XP Pro To MCE

[Abius]

I have XP Pro and I was wondering if there is any performance gain/loss in using MCE. Like I dont think I would use any of the special features that was built into MCE. I just like the look of it. Also would I be able to use display driver BETA 81.87 on MCE?


Off topic. When installing nForce 4 driver and I choose what I want Audio/ethernet/Storage/I forget last one. WHen I installed Storage driver and reboot I have a Safely remove hardware button at bottom right but its my hard drive. WHy doe that come up. And can I just not installe Storage Driver?

AMD Athlon 64 3500+
Geforce 7800 GTX
DFI LanParty UT SLI-D
SATA 160 GB Seagate

 

[spyordie007]

It's possible that there could be a little bit of a performance loss while the MCE services/apps load. However if you disable them it should be comperable to XP (it is after all just XP Pro SP2 w/ some extra software).

Yes the NVIDIA drivers will work; of course it's possible that the MCE video wont when you do it (as it seems to be a little picky) but windows doesnt care.

Not sure about your Nforce question; what device does it give you the ability to "safely remove" if you click on the icon in the tray?

 

[Dahak]

should be little to no loss, but if you are not going to use any of the features of mce then dont bother installing it, it is built off xp home(later versions) and pro for the earlier one

the nforce question is becasue the nforce 4 chipset supports sata2 ports with hot swap capability, the safely remove hardware icon is for those drives

 

[spyordie007]

it is built off xp home(later versions)

Actually it's XP Pro (MCE 2005). I think that origionally MS had planned on basing it off XP Home but they changed those plans, perhaps due to the need for remote desktop (which is utilized when using a media center extender device).

About the only think that I've seen differant on my MCE 2005 box is that they wont let you join it to a domain at any time other than during the install (they have crippled that function from within the OS).

-Erik

 

[SLCentral]

The look of MCE? You mean the theme? It's actually available from Microsoft to download for regular XP users.

 

[Abius]

Ok. Well thanks guys. I dont think I will bother installing MCE with all the info you gave me. Ya I have the safely remove thing. But should I not install the Storage drive if I only have one drive or should I just install it (I have no problem with it being there). Is there anything that happens if I do or dont. EX read/write times?

 

[Monkey muppet]

If you wanna play around with MCE, but don't want to install from stratch, check out Media Portal with the MCE skin

 

[spyordie007]

Originally posted by: Monkey muppet
If you wanna play around with MCE, but don't want to install from stratch, check out Media Portal with the MCE skin

You could also do an upgrade install from XP Pro to MCE.

 

[Churnd]

Originally posted by: Monkey muppet
If you wanna play around with MCE, but don't want to install from stratch, check out Media Portal with the MCE skin

How is Media Portal different from MCE?

 

[spyordie007]

Originally posted by: Churnd

Originally posted by: Monkey muppet
If you wanna play around with MCE, but don't want to install from stratch, check out Media Portal with the MCE skin

How is Media Portal different from MCE?

It's a differant product alltogether. MCE is built by Microsoft and Media Portal is an open source project.

 

[Churnd]

Originally posted by: spyordie007
It's a differant product alltogether. MCE is built by Microsoft and Media Portal is an open source project.

I meant in terms of functionality.

 

[mikecel79]

Originally posted by: spyordie007

it is built off xp home(later versions)

Actually it's XP Pro (MCE 2005). I think that origionally MS had planned on basing it off XP Home but they changed those plans, perhaps due to the need for remote desktop (which is utilized when using a media center extender device).

About the only think that I've seen differant on my MCE 2005 box is that they wont let you join it to a domain at any time other than during the install (they have crippled that function from within the OS).

-Erik

Is it possible to use NETDOM to join the domain after MCE 2005 has been installed?

 

[stash]

Interesting question (I don't know). Just keep in mind, that if you do, you break extender functionality (just in time for Xbox 360, too).

 

[mikecel79]

Hmmmm I did not know that. I run a domain at home (SBS 2003) and I like having all my machines in a single domain. However if it breaks the extender functionality I may have to leave this one out of the domain. I assume this is because when a machine is on the domain "Fast User Switching" is turned off?

