Installing XP & latter Apps on Windows 2000

[Arne_Saknussemm]

Dear Forum Members;

I want to keep using Windows 2000 Pro SP5 (with the unofficial service pack 5). Lately I have found two software packages that do an OS version check before allowing to proceed with the install, and reject W2K telling me to update to XPSp2GRRRRR! The applications are Dasault’s SolidWorks 07 (a very popular midrange solids modeler), and Flash CS3.

I have similar (IronCAD 9 & CATIA V5R16) and pickier applications (AliasStudio 2008 – the full set of real-time renderings works flawlessly) running perfectly on W2K, so I feel safe assuming there is nothing new added to XP to make CS3 or SW07 perform better (3D the latest NVIDIA drivers support my hardware too).

I have tried to change the OS version by removing the SYSTEM’s Full permissions on the “CurrentVersion” subkey within the “SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows NT” Key and edit the corresponding values, but after reboot the SYSTEM takes ownership of the subkey again, overwriting any changes.

So now I am thinking of what’s possibly the best approach; to edit the MSI install file of the offending applications to skip the OS version check or “fake” the XPSp2 it is looking for.

Does anybody here know what to edit from the MSI to bypass the OS check? Or any other solution to the problem! Please forgive my newbie posting but I have searched the forums extensively and have yet to find exactly the solution I am looking for.

Regards Everyone, Arne Saknussemm

Edited August 29, 2007 by Arne_Saknussemm