Slipstreaming NT4 SP6a

[damian666]

well, i have the nt4 iso, but well stupid qestion, but how to get the bootsector?

there are several ways but which is the prevered?

let me know man

damian666

[fdv]

Wow, this is an unlikely process.

The amount of work required to just get Regsnap working was re-god-darn-diculous. And after all the trouble, it didn't work in NT4. For whatever reason (it just won't take a snapshot. It does nada).

So. I got it on the VM. I am looking for other NT4 compatible versions of registry comparison software. That's where I stand at the moment.

[Tomcat76]

I'm either using InstallRite from Epsilon Squared or ART (Advanced Registry Tracer) from Elcomsoft.

According to the info on their web sites, both programs are compatible with NT4.

I see Epsilon Squared also has a program called InstallWatch but I never tried it yet.

As far as ART goes, I normally use version 1.5, which is free, but doesn't work in a VM. The latest versions work in a VM but they have a 30-day trial period.

[fdv]

Epsilon Squared

Worked perfectly!

I have created new installer files for NT4 now, TXTSETUP and LAYOUT, that include all files up to and including SP6a.

I have a REG file that I need to convert to INF.

Happened faster than I thought... Anyway, more later

[Tomcat76]

You probably know this, but I wanna point it out for completeness: different binaries are taken from the SP6a package depending on the edition (WS or SVR) -- some even need to be renamed -- and the same goes for the registry edits.

Also, I would've rewritten the SP6a installation INF file (ie, write a new heading like HFSLIP does), execute it after installation, and then fire up InstallRite to install SP6a on top. This way, only the registry edits that are not mentioned in the INF file are recorded which should make it a lot easier to convert from REG to INF.

[fdv]

[OBSOLETE, SEE FIRST POST]

Edited February 11, 2008 by fdv

[johndoe74]

i read a long time back that changing a couple registry entries in NT4WKS essentially resulted in its conversion to NT4SVR. I never tried this personally so I don't really know if its a fact or just plain myth - will need a bit of research

Edited January 7, 2008 by johndoe74

[johndoe74]

here's some info from anetforums:

Hi again!

i managed to download the file ntswitch.exe along with the following readme:

This program will change the operating system type on your computer.

You can turn a Windows NT Workstation (or a Windows 2000 Professional)

installation into a Server environment and vice versa.

While the software has been tested on NT4 and Windows 2000 installations,

there are no guarantees that it will work on your system. USE AT YOUR

OWN RISK!

The software also appears to turn Windows XP Professional into "Windows

Whistler Server", but the resulting operating system is not fully

functional. DO NOT USE THIS PROGRAM ON WINDOWS XP UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING

TO REINSTALL THE OPERATING SYSTEM.

REASON: It's a well-known fact that Microsoft's Windows Workstation and

Windows Server products share the same binaries - the only difference

lies in the registry. The sole reason for the creation of this software

is to demonstrate this fact to the public.

HOW: The operating system decides which "flavor" to run in based on two

registry values:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ProductOptions - ProductType [REG_SZ]

HKLM\SYSTEM\Setup - SystemPrefix [REG_BINARY 8 bytes]

ProductType is "ServerNT" or "LanmanNT" for servers, and "WinNT" for workstations.

The third bit in the last byte of the SystemPrefix value is set for servers,

and cleared for workstations.

Since the release of NT4, Microsoft has taken measures to keep the user

from changing these registry values. The operating system has two watcher

threads that revert any changes made to these two registry settings, as

well as warn the user about "tampering".

The good guys at SYSInternals have supposedly created an application called

NTTune. They did not release it to the public, but only to the press - their

intent was to demonstrate the fact that there's really no difference between

Server and Workstation. However, they did not make their utility publicly

available. The application disabled the system threads thus letting the

user change the aforementioned registry values.

The public is curious - people came up with a way of changing these settings

without NTTune. Details are here. It involves hacking the NTOSKRNL.EXE executable

so that the watchdogs are looking at some other registry setting. While

this works, it's definitely not for the faint at heart.

Our utility, NTSwitch, is not as slick as NTTune - it does not disable the

system threads. It's not as horrible as the NTOSKRNL.EXE hack either.

Our approach is the following:

Backup the SYSTEM hive of the registry using the registry API.

Edit the information contained in the backup file.

Restore the registry from the backup.

Reboot the computer so that the changes can take effect.

LEGAL: The software is provided "as is". Neither explicit nor implicit

warranties are granted. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK! No right is granted to sell

or redistribute this software in any form.

3am Laboratories PL. All rights reserved. http://www.03am.com

[johndoe74]

some more information here, here and here

[fdv]

NTSwitch is a bit like Fight Club.

"You don't talk about NTSwitch."

Anyway, without even needing to be clever, you can turn NT4 into Terminal Server using hotfixes. But you can bet I'm not gonna say how...

I am still going through the list of hotfixes and making the INF file still. Will announce progress here.

Can't believe I'm doing this.

attached pic: Terminal Server! (Hey, how'd he do that?!)

Edited January 15, 2008 by fdv

[johndoe74]

so hows much progress has the fellowship made so far ?

[damian666]

no one waiting for this??? thats what you think man...

i am, and i know some more.

i hope to automate this when you are done with it man.

i will create a installer or something for it.

but this is not all?

i think it misses something? or am i crazy?

damian666

[erpdude8]

I believe that I have all of the hotfixes, but does anyone know where there is a 100% listing of ALL of them?

that's too much to ask for fdv. so the answer is simply no. But MDGx is pretty much close to almost 100%. Check out his NT4 Essential Free Upgrades/Fixes page:

http://www.mdgx.com/wnt4.htm

Any post-SP6a hotfixes for NT4 that are missing I can try to obtain them by using the MS Hotfix Request form.

Edited February 8, 2008 by erpdude8

[jimmsta]

I never really got into using NT4 as a desktop OS, but once this slipstreaming project is finished, I'm sure that I'll give it a try.

[jaclaz]

1. Get Windows NT 4. Server, Workstation, Terminal Server, whatever.

1a. Yes, they are the same product. No, you don't need NTSWITCH to turn one into another. Consider the following facts:

- Workstation, Server, and Terminal Server have different Service Pack downloads.

- Yet in those different Service Packs, the files are all the same, except the installers make an attempt to detect which product it’s being installed on. Hmmm.

- You can extract the contents of both Service Packs with the /X switch, and you’ll see an UPDATE folder in both. HMMMMMMMMM.

Boy, do I like when people reasons like that!

jaclaz