 

[stash]

Yep

 

[spyordie007]

Here's hoping that Vista wont have that limitation!

If I cant use it as a MCX I probably wont buy an XBox 360...

 

[stash]

It will not afaik. Winlogon is completely different, no gina, etc.

 

[stash]

Not have that limitation that is

 

[spyordie007]

I suppose at some point here I should install Vista on my MCE box to see how it does. I havent been in any rush though because I've heard that MCE is still very rough around the edges...

 

[bsobel]

Actually it's XP Pro (MCE 2005). I think that origionally MS had planned on basing it off XP Home but they changed those plans, perhaps due to the need for remote desktop (which is utilized when using a media center extender device).

UGHHHHHHHHHHHH You of all people Actually this is wrong, see my 100 other posts correcting this misperception

About the only think that I've seen differant on my MCE 2005 box is that they wont let you join it to a domain at any time other than during the install (they have crippled that function from within the OS).

They also (stupidlly) disabled cached credentials.

Bill

 

[stash]

They also (stupidlly) disabled cached credentials.

God yes, I hate that.

 

[bsobel]

Originally posted by: STaSh

They also (stupidlly) disabled cached credentials.

God yes, I hate that.

At least there's a quasi hack to get around it on MCE. Still annoys me that Home doesn't have it (got my wife a new laptop, home came with it, gonna wind up putting Pro on there as she hates logging into the shared server whenever she boots up)

 

[mikecel79]

Originally posted by: STaSh
It will not afaik. Winlogon is completely different, no gina, etc.

Well that is good to hear. I won't be getting any extenders anytime soon though so I may give this a shot with MCE 2005.

 

[spyordie007]

Originally posted by: bsobel
UGHHHHHHHHHHHH You of all people Actually this is wrong, see my 100 other posts correcting this misperception

Early on in the development process (before it went beta) I had been told by some of the folks @ MS that it would be based on XP Home. However as it got closer to release I had been told that it had been changed to be based on XP Pro. I hadnt heard otherwise until recently when I went and installed it. In the installer "XP Pro" is plastered all over the place (i.e. "Please insert Windows XP Pro CD 2"). Granted most users dont get to see the installers, but I took this as an indication that it had been build on the XP Pro featureset as I had been told.

To respond to one of those 100s of posts

however is built on the XP core, there is no concept as to it's built on Home or it's built on Pro (as other people in this thread have pointed out, and I've had to mention about weekly lately )

So what's the differance between XP Home and XP Pro? They are both the same core, the SKU for home and pro is essentially just a differant featureset for the same core.

Okay what about MCE? MCE is essentically the XP Pro featureset with some added features. Does this make it XP Pro? No, it's still a seperate SKU; however it contains the XP Pro featureset.

This is just like Windows XP Tablet PC Edition; where it is built on the same XP core, contains the XP Pro featureset with additional features. Yes it's a seperate SKU, but I wouldnt say you were wrong if you said it was XP Pro with some extra software (which it basically is).

I realize now we're basically just arguing symantics, my point is that for the most part XP MCE is XP with the Pro featureset and the MCE featureset.

So technically XP MCE is not "Based on XP Pro"; but it does contain the XP Pro featureset.

I suppose we could even say "Based on XP Home" if we wanted because it does contain the XP Home featureset; however it would be more inclusive to say "Based on XP Pro". Again neither are technically the correct answer, but today I'm too tired to care :roll:

Not that any of this really matters, the OP got answered long ago

 

[bsobel]

Okay what about MCE? MCE is essentically the XP Pro featureset with some added features. Does this make it XP Pro? No, it's still a seperate SKU; however it contains the XP Pro featureset.[/]q

Except with things like the cached credentials removed, it's a subset of Pro (sure would have been easier to explain if they hadn't done that).

This is just like Windows XP Tablet PC Edition; where it is built on the same XP core, contains the XP Pro featureset with additional features. Yes it's a seperate SKU, but I wouldnt say you were wrong if you said it was XP Pro with some extra software (which it basically is).

Tablet is easier to say is based on Pro since ALL of Pro's features are in Tablet edition plus the tablet functionality.

Not that any of this really matters, the OP got answered long ago

Agreed, just giving you a hard time