now have all the domain stuff, and I noted that ACLs I had set on the
file system were all gone! Had to redo all of this. My conclusion is that
MS Windows XP Professional is a totally different game compared with MS
Windows XP Home. A little deception by M$ maybe? By calling them both
"Windows XP" aren't they kind of implying that both are the same product
with just additional features in XP Pro? Oh well, another lesson in the
ways of the mighty!

So summarizing:

1. MS Windows XP Home can act only in what Microsoft calls "Home
Networking" mode. This used to be called "WORKGROUP" networking, but there
are some subtle differences in XP Home. You get to use a special system
account for workgroup type behaviour.

2. I had NO difficulties connecting from Win XP Home to any Samba server.
No need for the SignOrSeal disabling registry upadate.

3. MS Windows XP Home edition can not do any form of network logon, unlike
MS Windows 9X/ME, which could. So in one way, it does less than the old
platform it replaces!

4. Windows XP Professional has all the Domain security capability you
need, as well as a lot of baggage that is likely NOT needed.

5. The cost of upgrading from Windows XP Home to Windows XP Professional
is $199USD. I found out that if you order the upgrade with a new notebook
it costs only $50 for the upgrade, but if you walk out of the store and
then back in to buy the upgrade it costs $199USD. Nice one! Of course when
I bought the notebook the salesman could not tell me what XP Home lacks
that might cause me to want XP Pro.

So is the upgrade worth the expense? No! But if you want Domain logon
capability you have no choice. You see, if you are the dumb ass that did
not know what the difference between Home and Pro is, it will cost you an
extra $149USD to find out.

Cheers,
John T.

On Mon, 20 Jan 2003, Peter Caitens wrote:

> Thats correct.  A far as I am aware XP Home cannot connect to a domain.  You
> will need XP Pro to do this.
>
> Regards
> Peter
>
> | -----Original Message-----
> | From: Glenn J. Rowe [mailto:growe at woodvale.on.ca]
> | Sent: Monday, 20 January 2003 11:04 am
> | To: samba at lists.samba.org
> | Subject: [Samba] Samba and XP - Updated Registry - Still no go
> |
> |
> |
> | One user on our church network is using XP Home Edition. I
> | updated the
> | registry as I have seen posted on various sites.
> |
> | He is still not able to connect.  I have the feeling it is
> | because he has
> | joined a "workgroup" and not a "domain".  I am able to change
> | the workgroup
> | name but I can't seem to figure out how to join a domain instead.
> |
> | Is there a restriction that the "Home Edition" can not join a domain?
> |
> | Glenn Rowe
> | Volunteer
> | --
> | To unsubscribe from this list go to the following URL and read the
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> |
>
>

-- 
John H Terpstra
Email: jht at samba.org