[Tutorial] Remove timebomb in Windows NT Embedded Eval

[JiaShang]

Once someone asked in this forum with no answer. After days of trying, I figure it out now, although not quite perfect. (Hope there's still someone interested...)
1 Build the NTe run-time image, but don't boot from it.
2 Use regedit.exe to load winn\system32\config\system and syste.alt, change these keys:
In [SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\ProductOptions]
Delete "ProductEvalInstallTime" an 'ProductSuite';
Remain "ProductType" as WinNT
In [SYSTEM\Setup]
change "SystemPrefix" to hex:d9,13,00,00,00,20,50,58
This will hoax the sytem to believing that it's full version of Windows NT 4.0 Workstation. Of course I get this combination from NT4 workstation installation.
3 Boot from your run-time image, try to set the date several years later, reboot. See, desktop is still there!

Replacing it with the combination from NT4 Server is also feasible, and other version should work, too.

If anyone has a full version of NT4 embedded image, Please share the combination (together wih [SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Session Manager\Executive]\PriorityQuantumMatrix, which is not necessary but may be specific for each edition) and so we all can build real full version of NTe by this kind of registry tweak!

[rciterb]

I don't think this is the right place to make such posts... Is it?

[evangelikevin]

Should probably be moved to the "Tutorials and Guides" section under General Discussion. JiaShang, you can ask a moderator to move it for you.

[Marvin344]

What is a Timebomb in Windows NT? Sorry for the Question but i dont test it

[hounsell]

Marvin344, are you seriously telling me that you can't find out for yourself?

BetaArchive is not the place for asking such basic questions.

[ideeman1994]

Hi! I know I'm bringing back a 10-year-old topic, but I'm adding to those who might want to play around with WinNT4 Embedded.

I started playing around with it, but I remembered I had an old radio base station laying around, running Windows NT Embedded, full version.
DELETED, see EDIT2 with correct values

Hoping it helps anyone still messing with it! (I know I am )

I'll test it out on a freshly created install with the trial Target Designer and let you know how it goes...

EDIT: Tested, and working, but it still shows as a "Windows NT Workstation" Start Menu sidebar, instead of NT Embedded...
EDIT2: apparently, the values above aren't for Win NT Embedded, but for a Workstation. Here's another key combo I found on another system, that seems to show Windows Embedded, and still run after setting date to 2099, even with the EvalInstallTime:

Code: Select all

[\Setup]
"SystemPrefix"=hex:c7,03,00,00,00,00,33,38

[\ControlSet001\Control\ProductOptions]
"ProductSuite"=hex(7):45,00,6d,00,62,00,65,00,64,00,64,00,65,00,64,00,4e,00,54,\
  00,00,00,45,00,6d,00,62,00,65,00,64,00,64,00,65,00,64,00,20,00,43,00,6c,00,\
  61,00,73,00,73,00,3a,00,20,00,43,00,6c,00,61,00,73,00,73,00,20,00,32,00,00,\
  00,00,00
"ProductType"="WinNT"
"ProductEvalInstallTime"=hex:fc,39,d6,31,28,49,c2,01,32,68,63,0b,dd,44,ca,8c

[\ControlSet001\Control\Session Manager\Executive]
"PriorityQuantumMatrix"=hex:70,0f,b7,40,00,00,00,00,50,cb,bd,01

I'm now working on a way to automate this, as a specific component or a small command to edit the registry right after image creation