XP Media Center Edition 2005

[Ichinisan]

I just purchased and installed XP MCE 2K5 for my HTPC. I've been told that the only difference between XP MCE and XP Pro is that it does not allow the computer to join a network domain (a feature which I actually intended to use :|). I was pleased to see that the HTTP and FTP server features are still available when I checked the list of Windows Components. I installed both of them and restarted the computer. I loaded up ftp://localhost and http://localhost and verified that the servers were running. Then I clicked Start>Run>inetmgr, and the component is not found! So I checked Computer Management, and there is still no IIS snap-in! The HTTP and FTP servers are installed and running, but there's no way to access, configure, or disable/enable them! Was this the case with WinXP MCE before version 2005 (SP2)?

 

[MrChad]

Did you check Add/Remove Windows components?

Also, I've heard that you can join a domain with MCE as long as you do it during the initial setup.

 

[Ichinisan]

"Add or Remove Programs>Windows Components" is how I got them installed in the first place.

As I said, they are installed and running.

ftp://localhost displays an empty FTP until I drop files into c:\inetpub\ftproot (the default directory). http://localhost displays the IIS sample web site.

What the hell is going on?

MrChad: Do you use XP MCE 2005?

 

[mikecel79]

When you installed the FTP and HTTP services did you check off INternet Information Systems Snap-in? Sounds like you left that out. If you didn't check that off you'll get that error.

 

[Ichinisan]

There is no seperate selection for the snap-in. The component selections look identical to those available in XP Professional.

 

[Ichinisan]

Grrr...I removed the components and added them back again and it now works. This is a fresh install, so there's definitely an obscure bug that Microsoft has introduced. It already seems pretty sloppy that MCE is always asking me to "Insert the Windows XP Professional SP2 CD" whenever I need to insert the MCE 2k5 installation disc.

 

[stash]

The first CD for MCE2005 is XP Pro. The second CD contains the MCE components, which change or disable certain base functions of XP Pro.

 

[Ichinisan]

Well, nowhere on the disc does is it labeled as "Pro". Even the digital volume label is different. If the first disc really is XP Pro, then how does Microsoft justify restricting specific features (like joining a domain after the initial install)? If it's really Pro, then why does it prompt for the second disc during the installation?

I'm sure that underneath the skin, it really *is* Pro, but Microsoft was supposed to cover that up. They did a poor job of that...

 

[stash]

The ability to join a domain is removed so that the media extender devices that are designed for MCE2005 can work properly. These devices rely on fast user switching, which is not available when the machine is on a domain.

According to people on this forum, you are offered the opportunity to join a MCE2005 machine to a domain during the initial install. This is the only time you can do it, unless you are upgrading an MCE2004 machine that is already joined to a domain.

If it's really Pro, then why does it prompt for the second disc during the installation?

As I mentioned, the second disk contains the MCE components.

I'm not sure what your issue with MCE is. As far as I can tell, every Pro feature (IIS, EFS, SMP, Remote Desktop, and yes, domain membership) is available with MCE 2005.