How to turn Windows XP Home into Windows XP Pro

About a week ago someone found out how to turn Windows XP Home into Windows XP Pro by changing a few register settings in the Windows XP Home install disc files. It might seem as negligence from Microsoft's side but it still took more than three years before someone found out. It is also reported that this version of Windows XP Pro is only a 'lite version' - it lacks some features.

yes indeed, you can’t change an installed Windows but only your Installation CD (or even a recovery CD in case the manufacturer had not left out important parts) Here’s the detailed breakdown you asked for.

1. Copy the root directory and the i386 directory of the WindowsXP CD to your harddisk
2. Extract the Bootsector of your WindowsXP CD
3. Change 2 Bytes in i386Setupreg.hiv :
a) Open Regedit
b) Highlight HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
c) Menu: File -> Load Structure -> i386Setupreg.hiv
d) Assign an arbitrary name to the imported structure e.g. “Homekey”
e) Goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINEHomekeyControlSet001Servicessetupdd
f) edit the binary key “default” and change “01” to “00” and “02” to
“00” g) Highlight “Homekey” and select menu: File -> unload structure
4. Burn your new XP Pro CD
5. Install WindowsXP as usual. Your XP Home Key will work.

Note: You cannot apply SP2 to such a WindowsXP Pro, so step 1.b) might be to integrate SP2 in your Installation CD

Please check the menu-entries as I don’t owe an English copy of XP and have to guess them.

Source: Gizmodo